Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad left Tehran on Tuesday to attend the UN General Assembly’s annual meeting in New York.

The Mehr News Agency reported that Ahmedinejad was accompanied by senior presidential adviser Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi, head of presidential office Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaii, former vice president Parviz Davoudi, and three members of parliament. According to a report by IRNA Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki arrived in New York a day before the president.
During his stay Ahmadinejad gave interviews with several news agencies, radio and television programs.
Following are some of the excerpts from his media encounters in New York.
On CNN’s Larry King Live
The interview was conducted on Friday afternoon. It started with a straight question about a topic making news everywhere: Iran’s revelation of a nuclear enrichment facility in the Holy City of Qom and whether it is in violation of non-proliferation protocols.
Ahmadinejad said that Obama in claiming that Iran had failed to notify IAEA. He said that Obama “has made a mistake” and that Iran had informed the Agency of the facility’s operation even “before we were required to, and accusations of secretly engaging in any activity did not take place.”
Ahmadinejad dismissed the possibility that Israel could destroy Iran’s facility by military means. “The Zionist regime is far too small and little to be able to engage in an act of aggression against Iran,” he stated, adding that “if they make the mistake” Iranian response would make them feel regret.
When asked about Neda Agha-Soltan, the 26-year-old Iranian woman who was shot and killed on a Tehran street, Ahmadinejad said that he was “very sorry one of our fellow citizens was killed.” He also questioned why the camera that captured Agha-Soltan’s death failed to show the murderer?
Interview with AP and EPTN
In an interview with reporters of the Associated Press and EPTN in New York on Tuesday Ahmedinejad said the world is on the verge of major developments and change is inevitable.
When asked about the detention of the three Americans who had entered Iranian territory illegally Ahmadinejad pointed out that the Iranian Judiciary is independent from the executive branch and as president he can only ask the Judiciary branch to “expedite its review of the case without prejudice, and maximum leniency.”
One reporter asked about the Holocaust, saying it is a painful historical fact for the Jewish community, why do you deny it. The Iranian president responded by saying he distinguishes between Jews and Zionists. He asked where and by whom the Holocaust was perpetrated, and why should the Palestinians, who didn’t play any role in the Second World War atrocities, have been made to pay for it.
Pointing out the present situation in Gaza Ahmadinejad said “They are under blockade even for food and medicine.”
Referring to the presence of U.S. military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said “our eastern and western borders are completely unsafe,” and there is no military solution to Afghanistan situation. “100 years ago the British were forced to leave after being defeated and 30 years ago the Russians left this area.”
On the meeting with P5+1 group on October 1, the president said “We will pursue nuclear issue only through the International Atomic Energy Agency as prescribed by law,” and according to the last IAEA report Iran has not deviated on the NPT protocols.
He said that at the Bushehr NPP “we are enriching at 3.5 percent but for the reactor in Tehran which produces nuclear related medicine we need to enrich up to 20 percent and we are interested in purchasing such equipment. We can discuss this issue further.”
On the recent post-election unrest in Iran Ahmadinejad said: “Regrettably, around 30 people, our fellow citizens, were killed. Of course on a daily basis I would say that you would have more victims here in the U.S. as a result of police action. But nonetheless, we’re sorry for any loss of life as such…”