Ahmadinejad blames US for financial crisis at UN forum

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Iran's president said Saturday that the global financial meltdown has put an end to the "merciless and unjust" capitalist system. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also suggested that the crisis could be a "ploy" by the United States to "weaken its rivals and attract wealth" into its own battered economy. The hardline leader was speaking at a UN development conference in Qatar aimed at gaining commitments from rich nations to pump billions of dollars into developing countries. Ahmadinejad also cautioned developing countries against falling into a trap set by the "capitalist bloc," which he says is seeking solutions to the turmoil at the expense of the poor.