Video: Delegates Walk Out While Mahmoud Addresses UN
Leaders at the United Nations' Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference yesterday attempted to send a message to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: We're happy to spread nuclear technology, starting with your "peaceful" neighbors. Given Iran's continued refusal to curtail their nuclear program, President Obama said in a statement that the U.S. "will work to ensure that nations that abide by their obligations can access peaceful nuclear energy."
This came after Ahmadinejad's opening rant on America, during which he claimed, "Major terrorist networks are supported by the United States Intelligence agencies, and the Zionist regime." He never addressed Iran's failure to adhere to nuclear program sanctions, and his incendiary, 35-minute speech prompted walkouts from U.S., British and French delegates. Watch the walkout below:
The month-long meeting was called to discuss the NPT, and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon laid out benchmarks that would bring about a successful conference, such as a commitment to disarmament, the right to use nuclear technology peacefully and attempting to expand the treaty. After Ahmadinejad showed no intention of curtailing Iran's nuclear plan, delegates supported giving Iran's neighbors nuclear technology. Hillary Clinton told delegates, "Iran will do whatever it can to divert attention away from its own record in an attempt to evade accountability." Ban Ki-moon also said, "The onus is on Iran to clarify the doubts and concerns about its program." He allegedly left the room before Ahmadinejad even started talking.
Meanwhile, Ahmadinejad's visit is drawing outrage and protest from politicians and human rights activists. Congressman Anthony Weiner said, "Some of the downsides of having the U.N. in New York is that sometimes some snakes slither into town to speak here," and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand called Ahmadinejad's participation in the conference a "sham." Hadi Ghameni, executive director of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, spoke out about Iran's frequent violations of human rights. "Do not come here to tell us Iran is the freest country in the world. Innocent protesters have been sentenced to death based on no evidence whatsoever."
Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.
Wow, all you guys talking about Israel crack me up with your cluelessness.
Israel is a Shining Example of Democracy that can do no wrong!
Israel is an Apartheid Colony of the Evil Empire that can do no right!
Israelis are savages. Israelis are civilized. Whatever facts suit to support MY version of the TRUTH.
Because Israel isn't a country. It's a comic book! Dr. Magneto or the X-Men, depending how you want to see it.
(Those Jee-yews ain't human, after all. They're either superheroes or archvillians, but not, y'know, like the rest of us)
Just thought I'd let y'all know how funny your fairy-tale world looks to me. I enjoy reading your opinions when I'm tired of considering the complexities of life in the REAL WORLD.
Carry on.
(oh, BTW, you do know where the chip for the computer you're using right now comes from, I hope?)
BDS=(Boycott.Divest.Sanction)
hey Trickster, here's some video brought back from reality.
You know , I used to think this guy was nuts for the majority of the shit he spews ! I mean I still do but if you think about it , What is Iran really trying to do here ? Exactly what we did ! I know this sounds crazy and all but why is it OK for some nations to have nukes and others not ? Are the ideals of the Iranians kosher ? Hell no ! But can we really stop them from acquiring the agents to create a nuke ? The answer is NO ! We are headed towards another cold war and this time I just have this sad felling it won't end like the original !
horseplay
Most Americans are so robotic, and hilarious and that. You guys are so programmed, any chance of being cured or grasping the slightest bit of reality is far out of reach for you. You guys would feed dog shit to your children with a spoon if the government said it was healthy for them (nanny state). It is being mentally crippled, no different from being retarded. But there no generics or cure for that illness. Oh it just cracks me when these sickos accuse you of being anti semetic, anti American, anti isreal or unpatriotic whenever the truth is brought up. Oh do they hate that!
without hope
Project much???Sounds like you are talking about yourself.
dadoc
Religion is so antithetical to rational and peaceful thought. Geographic entities based on or ruled by each group's belief in some imaginary friend (Iran, Israel, Vatican City, Monsey) are so ridiculous in what should be an evolved and rational world. India split in the 40's into a secular (though majority Hindu) state and an Islamic state (Pakistan), and they are still at it. I only hope that religion peacefully disappears through some sort of abandonment of stupidity in the years to come. You guys can go back to your imaginary friend griping now.
blink
Yeah, all the supporters of Israeli fascism and genocide walked out. What a surprise.
JackoPaidOffVictims
Did you mean Islamic fascism & genocide?
Sudan (darfur genocide), Egypt (oppression of non-Muslims, wars against Israel), Syria (Assad murdering 25,000 in the 1970's), Jordan (Black September, 19-year illegal occupation of Jerusalem) Lebanon (Palestinian invasion in 1975 led to the islamic genocide against the Christian population), Pakistan, Iraq and the 50 other fascist countries that make up the oic, have been responsible for more genocides, wars, and fascist activities in the past 40 years than America & her allies.
Mohammed was a prophet of war as well as an intolerant pedophile. He murdered thousands of Jews and non-Muslims who refused to be subjugated. Medina was once a Jewish city, until Mohammed and his terrorists carried out genocide against them. Mohammed married a 6 year old girl when he was in his 40's. 1300 years later, his followers are still doing the same thing. A Muslim Nigeria senator recently married a 13 year-old. Christian girls in Pakistan were recently raped & left to bleed to death by their Muslim bosses.
Our 1st amendment is under fire from Islam, which is why I urge everyone to participate in the May 20th "Draw Mohammed" day!
Israel warned us against Iraq invasion, US official says Chief of staff of former secretary of state reveals that large number of senior Israeli officials warned Bush administration that invasion of Iraq would be destabilizing to region. 'The Israelis were telling us Iraq is not the enemy - Iran is the enemy.
fosiacat
spot on may. good observation, succinct and accurate.
+1
wingedearth
The intelligence services of the U.S., Britain, and Russia overthrew Iran's nobility and let the Mullahs took over. They got these guys in power and now they're walking out in protest. Bunch of hypocrites.
FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'
And you expect Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to even consider their demands after they walked out? It only reinforces what he believes to be true. What a way for our leaders to behave. No wonder this world is so fucked up. They don't care about peace or our safety but about pandering and power. it is all about their reelection.
Spirit of 76
You have to feel for the Iranian people. Now they know how we felt from 2001-2009 when we had a deluded nutjob for a president.
jpeditor
Yes, the situation is totally comparable, if you're an IDIOT.
Hundreds of thousands of losers and posers (led by stalinists and jihadi sympathizers) marched repeatedly against BOOSH for 8 years, and NONE of them were hung from cranes or dragged out of hospitals and SHOT like your pal Amaduchebag has done to Iranian protestors.
As for Israel being compared to Iran by others here, SAME STUPID LOGIC.
Only intellectual midgets or dope smoking jihad-excusing leftist PINHEADS would compare Israel to Iran.
BDS=(Boycott.Divest.Sanction)
why argue? you have opinions. I have opinions. why don't we use the facts established by international law?
which country is occupying land outside their UN recognized border.
Not Iran.
which country has not signed the NPT and has a stockpile of hundreds of nuclear weapons.
not Iran
which country has launched a war without getting a resolution from the UN supporting it.
again not Iran.
I can remember a decade ago, Iran was considered a moderate country on its way to being secular. Then someone decided we should go to war with them, and now they've been turned into this villain. Its an invention. Its not based on fact.
Apparently a lot of people prefer lies over than truth, but I refuse to be one of them.
jpeditor
"I can remember a decade ago, Iran was considered a moderate country on its way to being secular. Then someone decided we should go to war with them, and now they've been turned into this villain. Its an invention. Its not based on fact."
You're a moron. Iran has been subsidizing Syria taking over Lebanon using Hezbullah and has been threatening Israel and their gulf neighbors for years.
And as for Iran's "secular" move, students protesting the last election fraud were dragged out of hospitals and excuted. You are either completely uninformed or a troll for the jihadi crowd.
This is not about "opinions" this is about you LYING.
Allah fubar, and a pox on stupid marxists.
GET IT?
JackoPaidOffVictims
Get over your anti-Israel diatribes. Find out what a colony actually is, before posting ridiculous comments like those above.
Israel was the one country telling the U.S. NOT to invade Iraq. Too bad we weren't smart enough to listen.
Israel is not occupying any known country. Considering the fact that Islam's claim to Jerusalem is based on a myth of Mohammed flying from a mosque that didn't even exist at the time of his death, in the city he NEVER visited, only makes Arab claims more laughable.
Iran has been killing US troops in Iraq.
Iran has threatened Israel with genocide, while building nuclear plants with the help of N. Korea.
wingedearth
@JackoPaid: There is no issue of "Islam" claiming ownership of Israel. Rather, the Palestinians (who include Muslims, Christians, and others among their numbers) have a claim over Palestine, which was their country before a bunch of Zionist terrorists attacked and drove them out.
I don't know what that flying Mohammad myth has to do with anything, but if we're speaking of myths, maybe you can explain how a bunch of Khazar Jews from Eastern Europe can legitimately claim ownership over a country in the Middle East based on a 2,500 year old myth of a bastard orphan in Egypt parting the Red Sea with his magic and murdering the first born sons of the Egyptians.
BDS=(Boycott.Divest.Sanction)
oh jack, I wish you were right, but alas you are not.
The decision to invade Iraq was motivated by many factors, Israel pushing for it being a major one. Here's a document written for the Netanyahu government in 1996 that lists removing Saddam Hussein from power as an “an important Israeli strategic objective.”
Writers of the paper included Richard Perle, Douglas Feith, David and Meyrav Wurmser and James Colbert. All of powerful proponents, in and out of Bush's cabinet, for the war on Iraq.
israel isn't occupying any country? come on man, you're going to use semantics. What about those MILLIONS of refugees. What state do they belong to?
Israel IS a colony. The idea for 'Israel' came about when Europeans were into that sort of thing. Back in the 1800s England even offered up a part of Uganda for Jewish Europeans. They didnt take it. They waited, then they got some of the spoils of the Ottoman empire. But they bungled it, they didnt make peace with their neighbors.
Now its 2010 and every European colony has gone back to the indigenous people. Morally people don't support colonies anymore. Morally people don't support separate roads, housing and rights for people based on religion or race. People protested and called it apartheid when it happened in South Africa.
Now the world is looking at Israel, and it sees the same thing we condemned in South Africa. There is no way to defend it. Thats the reality. Israel will remain a liability to the US, until people like you, smarten up and Israel get serious about peace.
jpeditor
"Morally people don't support separate roads, housing and rights for people based on religion or race. "
Really, go ask the Saudis, and most of the muslim nation s if you can build a church, synagogue or hindu temple, or even bring in a non-muslim prayer book into their countries. Why don't you tell us how many MUSLIMS in Algeria have been murdered by MUSLIMS.
You're a moron.
"People protested and called it apartheid when it happened in South Africa."
You don't even know what apartheid is. Stop spewing BS you don't understand.
Israel has mosques churches and temples in Israel. ARABS ARE IN THE KNESSET.
Contrast with your blessed "palestinians" whose maps don't show Israel on them and who KILL THEIR OWN MUSLIMS for SELLING THEIR OWN LAND TO A JEW.
Use an RSS reader to stay up to date with the latest news and posts from Gothamist.
Want Gothamist's suggestions on what shows to check out, where to eat, what to buy, where to go for a quick trip? We'll be bringing you some exclusive tips and ideas via email every day! And don't worry—you'll still get a list of our top stories.
Sign up for Gothamist Daily, which will deliver useful tips—plus Gothamist's most popular stories—to your inbox at 11 a.m. This way, you'll be able to plan your week or month as well as catch up on Gothamist if you've stepped away.