Iran Leader Taps Into Anti-West Sentiment

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivers a speech during a meeting with members of Indonesia's largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama in Jakarta, Indonesia on Friday, May 12, 2006. The Iranian president told a meeting of Indonesian Islamic leaders his country's nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, participants in discussion said. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana) (Tatan Syuflana - AP)

In a letter to Bush earlier this week, Ahmadinejad brushed aside the concerns over Tehran's nuclear program, choosing instead to press other buttons _ suggesting a U.S. government-led conspiracy was behind the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, for example, or that the Holocaust that killed 6 million Jews never happened.

Educated Muslims don't necessarily share those views.

"I understand the frustrations, but his position is too extreme and I don't think he represents the mainstream of Islam," said 19-year-old Nurmela Sari. "His positions just bring out the anger in the West and Israel."

Ahmadinejad's own countrymen have mixed feelings about his fiery style. His announcement last month that Iran produced enriched urananium for the first time was a source of national pride. Yet some Iranians have expressed concern that his tough rhetoric is worsening the country's isolation.

But Ahmadinejad has demonstrated a knack for tapping into a pool of frustration over the perception that Washington is, at best, insensitive to a wide range of Muslim concerns or, at worse, a bully trying to keep Muslims down.

"We want to use technology for peace and the welfare of the Muslim people around the world," he said. "But they want to use it to invade other countries. This is the difference between us and them."

At a dialogue with Indonesian Islamic leaders Friday, one member of the audience urged Ahamdinejad to go ahead and develop nuclear weapons, saying the "enemies of Islam" also had them.

The Iranian leader did not reply directly, but quipped that "every young man in the Islamic world is an atomic bomb because they have faith, God and love the character of the Prophet Muhammad."

Yet Ahmadinejad was careful to not to shut the door on dialogue over the nuclear standoff. During his stay in Indonesia, which began Wednesday and was to end Sunday, Ahmadinejad has repeatedly said he welcomes further negotiations.

But he has just as frequently vowed not to kowtow to the West.

"We have never oppressed anyone, and have never been oppressed by anyone," he said. "We will hit whoever attacks our interests."

Iran says its nuclear development is for peaceful production of nuclear energy. The United States, European nations and others accuse Iran of using the civilian energy program to hide ambitions to build a nuclear weapon.

The U.S., Britain and France support a proposed Security Council resolution that could set the stage for range of measures _ including economic sanctions or military action _ if Iran presses ahead with uranium enrichment, a key ingredient to make both energy and bombs.

Ahmadinejad said he is unafraid of threats or sanctions.

"Iran will survive," he told the cheering Islamic students. "Iran will not give up."