September 28, 2012
In UN General Assembly speech, he admits that Al Qaeda chief was 'the culprit' in 9/11 attacks, but insists there should have been 'an independent fact-finding team' to probe the SEAL raid in Pakistan that eliminated the terror kingpin
September 28, 2012
In UN General Assembly speech, he admits that Al Qaeda chief was 'the culprit' in 9/11 attacks, but insists there should have been 'an independent fact-finding team' to probe the SEAL raid in Pakistan that eliminated the terror kingpin
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks to media on Wednesday in New York city.
IRANIAN President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad blasted the U.S. for acting as judge and jury in the 2011 killing of Al Qaeda kingpin Osama Bin Laden in his Afghanistan safehouse.
The oft-inflammatory leader, in a rambling 35-minute United Nations address, acknowledged the terrorist behind the 9/11 attacks was “the culprit” in taking down the World Trade Center.
But he ripped the Obama administration Wednesday for disposing of the body at sea “without trial or without informing the world and the people of America.”
And he wondered why there was no “independent fact-finding team” to investigate the May 2011 raid by U.S. Navy SEALs that left Bin Laden dead nearly a decade after 9/11.
The Iranian’s words echoed off empty seats in the U.S. delegation, which boycotted Ahmadinejad’s appearance.
“It’s particularly unfortunate that Mr. Ahmadinejad will have the platform of the UN General Assembly on Yom Kippur, which is why the United States has decided not to attend,” said Erin Pelton, the spokeswoman for the U.S. Mission to the UN.
Ahmadinejad, a Holocaust denier known for his anti-Israel rhetoric, toned down his typical hate speech at his eighth and final UN address. The Iranian leader is stepping down after two terms as president.
He did take one shot at Israel, citing “the continued threat by the uncivilized Zionists to resort to military action against our great nation.”
The Iranian president never mentioned his nation’s controversial nuclear program, but did cite Jesus Christ in his call for “peace and lasting security with a decent life for all.”
His overall tone was far more conciliatory than in the past. The Iranian strongman has said the 9/11 attacks were a big lie and predicted that Israel “would be wiped off the map.”
Courtesy: nydaily (rschapiro@nydailynews.com)
