Ahmadinejad demands global nuclear disarmament, particularly the Zionist regime

Press TV, Sat, 09 Jan 2010 16:46:43 GMT

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Saturday shared Iran's vision of creating a world free of nuclear weapons by adopting steps toward global nuclear disarmament.

"All countries should be disarmed of atomic weapons. Iran will strongly push ahead with its demand for global nuclear disarmament," the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.

He said that the atomic powers which have used nuclear weapons against other nations must be held accountable for their action.

He pointed to Iran's firm stance on defending its nuclear rights and said, "The government assures the Leader of the Islamic Revolution [Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei] and the Iranian nation that it will never back down even one step from its nuclear rights."

The president underlined that arrogant powers are unable to affect international developments.

"Iran will move toward its development and will play a strong role in global equations," he said.

He said that imposing unilateral sanctions against Iran is a clear example of extremism by the world powers and added, "They mistakenly think that pressure and threats will bring Iranians to their knees."

The United States and Israel accuse the Islamic Republic of pursuing military objectives in its nuclear pursuit.

Iran, a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and member of the UN nuclear watchdog, is entitled to pursue the technology for civilian purposes. It has also urged nuclear powers to abandon their atomic arsenals as the government in Iran believes the use of weapons of mass destruction is inhuman.

In his remarks, Ahmadinejad said the United States should answer to the world over dropping nuclear bombs on Japan in World War II. He added that the US must also be held accountable for its use of depleted uranium in Iraq.

SF/HGH/MD

Ahmadinejad Lambasts Expansionist Policies of Bullying Powers

09 Jan 2010

TEHRAN (FNA)-

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad blasted the expansionist policies exercised by the bullying powers against the Iranian nation.

"Sanctions and unilateral resolutions against Iran are clear instances of expansionism and boldness of bullying powers vis-à-vis the Iranian nation," Ahmadinejad said on Saturday in a ceremony to inaugurate an aluminum manufacturing plant in the southern province of Hormozgan.

He also cautioned enemies to dispel their earlier thoughts and imaginations for impeding the progress of Iranian nation, and called on them to treat the Iranian people with respect and fairness.

"The enemies and ill-wishers attempt to slow the pace of the Iranian nation's development and progress and intend to place obstacles in the way of the (Iranian) nation's movement, but Iran will be an unrivaled power in the world within the next 5 to 10 years," Ahmadinejad stressed.

Addressing the arrogant powers, he reiterated that the Iranian nation will be able to not only make progress on the domestic side, but also contribute a role in the international equations.

Elsewhere, he pointed to Iran's efforts to materialize the nuclear disarmament in the world, and said, "All countries should be disarmed and Iran persists with this demand."

Earlier in December, Ahmadinejad had called for the nuclear disarmament of the US and the Zionist regime, and stressed Tehran's resolve to pursue disarmament of all the arrogant states in possession of atomic weapons.

"The US government owns nearly 8,000 atomic warheads and it should be disarmed and its corrupt tail 'the Zionist regime' has about 400 atomic warheads which should be disarmed as well," Ahmadinejad said.

Iran, an NPT-signatory, has called for the removal of all weapons of mass destruction from across the globe.

The UN General Assembly approved a draft resolution proposed by Iran on nuclear disarmament in October amid strong opposition by the US, Britain, France, Israel and a number of western countries.

The resolution ratified in the first committee of the UN General Assembly calls on all nuclear countries to annihilate their nuclear weapons under the supervision of international bodies.

More than 100 countries, including non-nuclear members of the Non-Aligned Movement voted for the resolution.

The resolution also urges Israel to join the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and allow the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect its nuclear installations.

Israel, the Middle East's sole nuclear power, possesses hundreds of nuclear warheads while it is not a signatory to the NPT or any other international convention. The Zionist regime has never allowed UN inspectors to visit its nuclear sites or arsenals.

President Urges Release of Four Kidnapped Iranian Diplomats

Sat, 09 Jan 2010

TEHRAN (FNA)-

The call for the release of the four Iranian diplomats abducted in Lebanon in 1982 does not come just from the Tehran government, but it is a "national demand", Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stressed on Saturday.

"The Freedom of these beloved individuals is a humane and national demand," Ahmadinejad said in a letter to condole the death of the father of Seyed Mohsen Mousavi, the then charge d'affaires of the Iranian Embassy in Beirut, who, along with three other Iranian nationals, was kidnapped in Lebanon during an Israeli invasion of the country in 1982.

The Iranian president noted that freedom-seekers will not tolerate such violation of human rights (abduction of Iranian diplomats) and will urge the Zionist regime to account for their fate through international circles.

The four Iranian diplomats were all kidnapped by the Lebanese mercenary army - also known as the Falangists - at gunpoint in northern Lebanon in 1982 and were later handed over to the Israeli army.

The other three diplomats, kidnapped along with Seyed Mohsen Mousavi, included military attaché Ahmad Motevaselian, embassy technician Taghi Rastegar Moghadam and journalist of the Islamic republic news agency Kazem Akhavan.

Israel has released contradictory reports on the issue. The Zionist regime alleged in a statement last year that the diplomats had never been surrendered to Israel. Elsewhere it claimed in response to a request put forward by the Lebanese Hezbollah group that the four are already dead.

In January 2009, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said that Iran had received a report from the Zionist regime which said the kidnapped Iranian diplomats had not been transferred to Tel Aviv and laid the blame on the Lebanese mercenary army affiliated with Israel.

"The report will not remove the responsibility from the Zionist regime," the spokesman underlined at the time.