Ahmadinejad speech prompts walkout at UN
American diplomats led a walkout at the UN General Assembly today as Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad issued a sweeping attack on the United States and major western European nations.
The Iranian leader called them "arrogant powers" ruled by greed and eager for military adventurism.
The two US diplomats, who specialise in the Middle East, were followed out of the chamber by diplomats from more than 30 countries. They included the 27 European Union members, Australia, New Zealand, Somalia, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino and Macedonia, a UN diplomat said.
Ahmadinejad's speech contrasted what he called the poverty and unhappiness in most countries against the riches and power of the US and unnamed European nations that he accused of perpetuating wars, causing the current global economic crisis and infringing on "the rights and sovereignty of nations".
He attacked the US and European colonial powers for abducting tens of millions of Africans and making them slaves, for their readiness "to drop thousands of bombs on other countries," and for dominating the UN Security Council.
He singled out the US for using a nuclear bomb against Japan during the Second World War and imposing and supporting military dictatorships and totalitarian regimes in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
"It is as lucid as daylight that the same slave masters and colonial powers that once instigated the two World Wars have caused widespread misery and disorder with far-reaching effects across the globe since then," Ahmadinejad said. "Do these arrogant powers really have the competence and ability to run or govern the world?"
The Iranian president answered by calling for "the shared and collective management of the world in order to put an end to the present disorders, tyranny and discriminations worldwide".
Ahmadinejad made no mention of his disputed re-election in June 2009, the current internal political turmoil that has sharply diminished his power, or Iran's nuclear programme which the US and its allies believe is aimed at producing nuclear weapons.
Human Rights Watch's UN Director Philippe Bolopion said: "While President Ahmadinejad is lecturing the world from the UN podium, dissent is still being crushed ruthlessly in Iran and basic rights demanded by millions in the Arab world are brutally denied to Iranians who are demanding the same.
"The world assembly should take with a grain of salt the remarks of a leader who said nothing about the public hanging yesterday of a 17-year-old in his own country."
In his speech, Ahmadinejad noted "the widespread awakening in Islamic lands... (in) the pursuit of the realisation of justice, freedom and the creation of a better tomorrow." He said: "Our great nation stands ready to join hands with other nations to march on this beautiful path."
The Iranian leader accused the US of threatening to place sanctions on anyone who questions the Holocaust and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Without naming the United States, he asked: "Who imposed, through deceits and hypocrisy, the Zionism and over 60 years of war, homelessness, terror and mass murder on the Palestinian people and on countries in the region?"
Ahmadinejad accused some unidentified European countries of still using the Holocaust "as the excuse to pay fine or ransom to the Zionists". He also said any question about the foundation of Zionism is condemned by the US "as an unforgivable sin".
Mark Kornblau, spokesman for the US Mission to the United Nations, said: "Mr Ahmadinejad had a chance to address his own people's aspirations for freedom and dignity, but instead he again turned to abhorrent anti-Semitic slurs and despicable conspiracy theories."
