(23 Sep 2009) HEADLINE: Ahmadinejad: Iran an opportunity, not a threat
CAPTION: In an AP interview Tuesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad urged President Barack Obama to see Iran as a potential friend. (Sept. 23)
APTN STORY NUMBER: 620565
1. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad entering room, shaking hands with reporters, takes seat
2. Cutaway of AP reporters
3. SOUNDBITE (Farsi followed by English translation) Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian President:
"We believe the world really needs to go through some changes and I hope that Mr Obama will move in the direction of change. A second point is that the policies pursued in the past were not correct and they need to be improved. We also think that Mr Obama doesn't have an indefinite period of time and that the changes should happen quickly."
5. Wide of reporters and Ahmadinejad
6. SOUNDBITE (Farsi followed by English translation) Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian President:
"And I remind you that Mr Obama is not the first president here that believes that Iran is a threat. We would appreciate it if you could advise him to revisit history and read it again to see what the fate is of viewing these problems from this perspective. Historically whoever made friends with Iran saw a lot of opportunities. Iran is a friend of other countries."
7. AP reporters listening
8. SOUNDBITE (Farsi followed by English translation) Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian President:
"We are interested in seeing stability in those two states and we are also interested in helping out but then fundamentally the polices pursued there have to be the right ones. What exactly can we do for a car that has decided to speed up and basically go and basically crash down a hill. I don't see exactly what we can do under that scenario. We will simply be the traffic sign that warns ahead of time that there is basically downhill over there and ask them to take the right track. The feeling we have is that we are dealing with drivers who have chosen to close their eyes, speed up the car and basically go way down and they also refuse to hear."
9. Cutaway of cameraman
10. SOUNDBITE (Farsi followed by English translation) Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian President:
"The government has no role in these events. Whenever there is a clash and an upheaval, there are problems that arise as a result. Undoubtedly some foreign governments had a role to play in it."
11. Cutaway of AP reporters
12. SOUNDBITE (Farsi followed by English translation) Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian President:
"It is certainly of great interest to me that all prisoners around the world are free and released. We're not happy that this has happened but when the law is broken, the law itself foresees a procedure that has to be carried through. What I can ask is that the judiciary expedite the process and gives it its full attention and to basically take a look at the case with maximum leniency."'
13. Cutaway of AP reporters
14. SOUNDBITE (Farsi followed by English translation) Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian President:
"We're not here to basically argue over historical issues. It is really my intention to examine the results of what happened and to see how best then can be altered to improve the lives of people living now. From our perspective with the pretext of the Holocaust, the people of Palestine have been displaced for over 60 years now."
15. Cutaway of AP reporters
16. Ahmadinejad concluding news conference, wishing people well and leaving
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