New Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad convinced skeptical allies that Iran may, in fact, use its nuclear energy program to build atomic bombs at the U.N. conference this weekend.
The Washington Post declares it a diplomatic disaster that no U.S. official could convince the world of this and now Iran is in position to maintain control of its nuclear stockpiles.
“In the face of U.S. provocation,” he told the General Assembly, “we will reconsider our entire approach to the nuclear issue.”
In defending Iran’s right to a nuclear program, Ahmadinejad expressed doubt that the deadly attacks against the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, were really carried out by terrorists. He said Americans had brought the devastation of Hurricane Katrina upon themselves and that the U.S. military was purposely poisoning its own troops in Iraq according to the Washington Post article.
Tehran declared victory shortly afterward when the IAEA board decided against reporting the country’s nuclear program to the Security Council.
