Israel sees itself at the end of the line: Iranian president

TEHRAN,Sept.25(MNA) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that the Zionist regime sees itself at the end of the line and is seeking to create new opportunities for itself through issuing threats of military action against Iran. Ahmadinejad, who is in New York to attend the 67th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, made the remarks during an interview with CNN’s “Piers Morgan Tonight,” which was broadcast on Monday. When asked what Iran would do if Israel were to attack it, Ahmadinejad said, “Any nation has the right and will indeed defend herself. “But my question is this: Why should the world be managed in such a way that an individual can allow himself to threaten a rich and deeply rooted historical, ancient country such as Iran? A great country, such as Iran, based on an excuse of his own fabrication… Another country can say, I am guessing that country B is doing activity X, therefore I will attack that country… can this be… a successful formula for the management of the world?” Some world powers, particularly Western nations, suspect that Iran is seeking to build nuclear weapons. Tehran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. In response to whether he feared a war or military conflict with Israel was imminent, Ahmadinejad said, “The Zionists are very much, very adventuresome, very much seeking to fabricate things, and I think they see themselves at the end of the line, and I do firmly believe that they seek to create new opportunities for themselves and their adventurous behaviors.” Condoning blasphemy in the name of freedom of speech is abuse of freedom Elsewhere in his remarks, the president denounced the U.S. film that insults Prophet Muhammad (S) and has led to deadly protests against the United States across the Muslim world. “Fundamentally, first of all, any action that is provocative, offends the religious thoughts and feelings of any people, we condemn,” Ahmadinejad said. “Likewise, we condemn any type of extremism. Of course, what took place was ugly. Offending the Holy Prophet is quite ugly. This has very little or nothing to do with freedom and freedom of speech. This is the weakness of and the abuse of freedom, and in many places it is a crime. It shouldn’t take place, and I do hope the day will come in which politicians will not seek to offend those whom others hold holy,” he stated. “We also believe that this must also be resolved in a humane atmosphere, in a participatory environment, and we do not like anyone losing their lives or being killed for any reason, anywhere in the world.” When asked by Morgan whether he thought protesters should stop threatening U.S. staff abroad, Ahmadinejad said that he cannot say what other people or nations should do, but that he believes “extremism gives birth to following and subsequent extremists.” “Perhaps if the politicians take a better position in the West vis-a-vis offensive words or thoughts or pictures towards what we hold holy, I think conditions will improve,” the Iranian president noted. Ahmadinejad also discussed his reaction to Osama bin Laden’s death last year by the U.S. Navy SEALs under President Barack Obama. “I would have been happier to see a transparent trial, a formal trial, and find out the root causes of all of the events of the last few years,” the Iranian president stated.