Badawi said it would be sad if the fake info was used as evidence to attack Iraq

By Kazi Mahmood, IOL Southeast Asia Correspondent

KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 (IslamOnline.net) - Malaysia Sunday, March 9, criticized the United States for its submission of a false report to the United Nations on Iraq's alleged nuclear weapons program, calling it a worrisome and shameful act.

Acting Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi added it would be sad if this information was used as evidence to attack Iraq, reported Bernama News Agency.

"It's a shame that this should have happened," he told a news conference at the Putrajaya, the new government administrative center.

News reports said the UN weapons inspectors revealed that the U.S. had submitted several false documents to prove its allegations that Iraq was conducting a nuclear weapons program.  

The reports have given hope to many people in the South East Asian Region that the U.S. could not launch a massive invasion of Iraq, since the war had no basis.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director Mohamed El Baradei told the UN Security Council that documents alleging that Iraqi officials bought uranium in Africa two years ago had been confirmed by arms experts as false.

Abdullah Badawi, who is also the Home Minister, said such actions would also spark anger among the world community, despite the continued assertion by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell that the U.S. had better information on the matter.  

The Malaysian future Prime Minister, to succeed Mahathir Mohamad this October, said the U.S. should give such information to the inspectors for verification.

"We will see what action the U.S. will take next. They say they have other evidence on this matter; if they have other documents, hand them over to the relevant authorities for investigation.

"But so far what we have heard is news on the false information only," he said.

Abdullah said at the moment the world community had more trust in the IAEA and weapons inspectors, who were working independently and were 'neutral' in their investigations into Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction.

Meanwhile, Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar Saturday appealed to the U.S. and Britain not to launch the war against Iraq. He said the war was unjustified and it will only lead to human sufferings.

"It (a war) will not be justifiable if the weapons inspectors cannot find any evidence of weapons of mass destruction or find any evidence to show that Iraq is a threat to world peace and security," he told reporters according to Bernama.

"We should rely o­n the UN inspectors rather than making our own decisions. All the reports have shown that they have not found anything that can be considered a threat," he added.

Syed Hamid urged the United States not to ignore the United Nations.

"I think if o­ne starts to ignore the UN, you will set a dangerous precedent. A war will not help the prevailing global economic uncertainty. Oil prices have been pushed up. We hope the US will not go to war." He added.