EXTRA: Western diplomats walk out of Ahmadinejad's speech

New York - Diplomats from at least nine governments walked out of the UN General Assembly on Monday when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addressed the review conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Diplomats from the United States, France, Britain, Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, Austria, the Netherlands and Belgium left the assembly hall when Ahmadinejad began his speech, accusing the US and its allies of monopolizing nuclear issues.

French Ambassador Eric Danon said the walk-out was prompted by Ahmadinejad's provocative remarks.

"This is a collective message," Danon said. He said diplomats from other governments also left, but it could be independently confirmed.

"The message is that we cannot accept that the president of Iran has continued to have a defiant attitude toward the international community," Danon said.

Western governments have accused Iran of violating its obligations as a party to the NPT.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/321810,extra-western-diplomats-walk-out-of-ahmadinejads-speech.html.

Ahmadinejad vows swift response to terror attack

After Jundullah accepts responsibility for the deadly attack in southeast Iran, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad promises that the terrorists will receive a befitted response.

"I promise that those who committed such criminal and inhuman acts will receive their response soon," Ahmadinejad said Sunday.

At least 30 people were killed and 28 others wounded in two separate terrorist explosions Sunday that targeted a unity gathering between Sunni and Shia tribal leaders in the borderline City of Pishin, near the Town of Sarbaz, in southeast Iran.

The Jundullah terrorist group, led by Abdolmalek Rigi, claimed responsibility for the attack that killed several top regional security officials such as the provincial commanders of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), including Brigadier Nour-Ali Shoushtari and Brigadier Rajab-Ali Mohammadzadeh.

The explosion also claimed the lives of a group of tribal leaders and well known local figures of both Shia and Sunni communities.

In his message of condolence, President Ahmadinejad expressed grief at the criminal acts by agents who have links with foreign powers.

He called on Iranian authorities to identify the agents behind the terrorist act at the earliest opportunity and bring them to justice.

The Pakistan-based Jundullah has staged a torrent of bombings and terrorist attacks in Iran, one of which left at least 25 Iranians dead in early June. Jundullah militants are believed to be closely affiliated with the notorious al-Qaeda organization.

The Asia Times reported in May that al-Qaeda militants sought to establish an alliance with the exiled Jundullah to fulfill longstanding plans of creating a strategic corridor in the region and lay the foundation for joint regional operations in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran.

Another report posted by the US-based ABC News also revealed that the US officials had advised Jundullah to 'stage deadly guerrilla raids inside the Islamic Republic, kidnap Iranian officials and execute them on camera', all as part of a systematic objective to overthrow the Iranian government'.

Ahmadinejad urges African nations to be vigilant

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has warned against plots hatched by arrogant powers to loot the wealth of Muslim and African countries.

"If Muslim and African countries lose their vigilance, arrogant powers will resolve their vows by making use of the funds and resources of African, Muslim nations," said Ahmadinejad in a meeting with his Senegalese counterpart Abdoulaye Wade in Tehran on Saturday.

The Iranian president called on Muslim and African countries to take steps towards bolstering cooperation with the aim of "meeting their needs and achieving independence in various fields."

"It is a must for Muslim and African states to enhance ties and cooperation and play an effective role in international developments," he added.

The Senegalese President Wade arrived in Tehran at the head of a high-ranking politico-economic delegation on Saturday morning. He was officially welcomed by his Iranian counterpart at the presidential office.

The Senegalese chief executive came to Tehran from the Bahraini capital of Manama and will fly to Paris later tonight.

In his meeting with Ahmadinejad, the Senegalese president said that African countries seek to gain independence in all sectors including agriculture.

Wade called on Iran to transfer its experience in areas such as the transfer of energy and water and the construction of power plants.

Ahmadinejad congratulates Brazil on hosting Olympics

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has congratulated his Brazilian counterpart on Rio de Janeiro's winning bid to host the 2016 Olympics.

“I congratulate you, the Brazilian nation and government on Rio de Janeiro's winning bid to host the 2016 Olympic,” the Iranian president said in a letter of congratulation to his Brazilian counterpart, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Saturday.

“I'm convinced that the 2016 Olympic Games will be the most memorable and remarkable event with your tremendous efforts,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Iranian chief executive expressed his wish for unity among nations, especially through sports.

After successive votes, which saw Chicago and Tokyo knocked out, the delegates to the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, in early October, accepted the Brazilian city's bid to stage the 2016 Summer Games.

The IOC delegates had earlier heard the Brazilian President saying, "it was time to light the Olympic flame in a tropical country."

"Rio will deliver an unforgettable Games. You will see for yourselves the passion, the energy and the creativity of the Brazilian people," he added. "I truly believe this is Brazil's time. For the others, it would be just another Games."

"It will not be just Brazil's Games but South America's. It will serve to inspire the 180m young people on the continent. It is time to redress the balance," Lula da Silva concluded.

In a surprise development, Chicago was the first city to be eliminated from the running, despite its backing by US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle.

Ahmadinejad: New US sanctions unlikely

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has cast doubts that Washington will seek new international sanctions against Tehran, saying the time for embargoes is over.

“In a status where countries are seeking free trade, talk of embargoes is meaningless,” Ahmadinejad said in a Tuesday meeting with the prominent Al-Ahram columnist and Egyptian Islamic thinker, Fahmi Howeidi.

“At any rate, they have already imposed sanctions against our country, but achieved nothing. The world is a big place and all states are not controlled by a certain bullying regime,” he said.

“Embargoes are a thing of the past. I don't believe that the US government is trying to enforce sanctions against us.”

The Iranian president also commented on the Palestinian issue and said the dispute could not be resolved with the solutions Western powers bring to the table.

“Undoubtedly, the Palestinian issue and problems in other parts of the world can easily be solved by returning to justice and the truth,” Ahmadinejad said.

For his part, Howeidi differentiated the world of Islam from the Arab world, praising Iran and Turkey for contributing 'a great deal' to the Palestinian issue and expressed hoped that Arab states would soon follow their lead.

The Muslim intellectual said that resistance movements in today's Palestine are facing increasing pressure to sign an agreement with the Israeli regime in return for nothing.

Ahmadinejad: Subsidy bill stops squander

The Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the subsidy redistribution bill would stop excessive consumption in the country.

"The plan would prevent an important part of excessive consumption (in Iranian society), as well as injustice in the redistribution of subsidies," President Ahmadinejad said in a live interview on Iranian TV Sunday night.

Ahmadinejad noted that for the proper implementation of the bill, several policies in different economic fields such as taxing, customs and banking need to be corrected.

On Sunday, Iran's parliament approved the outlines of a subsidy reform plan proposed by the government.

The approval comes seven months after lawmakers excluded the bill from the annual budget proposal on fears that it could increase inflation. The parliament still should approve the details of the bill which will be discussed on Monday.

Under the bill, subsidies on energy carriers such as gasoline, gas and electricity will be cut and a portion of the recovered revenue will be distributed among lower income citizens.

Ahmadinejad warns of Weapons of Mass Media

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says Western powers have used full-fledged psychological tactics as a lever to influence nations against their better judgment.

Ahmadinejad said some regimes, including those in Israel, are using propaganda campaigns and psychological tactics as their prime weapon-of-choice against other countries.

"Once you take away these weapons, there is not much that they can do," said the Iranian President at a conference on media and psychological war in Tehran on Sunday.

He described the sheer lack of world action against Israeli war crimes in Gaza as a direct result of western propaganda campaign. "The Israelis have killed Palestinians from day one and yet they still come across as innocent victims in the world," he said.

Regarding the US invasion of Iraq, the president said they (the US) deploy their soldiers from thousand of miles away to Iraq and take control of all of the affairs of the Iraqi nation and then accuse others of meddling in the internal affairs of the country.

Elswhere in his remarks, Ahmadinejad brushed off the concept of 'Western-style liberal democracy', saying that real political oppression can be seen in the US and European societies.

"Claims of pluralist democracy in the West is nothing but a big lie," said the Iranian President.

The Iranian president said more than one hundred thousand people demonstrated in Pittsburgh in protest of the G20 summit, which did not receive attention in the Western media. But if 2000 people demonstrated in a country, which opposes US policies, then the incident would make headlines for a long period.

Ahmadinejad's remarks were a follow-up to his address to the Islamic Radio and TV Union Assembly last week.

In the meeting, Ahmadinejad said corporate media has turned into a weapon of subterfuge, with the sole aim of advancing the West's political agenda.

He went on to cite random examples of political bias in US and European media outlets, including the scant media coverage of Israel's three-week attack on Gaza and the lack of media attention to the brutal murder of Marwa el-Sherbini, a pregnant Egyptian woman who was stabbed to death in a German courtroom.

Ahmadinejad: Universities generate reforms

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said that universities are the centers for generating reform strategies for different sectors.

In a meeting with a group of professors of Tehran universities on Thursday night, President Ahmadinejad said universities should provide the society with a clear vision in developing toward a favorable destination.

"University students should not underestimate their capabilities, and the professors are duty-bound to help the students boost their self-esteem," Ahmadinejad said.

He described heavy reliance on the oil revenue as a major problem while reiterating that universities are the institutions where solutions to such issues can be presented.

"We should try to build our country and not get disillusioned when comparing ourselves with other countries," said the president.

He pointed out that before establishing a clear path toward development, the destinations and objectives should be specified.

"We have to make important decisions in different areas, especially in the economic sector. We have come to realize that the existing system of subsidies is the main cause of the country's economic inefficiencies," added the president.

Ahmadinejad recounts multiple triumphs in election

More than five months after the June 12 elections, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad describes his landslide victory as multiple triumphs for the Iranian nation.

"The recent election was a success in many terms," said the Iranian President in an address to a group of campaign activists on Friday afternoon.

"First and foremost, the election was a success because of the extremely high voter turnout, an achievement that was repeatedly downplayed by Western powers," he added.

Ahmadinejad said the Iranian people's commitment to the main principles of the 1979 Islamic Revolution was another sign of success in the elections.

"Western countries had planned to represent a deep-running rift between the government and the people, and all their efforts were to no avail," he remarked.

Ahmadinejad was re-elected for a second term in office after winning more than 24.5 million of the votes in the country's tenth presidential election.

The voter turnout in the June polls was widely considered as 'unprecedented' across the globe.

Rumors of Ahmadinejad's Judaism have been greatly exaggerated

Over the weekend, a British newspaper published an item which claimed that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, perhaps the most vocal anti-Jewish leader of the modern era, was, in fact, Jewish by birth. Unfortunately for those who appreciate irony, it appears as though that that initial report was inaccurate.

In the Telegraph's original story, which sparked a mini-worldwide uproar, the paper claimed that a high-resolution photo featuring Ahmadinejad holding up his Iranian identity card in 2008 revealed that his family had once changed its name from Sabourjian, a Jewish surname that was reported to translate to "cloth weaver," to Ahmadinejad after he was born, renouncing Judaism and embracing Islam in the process. The apparent stunning revelation led many on the Web to guffaw in amazement and, of course, crack jokes on the irony of the whole scenario.

But today the Guardian, another British newspaper, thoroughly rebutted the claims made in the Telegraph's piece over the weekend. The paper spoke to Iranian/Jewish historian David Yeroshalmi, who emphatically disputed the Telegraph's claims about the interpretation of Ahmadinejad's former surname, which they claimed "derives from 'weaver of the sabour,' the name for the Jewish tallit shawl in Persia." Said Yeroshalmi, "There is no such meaning for the word 'sabour' in any of the Persian Jewish dialects, nor does it mean Jewish prayer shawl in Persian."

Further, the Guardian also consulted with one of their correspondents who has covered Ahmadinejad since his election in 2005, as well as an Ahmadinejad biographer, who stated that the Iranian president's parents were quite steeped in Islam. They both say that Ahmadinejad's father, Ahmad Sabourjian, was a religious Shia who taught the Koran, at one point even buying a house near "a religious club that he frequented during the holy month of Moharram," in addition to saying that Ahmadinejad's mother is a "Seyyede," a title given to a woman believed to be a direct blood descendant of the Prophet Muhammad.

As far as why Ahmadinejad's father changed the family's surname, the Guardian reports that it had more to do with Iranian class structure than any attempt to conceal a Jewish heritage:

When it became mandatory to adopt surnames, many people from rural areas chose names that represented their professions or that of their ancestors. This made them easily identifiable as townfolk. In many cases they changed their surnames upon moving to Tehran, in order to avoid snobbery and discrimination from residents of the capital. The Sabourjians were one of many such families. Their surname was related to carpet-making, an industry that conjures up images of sweatshops. They changed it to Ahmadinejad in order to help them fit in.


All of which means Ahmadinejad is free to continue being anti-Jew without being anti-self.

-- Brett Michael Dykes is a contributor to the Yahoo! News Blog.

Ahmadinejad: West media 'weapon of subterfuge'

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says corporate media has turned into a weapon of subterfuge, with the sole aim of advancing the West's political agenda.

In a Saturday address to the Islamic Radio and TV Union Assembly, Ahmadinejad cited random examples of political bias in US and European media outlets.

As a first example of biased reporting in the West, Ahmadinejad pointed to the scant media coverage of Israel's three-week attack on Gaza, which killed over 3000 Palestinians mostly women and children, earlier in the year.

“Israelis easily used thousands of bombs against the defenseless population of Gaza Strip, who were stripped of medicine and their most essential needs. Now, eight months have passed and we see that the event has been already sunk into oblivion.”

Ahmadinejad said Israel has become a sacrosanct issue in the West, to an extent that you see no media criticism of the actions of Israel.

Then, Ahmadinejad turned to the sheer lack of media attention to the brutal murder of Marwa el-Sherbini, a pregnant Egyptian woman who was stabbed to death in a German courtroom while the whole jury and court officials stood by and watched.

Last but not least, Ahmadinejad pointed to the recent media hype over Iran's second nuclear enrichment plant. “In the past few days, we saw Western media outlets repeating false accusations against Iran's nuclear issue.”

“This is how the Western media works. First they distort facts and fabricate news. Then they incessantly repeat their false allegations, just to make sure that it is forever etched on the minds of people,” he said.

“[US President Barack Obama] made a huge mistake when he accused Iran of secrecy and gave rise to the flurry of false reports that we have been witnessing in recent days,” said President Ahmadinejad.

Referring to the sudden commotion over the newly-revealed Fordu nuclear facility in southern Tehran, President Ahmadinejad said Iran has always kept the IAEA posted on its enrichment work in line with its policy of transparency.

“Our activities are entirely based on honesty and transparency. We did not have any secrets as we informed the agency well in-advance,” he noted.

Ahmadinejad warned that the mainstream media in the West has grown to become more dangerous and more threatening than any chemical or nuclear weapons.

“The media campaign has turned into a full-fledged war. I believe the West's abundant arsenals of chemical and nuclear weapons are there to deceive and intimidate,” he said.

According to President Ahmadinejad, unbiased media does not exist in the West. “Claims of freedom of press are all lies, each and every one of the western media outlets serve the interests and policies of their states,” he said.

“When I was in New York for the General Assembly, I was interviewed by several news networks, all of which asked the exact same set of questions,” he said.

“I asked them how can you call yourself an independent media, when all the questions you are asking me have been clearly dictated by your governments. Which one of these questions are posed in the interest of your people?” he noted.

President Ahmadinejad said Iran's mission today is not limited to spreading information. Our main responsibility today is to defend humanity and to create a global culture in support of the oppressed people, he explained.

Iran champion gives gold medal to Ahmadinejad

The 2009 World Greco-Roman champion Hamid Sourian of Iran has given his gold medal to the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a gift.

"Dr. Ahmadinejad is the real champion due to his strong presence at the United Nations General Assembly," Sourian said on Thursday.

"He [Ahmadinejad] has also gained pride and dignity for the Iranians and all the Muslims," he went on to say.

After receiving the gift, the Iranian president said that his country is proud of its young athletes even if they fail to win any medals.

"Iran's youth including Hamid Sourian are the country's real heroes with their magnanimity even if they don't earn any medals," Ahmadinejad said.

"Wrestling spreads morality, culture and values which human needs today," the chief executive added.

The president further asked Iran's Physical Education Organization to pay more attention to wrestling.

Sourian won the gold medal in the men's 55 kg Greco-Roman category on September 26 after he defeated his Armenian rival Roman Amouian in the final of the 2009 FILA World Championships in Herning, Denmark.

Sourian won both the Junior World Championships and Senior World Championships in 2005. He had also won gold medals in the World Wrestling Championships in 2006 and 2007 in China and the Azerbaijan Republic, respectively.

Ahmadinejad slams Ban's 'biased' stance

The Iranian president has voiced concern about the UN chief's 'biased' remarks on Tehran's nuclear work and urged him to take the IAEA's opinion into account.

"We expect the UN secretary-general to maintain his independence by paying attention to the judgments of the [International Atomic Energy] Agency… instead of echoing comments made by three Western states," Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a Tuesday statement.

"It is astonishing how Iran has come under unfair attacks instead of being praised for going even further than its commitments and demonstrating a great deal of clarity," he added, in the statement that was released by Iran's UN mission.

Ahmadinejad pointed out that the construction of Iran's Fordu nuclear facility was 'fully in line with the safeguards agreement and the IAEA regulations'.

The president said Tehran notified the Agency that it was constructing the plant a year earlier than it was obliged to do so, based on document 153 of IAEA regulations.

Last week, Iran sent a letter to the UN nuclear watchdog informing the body of construction work at the Fordu site, situated to the southwest of Tehran. The clarification, however, was not welcomed by some Western officials.

Following a Friday meeting with Ahmadinejad, UN secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also chose to echo the negative comments about Iran's announcement and said that he had 'grave concerns' about the under construction plant.

He also asked Tehran to implement the UN Security Council resolutions, which ban Iran the legitimate right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes. Ban also said that he was concerned about 'the human rights situation in Iran'.

In his rebuttal, Ahmadinejad urged the UN chief to pressure Washington and its allies into abandoning their military strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan, stressing that it is the UN's responsibility to protect the lives of civilians in the two war-torn countries.

The Iranian president also touched upon the UN's 'biased' attitude toward the Israeli-Palestinian issue and said that the international body must not allow Tel Aviv to trample the rights of Palestinians by 'using the Holocaust as an excuse'.

Ahmadinejad also said that he had received no answer from the secretary-general in response to his questions about the United Nation's 'failure to stop repeated human rights violations' and Ban's 'discriminatory attitude'.

In a Tuesday press conference that was held after the release of the Iranian president's statement, Ban pretty much repeated his previous comments about the meeting and did not address the points raised by Ahmadinejad in his statement.

Ahmadinejad Stung By Obama's Nuke Revelation

By MASSIMO CALABRESI / WASHINGTON AND BOBBY GHOSH / NEW YORK

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has warned President Barack Obama against pressing Tehran about new revelations that Iran has been constructing a secret uranium-enrichment plant. "If I were Obama's adviser, I would definitely advise him to refrain making this statement because it is definitely a mistake," Ahmadinejad told TIME in New York on Friday. "It would definitively be a mistake." His comment came as President Obama, speaking at the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh, made a dramatic announcement that Iran has been constructing a second uranium-enrichment facility whose existence had been kept secret in violation of the non-proliferation agreements to which Tehran is a signatory.

Flanked by Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown and France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, Obama warned that Iran would be held accountable if it failed to live up to its international obligations. Fearing imminent disclosure of the plant being built into a mountain near the seminary city of Qom, the Iranians had earlier this week written to the International Atomic Energy Agency to confirm its existence.

But in an exclusive interview with the editors of TIME that coincided with Obama's announcement, Ahmadinejad insisted Iran was not keeping anything from the IAEA. "We have no secrecy, we work within the framework of the IAEA," he said. Still, the Iranian leader seemed nonplussed by the news that Obama was revealing the Qom plant's existence. Ahmadinejad's response meandered from the defensive to the aggressive. "This does not mean we must inform Mr. Obama's administration of every facility that we have," he said, warning that if Obama brings up the uranium facility, it "simply adds to the list of issues to which the United States owes the Iranian nation an apology over." And he boasted that Obama's "mistakes" work in Iran's favor.

Western officials say the site is less extensive than the main enrichment plant at Natanz, containing only 3,000 centrifuges. (Natanz currently has 8,308 installed). And it is still under construction and not yet producing enriched uranium, the officials say. As in the case of Natanz, the second plant's existence was initially kept secret and only acknowledged when Iran was confronted with evidence of its existence.

But Obama's attempt to hold Iran to account may disappoint many who have been closely tracking the U.S. effort to back Tehran away from the nuclear threshold - not because the President showed any lack of resolve, but because the resolve of others remains in question. The British and French leaders were adamant in their support, Sarkozy warning that "If by December there is not an in-depth change by the Iranian leaders," tough new sanctions would be applied. Prime Minister Brown called the new development the greatest challenge facing the international community. But Germany, which has recently shown reticence to expand sanctions without approval from the entire European Union, was inexplicably absent from the event. Obama was left to explain that Chancellor Angela Merkel had a more pressing engagement. More important, after hinting in recent days that Russia might be willing to support broader sanctions against Iran, Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev was absent from the rostrum, as was Chinese leader Hu Jintao. Both men are present in Pittsburgh for the G-20. Statements may come from those three countries expressing concern over the new disclosures, but their failure to appear alongside Obama in confronting the Iranians on the secret plant underscores Obama's difficulty in building a coalition to pressure Iran.

Iran's president rails against capitalism

By KARIN LAUB, Associated Press Writer

UNITED NATIONS – Under increasing attack over Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday that Tehran was ready to meet conciliation with conciliation.

Ahmadinejad spoke to a half-empty chamber as he sought to cast himself as a beleaguered champion of the developing world, that he portrayed as under attack from rapacious capitalism.

At the same time, the Iranian leader issued stinging attacks on the United States and its allies without calling them by name. The delegations of the U.S., Canada and Israel were among those absent from the chamber.

Ahmadinejad did not mention the uproar over Iran's nuclear program, calling instead for global nuclear disarmament.

Moments before he spoke, foreign ministers of six global powers told reporters on the sidelines of the General Assembly that they expect Iran to come clean about its nuclear program. Tougher sanctions against Iran are being considered if talks between the powers and Iran on the issue, set for Oct. 1, don't yield results.

At times, Ahmadinejad struck a softer tone, declaring that Tehran was "prepared to warmly shake all those hands which are honestly extended to us." He said Iran is committed to participate in building durable peace and security worldwide, while defending its legitimate and legal rights.

The Iranian leader also peppered his speech with religious references, invoking the prophets of Judaism and Christianity, as well as Islam.

Yet most of the speech focused on his usual themes — scathing verbal attacks on archenemy Israel and the West.

He assailed Israel for what he said was a "barbaric" attack on the Gaza Strip last winter, and condemned the U.S.-led wars in Afghanistan and attacks inside Pakistan. He also accused the West of hypocrisy, saying it preached democracy, but violated its fundamental principles.

Ahmadinejad portrayed Iran as a defender of poor countries, lashed out at unbridled capitalism which he said has reached the end of the road and will suffer the same fate as Marxism.

Turning to domestic affairs, Ahmadinejad insisted he won a "large majority" in what he described as "glorious and fully democratic" June elections. Pro-reform opposition politicians have alleged massive electoral fraud, and Ahmadinejad has been at the center of political turmoil since then.

Outside the U.N. complex, hundreds of supporters of Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi rallied against Ahmadinejad, wearing green, the movement's signature color. One of the demonstrators, Amir Arani, said that the election was stolen and that "our president is not Ahmadinejad."

In the plenum, many seats were empty during the speech, and some delegates got up midway through. The U.S., Israel and Canada were among those that boycotted the speech, in protest against his persistent denial of the Holocaust.

In another apparent anti-Semitic reference, Ahmadinejad complained that a "small minority" controls politics, economics and culture across much of the world.

Mark Kornblau, spokesman for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, said: "It is disappointing that Mr. Ahmadinejad has once again chosen to espouse hateful, offensive and anti-Semitic rhetoric."

Through the day, key speakers, including U.S. President Barack Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, had taken Iran to task for its nuclear ambitions.

The U.S. and its allies believe Iran is trying to make nuclear weapons, despite Tehran's assertion that it is only building a peaceful nuclear energy program.

The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran has not been forthcoming about its nuclear program, and the U.N. Security Council has imposed sanctions against Iran three times since 2006 for its refusal to freeze uranium enrichment.

Next month, the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, along with Germany, are to hold talks with Iran. Obama wants to pursue tougher sanctions if those meetings yield nothing.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met Wednesday with her counterparts from Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany to prepare for the meeting in Geneva. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said the group expects a "serious response" from Iran at that meeting.

Russia has stood in the way of stronger action against Tehran in the past, but Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday, after a meeting with Obama, that "in some cases sanctions are inevitable."

In an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, Ahmadinejad has said he expects "free and open" discussions at that meeting, but that Iran will not negotiate uranium enrichment.

When asked in an interview with CBS television Wednesday whether Iran had reversed position and was ready to put its nuclear program on the table, he said: "We have not actually changed our mind."

Iran's position suggests that diplomatic efforts might soon hit an impasse.

On Thursday, a high-level meeting of the U.N. Security Council is expected to adopt a resolution calling for a more intense global campaign to reduce the threat of nuclear proliferation. It does not name countries, but refers to previous resolutions that imposed sanctions on Iran and North Korea.

Some U.S. Scholars Skip Talks With Iran's Leader

After President Obama addresses the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday morning, the podium will be turned over in the evening to Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Ahmadinejad has been coming to New York for the annual gathering for several years now, and he is always met with protests. This year, those protests are stronger than ever following Iran's disputed presidential election in June and a harsh government crackdown on the opposition.

Some academics who normally meet with Ahmadinejad say they don't plan to have any contact with the Iranian leader.

The Iranian president generally sets aside several hours while he is in New York to meet with a group of academics. Columbia University professor Gary Sick — who was once a White House adviser on Iran — has gone for the past three years. This time, he made clear he wasn't interested — and, in the end, he wasn't invited anyway.

"My view is that Ahmadinejad is not really in charge of anything," Sick says. "I've concluded that talking to him is like talking to a wall."

Raising Concerns

Sick recalled his last run-in with Ahmadinejad, when the Columbia University professor raised concern about scholars who were languishing in Iranian jails.

"I said to him, you know, 'If you were not the president of Iran but you were a professor at Tehran University, and you were here meeting with precisely the group that is assembled around this table ... you would be subject to arrest when you went back to Iran,' " Sick recalls. "And again he just laughed it off and said, 'Oh, people go back and forth all the time, there's no problem about that.' Well, the reality is that there were people in jail at that moment being held for no other reason than that."

And this year it's even worse, says Sick, who knows several Iranians jailed in the wake of disputed presidential elections.

Iranian reformists claim widespread fraud robbed opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi of victory and re-elected Ahmadinejad. Tens of thousands of protesters in the streets denounced the election results, causing a crackdown that led to the arrest and detention of hundreds of Iranians.

"So I could go and say that to him, I mean that would be one possibility, but I've done that. I've done that several times now, and in each case not only was there no action on his part but there was no indication that he even cared," Sick says.

'Goes With The Territory'

Jim Walsh, a scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, plans to meet Ahmadinejad this week and raise concerns about the jailed dissidents.

"I'm going to say: In past events, you've encouraged us scholars to meet with our Iranian counterparts, to exchange ideas, and then when we follow that advice, they get arrested and get accused of being part of a velvet revolution. How is that ethical, how is that logical — two words that are important in Iranian culture. How can you encourage us to do that and then turn around and arrest the very people who are our friends and who have done nothing wrong?" Walsh says.

Walsh says he is not expecting to break any new ground with the Iranian leader on this point, but he feels it is important for him as a scholar to at least get a sense of Ahmadinejad's thinking, especially on the nuclear issue.

"One year he was very combative; another year he was sort of professorial. There have been slight changes in his positions over time. So here we have a big event, the June 12 election, so this could be a very important point — it is an important point — in Iran's history. And for folks like me who study and write about Iran, it would seem to be important to show up and listen to this guy to see what, if anything, has changed in his behavior over the past year," Walsh says.

Accepting the invitation, he says, is a personal decision, but Walsh says he feels he has an obligation to listen if he wants to understand Iran.

"Scholars interview terrorists; they interview despots; they interview insurgents," he says. "It just sort of goes with the territory."

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad threatened with UN walk out if Holocaust comments repeated

British officials plan to walk out of a United Nations session if Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, repeats comments which deny the Holocaust.

Andrew Porter, Political Editor

A succession of world leaders including President Barack Obama and Gordon Brown will address the UN in New York today. But Mr Ahmadinejad's presence in America has caused consternation.

Many fear he will provoke outrage by discussing Holocaust denial while the world's media attention is on him. Earlier this year, a similar statement in Geneva saw officials from several countries walk out.

A Number 10 source traveling with the Prime Minister said: "If he does get into Holocaust denial territory or say something that's not compatible with human rights that we work to uphold then we would consider walking out."

Mr Brown will also come face to face with Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, at a meeting of the UN security council. Libya is a non permanent member of the council.

It will be the first time they have met since the release of the Lockerbie bomber last month. That has led to tension between London and Washington with Mr Obama telling Mr Brown that he was disappointed with the prisoner's release.

Number 10 did not indicate whether the two men would shake hands but it is expected they will if they come face-to-face.

That could further inflame opinion in America where families of Lockerbie victims have protested at Megrahi's release.

On the first day of his four-day trip to America Mr Brown will tell the UN: "Once again we are at a point of no return. And just as the collapse of the banks focused our minds a year ago - so we must now grasp this next set of issues."

Last night the Prime Minister took part in a dinner discussing climate change. He called on leaders to take seriously the drive to secure a new global warming reduction target at Copenhagen in December.

He will say today: "This is the moment, now, to limit and reverse the climate change we are inflicting on future generations. Not later, at another conference, in another decade, after we have lost 10 years to inaction and delay".

His speech will also address nuclear proliferation, poverty in Africa and terrorism.

Iranian leader says he'll seek leniency for hikers

By ROBERT BURNS and ANNE GEARAN, AP National Security Writers

NEW YORK – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday in an Associated Press interview that he will seek leniency for three American hikers who strayed across the Iranian border, and he urged President Barack Obama to see Iran as a potential friend.

The Iranian leader also said he expects "free and open" discussion of nuclear issues at a meeting next week with six world powers, but stressed that his country would not negotiate on its own nuclear plans. He sought to open a wider nuclear dialogue with the West, and said the onus should be on the United States and other major nuclear powers to give up their weapons and to expand opportunities for all countries to make peaceful use of nuclear power.

He dismissed last week's U.S. shift away from a planned long-range missile shield in Europe, meant to guard against an Iranian strike, as "a respectful way of buying out" Russian objections.

"I heard Mr. Obama saying the next threat is Iran. Iran is an opportunity for everyone," Ahmadinejad said.

The Iranian leader's remarks on those and other issues in an hour-long interview at his New York hotel, just hours after he arrived in the U.S., appeared designed to present his country as open to a broad international dialogue and to soften Iran's image as a rogue nation bent on spreading its Islamic revolution.

The Iranian leader is in New York to address the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday. Obama is also speaking Wednesday.

Ahmadinejad remained soft-spoken and almost completely still in his chair as he politely fielded questions on a wide range of controversies rankling Iran's relationship with the West. He would occasionally nod or offer a small smile, particularly when he appeared pleased with a point he had made, but the Iranian leader never gestured or raised his voice. A few questions prompted an animated flurry of conversation in Farsi among members of his delegation before he gave a response that was translated into English.

He reiterated explicitly that Iran is not building nuclear weapons.

"I hope that Mr. Obama will move in the direction of change," Ahmadinejad said. At another point he said, "The sources of insecurity around the world need to be discussed."

The United States has agreed for the first time to fully join European-led talks with Iran, fulfilling an Obama campaign pledge to engage adversaries but risking a gambit that Iran will hijack the talks and yield nothing.

The United States, Israel and the European Union fear that Iran is using its nuclear program to covertly develop nuclear weapons. But Tehran says the program serves purely civilian purposes and asserts its right to enrich uranium for use in nuclear power plants to generate electricity.

The Bush administration had refused to negotiate further with Iran until it agreed to freeze its uranium enrichment efforts, which it has refused to do.

When asked in the interview about the three American hikers, the Iranian leader said they broke the law by illegally entering Iran. Nevertheless, Ahmadinejad said he will ask the Iranian judiciary to treat the case with "maximum leniency."

Speaking on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, the Iranian leader did not elaborate on what that might mean for the fate of the three Americans. Families of the imprisoned hikers have said they hope Ahmadinejad's visit to New York might yield a breakthrough in the case.

The three have been held for 52 days since they apparently strayed into Iran while hiking in northern Iraq's Kurdistan region in July. Their case has become the latest source of friction between the U.S. and Iran.

Ahmadinejad also was asked about the case of an Iranian-Canadian journalist, Maziar Bahari, who was working for Newsweek magazine and imprisoned while covering the social unrest in Iran after the disputed June presidential election. Ahmadinejad did not reply about Bahari, limiting his remarks to the case of the hikers.

The ambassador at Iran's mission at the United Nations, Mohammad Khazee, said later that he hoped the case of Bahari would also be resolved.

Ahmadinejad said he regrets the deaths of protesters in the violence that followed his country's disputed presidential elections, but denied that his government had any role in the killings.

Ahmadinejad said those who died were "not at fault." He instead said the responsibility lies with Iranian opposition politicians and with "European and American politicians" who he said fueled the violence.

"We believe what they did was very wrong," he said.

Pro-reform opposition has staged dramatic protests, claiming that Ahmadinejad's victory in the June voting was fraudulent. The Iranian government waged a bloody crackdown and opposition groups say at least 72 protesters were killed. Government officials maintain that only 36 people died, and Ahmadinejad repeated that claim.

"It is all very regrettable," Ahmadinejad said, adding that he has directed Iran's judicial system to investigate each death. "The government has no role in these events."

Ahmadinejad muted his remarks on the Holocaust, an event he has frequently questioned as a matter of historical fact. As recently as last Friday, Ahmadinejad questioned whether the Holocaust was "a real event" and said it was used by Jews to trick the West into backing the creation of Israel. In a speech in Tehran, he said the Jewish state was created out of "a lie and a mythical claim."

In a lengthy exchange, he did not repeat those outright denials.

Using markedly less confrontational language than he has in the past, Ahmadinejad said he is not interested in debating historical details. Instead, he said he wants to focus on what he calls the wrong done to Palestinians who lost their land when the state of Israel was formed.

Ahmadinejad said the Holocaust is used as a pretext for the repression of Palestinians. He grouped the deaths of Jews during World War II with those of millions of others who died.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu planned to boycott the Iranian's address.

Ahmadinejad repeated his nation's interest in cooperating to help stabilize Afghanistan and help Iraq, but blamed the United States for having created chaos in the war-torn country on Iran's eastern border.

"The occupying forces or the groups that have sent in the military to these two states, if indeed their policy has led to further instability, what do they want us to do?" Ahmadinejad said. "What exactly can we do for a car that has decided to speed up and basically crash down the hill? I don't see exactly what we can do under that scenario."

Israel lobbies to boycott Ahmadinejad UN speech

After boycotting a slated speech by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the UN, Israel embarks on a mission to convince other delegates to follow suit.

Israeli President, Shimon Peres on Tuesday said Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu would not be present during Ahmadinejad's speech to the United Nations' General Assembly scheduled for Wednesday.

Branding Iran's second most important official as "one of the most evil and horrible people of modern history," Peres predicted that Ahmadinejad would have no future in Iran's political landscape.

Tel Aviv's latest attacks on Ahmadinejad came after the Iranian president repeated his Holocaust comments, calling the killing of European Jews during World War II "a myth".

"If the Holocaust, as you claim, is true, why don't you allow a probe into the issue?," he said.

Angered by the comments, Tel Aviv is trying to convince delegates to the UN General Assembly to stay away from the chamber when Ahmadinejad addresses the gathering.

"The simple fact of leaving the room during his speech, or not to be present during it, is a symbolic act," Israel's UN Ambassador Gabriela Shalev said on Tuesday.

Shalev told the army radio that the countries that Israel is "talking" to are simply reminded of the dangers associated with "this person and the country that he leads".

The Israeli official's comments indicted that the Americans have been convinced to stay away from the speech.

"We know that the Americans are aware of the dangers. They will be represented by low-level officials and their ambassador and her deputy will be absent," Shalev said.

Israel -- the sole possessor of a nuclear warhead in the Middle East -- accuses Iran of conducting efforts to develop a nuclear bomb, maintaining that a "nuclear Iran" is the prime existential threat to its security.

Tehran denies seeking nuclear weapons and has called for the removal of all weapons of mass destruction from across the globe.

Many believe that Tel Aviv's enmity is rooted in a military doctrine that says Israel must maintain absolute military superiority in the region.

"The maintenance of Israel's "qualitative military edge" over any combination of its potential adversaries has been a cornerstone of US Middle East policy for more than a decade," Shawn L. Twing, editor of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs says.

Journalist Adriel Hampton believes Israel's military advantage is "a cost-effective way of serving America's national-security interests in this critically important region."

Ahmadinejad warns against military attack on Iran

By NASSER KARIMI, Associated press Writer

TEHRAN, Iran – Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed Tuesday his country is now stronger than ever and warned that Iranian military will retaliate with full might against anyone who dares attack it.

"Our armed forces will cut the hand of anyone in the world before it pulls the trigger against the Iranian nation," Ahmadinejad said during a military parade marking the anniversary of the start of the 1980-1988 Iraq-Iran war.

The comment, though typical for Ahmadinejad, reflects Iranian concerns it could be targeted because of its nuclear facilities. The U.S. and its allies fear Iran's nuclear program masks a secret nuclear weapons pursuit, but Tehran denies the charge and says it's for peaceful purposes only.

The remark is also seen as a response to recent statement from Iran's archenemy Israel, which has said it is keeping all options — including the military one — on the table against Iran.

Iran's military readiness is such that "no power dares imagine an invasion against Iran," Ahmadinejad added. "The Iranian nation will resist all invaders."

Ahmadinejad is preparing to take the world stage with a speech Wednesday to the U.N. General Assembly, where he is expected to come under heavy pressure over the nuclear issue. He will likely try to deflect the controversy and cast himself as a champion of a new world order ending Western domination and providing justice for developing nations.

Iran is also poised to enter key negotiations with the United States and other powers seeking concessions on Iran's nuclear program on Oct. 1. The U.S. and its allies suspect Tehran already has enough enriched uranium to build a bomb but Iran says the uranium is for generating electricity.

The ebullient rhetoric is also meant to underline Ahmadinejad's strength in the face of a three-month domestic turmoil in which the pro-reform opposition has staged dramatic protests claiming Ahmadinejad's victory in June presidential elections was fraudulent.

Last week, Ahmadinejad taunted Israel, questioning whether the Holocaust was "a real event" and calling it a pretext used by Jews to trick the West into backing the creation of Israel. On Monday, he said he was proud the remark stoked international outrage.

At the parade Tuesday, he lashed out at the "presence of foreign forces in the region" — meaning U.S. troops in Iraq — and said it was "unacceptable that some deploy troops to the region from thousands of kilometers (miles) away."

He accused foreign powers of creating rifts among nations in the region while saying that Iran seeks to promote brotherhood and peaceful coexistence of all nations.

But the parade was marred by an accident, as a military plane crashed into fields just south of Tehran early Tuesday. The state IRNA news agency said the plane flew in the air force show that was part of the parade, but there was no immediate word of casualties or details about the plane.

Various types of Iranian military planes took part in the show, including U.S. made jet fighters and bombers, Russian-made MiG-29, Sukhoi 24 as well as Iranian Saeqeh, or Thunderbolt.

The parade for the first time displayed the Russian-made Tor-M1 air-defense system that is meant for defending Iran's nuclear facilities and plants against air strikes.

The Tor-M1 can hit aerial targets flying at up to 20,000 feet. Russia delivered the system to Iran in early 2007. The two countries are now discussing the delivery of a newer version of the S-300 anti-aircraft missile defense system that is capable of shooting down aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missile warheads at ranges of over 90 miles and at altitudes of about 90,000 feet.

The parade — held on the grounds next to the cemetery in southern Tehran where thousands of fallen Iranian soldiers from the war with Iraq are buried — showed off various types of Iranian missiles, including the Shahab-3 and Sejjil, with a range of 1,250 miles (2,000 kilometers) and 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers) — both putting Israel and U.S. bases in Mideast and Europe within striking distance.

Iran sees the U.S forces in Iraq and Afghanistan as a threat, and remains adamant to build up its military capabilities. Tehran also claims it exports military equipment to more than 50 countries.