Daily Times, 24/09/08

NEW YORK - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday justified his policy of confronting the West by saying US troops are surrounding Iran. Interviewed by National Public Radio (NPR) about his stance, Ahmadinejad replied: "I’d like to ask you, is it the Iranian (army) that’s around the territories around the country, or is it the US troops that are around? "It is the US troops around our borders. It is not ours around the American borders. So what exactly are they doing over there?" he asked.

Ahmadinejad said the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog agency offers "the best guarantee" that Iran can enrich uranium for peaceful uses, and said the United States "should cease putting pressure" on the agency. He also said diplomatic relations between Iran and the United States should advance, citing a willingness to cooperate on security in Iraq. Asked if Iran has a plan to reassure the world it intends to use its nuclear program for peaceful means only, Ahmadinejad said the United States should "extend at least the equivalent of one-tenth the cooperation we have extended" to the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency. "We believe that the IAEA itself offers the best guarantee," he added.

During the annual UN General Assembly, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will meet in New York this week with her counterparts from Britain, Russia, France, China and Germany-the "P5+1" group-to decide how to proceed with Iran. The United States wants to impose new sanctions against Iran, but Russia and China are resisting the move.

Ahmadinejad said it was "the policy approach of the US government that’s been non-responsive and must change. It is not our proposals that are going to fix the problem." On US-Iranian relations, Ahmadinejad said he has "taken lots of leaps forward in this respect," adding: "I even said that I am prepared to talk at the United Nations with them." He also said Iran "responded positively" to Washington’s request "to extend a hand of cooperation in a joint security commission involved in upholding a security force for Iraq. So we did whatever we could."

Ahmadinejad compared his proposal for a Palestinian referendum on the future of Israel, West Bank and Gaza Strip to the end of the Soviet Union. "Let me create an analogy here-where exactly is the Soviet Union today? 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," he said. agencies

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IRNA, 24/09/08

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday that any state pursuing nuclear weapons is politically backwarded.

Addressing a press conference held on the sidelines of the 63rd meeting of the UN General Assembly, he said the real democracy exists in the Islamic Republic.

The Iranian people are their own masters, he said, adding that they elect the country's officials and have full supervision over the governing system.

On the critical situation in Palestine, he underscored the need for holding free referendum there in order to put and end to sufferings of the Palestinians.

He added that the Islamic Republic will propose a democratic plan to resolve the Palestinian problems. The plan will be presented to the United Nations soon, he said.

On combat against terrorism, Ahmadinejad said the Iranian nation is the victim of terrorism.

As to trilateral Iran-Iraq-US talks on Iraqi security, he added that the Islamic Republic is ready to help resolve Iraqi security problems.

On presence of foreign forces, including NATO forces in Afghanistan, the Iranian president said drug production has increased and the Western governments have stepped up extremist policies since arrival of NATO forces in Afghanistan.

He added that Iran enjoys friendly relations with both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

On recent developments in the Caucasus region, Ahmadinejad reiterated that the existing problem in that region should be solved by the regional states.

Referring to Iran's amicable ties with the United Arab Emirates, he emphasized that efforts by certain states to tarnish the existing relations will be vain.

Expressing his satisfaction with the volume of Iran-UAE trade exchanges, President Ahmadinejad said the Persian Gulf littoral states are able to settle their own issues in the best possible manner.

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IRNA, 24/09/08

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday protested to the international community against the US creating obstacles in the way of Iranian nuclear program.

In his address to the United Nations General Assembly, President Ahmadinejad said: "With regard to Iran's peaceful nuclear program, despite the inalienable right of all nations including the Iranian nation, in producing nuclear fuel for peaceful purposes, and despite such facts as the transparency of all Iranian activities and our country's full cooperation with the inspectors of the IAEA and the Agency's repeated confirmation of the fact that Iran's activities are peaceful, a few bullying powers have sought to put hurdles in the way of the peaceful nuclear activities of the Iranian nation by exerting political and economic pressures against Iran, and also through threatening and pressuring the IAEA. These are the same powers that produce new generations of lethal nuclear arms and possess stockpiles of nuclear weapons that no international organization is monitoring; and, the tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were perpetrated by one of them.

"Indeed, they are not against weapons, but they oppose other nations' progress, and tend to monopolize technologies and to use those monopolies in order to impose their will on other nations.

"But it is very natural that the great Iranian people, with their trust in God, and with determination and steadfastness and with the support of its friends, will resist the bullying and has defended and will continue to defend its rights. The Iranian nation is for dialogue. But it has not accepted and will not accept illegal demands.

"The time has come for the IAEA to present a clear report to the international community on its monitoring of the disarmament of these nuclear powers and their nuclear activities, and for a disarmament committee to be established by independent states to monitor the disarmament of these nuclear powers.

"The theories of development that are in line with the hegemonic system and not in accordance with the true needs of humankind and human societies, have turned into repetitive and bland tools for assimilation of economies, expanding hegemonic domination, destroying the environment and destroying the social solidarity of nations.

"There is no end in sight to this. Poverty, hunger and deprivation are hurting more than one billion of the world's population and have dashed their hopes for a decent life.

"The dignity, integrity and rights of the American and European people are being played with by a small but deceitful number of people called Zionists. Although they are a minuscule minority, they have been dominating an important portion of the financial and monetary centers as well as the political decision-making centers of some European countries and the US in a deceitful, complex and furtive manner.

"It is deeply disastrous to witness that some presidential or premiere nominees in some big countries have to visit these people, take part in their gatherings, swear their allegiance and commitment to their interests in order to attain financial or media support.

"This means that the great people of America and various nations of Europe need to obey the demands and wishes of a small number of acquisitive and invasive people. These nations are spending their dignity and resources on the crimes and occupations and the threats of the Zionist network against their will.

"All these are due to the manner in which the immoral and the powerful view the world, humankind, freedom, obeisance to God, and justice.

"The thoughts and deeds of those who think they are superior to others and consider others as second-class and inferior; who intend to remain out of the divine circle, to be the absolute slaves of their materialistic and selfish desires, who intend to expand their aggressive and domineering natures, constitute the roots of today's problems in human societies.

"They are the great hindrances to the actualization of material and spiritual prosperity and to security, peace and brotherhood among nations. I explicitly state that the Iranian people and the overwhelming majority of peoples and governments are against those deeds and perspectives of the world-domineering powers.

"Establishment of justice requires people who have achieved moderation and justice inside themselves, and have restrained their domineering attitudes and actualized their attributes of self-sacrifice and are at the service of humanity.

"The complete and full-scale manifestation of such characteristics can happen only under the rule of the righteous and perfect human being who is obedient to God and who is promised by the divine Prophets."

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Jang Pakistan, 24/09/08

NEW YORK - Pakistan and Iran on Tuesday stressed the importance of deeper and wider bilateral ties in all fields and agreed to speed up the work on multi-billion dollar Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project. The meeting held here between President Asif Ali Zardari and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the sidelines of the 63rd UN General Assembly session covered a wide range of issues between the two countries.

The two leaders stressed the importance of early completion of over 2,700-km-long IPI gas pipeline project that could meet the much needed energy needs for the large industrial sector in Pakistan. The two leaders also discussed the import of additional 1,000 MW of electricity from Iran, to meet the energy shortage in the country, especially in Balochistan, and expressed satisfaction over the pace of talks.

Meanwhile, Pakistan and Turkey on Tuesday vowed to further expand their ties with a particular focus on trade and stronger economic cooperation, as their two leaders met here at the sidelines of the 63rd UN General Assembly. The talks between President Asif Ali Zardari and President Abdullah Gul of Turkey covered all facets of their bilateral ties, besides international matters and the situation in the region, with a particular focus on Iraq and Afghanistan.

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By Matt Spetalnick
Reuters, 24/09/08

UNITED NATIONS - Israeli President Shimon Peres called Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a danger and a disgrace Wednesday, rebuking the Iranian president for his vitriolic condemnation of Israel and Zionism at the United Nations.

Taking the podium a day after Ahmadinejad's speech blaming "Zionist murderers" for everything from the Wall Street crisis to Russia's invasion of Georgia, Peres said: "His appearance here is already a shame."

This week's annual General Assembly gathering of world leaders was the latest setting for a long-running war of words between Israel and Iran as Tehran presses ahead with its nuclear program in defiance of U.N. sanctions.

Ahmadinejad, who has said in the past that Israel should be wiped off the map, struck first Tuesday, railing against the Jewish state and its chief ally the United States.

His accusations of Zionist control of world finance were swiftly and widely denounced as anti-Semitic, echoing the classic libel that blamed a world Jewish conspiracy for all the world's troubles.

"The Iranian people are not our enemies," Peres said. "Their leader is a danger to his own people, to the region, to the world ... He's a disgrace to this house."

Peres, who has called Iran's nuclear program an "existential threat" to Israel, urged further U.N. action against Tehran, already under three rounds of sanctions.

"We are able to defend ourselves. We do not intend to change this capacity," he said.

Israel, like the United States, has not ruled out military action if diplomacy fails to resolve the nuclear standoff. The West and Israel accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons. Iran insists it only wants civilian nuclear energy.

Israel is widely believed to have assembled the Middle East's only nuclear arsenal.

In his speech, Peres also cast further doubt on chances for a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians by the end of the year, a goal viewed with skepticism since U.S. President Bush announced it at a peace conference in November.

"We tried to conclude those negotiations in this year," Peres said. "It will take apparently a longer period of time. I believe it can be accomplished in spite of it within the next year."

The latest obstacle is political uncertainty in Israel. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert handed in his resignation and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is now trying to pull together a new government.

A Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Peres also used his speech to renew an offer to Arab leaders to travel to Jerusalem to talk peace, a proposal that has never gotten off the ground.

(Editing by Alan Elsner)

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By Herb Keinon
Jerusalem Post, 24/09/08

Foreign Minister and Kadima leader Tzipi Livni took the United Nations to task Wednesday for giving a platform to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose speech to the General Assembly the day before dripped with anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel.

"Ahmadinejad's speech at the UN demonstrates the absurd state of affairs of the organization whose founding motto was 'Never Again,'" Livni said, in a statement issued by her office.

Livni said that what was even worse than Ahmadinejad being given a stage at the UN was for Iran to be seeking admission to the Security Council, something Teheran has indicated it was interested in doing.

"Iran is now asking to be included as a member of the UN Security Council," she said. "This is like allowing a criminal to be his own judge and jury.

"This is an unprecedented absurdity-for a state that is threatening the security of its neighbors and calling for the destruction of another state to be a member of the body whose goal is to maintain international peace and security."

Livni said that what was needed now was "international pressure on Iran which would leave no doubt as to the price involved in ignoring the demands of the international community-rather than including Iran in the very body that is spearheading this action."

Livni has instructed Israel's representatives abroad to use Ahmadinejad's speech in efforts to prevent Iran's membership on the Council, an indication that while at first Israel thought Iran's campaign to get on the Security Council was just a joke, it is now taking it seriously.

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By Hilary Leila Krieger
Jerusalem Post, 24/09/08

"Iran has already started down the road to genocide," said human rights lawyer and Canadian MP Irwin Cotler, at a conference here Tuesday ahead of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's appearance at the UN later in the day.

Pointing to the International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide's article criminalizing "public incitement to commit genocide," Cotler argued that Ahmadinejad's threats toward Israel and insults about the Jewish people violated the covenant.

"The crime of incitement to genocide has already been committed," Cotler told the conference against state-sponsored genocide, sponsored by The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and other organizations.

He cited Ahmadinejad's demonization of Jews by calling them "bloodthirsty barbarians" and worse, together with his calls for the destruction of Israel.

"Iran has paved the way to genocide, and genocide has already begun in [the sense of] incitement," he said.

For those who would dismiss such statements, former US ambassador to the UN Richard Holbrooke, who also spoke at the conference, stressed that "words matter."

Holbrooke noted that his own grandfather decided to move his family out of Germany in the 1930s when he read Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf and took its message seriously-something that many other German Jewish families who ended up perishing in the Holocaust did not do.

"What you say today can turn into a policy tomorrow," warned Holbrooke, the architect of the Dayton accords, which ended the war in Bosnia in 1995.

Esther Mujawayo learned that lesson first-hand as a victim of the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, an experience she recounted at the conference.

She recalled that the genocide's perpetrators stated their intentions openly, and yet nothing was done because the international community lacked political will, a situation she doesn't want to see repeated.

Referring to Iranian designs, she said, "Let us unite-I think that's not a vain word-to stop them in time."

At the gathering, Cotler unveiled a petition urging states to fulfill their obligations as signatories to the convention and act against Ahmadinejad's incitement to genocide.

Such action should include asking the United Nations to investigate his statements, Cotler said, as the convention allows. And yet, he noted, up until now not one state had filed such a complaint.

"We have a chance now to prevent a genocide," he said. "Now is the time to act."

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