By SEAN YOONG, Associated Press Writer
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi denied Thursday that his government whitewashed an investigation of Malaysia's role in a worldwide nuclear black market, and said he wasn't worried the issue would hurt him in upcoming elections.
The vote, which Abdullah called Wednesday, will be the first since former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad retired in October. The Islamic opposition has promised to focus on the nuclear network during its campaign for the election, expected by the end of March.
The government faces allegations that a Malaysian company owned by Abdullah's son played a key role in a nuclear black market, led the father of Pakistan's nuclear program, to traffic nuclear technology and know-how to Libya, Iran and North Korea.
A police investigation cleared Scomi Precision Engineering of knowingly making centrifuge components that were seized in October in the Mediterranean en route to Libya.
The Islamic opposition claims the government went easy on Abdullah's son, even while the prime minister wages a very public anti-corruption campaign. The opposition also says the government has detained about 70 terror suspects over the past three years without trial.
Badawi, speaking publicly for the first time since calling the elections, said he said he wasn't troubled by the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party's allegations.
"I am not worried at all," Abdullah told reporters. "I think PAS just wants to find something to attack me and embarrass me. They are trying to resort to character assassination. They have nothing else to capitalize on."
Abdullah said police had investigated the trafficking case as "best they could" and that the results would be given to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
"They will scrutinize it," Abdullah said. "They are not fools. They cannot be misled."
A top U.S. nonproliferation envoy met Malaysian leaders this week to urge this Southeast Asian country to tighten export regulations and plug criminal loopholes to prevent trafficking.
Abdullah confirmed that he met John Stern Wolf, the assistant secretary for the State Department's non-proliferation bureau.
"He did not ask for strict controls," Abdullah said. "He is aware that we were already looking into it, even before this. Of course, we need time. It's not something that can easily be resolved."
Badawi called the elections in an apparent bid to solidify control of his 14-party coalition and reverse gains that the Islamic party made in a 1999 vote. The coalition, which has 152 of 193 seats in parliament, is almost certain to extend its 50-year grip on power. The date for the elections is to be announced Friday.
Angry Reax To Airport Screening
Mexicans Getting Break At Border
Some Mexicans Won't Be Fingerprinted
By SUZANNE GAMBOA, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration will back off plans to require that visa-carrying Mexicans who make short visits to America and stay close to the border be fingerprinted and photographed, The Associated Press has learned.
The move is a concession to Mexican President Vicente Fox, who begins a two-day visit to President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, on Friday.
A congressional official who was briefed Thursday by the Homeland Security Department said the administration will not require the fingerprints and photographs at the border. The official spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
During testimony before a congressional panel, Asa Hutchinson, Homeland Security's undersecretary for border and transportation, would only say the idea was under consideration. However, afterward he told reporters, "I think that is what probably will be necessary."
Agustin Gutierrez Canet, a spokesman for Fox, called the development "a friendly and positive gesture toward Mexico."
Mexicans make millions of quick trips across the border each year. In San Diego alone, more than 165,000 people enter from Mexico each day.
Those who have so-called laser visas currently are allowed to stay in the country three days provided they stay close to the border. Such visas are issued to people who have undergone background checks and consulate interviews where they are fingerprinted and photographed. The visas generally are held by workers and people who need to make frequent quick trips across the border.
As part of the new US-VISIT program, those people were to be fingerprinted and photographed before crossing the border starting sometime before the end of the year.
Mexican border officials and officials in U.S. border communities feared that could lead to long delays or prompt fewer people to enter the country. Either scenario would hurt local economies that rely on a steady flow of visitors.
US-VISIT was developed in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to ensure that people on terrorist watch lists and other criminals don't get into the country. The first part of it took effect in January and requires that visitors from certain countries traveling on visas and entering at 115 major airports and 14 seaports be fingerprinted and photographed.
The program will be added to the 50 busiest land ports later this year. Fox was upset that under the expanded plan, Mexicans would be photographed and fingerprinted before entering the United States, while Canadians would not.
As part of the revised plan, the government will install machines that can read the electronic information in the laser visas at the 50 busiest land ports. The machines are at only a handful of border points as of now.
Nearly 360 million travelers entered the United States at all the nation's land ports of entry in 2002.
A program to log foreigners' departures also is being developed.