Tuesday 24 November 2009

Ahmadinejad: US, Israel lack 'courage' to attack



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24/11/2009 Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Monday urged his visiting Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to find a "just solution" with the West to Tehran's nuclear program. Lula, speaking in a joint media conference with Ahmadinejad, reiterated that Brazil backed Iran's declared quest for "peaceful nuclear energy in full respect of international accords." He appealed to Ahmadinejad to "continue contacts with interested countries for a just and balanced solution on the nuclear issue in Iran."

Ahmadinejad, for his part, voiced support for Brazil's bid to one day become a permanent member of the UN Security Council. Brazil is to take one of the non-permanent seats -- those without the power of veto -- in 2010 and 2011. "We support a reformed UN Security Council and for Brazil to have a permanent seat," he said. He argued the council "has failed over the past 60 years because of the veto power of a small number of countries, a source of insecurity for several countries in the world."

Lula has repeatedly backed Tehran's nuclear program, and said he opposed international sanctions on Iran. Ahmadinejad also said that threats of military action against Iran by arch foes Israel and the United States were no longer a concern, but that neither country had the courage to carry out an attack. "The age of military attacks is over, now we've reached the time for dialogue and understanding. Weapons and threats are a thing of the past," the Iranian told a joint press conference at the close of his one-day visit.

That's clear "even for mentally challenged people," he said answering a reporter's question. Besides, he added, "those you mention (Israel and United States) don't have the courage to attack Iran. They're not even thinking about it."

Ahmadinejad's visit to Brazil was the key leg of a five-nation tour to Latin American and African seen backing Tehran's vision of a new world order in which the United States is not dominant. The itinerary began in Gambia, and after Brazil was to continue with Bolivia, Venezuela and Senegal.

The Iranian president was accompanied by a 300-strong delegation. Venezuela Jewish community on Monday expressed its disappointment and displeasure over a visit later this week to their country by Ahmadinejad, whom they called an "ominous" person who if not stopped, "could cause serious harm to humanity."

In his weekly radio broadcast on Monday, he said: "You can't move forward by isolating Iran. If Iran is an important player in all this discord, it's important that someone sits down with Iran, talks with Iran and tries to establish a point of balance, so that we can return to a degree of normality in the Middle East."


After his 24-hour Brazilian leg, Ahmadinejad was to depart for Bolivia for talks with his counterpart Evo Morales, then on to Venezuela to see his "friend" Hugo Chavez. Both Morales and Chavez are strongly critical of the United States.

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