Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seeks an apology from the Obama Administration for past American policy

Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting Original Article January 28, 2009

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: In addition to seeking an American apology on Tuesday, one of his close aides announced that he'll be running for a second term in the spring election. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday that the new U.S. administration's spoken motto of "change" is a welcomed one, adding, however, that claims about a change in U.S. policy will only be proven when words are translated into action.

President Ahmadinejad was speaking to people in Kermanshah Province on Wednesday, where he was following up on development projects he approved during a visit to the province last year.
"In light of the fact that the policies of the Bush Administration were immoral, inhuman and against the teachings of the Divine Messengers, the stated desire for change of the new American government is welcomed" the President said. "But change can be of only two kinds, substantial or tactical. If it is the latter form, only the rhetoric changes," the President noted, adding that if this "change" proved to be merely tactical, other nations would quickly stand against the new policies.

President Ahmadinejad then made it clear that substantial changes in relations would take place only if a number of key Bush policies were reversed, including the rhetoric of superiority embraced by the former president. "A major problem with the Bush Administration was its domineering approach toward other nations. It tended to treat other states as second class and spoke to them as though they were debtors, and the U.S. a creditor," the President added. "Only if the government abandons its domineering policies would change would be meaningful. If rhetoric of the bully resumes, that will show that no change has occurred."

The President then said he deplored the way American authorities meddle with the internal affairs of other states: "If they speak of change, then why do they interfere in the domestic affairs of other nations'?" he inquired. "A real change in policy would be [for the U.S.] to relinquish unconditional support for the illegitimate and child-killing Zionist regime, and let the Palestinian nation decide its own fate," the President added.

Touching on U.S. interference in Iran's domestic affairs over recent decades, the President condemned America. "Those who say they want to change their policies must take note that for over 60 years, successive American governments have stood against the Iranian nation. He also said that the U.S. government wrested Iran of its oil wealth and left in its place a Satanic intelligence force called SAVAK, which, supported by America, persecuted and tortured young people and scholars in its dungeons. [Editor's Note: SAVAK was the Iran's domestic security and intelligence service from 1957 to 1979..]

"America held us back for 25 years, ushering in poverty and illiteracy in our nation," the President said with regret. "They backed a despotic ruler (the Shah ) and stood against the nation's call for independence and committed other crimes, such as: conducting espionage in their embassy ; attacking Tabas City; making a coup attempt; supporting bands of terrorists; supporting (Iraqi dictator) Saddam Hussein and assisting him in the eight-year war he imposed on Iran ; shooting down Iran Air Flight 655 (290 passengers were murdered )," the President recalled.

"At one point, they have even expressed the wish to uproot the Iranian nation," the President said, adding that it was impudent for a state in possession of over 10,000 nuclear bombs to feign concern over and stand against the Iranian peoples' scientific nuclear drive.

The president then suggested that a first step toward a genuine change in policy would be to apologize to the Iranian nation, and attempt to make up for these crimes. The president finished off by saying that Iran would welcome any genuine change. But he also expressed a word of caution. "They [the Obama Administration] should note that if they continue Bush's bullying and aggressive rhetoric, our nation's response will be the same as it was to Bush and his cronies."