(20 Sep 2010) SHOTLIST
1. Wide of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad being interviewed
2. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian President (++Includes parts of simultaneous English translation++):
"The point is that if we had planned or wanted to build a nuclear bomb we are brave enough to say that we want it. But we never do want it. We are saying that the existing arsenal of nuclear bombs has to be destroyed as well."
3. Wide of Ahmadinejad during interview
4. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian President (++Includes parts of simultaneous English translation++):
"We believe, whether you like to hear this or not, that United States administrations, consecutive administrations, must recognise that Iran is a big power and accept it as such. Having said that, we consider ourselves to be a human force and a cultural power. And hence a friend of other nations. We have never sought to dominate others or violate the rights of any other country."
5. Wide of Ahmadinejad being interviewed by reporters seated in foreground
6. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian President (++Includes parts of simultaneous English translation++):
"Those who insist on having hostilities with us, kill and destroy the option of friendship with us in the future which is unfortunate, because it is clear that the future belongs to Iran. And that enmities will be fruitless, and hence sanctions, too, will be ineffective. If they were to be effective I should not be sitting here with you right now."
7. Wide of interview
STORYLINE
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Sunday that "the future belongs to Iran," and challenged the United States to accept that his country has a major role in the world.
"We believe, whether you like to hear this or not, that United States administrations, consecutive administrations, must recognise that Iran is a big power and accept it as such," he said.
"Having said that, we consider ourselves to be a human force and a cultural power. And hence a friend of other nations. We have never sought to dominate others or violate the rights of any other country."
The comments came in an hour-long interview with The Associated Press on the first day of his visit to the United States to attend the annual general assembly of the United Nations this week.
He insisted that his government does not want an atomic bomb - something he has said in the past - and that Iran is only seeking peace and a nuclear-weapons-free world.
The US accuses Iran of hiding plans to build a nuclear bomb; Iran denies that and says it's working only toward building nuclear power plants.
Ahmadinejad asserted that international nuclear regulators had never found proof that Iran is pursuing an atomic bomb.
"If we had planned or wanted to build a nuclear bomb we are brave enough to say that we want it. But we never do want it. We are saying that the existing arsenal of nuclear bombs has to be destroyed as well," Ahmadinejad said.
He sidestepped questions on when Iran would resume talks on its disputed nuclear programme, and he said anti-nuclear sanctions against his government would have no effect.
He said his country's quest to process ever greater amounts of uranium is reasonable for its expanding civilian power programme, omitting that the watchdog United Nations agency involved has found Iran keeping secrets from its investigators on several occasions, including secret research sites.
Britain, France and Germany.
Ahmadinejad said Iran wants answers to a number of questions it has presented to the six powers.
He did allow that there have been some judicial "mistakes."
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