United Nations Walkout On Iran's Ahmadinejad Speech

By: EW News Desk Team   Date: 23 September 2011

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23 September 2011

 U.S. diplomats led a walkout from the United Nations General Assembly as Iranian Mohammed Ahmadinejad began his sweeping attacks at the "arrogant powers" of the West, and suggesting that "two planes couldn't bring towers down."

Two American Middle East-specialists led the way out of Ahmadinejad's speech at the UN General Assembly, followed by diplomats from more than 30 countries, after the Iranian president started his tirade against the United States and major Western European nations, labeling them "arrogant powers" who lived on greed and military adventurism. 

(Scroll down for a video footage of the walkout)

Ahmadinejad accused Western nations of "weakening countries through military intervention and destroying their infrastructure, in order to plunder their resources by making them all the more dependent."

At the same time, Ahmadinejad denounced Israel, insisting that Tehran would not recognize Israel's right to exist even if the UN were to accept a Palestinian state into its ranks. 

Israel was not present, it had boycotted the speech with the statement: "Once again the Iranian president delivered a message of hostility to the family of nations, threatening world peace and security."

It is not the first time that Ahmadinejad has launched his anti-U.S. and anti-Israel rhetoric at the General Assemblies. Last year, he provoked yet another walkout after suggesting that the 9/11 attacks were staged by the U.S. government to ensure Israel's survival.

Related: A Decade of Hurt - The Economic Legacy of 9/11: Joseph Stiglitz

In a post-interview with the Associated Press, Ahmadinejad said that as an engineer himself, he was not certain that the twin towers were brought down by "two planes."

U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron took his speech at the UN to hit back at the Iranian president, saying that Iran does "everything they can to avoid the accountability of a free media."

"They violently prevent demonstrations and, yes, they detain and torture those who argue for a better future," Cameron said in his UN speech.

Watch as diplomats walkout of Ahmadinejad's UN speech:


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