United Nations, April 13: In a letter sent to UN Secretary-General, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has accused NATO of supporting terrorism inside Iran, slammed the Western media for biased reporting and called for an independent fact-finding mission to investigate NATO.
The letter was sent to UN chief Ban Ki-moon yesterday as the two-day nuclear summit chaired by US President Barack Obama kicked off in Washington.
The Iranian President alleged that NATO had supported Abdulmalik Riggi, the leader of the militant Sunni group Jundallah that has carried out several attacks killing numerous Iranian civilians and soldiers.
“There is concrete evidence of the involvement of intelligence and security services of at least three countries supporting his terrorist operations,” he wrote, noting that the video attached to the letter contains the confessions Riggi made when arrested, which prove that he was backed by NATO members for his activities.
Ahmadinejad recommended that Ban condemn the alleged support given by NATO to Riggi and set up an independent panel to look into the matter.
“Condemnation of the supports given by NATO members for terrorism in the region, official impeachment of all those who officially supported this criminal,” the Iranian leader wrote in the letter.
“You are at least expected to appoint an independent fact-finding team which is trusted by the countries of the region, to launch a comprehensive investigation into the main intentions of NATO military presence in Afghanistan and Iraq, the methods used, and the outcome of their presence and engagement, with results to be presented to the General Assembly,” he added.
Ban’s spokesperson, Martin Nesirky told journalists that the letter has not been formally received by the Secretary-General who is away in Washington for the nuclear summit.
Ahmadinejad also blasted the Western media for not covering the people who have been attacked by militant group, and accuses them of being hypocrites when it came to covering human rights abuses.
“Some western media that use a small mistake of a police officer- in countries that defy hegemony and imperialistic policies- to raise loud and deafening cries as pretending to be in deep grief for human rights abuse,” he wrote.
Referring to coverage of Riggi, he stated that the Western media have either been silent on matter or made him out to be a freedom fighter or a democracy activist.
More generally describing 9/11 as a pretext for the occupation of two UN member-states (Iraq and Afghanistan), Ahmadinejad pointed out that millions of people have been victimised and displaced in these nations while a third country (Iran) “is susceptible to military aggressions”.
“The current method of combating terrorism, even if the claims of its proponents are accepted as true, has obviously failed,” he wrote.
-PTI