Iran's Khamenei Calls U.S. President “Bloodthirsty”
Iran's Supreme Leader termed Bush “bloodthirsty”.
TEHRAN, Jan. 31 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called United States President George W. Bush "bloodthirsty" in a speech Thursday broadcast in part on state radio.
"The [U.S. President] speaks like a man thirsty for human blood," Khamenei told a gathering of journalists from various Islamic countries, news agencies reported.
"There are some satans in the world, but America indeed is the Great Satan," BBC quoted him as saying.
Iran's Supreme Leader added that the Islamic republic would continue to support the Palestinian cause regardless of U.S. threats.
"Iran will support the Palestinians whatever the U.S. threatens," Khamenei said.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran is honored to be the target of wrath and anger of the most hated Satan in the world," Ayatollah Khamenei declared.
In his State of the Union address Tuesday, January 29, 2002, President Bush singled out Iran, Iraq, and South Korea, accusing them of attempting to develop weapons of mass destruction.
President Khatami, who does not normally criticize foreign leaders, said President Bush had been "bellicose and insulting" while Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi condemned Bush's "arrogant remarks".
A spokesman for the U.S. State Department said Bush's speech did not signal imminent military action, BBC said. He added that the United States was still prepared to hold talks with Iran.
The United States was Iran's chief ally before the 1979 Islamic revolution. It broke ties with the Islamic republic in 1980 after students seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran and took 52 Americans hostage for 444 days.
In recent years, the two sides have edged closer, including cooperation initially on Afghanistan.
But U.S. officials have been angered by what they view as Tehran's increasing efforts to interfere in post-Taliban Afghanistan and by Iran's alleged involvement in a recent shipment of weapons to Palestinians fighting Israeli occupation.
