Ahmedinejad Highlights Iran's Power

FNA - Oct 18, 2007

TEHRAN - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said here on Thursday that his country is much capable of defending itself and its interests, underlining that the Iranian nation will stand up to aggressors and will not give up even an iota of its rights.

Ahmadinejad's words are deemed to be a direct response to the belligerent remarks recently uttered by US President George W. Bush raising the threat of launching an attack on Iran.

"Take a lesson from the past events and don't discredit yourselves in the world, because friendship with the Iranian nation will serve your interests and we do not want to see you in isolation," the Iranian president said addressing US statesmen.

He further called on EU powers to drop their present course and stop compliance with the US policies.

"It is a high time that certain European countries made a decision because obedience to the policies of the US administration is not beneficial to them," Ahmadinejad said.

He reminded deployment of the US missile shield in the Europe, and said certain European officials have caused misfortune and pain for their nations due to their obedience to the US.

"You can observe that the US statesmen have deployed their missiles in Europe in an effort to impose their views on certain countries and in this way they have victimized European people for the sake of their own goals and interests," Ahmadinejad said.

"In the nuclear issue too, Americans are striving to victimize Europe and we are unfortunately witnessing that certain European states are following their policies," he continued.

"It is now the time for you to take a serious decision and move independently and we will welcome your independence in expressing views," the Iranian president underlined while addressing EU leaders.

Meantime, he warned that Iran may go out of patience if certain European countries continue their hawkish policies on the Islamic Republic.

Ahmadinejad said Iran has not yet taken into consideration the negative moves of some EU states when regulating relations with such countries, "but they shouldn't imagine that we will continue the same trend" forever.

"If it comes to reciprocation, this will be them who will certainly sustain the loss. If the Iranian nation opts for confrontation, it will have a profound political and cultural confrontation because these few countries do not have a political and cultural back up and (they don't have) a message of hope for the world," Ahmadinejad warned.