Elton slams Bush's AIDS effort

British singer Elton John has criticised the US government's AIDS effort.

The musician, who is a longtime HIV awareness campaigner, has said president George Bush's programme that concentrates on promoting abstinence as opposed to developing treatments is a "tragic waste of money".

The 60-year-old made the comments at his AIDS gala in New York on Wednesday (September 26th).

"They've made a grave error in giving millions to abstinence programs," he told the New York Daily News.

"They don't work. They were told in the beginning that it wouldn't work. It's a tragic waste of money. Please don't listen to those idiots. God almighty."

Elton also dismissed the South African President Thabo Mbeki's claims that produce such as garlic is as effective at fighting AIDS as antiretroviral medicines.

"There are some weird people in the world - what can I say? I would just tell them, 'Don't let the AIDS crisis get lost'."

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