2ND Ahmadinejad reiterates TV debate challenge to Bush

Deutsche Presse Agentur
Published: Wednesday September 6, 2006

Tehran- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday once again reiterated his desire to challenge his American counterpart George W Bush in a television debate and termed his forthcoming visit to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly as a "suitable opportunity." "My forthcoming visit to New York for the UN General Assembly would be a suitable opportunity to hold the debate and all world people, especially the Americans, could hear and watch it without censorship," the news agency ISNA quoted the president as saying in a cabinet session.

Ahmadinejad last month invited Bush to a television debate to talk about world developments, "under the condition, however, that nothing is censored."

The White House rejected the invitation as a "distraction" from the nuclear dispute.

"The reputable and committed media (in the US) could avail themselves of this opportunity (to arrange such a debate)," Ahmadinejad said.

The Iranian president said that the American side could even attend the debate as a group and with advisors.

"This debate could be the best way for realising peace and the Americans should not come up with excuses anymore for not attending," Ahmadinejad said.

The Iranian president had called earlier Wednesday on Bush to revise his "language of force."

"Why do you always want to settle world affairs by using force and weapons? This era is finished and we are in the era of thought and culture," Fars news agency quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.

In a speech on the war on terrorism Tuesday, Bush called Iran's leaders "tyrants," compared them with al-Qaeda terrorists and said that the world's free nations would not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon.

"Those who have their hand on a bomb while talking cannot guide the world," Ahmadinejad said.

"We are against the use of force and weapons as well as against US and British plans to dominate the world, but we are ready to discuss the issue and listen to their argumentations," the Iranian president added.

"(The US) rejected and came up with the excuse that the Iranian president is threatening us. No, I am not threatening you, but it is the world that is threatening you because the world is against injustice," Ahmadinejad said.

"It is now the era of people and nobody should believe that they can sit in their glass houses and rule over the world," he added.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Assefi also referred to Bush's speech and said the US president wanted to spread propaganda to undermine Iran's legitimate right to pursue nuclear technology.

"The US president tries to justify his mistakes and failure on the verge of the 9/11 anniversary which itself is still under a cloud of doubts," the spokesman was quoted as saying by ISNA news agency.

He accused the US for having increased terrorism due to its military presence in Iraq and called on Bush to accept Ahmadinejad's invitation for a TV debate.

"Due to wrong policies by the White House, the world has lost respect for the US and President Bush should deeply think about this problem and avoid pushing the world into further chaos," Assefi said.

© 2006 DPA - Deutsche Presse-Agenteur