UNITED NATIONS: Iran protested against Israeli threats to kidnap President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and use force against the Islamic republic, declaring it would not hesitate to act in self-defense.
In a letter to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Iran’s UN ambassador referred to comments Tuesday by Israeli Cabinet Minister Rafi Eitan that kidnapping Ahmadinejad is “an acceptable option” and to comments on Sept. 3 by Israel’s Defense Minister Ehud Barak repeating the threat to use force against Iran.
“While Iran has never threatened other nations,” Ambassador Mohammad Khazee said it “would not hesitate to act in self-defense to respond to any attack against the nation and to take appropriate measures to protect itself, its people and its officials.” Israel’s UN mission said it would have no comment on Khazee’s letter.
Eitan, a onetime spy involved in the operation to kidnap Nazi mastermind Adolf Eichmann and bring him to trial, said Tuesday the same tactic could be used in the case of Ahmadinejad to bring him before the International Criminal Court for trial on war crimes charges.
Khazee called the latest Israeli threats “dangerous” and a violation of international law, the UN Charter, and “the basic values of the civilized world.” He called for “a resolute and clear response” by the UN Security Council and asked that Ban circulate the letter to its members.
“It is indeed unfortunate that the inaction of the Security Council vis-a-vis the previous threatening statements of the said regime against Iran and other countries of the region has only encouraged it ... to openly threaten to use force against members of the United Nations or to commit criminal acts against their officials,” Khazee said.
