Ahmadinejad: Iran's Nuclear Issue "Closed"
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced Tuesday that "the nuclear issue of Iran is now closed," and indicated that Tehran will disregard U.N. Security Council resolutions imposed by "arrogant powers" that demand suspension of its uranium enrichment program.
Instead, he said, Iran has decided to pursue the monitoring of its nuclear program "through its appropriate legal path," the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog.
When Ahmadinejad was ushered to the podium of the U.N. General Assembly to speak, the U.S. delegation walked out, leaving only a low-ranking note-taker to listen to his speech.
The Iranian leader spoke hours after French President Nicolas Sarkozy warned the assembly that allowing Iran to arm itself with nuclear weapons would be an "unacceptable risk to stability in the region and in the world."
Earlier, German Chancellor Angela Merkel threatened tougher sanctions against Iran if the country remains intractable on the dispute over its nuclear program.
Iran insists that its nuclear program is purely peaceful and aimed solely at producing nuclear energy. But the United States and key European nations believe the program is a cover for Iran's real ambition: producing nuclear weapons.
Ahmadinejad has defied two Security Council resolutions demanding that it suspend its uranium enrichment program and imposing escalating sanctions against key figures and organizations involved in the nuclear program. He made clear in his speech that Iran does not intend to comply with them now.
"In the last two years, abusing the Security Council, the arrogant powers have repeatedly accused Iran and even made military threats and imposed illegal sanctions against it," the Iranian leader said.
"Fortunately, the IAEA has recently tried to regain its legal role as support of the rights of its members while supervising nuclear activities," he said. "We see this as a correct approach adopted by the agency."
"Previously, they illegally insisted on politicizing the Iranian nation's nuclear case, but today, because of the resistance of the Iranian nation, the issue is back to the agency, and I officially announce that in our opinion the nuclear issue of Iran is now closed and has turned into an ordinary agency matter," Ahmadinejad said.
Congress signaled its disapproval of the Iranian president with a vote Tuesday to tighten sanctions against his government and a call to designate his army a terrorist group.
The swift rebuke was a rare display of bipartisan cooperation in a Congress bitterly divided on the Iraq war. It reflected lawmakers' long-standing nervousness about Tehran's intentions in the region, particularly toward Israel - a sentiment fueled by the pro-Israeli lobby whose influence reaches across party lines in Congress.
"Iran faces a choice between a very big carrot and a very sharp stick," said Rep. Tom Lantos, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "It is my hope that they will take the carrot. But today, we are putting the stick in place."
The House passed, by a 397-16 vote, a proposal by Lantos, D-Calif., aimed at blocking foreign investment in Iran, in particular its lucrative energy sector. The bill would specifically bar the president from waiving U.S. sanctions.
Current law imposes sanctions against any foreign company that invests $20 million or more in Iran's energy industry, although the U.S. has waived or ignored sanction laws in exchange for European support on nonproliferation issues.
In the Senate, Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., and Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., proposed a nonbinding resolution urging the State Department to label Iran's military - the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - a terrorist organization.
The Bush administration had already been planning to blacklist a unit within the Revolutionary Guard, subjecting part of the vast military operation to financial sanctions.
Lantos' bill was expected to draw criticism from U.S. allies in Europe. During a visit to Washington last week, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told lawmakers that France opposes any U.S. legislation that would target European countries operating in Iran. He argued that such sanctions could undermine cooperation on dealing with Iran.
© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Instead, he said, Iran has decided to pursue the monitoring of its nuclear program "through its appropriate legal path," the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog.
When Ahmadinejad was ushered to the podium of the U.N. General Assembly to speak, the U.S. delegation walked out, leaving only a low-ranking note-taker to listen to his speech.
The Iranian leader spoke hours after French President Nicolas Sarkozy warned the assembly that allowing Iran to arm itself with nuclear weapons would be an "unacceptable risk to stability in the region and in the world."
Earlier, German Chancellor Angela Merkel threatened tougher sanctions against Iran if the country remains intractable on the dispute over its nuclear program.
Iran insists that its nuclear program is purely peaceful and aimed solely at producing nuclear energy. But the United States and key European nations believe the program is a cover for Iran's real ambition: producing nuclear weapons.
Ahmadinejad has defied two Security Council resolutions demanding that it suspend its uranium enrichment program and imposing escalating sanctions against key figures and organizations involved in the nuclear program. He made clear in his speech that Iran does not intend to comply with them now.
"In the last two years, abusing the Security Council, the arrogant powers have repeatedly accused Iran and even made military threats and imposed illegal sanctions against it," the Iranian leader said.
"Fortunately, the IAEA has recently tried to regain its legal role as support of the rights of its members while supervising nuclear activities," he said. "We see this as a correct approach adopted by the agency."
"Previously, they illegally insisted on politicizing the Iranian nation's nuclear case, but today, because of the resistance of the Iranian nation, the issue is back to the agency, and I officially announce that in our opinion the nuclear issue of Iran is now closed and has turned into an ordinary agency matter," Ahmadinejad said.
Congress signaled its disapproval of the Iranian president with a vote Tuesday to tighten sanctions against his government and a call to designate his army a terrorist group.
The swift rebuke was a rare display of bipartisan cooperation in a Congress bitterly divided on the Iraq war. It reflected lawmakers' long-standing nervousness about Tehran's intentions in the region, particularly toward Israel - a sentiment fueled by the pro-Israeli lobby whose influence reaches across party lines in Congress.
"Iran faces a choice between a very big carrot and a very sharp stick," said Rep. Tom Lantos, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "It is my hope that they will take the carrot. But today, we are putting the stick in place."
The House passed, by a 397-16 vote, a proposal by Lantos, D-Calif., aimed at blocking foreign investment in Iran, in particular its lucrative energy sector. The bill would specifically bar the president from waiving U.S. sanctions.
Current law imposes sanctions against any foreign company that invests $20 million or more in Iran's energy industry, although the U.S. has waived or ignored sanction laws in exchange for European support on nonproliferation issues.
In the Senate, Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., and Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., proposed a nonbinding resolution urging the State Department to label Iran's military - the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - a terrorist organization.
The Bush administration had already been planning to blacklist a unit within the Revolutionary Guard, subjecting part of the vast military operation to financial sanctions.
Lantos' bill was expected to draw criticism from U.S. allies in Europe. During a visit to Washington last week, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told lawmakers that France opposes any U.S. legislation that would target European countries operating in Iran. He argued that such sanctions could undermine cooperation on dealing with Iran.
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From the official Iranian news agency:
Despite entire US media objections, negative propagation and hue and cry in recent days over IRI President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad''s scheduled address at Colombia University, he gave his lecture and answered students questions here on Monday afternoon.
On second day of his entry in New York, and amid standing ovation of the audience that had attended the hall where the Iranian President was to give his lecture as of early hours of the day, Ahmadinejad said that Iran is not going to attack any country in the world.
Before President Ahamadinejad''s address, Colombia University Chancellor in a brief address told the audience that they would have the chance to hear Iran''s stands as the Iranian President would put them forth.
He said that the Iranians are a peace loving nation, they hate war, and all types of aggression.
Referring to the technological achievements of the Iranian nation in the course of recent years, the president considered them as a sign for the Iranians'' resolute will for achieving sustainable development and rapid advancement.
The audience on repeated occasion applauded Ahmadinejad when he touched on international crises.
At the end of his address President Ahmadinejad answered the students'' questions on such issues as Israel, Palestine, Iran''s nuclear program, the status of women in Iran and a number of other matters.
hahaha
there is no such thing as perfect intel,,, but you knew that already,,,
Foreign Intel Had Identified WMD Sites
http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/archives/007528.php
Top Secret: Bush Told the Truth About WMD
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=26457045-1E9E-4795-9D31-0E5B73E74EE9
"And give us bush, the MASS MURDERER!"
Some things never seem to change with the Jews. LOL
Message?
Americans, save yourselves from the wicked & wanton slaughter!
Extricate yourselves from the Middle East madness of endless vengeance and violence, which has been going on among Middle East war lovers for thousands of years now!
Posted by Agnim
In truth, you have a fantastic imagination; the reality is your hatred toward the jews compels you to lie.
Bigots are always liars.
BARABBAS -- Mass murdering US President with his HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DEAD BODIES IN IRAQ!
JESUS -- Talkative Iran Preeacher with his hundreds of MERE WORDS!
And the violence-loving Jews AGAIN yelled, "Crucify him!"
"Crucify him!"
"Crucify amadenijad, the WORDSMITH!"
"And give us bush, the MASS MURDERER!"
Some things never seem to change with the Jews. LOL
Message?
Americans, save yourselves from the wicked & wanton slaughter!
Extricate yourselves from the Middle East madness of endless vengeance and violence, which has been going on among Middle East war lovers for thousands of years now!
Posted by S_Temper at 11:16 AM : Sep 26, 2007"
So I take it that you are being an anti-semite; because you thought I was one of the maniac muslims from the Arabian Peninsula? LOL
Posted by S_Temper
And so your purpose in insulting people whom you have never met, and religions that you don''t know anything about is...?
Posted by S_Temper at 11:01 AM : Sep 26, 2007"
LOL
The shh!t in the turban is funny; but what is ''haji''?
As you know Americans aren''t as familiar with your foreign language in the maddening middle east?
To disguise cowardice, you deny the people their right to resist illegal occupation, deny them the right to a religion differing from the one which you falsely claim to follow, and otherwise try to cover up the true purpose of Bush''s genocide, so that the corrupt leaders can continue to steal resources, lives, and even our own money, paid with our taxes into the treasury.
You have thusly given up the moral right to say that Hitler and his followers were evil, as you advocate the exact same thing, for the exact same reasons.
Barabbas -- Mass murdering US President with his HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DEAD BODIES IN IRAQ!
Jesus -- Talkative Iran President with his hundreds of MERE WORDS!
And the violence-loving Jews AGAIN yelled, "Crucify him!"
"Crucify him!"
"Crucify amadenijad, the WORDSMITH!"
"And give us bush, the MASS MURDERER!"
Some things never seem to change with the Jews. LOL
Message?
Americans, save yourselves from the wicked & wanton slaughter!
Extricate yourselves from the Middle East madness of endless vengeance and violence, which has been going on among Middle East war lovers for thousands of years now!
Posted by S_Temper
He hands homos. That''''s why they don''''t exist in Iran.
Posted by mudrose
Apparently the spell checker doesn''t like the word h/ang. But that''s what Ahmie does to homos.