U.S. and Iran in UN Crossfire
Bush and Ahmadinejad debate at the General Assmebly.
The 61st session of the General Assmebly was of much interest to the world, with Iranian President in the U.S., bashing Bush and his policies.
With Iran's nuclear program making headlines and drawing attention of leaders worldwide, U.S. and Iran's leaders debated their stance in the world -even if indirectly.
Iran, a country the world did not hear much about, made a strong appearance this time at the 61st session of the UN General Assembly on Sept.19.
Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, used the publicity of his nuclear program to push for Iran's higher standing in the global arena and to voice his opinions, quite strongly, about the U.S. and Israel, while he stood within the corridoors of the country he viewed as the root of the problem in the world.
"By causing war and conflict, some are fast expanding their domination, accumulating greater wealth and usurping all the resources, while others endure the resulting poverty, suffering and misery," he said.
But Ahmadinejad, not only commented on the U.S.'s role in the world, but also, accused Israel, a country he regards as bearing little legitimacy, as the main factor of instability in the region.
"That regime [Israel] has been a constant source of threat and insecurity in the Middle East region, waging war and spilling blood and impeding the progress of regional countries," he said.
At the UN, just a few hours earlier, Bush directed the fault of Middle Eastern problems towards other countries, namely, Iran and Syria.
"The greatest obstacle to this future is that your rulers [in Iran] have chosen to deny you liberty and to use your nation's resources to fund terrorism, and fuel extremism and pursue nuclear weapons," he said.
He also addressed the Syrian people and accused the Syrian rulers for making the country a "crossroad for terrorism."
"In your midst, Hamas and Hezbollah are working to destabilize the region, and your government is turning your country into a tool of Iran," he said. "Your government must choose a better way forward by ending its support for terror..."
The UN General Assembly provided the forum for these two opposing powers, Iran and the U.S., to voice their differences. While they never met or even crossed each other, with hours between their speeches, they both made their position clear and indirectly debated each other.
While Ahmadinejad accused Bush of promoting terror and instability in the Middle East, Bush held Ahmadinejad responsible for the problems in the region. More than a means for achieving dialogue, the UN provided a place for both to voice their opinions against one another.
