Iran’s Ahmadinejad calls Sept 11 ‘big fabrication’

TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iranian President Mahmoud  Ahmadinejad on Saturday called the Sept. 11 attacks on the  United States a “big fabrication” that was used to justify the  US war on terrorism, the official IRNA news agency reported.

Ahmadinejad, who often rails against the West and Israel,  made the comment in a meeting with Intelligence Ministry  personnel.

It came amid escalating tension in the long-running dispute  between Iran and the West over Tehran’s nuclear programme, with  the United States pushing for new UN sanctions against the  major oil producer.

Ahmadinejad described the destruction of the twin towers in  New York on Sept 11, 2001 as a “complicated intelligence  scenario and act,” IRNA reported.

He added: “The Sept 11 incident was a big fabrication as a  pretext for the campaign against terrorism and a prelude for  staging an invasion against Afghanistan.” He did not elaborate.

Nearly 3,000 people died in the hijacked airliner attacks on  New York and Washington, which were carried out by al Qaeda  operatives.