Thousands of Iranians took to the streets Friday to stage anti-Israel protests in support of statements made earlier this week by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calling for the destruction of the Jewish state. Many demonstrators carried signs including one that read 'Death to Israel, death to America' according to a report published the Associated Press.
Ahmadinejad marched alongside the demonstrators and told reporters he stood by his remarks which have been condemned by almost all members of the European Union, the United States and U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.
'My word is the same as that of (the) Iranian nation,' Ahmadinejad told the official IRNA news agency.
When asked about statements made in reaction to his comments, he added, 'They are free to say but their words lack any credit.'
While Ahmadinejad was standing beside his words, Iranian diplomats were trying to defuse the situation. The Iranian embassy in Moscow issued a statement saying Ahmadinejad 'did not have any intention to speak up in such sharp terms and enter into a conflict.'
According to a translation issued by Reuters, the statement continued, 'It's absolutely clear that, in his remarks, Mr. Ahmadinejad, president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, underlined the key position of Iran, based on the necessity to hold free elections on the occupied territories.'
Condemnations of Ahmadinejad's statements continued to come in on Thursday. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan expressed 'dismay' over the Iranian president's speech and released a statement saying, 'Under the United Nations Charter, all members have undertaken to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.'
Canadian Foreign Minister Pierre Pettigrew spoke out strongly against Ahmadinejad's statement, saying, 'We cannot tolerate comments of such hatred, such anti-Semitism, such intolerance. These comments are all the more troubling given that we know of Iran's nuclear ambitions.'
No specific action has been taken against Iran as a result of its president's words and actions although action is being considered in the United Nations.
