TEHRAN The Washington Middle East Policy Institute (WMEPI) has presented a report to President Goerge W. Bush which is in fact an anti-Iranian scheme aimed at overthrowing the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Some 40 U.S. politicians affiliated to both Democratic and Republican parties in cooperation with top-notch experts on the Middle Eastern affairs have prepared the report.

The report claimed that since the 1997 election of President Mohammad Khatami, there has been increasing expectation that the reformist tide will win out over the hardliners. "So far this has not been the case. Little has changed in terms of those Iranian policies that pose the greatest threat to U.S. interests and allies. The United States should support the Iranian people's reform movement as best it can. In practice, this means "do no harm"; that is, avoid to close an embrace of the reform movement, which would feed hardline suspicions that the reformers are the vanguard of the Western cultural invasion they so fear."

The report further claimed that Iran is pursuing weapons of mass destruction. "Given that Iran is a signatory of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the most appropriate immediate response to an Iranian nuclear deployment could well be "smart sanctions" imposed by the UN Security Council that are designed to target Iranian decision-makers while having as little impact as possible on the Iranian people. At the same time, the United States should examine options for the use of military force.

"As long as Iran continues to threaten regional stability by pursuing weapons of mass destruction (WMD), undermining the peace process (e.g. arming Hizbollah) and supporting international terrorists, the United States should sustain pressure on hardline Iranian actions. At the same time, offer to reduce restrictions and resolve differences in a reciprocal, step-by-step process."

Elsewhere on the regional strategies, the report recommended Bush to invest in critical relationships despite recent setbacks. Nevertheless, it stressed that U.S. relations with the states of the region need consistent, high-level attention to prevent erosion.

"Expand outreach programs to Arab and Muslim-majority countries to address insufficient understanding of American democracy, values, and political processes; expand cultural and educational outreach programs. Better understanding of U.S. society and the important role religion plays in American life could combat the all-too-common misconception of American hostility toward Islam and Muslims.

"Take advantage of the opportunities of new leadership; encourage new leaders in friendly states to undertake reforms that strengthen their legitimacy. Exploit opportunities to promote pro-Western changes in traditionally adversarial regimes by promoting freer markets, freer communication, and freer travel.

"The U.S. approach should be to think big but act incrementally", the report further noted.