Do not Corner Iran, Malaysia Urges US

Do not Corner Iran, Malaysia Urges US

WASHINGTON, September 27, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - The
United States warned Iran that it must abide by international accords on
nuclear programs or face possible UN sanctions, as Malaysia urged Washington
not to put Tehran to the wall.

"Let us not put Iran to the wall. If you put Iran to the wall, we do not
know what would be the effect," Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar
said when answering a question at a US-Malaysia forum in Washington Monday,
September 26.

He said the world would not want the Iranian nuclear issue to blow up into
an Iraq-like conflict.

"We have seen too much difficulty" with the US-led invasion of Iraq and "we
do not want to see another situation where we are confronted with an open
conflict which is difficult to manage subsequently," Syed Hamid said,
according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Malaysia is the current chair of the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic
Conference (OIC) and the 116-nation Non-Aligned Movement.

Negotiations

The International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation board of governors
Saturday adopted a resolution that threatens to take Iran before the United
Nations Security Council for violations of international non-proliferation
rules.

Furious over the resolution, Iran has threatened to cease application of a
protocol allowing tougher nuclear inspections if the UN nuclear agency
insisted on reporting Iran to the Security Council.

Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful but the United States claims it
hides a covert weapons program.

Syed Hamid said that in dealing with Iran, the United States should emulate
the negotiation style used at attempting to end North Korea's nuclear
weapons drive.

Earlier this month, North Korea agreed to dismantle its nuclear weapons
network in return for security guarantees and energy aid following
protracted talks, which also involved the United States, Russia, China,
Japan and South Korea.

"It is better that Iran be engaged in negotiations. I know the frustration
of negotiations and dialogue," Syed Hamid said, citing the six-party Korean
nuclear talks "that took so long but have been put on track".

"Why can't we do the same thing in this particular case," he asked.

Syed Hamid said Malaysia supported disarmament and non-proliferation and had
conveyed to Iran that "they must come out very clean and open in
negotiations" over its nuclear program.

"We should remain engaged," he said.

Continued

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