Ahmadinejad slams US, Israel in Sudan

Iran leader: "America or the Zionists' fingerprints" responsible for all wars.

Ahmadinejad SUdan 298.88 (photo credit: AP)
Ahmadinejad SUdan 298.88
(photo credit: AP)
Iran's president blamed the United States and Israel for the world's problems Thursday in a lecture to Sudanese officials and intellectuals during his visit to Sudan. President Ahmadinejad's comments came as Iran and Sudan face mounting international criticism, Iran over its nuclear activities and Sudan over the conflict in Darfur.
  • Israel not 'threatened' by US-Iran talks In his lecture titled "Iran and the world," Ahmadinejad reiterated arguments that he has made repeatedly throughout the standoff with the United States and its Western allies over Iran's nuclear activities. He urged Muslims to rally behind Iran and accused detractors of Iran's nuclear program of trying to prevent a developing country from making scientific advances. "There is no place in the world that suffers from divisions and wars unless America or the Zionists' fingerprints are seen there," Ahmadinejad told his audience in Farsi translated into Arabic. "Our strength and the cornerstone of the victory is in our (Muslims') unity ... we have to pay attention to the devils who want to cause divisions among us," the Iranian president said. "They want to keep science in their hands only ... they don't want the rest of the world to progress," he said referring Iran's nuclear program. Ahmadinejad arrived in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, Wednesday in a show of solidarity with Sudan. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir declared support for Iran's nuclear ambitions while the Ahmadinejad said Iran viewed Sudan's progress as important as its own. Sudanese state SUNA news agency said the visit would promote "cooperation in defense relations, the exchange of expertise and scientific and technological capabilities."