US stance on Iran, political game
Iran’s foreign minister says Washington’s “tough stance” on Iran’s nuclear program is aimed at appeasing US public opinion ahead of the midterm vote.
Manouchehr Mottaki said the US-brokered talks between Israel and the Palestinians and the US push for UN Security Council and unilateral sanctions against Iran were part of a political game.
“A month before the midterm congressional vote, [US President Barack] Obama suddenly wants to solve the Palestinian issue, in a way seeking to placate US public opinion,” Mehr new agency quoted Mottaki as saying on Thursday.
“Of course Obama has been instigated to adopt a tough stance against Iran and revive the case for Palestine at the same time,” he added.
Mottaki criticized Washington for snubbing the Tehran nuclear fuel swap declaration, signed by Iran, Turkey and Brazil three weeks before the imposition of the UNSC sanctions.
Iranian officials have repeatedly refuted Western allegations that Tehran is following a military nuclear program, arguing that as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the country has the right to use peaceful nuclear energy.
September 11 probe
The Iranian foreign minister also reiterated Tehran’s call for a comprehensive probe into the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington.
“Several years ago an incident, later dubbed the September 11 [attacks], occurred in the US, yet they refuse to release [data gathered from] the planes’ black boxes and immediately attacked two Muslim countries,” Mottaki said.
Several Ground Zero workers claim the Federal Bureau of Investigation has suppressed key evidence in the 9/11 attacks, including three of the two planes’ “black boxes,” but the 9/11 Commission and the White House insist that none of the flight data recorders or cockpit voice recorders were ever recovered.
Iran’s top diplomat went on to express concern that Washington’s plans for avenging the 9/11 attacks may involve other invasions, with more Muslim countries on the US target list.
Two separate controversies tainted this year’s anniversary of the September 11 attacks — nine years after two hijacked commercial airliners were slammed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center.
Despite fierce international condemnation of plans to burn copies of the Holy Qur’an on the anniversary of the attack, at least two radical evangelists desecrated the Muslim holy book.
In his address to the UN General Assembly, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for a comprehensive probe into the 9/11 attack, sparking uproar in Washington.
Ahmadinejad told reporters that Tehran was saddened by the loss of lives in the tragedy, stressing that the proposal was aimed at resolving the “suspicious circumstances” surrounding the attacks.
One day before the ninth anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth said evidence regarding the destruction of the World Trade Center towers has emerged that show planted explosives were used in the demolition of the buildings.
