Iranian president attacks West, Israel

From Ynetnews - News 17/9/2005

Tells U.N.: 'Those who armed the Zionist occupation are trying to prevent others from being armed with peaceful technology,'; says 'Palestine should be freed'

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said his country had 'the inalienable right to produce nuclear fuel' and accused the United States of violating global nuclear treaties.

'Those who armed the Zionist occupation are trying to prevent other countries from being armed with peaceful technology. There are a few sides who are using threats, and their power to abuse others with the help of their control of the press,' said Ahmadinejad

He did not suffice with attacking Israel, and condemned the host nation, saying that the "the United States violated the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Saddam's regime used chemical weapons against Iran. Who armed him with these weapons?"

Returning to his verbal attack on Israel, Ahmadinejad said, "When the people of Palestine resist the occupation they are accused of terror, while the oppressors are supported, the ones claiming that they are fighting terror. The land of Palestine should be liberated and a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital should be established," said the Iranian president.

He defended his country's nuclear policy, and didn't forget to attack the 'Zionists' here too, saying, "all nations should be allowed to have nuclear fuel. Iran has a right to a nuclear program. A committee should investigate how nuclear means were obtained by the Zionist regime."

"Bad Intentions"
Earlier, the Iranian president told CNN that "the United States has bad intentions towards Iran," an hour before his scheduled address to the United Nations.

The Iranian president said he would defend his country's "right" to enrich uranium, and called for the creation of a special U.N. committee to limit the spread of atomic weaponry.

He added that Iran planned to "guard its rights."

Asked whether Iran would use the oil weapon as a political tool in the nuclear dispute, Ahmadinejad said, "I think any intelligent, healthy, smart human being should use every resource in order to maintain his or her freedom and independence."
The foreign ministers of Britain, Germany, and France met with Ahmadinejad on Saturday on the sidelines of the U.N. conference in New York.

During the meeting, British secretary of state Jack Straw said that the countries of the European Union hoped to avoid a need to submit the nuclear issue to the U.N. Security council.

Straw also added that the European countries would decide their next step only after hearing Ahmadinejad's U.N. speech.

There had been some speculation that the Iranian president will, in the course of his speech, suggest new ways to solve the nuclear crisis with the United States and European Union.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice said that if diplomatic attempts fail, the Security Council would deal with the crisis.

Yizhak Benhorin contributed to this report