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'Courage and resistance.' Larijani
Photo: Reuters
Ahmadinejad at NAM meeting
Photo: AFP

Top Iranian official: Israel politically dead

Parliament speaker Larijani tells visiting Lebanese FM recent prisoner exchange 'historic defeat for Israel, great victory for Lebanon and world of Islam. Ahmadinejad: Major powers on descending course, approaching end of their era

"Israel has become politically dead after its humiliating defeat" in the Second Lebanon War, Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani said Tuesday.

 

According to the Islamic Republic News Agency, Larijani said the release of a group of Lebanese terrorists in the framework of the recent prisoner swap between Israel and Hizbullah "was a historic defeat for Israel and a great victory for Lebanon and for the world of Islam.

 

Larijani made the remarks in a meeting with the visiting Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh, who is currently in Tehran to attend the 15th meeting of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) foreign ministers.

 

"Courage and resistance of the Lebanese people have been well supported by regional states and the Islamic world," Larijani told Salloukh stressing that Lebanon has currently reached a point where "it can say the last word."

 

Israel released five Lebanese prisoners in return for the bodies of IDF soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev on July 16.

 

During his inaugural speech at the NAM conference, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for developing nations to unite to fight what he said was bias shown by the UN Security Council and other world bodies that only serve the big powers' interests.

 

Iran wants to broaden its international support in a row over its nuclear plans with Western capitals, which Ahmadinejad says manipulate the Security Council and other bodies to act against the Islamic Republic.

 

The Council has imposed three rounds of limited sanctions on Iran for its refusal to halt sensitive atomic work, which the West says is aimed at making nuclear bombs but Tehran insists is designed to meet electricity needs.

 

Ahmadinejad accused world powers of trying to deny others peaceful nuclear energy while they stockpiled atomic weapons.

 

"The major powers are on a descending course. The extent of their influence drops day by day. They are approaching the end of their era," Ahmadinejad told a Non-Aligned Movement meeting.

 

'Soft declaration'

NAM, now with 118 members plus observers, was set up in 1961 to group many newly independent nations which wanted to avoid being caught up in the Cold War between Moscow and Washington. It has struggled to stay relevant since the Soviet Union fell.

 

"Any measure to change the world conditions and realize the joint interests of member states will not be possible except through effective efforts and collective cooperation of member states," Ahmadinejad told the ministerial meeting in Tehran.

 

He said the group together "can defend and repel aggression against any member subjected to aggression, and obstruct the violation by major powers of other countries."

 

Ahmadinejad called for an "arbitration council" that could resolve any disputes between NAM members as well as others, and a fund to back development in NAM but did not give details.

 

Ahmadinejad said the Security Council would never issue a resolution against the United States, Iran's arch-foe, as long as Washington, like four other big powers, had a permanent seat. The permanent council members have veto powers.

 

A draft NAM statement, obtained by Reuters, echoed previous calls backing Iran's right to develop, research, produce and use peaceful atomic energy, while welcoming Tehran's continued cooperation with the UN watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency. The final text has yet to be approved.

 

"We only pray that Iran, together with the International Atomic Energy Agency, together with the ... big powers, sit down and resolve this matter amicably," Tanzanian Foreign Minister Bernard Membe told Reuters on the sidelines of the meeting.

 

A European diplomat, attending the meeting, said Iran's push for more explicit support for its case against world powers had met opposition from some NAM states, including regional rival Saudi Arabia and Egypt, with which Iran does not have full ties.

 

"It is going to be a soft declaration," the diplomat said.

 

A NAM diplomat, ahead of the meeting, had said the need for consensus would prevent NAM going beyond previous statements.

 

Six world powers -- the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russa and China -- have offered Iran nuclear, trade and other incentives if its suspends its uranium enrichment, a process that can have both civilian and military uses.

 

Iran has refused. It has also, so far, not given any sign it is ready to freeze expansion of its nuclear work in return for a halt to steps to impose more UN sanctions, a proposal aimed at getting preliminary talks going before formal talks start.

 

Western powers on July 19 gave Iran two weeks to respond. Russia, which like China has tended to take a softer line on Iran, has said it opposes artificial deadlines, as well as any foot dragging by Tehran.

 


פרסום ראשון: 07.29.08, 16:51
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