09/24/2010, 00.00
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Ahmadinejad’s outrage, Obama’s overtures

Iran's president accused "elements" of the U.S. government of being behind the September 11 attacks in New York. Many UN delegates left the assembly hall. Days before Ahmadinejad had indicated openness to dialogue. Divisions in the Iranian leadership.

New York (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has created yet another incident at the UN, yesterday suggesting that there are "elements within the U.S. government behind the 11 September attack on the Twin Towers”. At these words, many delegates left the hall. A few hours earlier, U.S. President, Barack Obama, had left the door open to diplomacy with Tehran.

All of this occurred in the setting of 65th sitting of the annual session of the UN General Assembly. Speaking from the rostrum about the attacks of 11th of September 2001, which claimed more than 3 thousand lives, Ahmadinejad mentioned a theory that " some segments within the US government orchestrated the attack to reverse the declining American economy, and its grips on the Middle East, in order to save the Zionist regime [ie Israel - ed]”.

At these words delegations from the U.S., UK, EU and 30 other nations abandoned the hall. Representatives in Washington called the Iranian president's words "hateful and delusional."

However, a few hours earlier, President Obama, talking about the Iranian nuclear issue, said that a diplomatic solution is still possible that "the door remains open to diplomacy should Iran choose to walk through it"

In the days before there were signs of detente. Ahmadinejad had expressed a desire in Tehran to resume talks with the 5 +1 (U.S., China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany) to monitor Iran's nuclear program, suspected of having military purposes.

According to Bernard Kouchner, French foreign minister, the talks should resume in October.

Experts point out that the Ahmadinejad’s heavy words, along with his openings, indicate a schizophrenia in the Iranian leadership. In recent weeks, Ahmadinejad has often been accused by extremist newspapers and personality of his country of not being faithful to the principles of Islam.

 

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