Ahmadinejad calls for strong UNSC resolution over flotilla raid.
By ASSOCIATED PRESSahmadinejad hand clap 311(photo credit: AP)
The Iranian president on Tuesday demanded a strong UN Security Council resolution against Israel over its raid on an aid flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip.In a speech broadcast live on state TV, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called on the Security Council to adopt a resolution that would "cut off" Israel's hands, thus preventing it from committing more "crimes."RELATED: Israel faces international fury over flotillaBan Ki-moon 'shocked' by raidsTurkey recalls top envoyAt least nine people were killed when Israeli navy commandos raided the Gaza-bound flotilla Monday.The UN Security Council called Tuesday for an "impartial" investigation of Israel's raid after an emergency meeting and marathon negotiations that lasted nearly 12 hours. It was weaker than what was initially demanded by the Palestinians, Arabs and Turkey."I ask the Security Council to keep the crimes of the Zionists on its agenda and to cut off their hands from committing crimes with a strong resolution," Ahmadinejad said during a provincial visit to town of Ilam, some 700 kilometers southwest of Teheran.He said such a resolution by the Council would secure international confidence in the body and send a message that it doesn't issue "resolutions only against countries the US and its allies want."
Ahmadinejad was referring to the push by the US, four other permanent Security Council members — Russia, China, Britain and France — and Germany for a new set of UN sanctions against Iran over its refusal to stop enriching uranium.The West suspect the program masks efforts to make nuclear weapons, a charge Iran denies and claims it's for peaceful power generation.Ahmadinejad, who is known for his anti-Israel rhetoric, called Israeli commandos who rappelled onto the Gaza-bound flotilla "wild dogs" and criticizes Washington for its "weak and tendentious" stance in support of Israel.He warned Israel against further raids on Gaza, saying that a "storm of anger from the nations of the region will uproot you."
