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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. (Reuters)
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Last update - 18:07 18/08/2007
Ahmadinejad: Israel is 'flag of Satan,' may face disintegration
By Reuters

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in a new verbal assault on Israel, denounced it on Saturday as the "flag of Satan" and said it may be facing disintegration, official media reported.

Ahmadinejad, who triggered outrage in the West two years ago when he said Israel should be "wiped off the map", has often referred to its destruction but says Iran is not a threat.

Two months ago, he said the Lebanese and the Palestinians had pressed a "countdown button" to bring an end to the state of Israel.

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On Saturday, the official IRNA news agency quoted Ahmadinejad as saying of Israel in a speech: "When the philosophy of the establishment and the continuation of this regime is not just, it is not unlikely that it is on the path of decline and disintegration."

Accusing Israel of "occupation and aggression", he added: "This regime is the flag of Satan".

It was not clear whether his choice of words was an indirect reference to Israel's close ally the United States, which Iran's clerical leaders have branded "the Great Satan."

Iran often praises the Palestinians for what it says is their resistance to Israeli occupation. Tehran also described the Second Lebanon War last summer between Hezbollah and Israel as a victory for the Iranian-backed group.

Ahmadinejad's comments in 2005 caused consternation in Israel and the West, which also fear Iran is trying to build an atomic arsenal under cover of a civilian nuclear power program, a charge Tehran denies.

While Ahmadinejad has said Iran is not a threat to Israel, Iranian officials have said Tehran would respond swiftly to any Israeli attack. Some analysts have speculated Israel may try to knock out Iran's atomic sites.
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  1.   Are there still anti-Jewish racists here to dispute the fact that 17:59  |  Reut Ami-Ram 18/08/07
  2.   Regardless of his motives he is right. 19:13  |  Deborah 18/08/07
  3.   Another threat for apologists to argue away 19:27  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 18/08/07
  4.   SLOW NEWS DAY 19:34  |  Brant 18/08/07
  5.   Huge words, my friend 20:13  |  Teacher 18/08/07
  6.   Right on Deborah 20:15  |  Uncle Sammy 18/08/07
  7.   Unfortunately, He is right 20:19  |  American christian 18/08/07
  8.   deborah 20:20  |  scallywag 18/08/07
  9.   to 1# deborah 20:24  |  gil 18/08/07
  10.   Deborah should know 20:30  |  Miche Norman 18/08/07
  11.   Deborah Unlikely Name for a Hater 20:33  |  Jane 18/08/07
  12.   My Favorite Mideast Entertainer 20:39  |  Some Random Guy 18/08/07
  13.   The Giant Orifice of Tehran must feel ignored 20:41  |  Mark Lincoln 18/08/07
  14.   Ahmadinejad: Israel is `flag of Satan,` may face disintegration 20:45  |  Ron Caris 18/08/07
  15.   Deborah 20:53  |  Whatever 18/08/07
  16.   YES, STARTED YHESHUA HAMASHIA WAS KILLED BY you!!! 20:53  |  Ron Schmidt 18/08/07
  17.   ahmadinejad et.al 20:54  |  scanadu 18/08/07
  18.   At it again..... 20:56  |  Lynn 18/08/07
  19.   Deborah #1 20:56  |  Peter 18/08/07
  20.   Ahmadinejad: Israel is `flag of Satan,` may face disintegration 20:59  |  Ron Caris 18/08/07
  21.   deborah 21:10  |  ka 18/08/07
  22.   Yes It is 21:15  |  Reza 18/08/07
  23.   t:o:Deborah 21:32  |  Imad 18/08/07
  24.   Bloviating! 21:35  |  phillipe theodosius 18/08/07
  25.   Its amazing how Haeretz censors those that differ from their opin 21:38  |  Israel 18/08/07
  26.   Mr.A. is certainly right about the U.S. and in fact `Satan` is 21:49  |  lakshmi 18/08/07
  27.   Language problems 22:02  |  Jack 18/08/07
  28.   THE DESTRUCTION OF IRAN IS COMING SOON... 22:19  |  LUAR_NEGRO 18/08/07
  29.   Nope 22:28  |  gerald 18/08/07
  30.   Perversion of the Englaish Language 22:29  |  GZLives 18/08/07
  31.   you jews still counting on the europeans eh 22:30  |  again? 18/08/07
  32.   t:o:Deborah 22:32  |  e.m 18/08/07
  33.   You aren`t the first to try!!!!! 22:41  |  Ben Uziel 18/08/07
  34.   Thought of many others 22:44  |  Greg 18/08/07
  35.   Jack #22 Language Problems 22:55  |  farsiproblems 18/08/07
  36.   iranian president is plain mad and sexually repressed 23:02  |  fish 18/08/07
  37.   Of course, Lakshmi.... 23:02  |  JES 18/08/07
  38.   Not so far from the truth... 23:03  |  Charlie Don`t Surf 18/08/07
  39.   #27 - You`re absolutely right Jack.... 23:05  |  JES 18/08/07
  40.   this is news? 23:16  |  ignore the scum 18/08/07
  41.   in context of time 23:22  |  ants 18/08/07
  42.   To Ahmadinejad and his apologist chorus 23:25  |  Mark Twain 18/08/07
  43.   the flag 23:45  |  Shmuelshachor 18/08/07
  44.   THE JEWS PASS TURDS LIKE HIM EVERY 50 YEARS 23:49  |  Imin Da John 18/08/07
  45.   Uncle Sammy #6, you are incorrect 00:10  |  bbl 19/08/07
  46.   24Phillippe Th,I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder,you 00:12  |  lakshmi 19/08/07
  47.   I am from Iran 00:15  |  Mehdo 19/08/07
  48.   Don`t waste time listening to Ahmadinejad, just blow is ass up. 00:29  |  matt 19/08/07
  49.   Lakshmi - You Judge America By One Sad Event 00:30  |  Eli 19/08/07
  50.   ahmadinejad 00:30  |  james 19/08/07
  51.   # 27 Jack, You Are Right 00:31  |  Arik 19/08/07
  52.   Jack of Colorado 00:32  |  Larry 19/08/07
  53.   BLAH BLAH BLAH 00:33  |  SM 19/08/07
  54.   Jack 00:37  |  Connie 19/08/07
  55.   Ron Schmidt Have You Ever Thought 00:39  |  Eli 19/08/07
  56.   Hitler"s deciple 01:09  |  VICTIMSofARAB TERROR 19/08/07
  57.   Jane 01:09  |  Danite 19/08/07
  58.   israel 01:19  |  michael d rizer 19/08/07
  59.   26. lakshmi: Who the Satan is 01:36  |  KUTW 19/08/07
  60.   t:o:Deborah 01:43  |  e.m 19/08/07
  61.   t:o:Deborah 01:44  |  e.m 19/08/07
  62.   28,so you do admit that it is a sad event,but is that the only 01:52  |  lakshmi 19/08/07
  63.   37KUTW,you`ve found that magic word `islamofascism` to conceal 01:57  |  lakshmi 19/08/07
  64.   Iran: the final decisive days are aproaching 02:00  |  Joe 19/08/07
  65.   t:o:Deborah 02:15  |  e.m 19/08/07
  66.   Iran`s flag of Satan 02:17  |  the truth 19/08/07
  67.   Satan, flags, etc. 02:18  |  WE_AGNOSTICS 19/08/07
  68.   expansion of Islam`s crescent is flag of satan 02:39  |  Joseph E . 19/08/07
  69.   Ahmadinejad and his crap 02:49  |  Brod 19/08/07
  70.   so what`s wrong with the statement? 03:05  |  nobodysacred 19/08/07
  71.   SM of Ramat Gan 03:10  |  Akiva Patysh 19/08/07
  72.   Jane/Danite,,achma-inaldinak!!,,??? 03:13  |  Akiva Patysh 19/08/07
  73.   no. 3 Margie 03:17  |  steve 19/08/07
  74.   Kim Up The Wall 03:20  |  Akiva Patysh 19/08/07
  75.   Thanks Danite - Can You Believe These People? 03:32  |  Jane 19/08/07
  76.   Akiva- Not Sure if It`s Hebrew,Arabic or other 03:36  |  Jane 19/08/07
  77.   A Big Mouth But Soon With Nuclear Weapons 03:38  |  Yoram 19/08/07
  78.   American Christian 03:39  |  Jimmy 19/08/07
  79.   I live by the Sword.......... 03:49  |  Ky 19/08/07
  80.   Steve #57 03:50  |  Brod 19/08/07
  81.   It Is Indeed Islamofascism 03:52  |  Jane 19/08/07
  82.   Flag of Satan 04:09  |  Big Mo