Khatami singles out Israel in defending Iran's nuclear plans

[Behind the Aegis]

Former Iranian president Mohammed Khatami defended his country's nuclear program on Saturday and, singling out Israel, said the West should focus its pressure on building a nuclear-free Middle East.

The United Nations' atomic watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), voted last weekend to report Iran to the UN Security Council over its nuclear program.

Western powers accuse Iran of developing an atomic weapon, while Tehran insists it aims to produce only civilian energy.

"It would have been very good if the international community, especially the Europeans and the IAEA, would make efforts to have a nuclear-free region in the Middle East," Khatami told reporters on the sidelines of a conference in the Malaysian capital.

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[allemand]

1. He called for an Islam "compatible with freedom, progress and democracy"

Iran's ex-leader sees new Islam

The former Iranian president, Mohammad Khatami, has told a conference that the Muslim world is ready for a major transformation.

He said that it was time to create a new world where Islam is applied in a manner compatible with freedom, progress and democracy. (...)

He accused some countries of promoting Islamaphobia for their own strategic ends.

But he also deplored violence and extremism in parts of the Islamic world - something Mr Khatami said stemmed from their backwardness and a feeling of humiliation, making understanding and compromise all the more difficult.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4703260.stm

He was Iran's president for many years, but the sad truth is that he never had much power.

[Behind the Aegis]

2. True..today he earns a Steven Colbert award.

He gets a "Tip of the Hat" for his comments on reform and a "Wag of the Finger" for his blatant anti-Israeli propaganda.

[allemand]

3. I don't think he wanted to say that Israel is bigger than India, Pakistan

or China... LOL. China's nuclear arsenal is probably a lot bigger than that of Israel, but I have no idea how Israel's arsenal is in comparison to that of Pakistan and India.

I can't find "blatant anti-Israeli propaganda" in what he said, just pro-Iranian propaganda: "Iran neither has nuclear weapons nor wants to develop nuclear weapons."

[Behind the Aegis]

4. anti-Israeli

You can opine that he didn't want to say what he did, but he did say it. He made Israel look like the bigger nuclear power. I mean...hello...China?! North Korea?! Who knows about Pakistan or India, but both countries are substantially larger. It is nothing more than "Israel is the demon" talk.