Malaysia summoned the US charge d'affaires to lodge a formal protest over remarks by President George W. Bush linking a company owned by the prime minister's son to a nuclear weapons black market, officials said Thursday.
Envoy Robert Pollard was called to the foreign ministry Wednesday and handed a note in which Malaysia said it was "offended that it has been unfairly and deliberately targeted by President Bush".
The row follows a major speech on nuclear proliferation by Bush last week in which he referred to the seizure of centrifuge parts made in Malaysia aboard a ship destined for Libya last October. Centrifuges can be used to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons.
A Malaysian company owned by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's son Kamaluddin has admitted manufacturing the seized parts but says it thought they were for use in the oil and gas industry and did not know they were headed for Libya.
"We take exception to Malaysia being deliberately singled out in the speech, when President Bush has also clearly stated that other necessary parts were purchased through network operatives based in Europe, the Middle East and Africa," the protest note says. "Yet he failed to name the countries hosting them.
Asked to comment on the protest, US embassy spokesman Frank Whitaker told AFP: "The charge had a very useful discussion with the ministry of foreign affairs and I can tell you that we are encouraging Malaysia to take the necessary steps to bring its export control in line with international standards. We believe this would prevent future proliferation activities."
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