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Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks at a ceremony in Tehran, Tuesday. (Reuters)
Last update - 17:10 03/06/2008
In war of words, Livni brands Iran the 'neighborhood bully'
By Shahar Ilan, Haaretz Correspondent, and news agencies
Tags: Iran, U.S., nuclear, Israel

In a flare-up of the war of words between Israel, Iran and the United States, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni Tuesday branded Iran as a "neighborhood bully," and Iran's supreme leader was quoted as saying that U.S. President George Bush and his advisers were acting erratically and sound mentally ill.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, meanwhile, visiting Rome for a UN conference on the world food crisis, declared that Israel will soon disappear, and that the "satanic power" of the United States faced destruction.

In a pointed reference to Iran during her appearance before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Livni said "We want to make clear that this region is one in which you either beat the neighborhood bully, or you join him."
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Therefore, she continued, "Dialogue with Iran on the part of world figures will have influence on the entire moderate camp in the area. All hesitation creates an image of weakness."

For this reason, Livni added, "Iran needs to understand the threat of a military move exists and is not being taken off the table. The more that this is made clear, the less the need to put this to use, later on.

"Thus, keeping the military threat on the table is important."

Turning to talks with the Palestinian Authority, the foreign minister said that agreements on security issues were critical. "Security needs to be detailed in every agreement. An agreement can't be reached without agreeing on security issues," said Livni.

"Israel can't permit herself to just throw the keys to the other side and hope for the best."

Iran: Bush acting 'mad'
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Monday that Iran would not bow to Western pressure and stop its nuclear program. He reserved unusual criticism for Bush and his advisers.

"Sometimes they threaten, sometimes they order assassinations ... and sometimes they ask for help - it's like mad people staggering to and fro," he said.

"Iran is not after nuclear weapons. It is after peacefully using nuclear energy ... we will follow this path and ... will reach it," Khamenei said in a speech broadcast live on state television.

"The Iranian nation has announced a number of times that we are not after nuclear weapons. Everybody knows this and logic also confirms this," Khamenei said.

The chief of the UN nuclear watchdog agency , Mohamed ElBaradei, said on Monday Iran seemed to be holding back information needed to clarify intelligence reports that it researched nuclear bombs in secret and he demanded "full disclosure" by Tehran.

Iran has rejected the intelligence as baseless, forged or irrelevant.

"Today no logical person or officials go after nuclear weapons. The Iranian nation oppose these kind of weapons," Khamenei said in the speech to mark the 19th anniversary of the death of late revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

"Nuclear weapons do not bring a nation any power because it cannot be used," he told the crowd that had gathered at the shrine where Khomeini is buried near the capital Tehran.

Ahmadinejad: EU burdened by 'false' Zionist regime
Europe is bearing the economic and political costs of a "false regime" of Zionists, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday in his second verbal attack on Israel in as many days.

On Monday, Ahmadinejad said that Israel would soon disappear from the map and the "satanic power" of the United States faced destruction. "I do not believe that my declarations create problems," Ahmadinejad said through a translator on arriving for his first trip to western Europe as president.

"People like my comments, because people will save themselves from the imposition of the Zionists. European peoples have suffered the greatest damage from Zionists and today the costs of this false regime, be they political or economic costs, are on Europe's shoulders," he said.

Ahmadinejad did not elaborate. He is in Rome to attend a United Nations summit on global food security.

On Monday Ahmadinejad said: "You should know that the criminal and terrorist Zionist regime which has 60 years of plundering, aggression and crimes in its file has reached the end of its work and will soon disappear off the geographical scene."


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      1.   I think you mean Bob Herbert and Eugene Robinson 12:19  |  Wright Brothers 03/06/08
      2.   What I mean is these guys sound like Moveon.Org and other America 12:38  |  Lakshmi 03/06/08
      3.   We should not wait : tomorrow it might be too late. 12:45  |  Jean Van Daem 03/06/08
      4.   Who Cares What Iran`s Supreme Leader Says 12:55  |  JordanisPalestine 03/06/08
      5.   The truth hurts! 13:02  |  Vinegar Hill 03/06/08
      6.   NOT after weapons but won`t allow full inspection? 13:32  |  PETER SM 03/06/08
      7.   Ali Khamenei do not tell us 13:54  |  Dav 03/06/08
      8.   Hilarious if it weren`t true... 14:02  |  ScotGuy 03/06/08
      9.   Logic? 14:10  |  Rob 03/06/08
      10.   Funny,funny! No. 2 is a fake post! 14:11  |  lakshmi 03/06/08
      11.   Mullah dictatorship Iran is the opium addict capital of the world 14:14  |  PETER SM 03/06/08
      12.   What women say in Iran? 14:20  |  Lacanian 03/06/08
      13.   And Israel`s nuclear facilities? 14:23  |  Shambala 03/06/08
      14.   SHAMBALA The obligations of signatories to the NPT is inspection. 14:42  |  PETER SM 03/06/08
      15.   These people, the Islamists of Iran, not only represent a ... 15:04  |  Fuad al-Arabi 03/06/08
      16.   Iran`s ire 15:15  |  utagawa 03/06/08
      17.   Grasp native pointe of view 15:23  |  Keops 03/06/08
      18.   the lunatic posturing the doctor... 15:25  |  trumpeldor 03/06/08
      19.   Why doesn`t Israel sign the NPT? 15:41  |  Rowan 03/06/08
      20.   Bush`s mental illness 15:43  |  SR 03/06/08
      21.   Deft To The Truth 15:48  |  Cool B 03/06/08
      22.   Europe thinks he is craczy. We have no common ground at all. 15:50  |  Josh 03/06/08
      23.   #6 Peter SM 15:56  |  Cool B 03/06/08
      24.   Israel is the neighborhood bully 16:17  |  Ghandi 03/06/08
      25.   Livni is a liar 16:22  |  Khaled 03/06/08
      26.   Rowan - When your existence is in threat ALL the time, then you 16:22  |  s 03/06/08
      27.   livni,we know who the neighbourhood bully is! 16:23  |  lakshmi 03/06/08
      28.   #15 Fuad al -Arabi 16:26  |  Hassan 03/06/08
      29.   Pot calling the kettle black 16:31  |  Dave Duncan 03/06/08
      30.   LAKSHMI AND BULLIES 16:51  |  Brant 03/06/08
      31.   reply to Khalad, no. 25 16:53  |  Sam C 03/06/08
      32.   Israel doesn`t allow inspection of it`s nuclear facilities 17:02  |  Rich 03/06/08
      33.   Lakshmi Yes, we know who the Neighborhood bully is 17:03  |  Gil 03/06/08
      34.   Go for it Israel, attack Iran 17:08  |  Wendy 03/06/08
      35.   Khaled is right 17:11  |  Dr D 03/06/08
      36.   Livni Shifts Her Nuclear Policy based on Olmert`s Misfortunes 17:13  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 03/06/08
      37.   Be warned!!! The day after is hapening... 17:16  |  Marwan 03/06/08
      38.   Iran is right and is a friend for under-privileged 17:22  |  Al Riza 03/06/08
      39.   # 12 Lacanian 17:24  |  Bob 03/06/08
      40.   The pot calling the kettle black. 17:28  |  Deborah 03/06/08
      41.   iran - poof! 17:37  |  frenz 03/06/08
      42.   Iran is a friend for the under privileged as long as they`re 17:37  |  x-ray 03/06/08
      43.   DEBORAH: YOU ARE SO FULL OF WHAT`S... 17:42  |  Brant 03/06/08
      44.   Ahmadinejad did not elaborate 17:42  |  amin 03/06/08
      45.   reply to #26 17:50  |  Rowan 03/06/08
      46.   Bully! 17:53  |  utagawa 03/06/08
      47.   It is an insult to the ordinary Iranian to mention their leaders 17:57  |  hf jollUSA 03/06/08
      48.   40 Deborah & 25 Khaled,spot on! 17:59  |  lakshmi 03/06/08
      49.   wipe him out 18:01  |  Samentha 03/06/08
      50.   The Pope `s rejection stings Ahmadinejad 18:20  |  Shalom Freedman 03/06/08
      51.   For Vinegar Hill # 5 18:21  |  Fortuna Benmayor 03/06/08
      52.   LAKSHMI AND ETHNIC CLEANSING 18:22  |  Brant 03/06/08
      53.   For Samentha # 49 18:24  |  Fortuna Benmayor 03/06/08
      54.   Is Iran bullying Israel? Those meanies!! 18:26  |  Natallie Durson 03/06/08
      55.   To AL Riza, few facts of history, learn the facts. 18:32  |  Yosi 03/06/08
      56.   the evil persian empire,,, 18:38  |  pepsi 03/06/08
      57.   To AMIN 18:38  |  Yosi 03/06/08
      58.   To Khaled 18:39  |  Proud Jew 03/06/08
      59.   war 18:45  |  Shmuelshachor 03/06/08
      60.   IRAN IS GIVING A LESSON TO THE UNITED STATES 19:00  |  Louis 03/06/08
      61.   Amin (44) - want to end suffering? 19:00  |  Rory 03/06/08
      62.   Marwan, Qatar 19:01  |  Jabotinsky 03/06/08
      63.   boo hoo! he`s a bully 19:09  |  sam 03/06/08
      64.   IN war of words, 19:28  |  kim segar 03/06/08
      65.   #54 Natalie, not a clue 19:30  |  H 03/06/08
      66.   A different path 19:46  |  objective observer 03/06/08
      67.   Israel will then have an excuse 19:53  |  judith 03/06/08
      68.   Israel, not Iran, is the terrorist state 19:58  |  Khalid 03/06/08
      69.   Khaled `even` Jews enjoy equal rights 20:03  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 03/06/08
      70.   As if the Isr