Interview with Ahmadinejad
Iranian president says Holocaust conference peace-related, claims America can't do anything against Iran
When asked why, instead of hosting the contentious Holocaust conference, he had not held a conference to promote peace, inviting Israelis and Palestinians to dialogue, the Iranian president referred to his conference as peace-related.
"As a matter of fact this conference was in line of peace. Because for the past 60 years, the Palestinian people have been suppressed using the Holocaust as the pretext. If the issue of the Holocaust became clear, the issue would be solved," he declared in the interview.
According to Time, Ahmadinejad claimed that when it becomes clear that the Holocaust does not have any relationship with the Palestinian people, there will be two proposals for the western world.
"The first solution is that in the same way that you mounted this regime in the past, you can remove it yourself. You know well that the Holocaust has nothing to do with the Palestinian people. That was just a pretext...And it was not a good excuse. Just cease to support it. Don't use your people's money to assist this violent regime. This is the best solution," he told the magazine.
"If they do not accept the first solution, then they should allow the nation of Palestine to make their decision about its own fate. Anyone who is a Palestinian citizen, whether they are Christian, Jewish or Muslim, should decide together in a very free referendum. There is no need for war. There is no need for threats or the atomic bomb either," he continued.
Ahmadinejad also claimed that Israel would be forced to accept one of the solutions if the US and British governments stopped supporting and helping them, since "everyone knows that the Zionist regime is a tool in the hands of the United States and British governments."
Iranian president: Era of bombs at an end
When asked about Olmert's recent gaffe regarding Israel's nuclear capabilities and how such capabilities would affect Iran, he responded that "the era for bombs and atoms and weapons has come to an end.""People should be talked to with reason. Where are the ones who used nuclear bombs in Hiroshima? Their era is over. This literature belonged to 60 years ago. Now it's the time for dialogue, logic as well as law and justice. Our people and our nation have a very clear logic and sense," he added.
Ahmadinejad told Time that he "separates the account of the American people and the American government." He believe US government behavior is damaging and creates hatred against America, causing Americans to pay for something they don't believe in.
When asked by his interviewer directly if he would talk to the US or not, he responded: "We want to resolve the problem. We do not want to waste time. We do not want a political game."
"What we want is for the rights of the Iraqi people to be returned to them. If the government of the United States changes its behavior, the conditions will be changed. Then a dialogue could take place," he added.
When asked how Iran would respond to sanctions against it, pursuant to its nuclear policy, the president emphasized that "friendship with the Iranian people is better than confronting us. Experience has shown that we have the capability to defend ourselves and take advantage of any circumstance."
"The Iranian people are an extremely intelligent people. They know how make the best opportunities from the harshest of threats. And make ill wishers regret themselves."
"We believe that the American government cannot do anything against us," he concluded.
