‘Punish US for shameful nuke threats’

UN: Calling nuclear weapons “disgusting and shameful,” Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad urged the United Nations on Monday to punish countries like the United States that threaten to use them.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton dismissed Ahmadinejad’s comments as the “same tired, false and sometimes wild accusations” and urged nations to focus on efforts to bring Iran to heel over its nuclear program.

In keeping with past practice during annual UN General Assembly gatherings, the delegations of the United States, Britain, France, Germany and others walked out of the chamber during Ahmadinejad’s fiery speech.

“The possession of nuclear arms is not a source of pride,” he said at the start of a month-long review conference of the 189 signatories of the 1970 nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

“It is rather disgusting and shameful. And even more shameful is the threat to use, or to use, such weapons.”

Ahmadinejad, the highest-ranking official to attend the conference, called for “considering any threat to use nuclear weapons or attack against peaceful nuclear facilities as a breach of international peace and security.”

States making such threats should face “swift reaction” from the United Nations and be ostracized by NPT members. P Clinton later called for similar stiff penalties against countries like Iran that violate their treaty commitments.

“Rules must be binding. Violations must be punished. Words must mean something and the world must stand together to prevent the spread of these weapons,” Clinton said. “It is time for a strong international response.” Tuesday, Reuters