Following are excerpts from statements by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The statements aired on IRINN, the Iranian News Channel, on September 18 and 23, 2008:
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/1868.
To view more MEMRI TV clips of Ahmadinejad, visit http://www.memritv.org/subject/en/358.htm.
Sept. 18: "The Zionists... Have Taken Over the Power Centers of the World"
Ahmadinejad: "The Zionists are crooks. A small handful of Zionists, with a very intricate organization, have taken over the power centers of the world. According to our estimates, the main cadre of the Zionists consists of 2,000 individuals at most, and they have another 8,000 activists. In addition, they have several informants, who spy and provide them with intelligence information.
"But because of their control of power centers in the U.S. and Europe, and their control of the financial centers and the news and propaganda agencies, they spread propaganda as if they were the entire world, as if all the peoples supported them, and as if they were the majority ruling the world."
The Zionists' "Jewishness Is a Great Lie - They Have No Religion Whatsoever"
"That is a great lie - just like their Jewishness is a great lie. They have no religion whatsoever. They are a handful of lying, power-greedy people who have no religion, who only want to take over all the peoples and countries, and to trample the rights of the peoples.
[...]
"I've heard that one of them [PM Olmert] recently said that the idea of Greater Israel is dead. I would like to declare that the idea of 'smaller Israel' is also dead. The very notion of Israel is dead, but they are lagging behind the times. Just as the idea of Greater Israel died 30 years ago, and they did not realize this, and have continued to perpetrate crimes for 30 years... Today, I say to them: The idea of smaller Israel is dead."
"You [Zionists] Sent Them [Jews] to Settlements In Order to Serve As Your Human Shields"
"Let me give them a piece of advice: You would be better off if you stopped your oppression and expressed remorse. If you want to do something good in your lives, leave the land of Palestine, free it from your oppression and occupation. Carry on with your lives.
"You captivated [Jewish] people with your trickery and lies, and you brought them over there with false promises. You sent them to settlements in order to serve as your human shields, and you continue to perpetrate your crimes. Let me give you some advice: Enough. For 60 years, you have been doing ugly things and committing crimes - leave, and show remorse.
[...]
"You've heard on the news that [the Zionists] established a network for kidnapping people. They kidnap oppressed, destitute, ignorant people from other countries, and bring them to the occupied lands to serve as human shields." [...]
"If The [Zionist] Occupiers and Invaders Use [Ignorant And Innocent Jews]... As Human Shields, The [Palestinian] People... Must Conduct Resistance"
"If the [Zionist] occupiers and invaders take ignorant people - even if they are innocent - and use them as human shields in order to carry out invasions, the [Palestinian] people, which is on the defensive, must conduct resistance, even if it is against innocent people, who were brought to the scene without being aware of it.
[...]
"At this very moment, hundreds of American exporters are trying very hard to sell products to Iran, but we refuse. The same goes for investors from some European countries that you mentioned, who insist on investing in Iran - but we set conditions." [...]
Sept. 23: "If [The Zionists] Themselves Do Not Wrap Up Zionism... The Peoples Will Wipe These Germs of Corruption Off the Face of the Earth"
Ahmadinejad: "You [the West] cut off some of our TV and radio satellite channels that brought the message of the Iranian people to some other nations. You thought that the Iranian people would be helpless, but I want to tell you that today, the Iranian people has the technology to build all kinds of satellites, and with God's help, it will launch its first communications and remote-sensing satellite into space.
[...]
"A Zionist organization with 2,000 [members] and with 7,000 or 8,000 activists has brought the world to a state of confusion. Let me tell them that if they themselves do not wrap up Zionism, the strong arm of the peoples will wipe these germs of corruption off the face of the Earth."
