Sunday, Sep 23, 2007

TEHRAN (AP)--President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denied his country was building an atomic bomb and said in a television interview to be aired Sunday that Iran was not on a path to war with the U.S.

A group of about 40 elected officials and civic leaders started protesting outside New York's Columbia University even as the hardline leader was en route to the city for planned speeches at the school and the U.N. that have aroused a storm of opposition. Ahmadinejad will speak to students and teachers on Monday during a forum.

During an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes, Ahmadinejad said Iran was not building a bomb.

"Well, you have to appreciate we don't need a nuclear bomb. We don't need that. What need do we have for a bomb?" he said in the interview, taped here last Thursday.

Questioned repeatedly about allegations that Iran was developing such a weapon, Ahmadinejad replied that "It is a firm 'no.' I'm going to be much firmer now. In political relations right now, the nuclear bomb is of no use. If it was useful it would have prevented the downfall of the Soviet Union."

He added that "the time of the bomb is passed."

His visit has caused a stir in New York. Tensions are high between Washington and Tehran over U.S. accusations that Iran is secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons and helping Shiite militias in Iraq that target U.S. troops - claims Iran denies.

Ahmadinejad said the U.S. people have been denied "correct information," and his visit will give them a chance to hear a different voice, the official IRNA news agency reported.

In his interview with 60 Minutes, Ahmadinejad said that "it's wrong to think that Iran and the U.S. are walking toward war. Who says so? Why should we go to war? There is no war in the offing."

Washington has said it is addressing the Iran situation diplomatically, rather than militarily, but U.S. officials also say that all options are open. The commander of the U.S. military forces in the Middle East said he doesn't believe tension will lead to war.

"This constant drum beat of conflict is what strikes me, which is not helpful and not useful," Adm. William Fallon, head of U.S. Central Command, said in an interview with Al-Jazeera television, which made a partial transcript available Sunday.

Ahmadinejad is scheduled to address the Assembly on Tuesday - his third time attending the New York meeting in three years.

His request to lay a wreath at ground zero, site of the World Trade Center 2001 terror attacks, was denied by city officials and condemned by politicians. After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, hundreds of young Iranians held a series of candlelight vigils in Tehran.

Police rejected Ahmadinejad's request, citing construction and security concerns. Ahmadinejad told 60 Minutes indicated he wouldn't press the issue but expressed disbelief that the visit would offend people in the U.S.

"Usually you go to these sites to pay your respects. And also to perhaps air your views about the root causes of such incidents," he told the network.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini also appeared dismayed that the request was rejected.

"What kind of damage will the U.S. face?" by Ahmadinejad visiting the site, Hosseini told reporters at his weekly press conference Sunday.

Columbia University President Lee Bollinger has resisted requests to cancel the event but promised to introduce the talk himself with a series of tough questions on topics including Ahmadinejad's views on the Holocaust, his call for the destruction of the state of Israel and his government's alleged support of terrorism.

Columbia canceled a planned visit by the Iranian president last year, citing security and logistical reasons. Ahmadinejad has called the Holocaust "a myth" and called for Israel to be "wiped off the map."

Hosseini said there "are efforts to cancel" the Columbia speech, but the Iranian government is continuing to pursue the program. He didn't elaborate other than saying a lot of pressure was being placed on the program's sponsors.

Ahmadinejad's visit to New York is also being debated back home. Some in Iran think his trip is a publicity stint that hurts Iran's image in the world.

Political analyst Iraj Jamshidi said Ahmadinejad looks at the General Assembly as a publicity forum simply to surprise world leaders with his unpredictable harsh rhetoric.

"The world has not welcomed Ahmadinejad's hardline approach. His previous address to the Assembly didn't resolve any of Iran's foreign policy issues. And no one expects anything better this time," he said.

But conservative lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi said it was a good chance for Iran to air its position.

"This trip gives the president a good chance to meet world leaders and inform them of Iran's rightful position," IRNA quoted Boroujerdi as saying.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 23, 2007 17:19 ET (21:19 GMT)