PRIMOSTEN (Croatia), Sept 30: Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev on Saturday accused the United States of unilateralism in international affairs and antagonising allies in its approach to fighting terrorism.

Mr Gorbachev, whose reform policies helped bring down the Soviet empire, end the Cold War and inspire democracy in former communist countries across the world, criticised the American approach to combating international terrorism, urging the world to unite in uprooting the source of the problem _ poverty.

“There are very strong attempts to convince the world that all the threats to it come from the Islamic world. I don’t think so,” he said. “Members of the Islamic world are not happy that others want to tell them how to live.”

The ex-Soviet leader also rebuked US criticism of a perceived democratic rollback in Russia.

“It is unacceptable and unsustainable that the United States resolves problems in the name of the whole world,” Mr Gorbachev said at a conference belatedly celebrating his 75th birthday and 20 years of his popular policy of perestroika, or restructuring.

He was referring to the American-led engagement in Iraq, Afghanistan and efforts to halt Iran’s nuclear development program.

“Bombing will never lead to a solution,” Mr Gorbachev said. “An international partnership is the best and only solution.”

Mr Gorbachev also predicted that the new united Europe would emerge as the dominant world leader and engine of change. Other transitioning countries like Russia, Brazil and China were also destined to significantly alter the world’s political landscape, he added.

“For a long period of time, the US will remain the most technologically developed country,” Mr Gorbachev maintained, but added that it had long ago stopped being a “social leader.”

“Europe’s development will accelerate ... and more areas (will come) under its umbrella,” he said. “This is not attractive to the US, which prefers to speak of the old Europe instead of the new strong one.”—AP