TEHRAN, Iran — President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad added fuel to an intensifying spat with President Barack Obama on Saturday, denouncing what he called “insulting” comments about a crackdown on protesters, and two opposition presidential candidates rejected participation in a special committee aimed at resolving the disputed June 12 election on the government’s terms.
In televised remarks to judiciary officials Saturday, Ahmadinejad struck back at Obama a day after the U.S. president praised protesters for showing “bravery in the face of brutality” and described violence against them as “outrageous.”
Noting that Obama has spoken of “reforms and changes,” Ahmadinejad asked, “Why did he interfere and comment in a way that disregards convention and courtesy?”
He said Western leaders who made “insulting and irrelevant comments will be put on a fair trial” by Iran at international gatherings. “It is enough,” he said. “Do not disgrace yourself further by such language and behavior.”
Ahmadinejad also vowed to take a tougher approach toward alleged meddling by the West during his second four-year term, which the government has said will begin this summer. The Washington Post
