TEHRAN – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said that Turkey decided to host an early warning radar as part of NATO’s missile defense system due to a miscalculation.
“NATO is seeking to expand its presence in the region and it has made the necessary political and military preparations,” Ahmadinejad stated during a televised interview broadcast live on Iranian television on Tuesday night.
“The shield will be stationed in Turkey mostly to save the Zionists so that they (the Western powers) will be able to react and prevent Iran’s missiles from reaching the occupied territories in the event they take a military action against Iran and Iran launches a missile attack reciprocally,” the president commented.
“In the negotiations we held with the Turkish side, we emphasized that it is a wrong measure since the Zionists will ultimately be gone, and such shields will not affect the survival of the Zionists,” Ahmadinejad stated.
Government not involved in fraud case
Elsewhere in the interview, Ahmadinejad commented on the recent $2.6 billion financial fraud case and said that the government was not involved in the scam.
However, certain people have said that the mastermind behind the fraud had links with Presidential Office Chief of Staff Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaii.
In addition, 11 lawmakers had filed a complaint with the Majlis Article 90 Committee against the president but later decided not to pursue the complaint after the Supreme Leader advised officials on October 3 to help pursue the case in an atmosphere of calm.
The president said, “Although the case occurred in the banking system, some thought that they have found an opportunity to settle old scores with Ahmadinejad. However, the government did not have any role in the incident, and the banking system detected the case.”
Ahmadinejad also said that he will keep silence in the face of criticisms leveled at the government over the financial corruption case.
He went on to say that pursuing issues relating to the banking system does not fall within the ambit of the administration.
Ahmadinejad also said that those involved in the case should be seriously dealt with, adding that the three branches of the government are determined to take measures to root out financial corruption.
On the close-door meeting that the three branches of the government held on Tuesday, he said that the issue of the recent fraud case and a number of other matters were discussed during the meeting.
via Turkey’s decision to host NATO radar system, a miscalculation: Ahmadinejad – Tehran Times.
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