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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (AP)
Last update - 00:08 21/02/2008
UN Chief: Ahmadinejad's verbal attacks on Israel intolerable
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon promised Wednesday to respond "firmly" to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's verbal attacks on Israel, which he called "intolerable."

Ban made the promise in a meeting with Israel's Ambassador to the UN Dan Gillerman, who requested the meeting with the UN chief following the Iranian president's Wednesday attack calling Israel a "filthy germ."

Ahmadinejad's remarks were broadcast on Iranian television on Wednesday, in which he called Israel a "filthy germ" and "savage beast" established by Western states in their bid to dominate Middle East nations.
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The comments came just days after a top commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guard called Israel a "cancerous germ" which would be wiped out by Hezbollah, Army Radio reported.

Guards commander-in-chief Mohammad Ali Jafari was quoted by the Fars News Agency on Monday as saying: "In the near future, we will witness the destruction of the cancerous germ of Israel by the powerful and competent hands of the Hezbollah combatants."

Jafari made the comment in a letter to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, offering condolences after the killing of terrorist mastermind Imad Mughniyah, which Iran has blamed on Israel.

The Foreign Ministry sent a letter of protest to the United Nations over Jafari's remarks, Army Radio reported earlier this week.

Also this week, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said that even after 60 years, Israel still has neither legitimacy nor any role in the Middle East, the ISNA news agency reported. "The West has tried to impose a fabricated regime on the Middle East but even after 60 years, the Zionist regime [Israel] has neither gained any legitimacy nor played any role in this region," Mottaki was quoted as saying.

Calling United States policies in the Middle East a failure, Mottaki predicted the collapse of Israel.

"The era of imposing policies on other states by military threats is over. The nations in the region will no longer surrender to any threats," he said.

Iran urges Security Council to condemn Israeli threats

Iran meanwhile urged the UN Security Council on Wednesday to condemn Israel and demand that it immediately stop threatening to use military force against the country's nuclear program.

In a letter to the council, Iran's UN Ambassador Mohammad Khazee referred to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's warning on Jan. 14 that all options are on the table when it comes to keeping Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Khazee insisted in the letter that Iran's nuclear program is peaceful and called Israel's threats unacceptable and unjustifiable. He said the threats are also a flagrant violation of international law and the UN Charter, which calls on countries to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state

"Undoubtedly, the inaction of the Security Council in dealing with the criminal policies and practices of the Israeli regime, and the impunity with which this regime has been allowed to carry out its crimes thus far, have emboldened it in its irresponsible behavior," Khazee said.

"The Security Council should react to these threats by unambiguously condemning them and calling on the said regime to cease and desist immediately from the threat of using force against members of the United Nations," he said.

Gillerman called the letter, which was also sent to Ban, "disgusting and dangerous."

"For a country whose leader describes a member state of the United Nations as a dirty microbe and a savage animal, to complain about others' statements is the height of hypocrisy," he said.

"And coming from a country which is the world's major sponsor and exporter of terror, it is a letter which the recipients, be it the Security Council or the secretary-general, should not even honor by acknowledging," Gillerman said.

Related articles:
  • MKs to fan out globally to warn of Iran threat
  • Foreign Ministry said to slam Iranian anti-Israel jibe in missive to UN
  • U.S. spy chief: Hezbollah may be behind Mughniyah killing
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      1.   I wonder what else he can call us,without going into a coma! 14:19  |  Stephen. 20/02/08
      2.   hell soon enjoy the fate of recent deposed hezbollah leader 14:20  |  don 20/02/08
      3.   Ahmadinejad`s remarks are not aimed at Israel 14:23  |  Chris Linthwaite 20/02/08
      4.   In fact, the days of the banckrupt Iranian theocracy are counted 14:24  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 20/02/08
      5.   Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 14:36  |  Robin 20/02/08
      6.   would you look at that? after multiple death threats from zion 14:42  |  Ahmadinejad is real 20/02/08
      7.   I CHOSE THIS TERM FOR ISRAEL 14:45  |  indrajaya 20/02/08
      8.   The Ape of Teheran. 15:09  |  Jean Van Daem 20/02/08
      9.   Ahmadinejad never wrong, check german scholars interview 15:21  |  Adeel 20/02/08
      10.   Ahmadnijab speaks like a FLU VIRUS 15:35  |  Magnify 20/02/08
      11.   The ape from Iran I agree with you # 4 100% 15:55  |  Abdul Aziz Higazi 20/02/08
      12.   Ahmadinejad prepares world for attack against Israel 16:05  |  Jonathan S 20/02/08
      13.   rest assured daddy america can`t move a finger! (busy in Iraq) 16:07  |  tamar 20/02/08
      14.   What then Israeilis would call themselves?! 16:11  |  Javad 20/02/08
      15.   The Tides Are Turning 16:16  |  Cool B 20/02/08
      16.   Israel as it stands today will not last 16:16  |  Simone 20/02/08
      17.   #3 iran`s lackey 16:18  |  david gold 20/02/08
      18.   "Chris" Yoyne Lintwit survives thanks to billions $ spent on NATO 16:23  |  Absolute Sweden 20/02/08
      19.   frustration of Muslim and Indra is palpable. 16:30  |  cry baby cry 20/02/08
      20.   # 3 Chris 16:37  |  Marc 20/02/08
      21.   #7 Indrajaya: A jew stands over the grave of his enemy 16:48  |  George 20/02/08
      22.   #3, 6 and 7...all idiots!!! 16:51  |  DR 20/02/08
      23.   #9, Adeel...how many muslims have died? 16:54  |  DR 20/02/08
      24.   the iranian menace 17:07  |  jorge luis 20/02/08
      25.   Chris Lintwit`s Remarks Not Aimed at Reality 17:08  |  Tex 20/02/08
      26.   #3 Linthwaite 17:09  |  michhell 20/02/08
      27.   Chris Rhetorics 17:12  |  Aby 20/02/08
      28.   Ahmadinejad`s `germ filled` comments. 17:33  |  David Nigel Braham 20/02/08
      29.   As usual Ahmadinejad is ranting 17:39  |  Mark Lincoln 20/02/08
      30.   Chris Linthwaite 17:40  |  Brad 20/02/08
      31.   The difference between us and them... 17:48  |  DR 20/02/08
      32.   What Is Israel Going To Do? 18:04  |  Norman F Birnberg 20/02/08
      33.   #3 Chris, sometimes I have to question your sanity 18:10  |  Bob 20/02/08
      34.   indrajaya: best description of a diseased mind. oh, yours also 18:24  |  ralph 20/02/08
      35.   When Is This Ahmadinejad Going To Die? 18:28  |  Yosemite 20/02/08
      36.   #27 Aby 18:43  |  Chris Linthwaite 20/02/08
      37.   and Iran is worst than AIDS 18:46  |  alex 20/02/08
      38.   The Germ of an Idea 18:53  |  Solon 20/02/08
      39.   #30 Brad 18:56  |  Chris Linthwaite 20/02/08
      40.   # 7, 9 Adeel and Indrajaya: You learn from history first 18:57  |  George 20/02/08
      41.   Farsi poetic comparisons 19:00  |  Xaxam 20/02/08
      42.   #33 Bob 19:08  |  Chris Linthwaite 20/02/08
      43.   # 7 Inda lets hope all your wishes for Israel will befall... 19:14  |  Misha 20/02/08
      44.   A hard rain is gonna fall 19:24  |  Daniel Rubin 20/02/08
      45.   #7 - indrajaya 19:29  |  MichaelF 20/02/08
      46.   Chris Linthwaite 19:41  |  Bill 20/02/08
      47.   #32 19:52  |  Cool B 20/02/08
      48.   The Israelis ALONE should teach him a lesson. 19:54  |  American 20/02/08
      49.   #13, I concur that Israel days are numbered. 19:58  |  American 20/02/08
      50.   To 3 20:01  |  Jozef 20/02/08
      51.   #21. You owe your life to American stupid generousity. 20:03  |  American 20/02/08
      52.   #40 Jozef 20:20  |  Chris Linthwaite 20/02/08
      53.   AHMADINE JERK!!!!! 20:27  |  Mr. Ami Goldman 20/02/08
      54.   The UN is a joke, Iran should ignore it! 20:29  |  Laughing BUDDHA! 20/02/08
      55.   Ahmadinejad = Haman 20:32  |  Jacob 20/02/08
      56.   @44/45/47 20:39  |  frenchie`s 20/02/08
      57.   The man is beside himself 20:45  |  K 20/02/08
      58.   Linthwaite he said `american help is not very important.` 20:53  |  Ahmed Inwait 20/02/08
      59.   It is funny 20:56  |  dan 20/02/08
      60.   #46 Bill 20:58  |  Chris Linthwaite 20/02/08
      61.   Question for American # 48 21:02  |  Clickfool 20/02/08
      62.   #58 Ahmed Inwait 21:06  |  Chris Linthwaite 20/02/08
      63.   Chris Laithwaite: #20 21:07  |  Brad 20/02/08
      64.   Terrible words but stay cool and think 21:09  |  Mark B. 20/02/08
      65.   "Ban Ki-Moon promised Wednesday to respond "firmly"..." 21:23  |  bat yam 20/02/08
      66.   "Israel survives because of billions $$$ given each year by US"?? 21:23  |  anti-blabla 20/02/08
      67.   You know, I never realized the high intellect level of Ach... 21:28  |  bat yam 20/02/08
      68.   Where is our King Sharon? 21:29  |  Bad Boy 20/02/08
      69.   American 21:36  |  Connie 20/02/08
      70.   # 49, 3 billion to a friend, trillion to protect from Arabs 21:42  |  Mark C