http://www.almanar.com.lb/newsSite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=129146&language=en
Ahmadinejad: Iran Among Top World Powers
14/03/2010 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says US is concerned about
Iran's influential role in Latin America, Central Asia and Africa, adding that
the Islamic Republic is currently among the top world powers. "This is not a
rhetoric issue in a political war. This is a fact. The countries on the
opposite side can do nothing without Iran," he was quoted by IRNA as saying on
Saturday.
"They (US officials) do not want to see Iran's presence in international
relations and equations. They have no option but to keep silent about
consecutive victories of the Iranian nation," he added.
The head of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) said, "Before the
swear-in ceremony in 2005 I asked the Leader of the Islamic Revolution,
[Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei], to issue a permission for breaking the seal of
Iran's nuclear facilities, and the leader agreed."
"Despite oppositions [to the move] and threats of the enemy's military attack,
the government insisted on its stance," Ahmadinejad said. He touched upon the
enemy's "political game" in Iran's nuclear case and said, "It aims to block and
stop the path of the countries' progress." He reiterated that the West could
not stop Iran's nuclear program by adopting further resolutions or imposing
sanctions.
The Iranian president questioned NATO's achievements in Afghanistan and said
only Iran can help resolve regional crisis. He disclosed efforts by certain
powers and countries to change regulations of the International Atomic Energy
Agency, saying, "They seek to prevent nations from making progress, but the
Iranian nation will not let them."
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
