Iranian Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami Accuses America and the Zionists of Being the "Real Instigators" of the Riots and Calls to Deal with Oppositionists "Harshly and in a Legal Manner"

Following are excerpts from a speech delivered by Iranian Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, which aired on IRINN, the Iranian news channel, on February 15, 2011.

Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami: The Association of Researchers and Teachers of Qom,¹ which exists only on the Internet, appears only in order to publish communiqués denouncing [the regime]. They caused this battle by initiating this fitna.

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We say to the Americans and to the Zionists that we consider them to be the real instigators of the fitna. We will never forget who the main enemy is. We constinue to shout passionately: Death to America, death to Israel.

Crowds: Death to America, death to Israel!

Death to America, death to Israel!

Death to America, death to Israel!

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Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami: We, the clergy, explicitly say that we demand that all the rioters be dealt with harshly and in a legal manner – especially Mousavi and Karroubi.

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