Ahmadinejad

UNITED NATIONS (AP):

Iran's president accused "a few bullying powers" of trying to thwart his country's peaceful nuclear programme and declared in a speech yesterday before the UN General Assembly that "the American empire" is nearing collapse.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sharply attacked the United States and NATO, accusing them of acting as aggressors in Iraq and Afghanistan, and of starting those wars "in order to win votes in elections."

"American empire in the world is reaching the end of its road, and its next rulers must limit their interference to their own borders," Ahmadinejad said.

Peaceful programme

He reiterated Iran's insistence that its nuclear programme is purely peaceful, not aimed at producing nuclear weapons as the US and some European countries suspect.

"A few bullying powers have sought to put hurdles in the way of the peaceful nuclear activities of the Iranian nation by exerting political and economic pressures against Iran and also through threatening and pressuring the IAEA," the UN nuclear watchdog.

The US and its allies allege Iran wants to develop its uranium enrichment programme to make nuclear weapons, while Tehran insists it is designed to produce electricity for civilian use.

Sanctions

Iran already is under three sets of sanctions by the UN Security Council for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment. Washington and its Western allies are pushing for quick passage of a fourth set of sanctions to underline the international community's resolve.

During interviews ahead of his speech yesterday, Ahmadinejad blamed US military interventions around the world in part for the collapse of global financial markets. He said the campaign against his country's nuclear programme was solely due to the Bush administration "and a couple of their European friends."