Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday in his address at the United Nations that Osama bin Laden’s death was part of a conspiracy to cover up the U.S.’s role in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Referring to bin Laden’s death as “mysterious,” Ahmadinejad asked “is there any classified material secret that must remain a secret?” In a fiery address filled with the leader’s usual anti-West rhetoric, Ahmadinejad blamed the U.S., Israel, and Europe for the global recession, as well as poverty, homelessness, and denial of basic human rights. Ahmadinejad also raised questions about the Holocaust, saying the West used it as an excuse to support Israel. His comments caused the U.S. and European delegations to walk out. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan used his appearance to attack Israel, a former ally, calling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict a “bleeding wound.”
