Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday called attention to the suffering caused to human beings at present because of the aggressive behavior, wars, corruption, discrimination and genocide practiced by global arrogant powers.
Addressing a huge crowd of local residents, the Iranian president said "arrogant powers" are behind the aggressions, wars and bloodshed committed on innocent peoples of the world. "Those who evade the exchange of ideas on world issues cannot defend themselves logically. They are afraid of world public opinion. By rejecting to debate on issues, they show that they have no respect for the concerns of nations," Ahmadinejad said.
The White House earlier this week rejected an offer from President Ahmadinejad to hold a live televised debate with US President George W Bush.
"We know that they are afraid the truth would come out and their role in various crimes in the world would be exposed. But they should know that by evading a debate they would not be serving their interests," the Iranian president said.
The Iranian nation is a society keenly interested in logic and dialogue and the enforcement of justice, he said, adding that the Iranian people have been the vanguard of peace in the world and have never violated the rights of any nation.
According to IRNA, he warned arrogant powers that they cannot trample on the rights of the Iranian nation. The problem is that American leaders think all problems can be solved with the use of force and by maintaining weapons arsenals, said the president.
"But times have changed and it is culture, thought and logic that are the sources of power now and it is because of this that they refuse to debate with us." He said arrogant powers will not enjoy seeing Iran progress and for this reaoson have imposed all sorts of economic sanctions on the country in the past 25 years.
These powers have made a mistake because the Iranian people have shown themselves capable of mastering the technology for peaceful nuclear technology and, no doubt, are capable of heaping progress on Iran, the president stressed.
He stressed that progress and development must go hand in hand with unity and solidarity as the goal of enemies is to sow discord among the Iranian people and thereby weaken them.
"Our main duty now is to build and develop our country," the president said, and added that a lot of work still lay ahead. All infrastructural and other development projects should be completed soon, he said.
