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Last update - 13:05 24/09/2008
Iranian President wooed with U.S. media attention
By Natasha Mozgovaya, Haaretz U.S. Correspondent
Tags: Iran, nuclear 

WASHINGTON - Just how weak the international front against Iran's nuclear program is became clear during Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to New York this week. Not only will he address the UN General Assembly just like any other world leader, but he has been sought after by the media, and tomorrow, he will even be hosted at a dinner by several Christian organizations that say they are seeking to promote peace.

On Tuesday, Ahmadinejad did his best to weaken the opposition still further, via an interview with America's prestigious National Public Radio: He insisted that he is not seeking a confrontation with the United States or anyone else, and that the entire problem is "the U.S. administration and its group of friends."

Asked by NPR about Iran's confrontation with the world over its nuclear program, he retorted: "Where is the world that you are speaking of? Again, 118 members of the Non-Aligned Movement are supporting us. Fifty-seven countries of the OIC [Organization of the Islamic Conference]. So the world that is concerned that you refer to, who is it? Which world? Is it really the U.S. administration and its group of friends?"
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He even said he would like to cooperate with the U.S. - but clarified that Iran has already done "whatever we could," so now, "it's time for the American government to act."

Asked about his threat to "wipe Israel off the map," he insisted that he was referring to the country's peaceful disappearance.

"Let me create an analogy here - where exactly is the Soviet Union today?" he said. "It did disappear - but exactly how? It was through the vote of its own people. So therefore in Palestine, too, we must allow the people, the Palestinians, to determine their own future.

"Let's ask ourselves, where exactly did the Zionist regime come from?" he continued. "Palestine has existed historically with people who live there for thousands of years. Then at gunpoint several million of the indigenous people there were forced out of their homes and became displaced. And it didn't stop there; others were brought from elsewhere in the world to replace them. How can you accept this regime?

"Is the problem of the U.S. government the Zionist regime?" he added. "I believe the extremity to which the U.S. government has gone to extend support to the Zionist regime has caused the U.S. government problems around the world."

Not everyone buys Ahmadinejad's excuses: Parallel to the General Assembly, the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs held a well-attended conference in Washington on the possibility of indicting him for incitement to genocide.

JCPA head Dore Gold added that when the words "death to Israel" appear at military marches and on trucks carrying Shihab missiles, this is not just "political theory"; Iran is liable to carry out its threats.

For the full transcript of the Larry King interview with President Ahmadinejad
  • click here

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      1.   another day in the office 04:35  |  VIPER 24/09/08
      2.   Viper 05:15  |  DMW 24/09/08
      3.   Name One Thing Iranians Have Ever Done... 05:30  |  Yosemite 24/09/08
      4.   Name One Thing Iranians Have Ever Done... 05:31  |  Yosemite 24/09/08
      5.   Name One Thing Iranians Have Ever Done... 05:31  |  Yosemite 24/09/08
      6.   Name One Thing Iranians Have Ever Done... 05:32  |  Yosemite 24/09/08
      7.   Zionist Paranoia 05:43  |  Dovy 24/09/08
      8.   WWIII is coming 05:49  |  Ralph Levy 24/09/08
      9.   Let Me Get This Straight 05:50  |  Yosemite 24/09/08
      10.   Now we`re talking, if the global community agrees... 06:02  |  Smadar 24/09/08
      11.   The weak UN 06:05  |  Hans 24/09/08
      12.   civilised? 06:15  |  matt 24/09/08
      13.   This latest edition of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion is a 06:18  |  Albert 24/09/08
      14.   un necessary worries vs necessary worries 06:54  |  azinvaredonya 24/09/08
      15.   Such talk cannot be dismissed as the ravings of a madman. 07:14  |  Jean Van Daem 24/09/08
      16.   Double Standards 07:36  |  nme 24/09/08
      17.   u.s media 08:14  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 24/09/08
      18.   The UN?..hollow shell 08:31  |  Hans 24/09/08
      19.   Bring him to The Hague. 08:36  |  Fortuna Benmayor 24/09/08
      20.   17 Cipora - On the Contrary 10:22  |  Mark of Lewiston 24/09/08
      21.   How could you argue with this? 10:44  |  Clickfool 24/09/08
      22.   This won`t stop the Zionist war propaganda 10:47  |  Clickfool 24/09/08
      23.   What happened to so call free speech? 10:54  |  Abm Habib 24/09/08
      24.   If Haman-jihad really wanted to help the Palestinians, and peace 11:01  |  DJStahl 24/09/08
      25.   #20, Mark of Lewiston 11:15  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 24/09/08
      26.   RE 21:How could you argue with this? Rather easily 11:35  |  LuckyClick 24/09/08
      27.   Clickfool 11:41  |  Sol 24/09/08
      28.   ahmadinejad is irrelevant 12:28  |  observer 24/09/08
      29.   #21, two fools make a pair: "Palestine has existed historically" 13:26  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 24/09/08
      30.   Watched him on Larry King Last Night 13:48  |  Ronnie Wolman 24/09/08
      31.   No Cipora forget the western news,,,, 13:50  |  Ronnie Wolman 24/09/08
      32.   Here are some photos and quotes for US media syncophants 13:56  |  PETER SM 24/09/08
      33.   For Sol # 27 13:59  |  Clickfool 24/09/08
      34.   No, they don`t, LuckyClick #26 14:04  |  Clickfool 24/09/08
      35.   #28 Observer 14:21  |  Chris Linthwaite 24/09/08
      36.   LuckClick,"Clickfool" is a russkie,subverting GB 14:21  |  Absolute Sweden 24/09/08
      37.   Palestine a state for thousands of years? 14:31  |  Reuben 24/09/08
      38.   You`re displaying deliberate Zionist ignorance, Cipora #29 14:34  |  Clickfool 24/09/08
      39.   What is Palestine 15:12  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 24/09/08
      40.   clickfool we love to be called zionists 15:42  |  brighton rock 24/09/08
      41.   Dear Ronnie # 30 15:53  |  North American 24/09/08
      42.   CFOOL Displaying deliberate Islamist ignorance 16:00  |  PETER SM 24/09/08
      43.   HE IS RIGHT ABOUT SOVIET 16:06  |  indrajaya 24/09/08
      44.   Clickfool # 38. 16:24  |  David Nigel Braham 24/09/08
      45.   For Peter SM, going off his trolley #42 16:30  |  Clickfool 24/09/08
      46.   #31 Ronnie Wolman....in a way she is right 16:53  |  Lynn 24/09/08
      47.   #10 Smadar.....he should be charged with incitement 16:55  |  Lynn 24/09/08
      48.   25 Cipora - I Don`t Have to Agree 16:57  |  Mark of Lewiston 24/09/08
      49.   #23 Habib....he can talk all he wants 17:00  |  Lynn 24/09/08
      50.   Abm Habib 23 17:21  |  ChanahS 24/09/08
      51.   Abm Habib 23 17:23  |  ChanahS 24/09/08
      52.   Larry King- Irresponsible Journalism 17:41  |  Claudia Lane 24/09/08
      53.   Clickfool 38 17:45  |  ChanahS 24/09/08
      54.   Clickfool 38 (2) 17:48  |  ChanahS 24/09/08
      55.   Clickfool 45 17:53  |  ChanahS 24/09/08
      56.   Mark of Lewiston 18:10  |  Roo 24/09/08
      57.   North American: Larry King is a Moron 18:30  |  Ronnie Wolman 24/09/08
      58.   To Matt from CA 18:45  |  Persian Kitty 24/09/08
      59.   Roo - That Depends 19:15  |  Mark of Lewiston 24/09/08
      60.   Dear Ronnie # 51 19:19  |  North American 24/09/08
      61.   Iranian President wooed with U.S. media attention 19:29  |  Gary Goldstein 24/09/08
      62.   Cultures of Death 20:03  |  FulghumInk 24/09/08
      63.   Why They`re Afraid of Him...it`s the Truth 20:03  |  Gray 24/09/08
      64.   what`s it got to do with Ahmadinejad? 20:20  |  Victoria