Left: Ahmadinejad.   Right: Bush

TEHRAN (Reuters):

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday challenged U.S. President George W. Bush to a televised debate and voiced defiance as a deadline neared for Iran to halt work the West fears is a step toward building nuclear bombs.

"Peaceful nuclear energy is the right of the Iranian nation. The Iranian nation has chosen that based upon international regulations, it wants to use it and no one can stop it," he told a news conference.

The White House said Ahmadinejad's call for a presidential debate on global concerns was a "diversion" from international concerns over Iran's nuclear programme.

The U.N. Security Council has given Iran until Thursday to suspend uranium enrichment - a process which can produce fuel for civilian reactors or explosive material for warheads - and has threatened sanctions unless it does so.

Diversion

"Talk of a debate is just a diversion from the legitimate concerns that the international community, not just the U.S., has about Iran's behaviour - from support for terrorism to pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said in New Orleans.

Ahmadinejad said Iran had laid out a framework for talks in its reply to an offer by six world powers of incentives in exchange for a suspension of enrichment. That framework provided an "exceptional opportunity" to solve the nuclear dispute.

Asked specifically if Iran would halt enrichment, even for a short period, he replied: "In that (Iran's response to the six-nation offer) we announced that any kind of dialogue should be based upon the certain rights of the Iranian nation."

U.S. condemned

Ahmadinejad condemned the U.S. and British roles in the world since World War II.

"Isn't it time that international relations are founded on democracy and equal rights of the nations?" he asked. "I suggest holding a live TV debate with Mr George W. Bush to talk about world affairs and the ways to solve those issues.

"The debate should be go uncensored in order for the American people to be able to listen to what we say and they should not restrict the American people from hearing the truth."

Ahmadinejad brushed off calls by the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., John Bolton, for sanctions if Tehran ignores the deadline.

"Bolton is free to say whatever he wants ... our nation is a strong nation. A nation that has been able to attain the nuclear fuel cycle with its bare hands can solve any other problems."