Delegates leave the UN General Assembly hall as the Iranian President speaks / AP Source: AP
Mr Ahmadinejad waves after his address to the UN General Assembly, but a large slice of the audience had already gone / AP Source: AP
THE Iranian President has sparked a mass walkout of diplomats at the UN after attacking Western powers over the Holocaust and 9/11, which he called a "mysterious incident".
US representatives led the exodus as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke, quickly followed by those of more than 30 countries, including Australia, New Zealand and the 27 European Union members.
In a broad sweep at the US and it's allies, Mr Ahmadinejad said: "(The) slave masters and colonial masters that once instigated the two world wars have caused widespread misery and disorder with far-reaching effects across the globe since then.
"Do these arrogant powers really have the competence and ability to run or govern the world?"
The Telegraph in the UK reports his accusation that the US used the "mysterious" September 11, 2001, attacks as a pretext to launch wars on Iraq and Afghanistan.
"By using their imperialistic media network which is under the influence of colonialism they threaten anyone who questions the Holocaust and the September 11 event with sanctions and military actions," he said.
He also spoke of Zionists being responsible for "mass murder and terror against the Palestinians", and said the West views "Zionism as a sacred notion and ideology", The Guardian reports.
Mr Ahmadinejad's speech contrasted what he called the poverty and unhappiness in most countries against the riches and power of the US and unnamed European nations that he accused of perpetuating wars, causing the current global economic crisis and infringing on "the rights and sovereignty of nations".
Among a litany of attacks, he condemned the United States and European colonial powers for abducting tens of millions of Africans and making them slaves, for their readiness "to drop thousands of bombs on other countries", and for dominating the UN Security Council.
However, Mr Ahmadinejad made no mention of his disputed re-election in June 2009 when Iranian security forces systematically crushed opposition protests.
Mark Kornblau, spokesman for the US Mission to the United Nations, said: "Mr Ahmadinejad had a chance to address his own people's aspirations for freedom and dignity, but instead he again turned to abhorrent anti-Semitic slurs and despicable conspiracy theories."
With AP
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