New York Post: First Lady Laura Bush coolly brushed past the face of evil yesterday, giving Iran’s notoriously chauvinistic president the silent treatment en route to her husband’s speech at the United Nations. The New York Post
IRAN JERK GETS COLD SHOULDER & THEN BLOWS HOT AIR AT U.N.
By CHARLES HURT and KATE SHEEHY
September 26, 2007 — First Lady Laura Bush coolly brushed past the face of evil yesterday, giving Iran’s notoriously chauvinistic president the silent treatment en route to her husband’s speech at the United Nations.
Bespectacled blowhard Mahmoud Ahmadinejad glanced up at the first lady – apparently hoping to make eye contact with the wife of his No. 1 enemy – as she climbed past his aisle seat 14 rows back from the podium at the General Assembly session.
But Mrs. Bush merely placed her right hand on the edge of his desk to steady herself on the stairs without looking up, and continued to her seat. The despondent despot immediately lowered his head again.
The cold shoulder came just before President Bush ripped Ahmadinejad’s government for its “brutal” and “repressive” regime.
The Iranian leader later fired back that the United States has gone from superpower to world dictator.
“Unfortunately, they have put themselves in the position of God,” the Iranian bellowed of America and its allies.
President Bush wasn’t in the audience, and the U.S. delegation had already stood up and walked out – leaving behind only a note-taker to listen – as Ahmadinejad took the podium.
When he wasn’t quoting the Koran, praying for the coming of the Messiah and waxing poetic about “the pleasing aroma of justice” and “nearing the sunset” of oppression, the Iranian chief was openly taunting those trying to rein in his renegade country’s nuclear program.
“The nuclear issue of Iran is now closed,” he said defiantly.
Ahmadinejad said that instead of answering to the U.N. Security Council’s demand that Iran halt its uranium-enrichment program, Tehran will instead allow itself to be monitored “through its appropriate legal path” – the United Nations’ weaker International Atomic Energy Agency.
His comment was seen as particularly in-your-face because it came just hours after French President Nicolas Sarkozy pushed for tougher sanctions against Iran in his own address.
“There will be no peace in the world if the international community falters in the face of arms proliferation,” Sarkozy warned. “If we allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, we would incur an unacceptable risk to security.”
Ahmadinejad cited the Iraq war in trying to paint the United States as the enemy.
“Unfortunately, human rights are being extensively [abused”> by certain powers, especially by those pretending to be their advocates, setting up secret prisons, abducting people . . . [conducting”> extensive tapping of telephone conversations,” he said.
“Iraq was occupied under the pretext of nuclear weapons . . . and there were no weapons of mass destruction. But the occupation continues under different excuses.”
The United States and its allies “don’t even have the courage to admit their defeat and exit Iraq,” he said, wagging his finger .
He never directly referred to the United States in his speech, instead only referring to “certain powers,” “big powers” and “arrogant powers.”
Bush, in his speech several hours earlier, steered clear of referring directly to Ahmadinejad.
Instead, he focused on adding to his list of Axis of Evil countries and blasted the United Nations for straying from its Charter mission.
“This body has been silent on repression by regimes from Havana to Caracas to Pyongyang and Tehran – while focusing its criticism excessively on Israel,” he said.
Bush also labeled Belarus, Cuba, North Korea, Syria and Zimbabwe “brutal regimes.”
He greeted Cuban dictator Fidel Castro’s ill health with relief.
“In Cuba,” he said, “the long rule of a cruel dictator is nearing its end.”
Cuba’s U.N. delegation stalked out in protest.
During Bush’s speech, Ahmadinejad looked at him but did not appear to be wearing the earpiece for translation.
Several times, he checked his watch for the time.
After Bush finished, his wife left – only to have her motorcade just miss a car crash.
The driver of a Jeep SUV ran a red light at 56th Street and Sixth Avenue and struck a cab just feet away from the first lady’s caravan, police said. Two NYPD officers with her motorcade jumped into action when the driver allegedly to flee, nabbing him. No one was hurt.
Additional reporting by Larry Celona and Tatiana Deligiannakis
