AFP: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday criticised US President Barack Obama's boycott of a United Nations racism conference, dubbing it "unhelpful."
TEHRAN (AFP) — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday criticised US President Barack Obama's boycott of a United Nations racism conference, dubbing it "unhelpful."
On Monday the international racism conference in Geneva, which the United States boycotted, fell into disarray after Ahmadinejad's verbal onslaught against Israel triggered a mass walkout and furious rebukes from Western capitals.
"I should give you, the new US administration, this advice. Mr Obama came to power with the slogan of 'change', meaning the American people like the rest of the world want a change in the colonialism policy," Ahmdinejad told crowds in a speech broadcast live from Varamin, a city south of Tehran.
"Therefore it would have been imperative for him to take part in the world's most important conference of racism and denounce racism, (confirming) that the US is pursuing a changed policy in confronting racism," he added.
"But to sit at his place and condemn my remarks is not helpful in solving the issues," he added, amid the habitual slogans of "death to America and death to Israel."
Obama on Tuesday vowed that he will continue to follow "tough" direct diplomacy with Iran despite the latest anti-Israel tirade by Ahmadinejad.
Obama said after holding talks with King Abdullah II of Jordan that the Ahmadinejad's fiery rhetoric at a United Nations racism conference was "appalling" and "not helpful, it is harmful."
