Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Volunteers to Serve as Human Shield in Natanz Nuclear Facilities

Following are excerpts from a public address delivered by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on a visit to Natanz, which aired on Esfahan TV on May 27, 2007:

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Two or three months ago, in order to intimidate the Iranian people, the [Americans] began psychological warfare and propaganda, using military threats. One time they said that at 5 AM on a specific morning, 100 sites in Iran would be bombed. Another time they said that the Zionist regime was planning to target the Natanz nuclear facilities. Some people came to me and said: "Sir, we must do something. At the very least, we must take some action." I said: Rest assured that they will not dare to do this. They don't understand anything. They think they can intimidate the Iranian people with this talk.

If your nonsense had had any effect, it would have been evident here. When you declared that you were planning to attack here, the little children in the streets of Natanz laughed at you, and made jokes about you. Some people said to me: "This is impossible. We find it difficult to believe what you say. What shall we do if they attack us?" I said to them: Don't worry, my dears. If it helps you calm down, ask them just when they are planning to attack, and I myself will go to the people of Natanz, and we will sit down together in the nuclear facilities, and if they want to attack, they will have to attack us first.