A sexed up report won't work on Iran

Way back in March, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited Malaysia to seek support in its nuclear programme. And now, almost two months later, he has got the voice he wanted so much.

Malaysia Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, speaking in his capacity as the chairman of the 114-member Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), has set the tone in favour of the Islamic country.

Abdullah slammed the West for practising double standards in forbidding Iran's development of nuclear weapons and threatening military action if it goes ahead. And he points out that the same Western countries have allowed Israel to develop nuclear weapons with "impunity".

And he firmly backed Iran’s right to develop its nuclear technology. But this support came with a caveat – that the nuclear technology is only developed for peaceful purposes.

The Western powers, especially the Americans, strongly believe that Iran’s nuclear programme includes a military motive as well, thus the stand off over the matter.

If the Americans or its allies have any solid, undisputed and tangible proof on Iran’s true motives, they should then immediately show these to the world so that blocks such as Nam and others will not blindly and wrongly back Iran.

And since Malaysia is also the chair of Organisation of Islamic Countries, I think a similar open support for Iran is forthcoming from this influential Islamic grouping – more the reason for the Americans to lay down all their cards on Iran, if there are any.

A sexed up report like what they did to justify their attack on Iraq will not work this time.

Otherwise, they should just keep quite and let Iran pursue its nuclear programmes for the stated reasons – to increase local energy supply.