In his inaugural speech on Tuesday, Mr. Khamenehe'i, inspired from works by revisionist writers, said "Zionists were co-operating with the Nazis in Germany and the number of the Jews killed by the Hitler regime were exaggerated in order to stir sympathy for the Jewish people and help Zionists occupation of Palestine".

His remarks met with serious concern in many Western capitals and drew sharp reaction from the US State Department Spokesman, who branded the Tehran meeting as a "gathering of terrorists".

"If the Western press are to retain anything from the conference, it certainly would be Mr. Khamenehe'i’s absurd statement", observed Dr. Mansour Farhang, a professor of international policies with New York universities.

Some 300 people from 34 Arab and Islamic nations, including leaders of all Palestinian and Lebanese extremist groups opposed to the Peace Process attended the two-days meeting that was organised in Tehran, sponsored by the Iranian Majles (parliament).

"In fact the conference could achieve positive results for both the Palestinians and the Iranians, if participants would highlight issues such as the American double standard policy concerning the Palestinians and the Israelis or other matters offering Arabs states that have friendly ties with the United States the possibility to apply pressures on Washington", Mr. Farhang pointed out.

But the outrageous remarks by Ayatollah Khamenehe'i backfired on the Conference and ruined all hopes to see Palestinians getting more attentions from the West.

Other observers said Tehran was not a good place to host such a meeting, as the Iranian regime is itself under heavy criticism from international organisations for gross violation of human rights and the harsh treatment of its journalists and intellectuals.

"Obvious, one can accuse us for being more catholic than the pope, for, other Arab and Muslim nations or the Organisation of Islamic Conference could have also participate at the huge costs of the conference, paid entirely by Iran", said Mr. Sadeq Ziba Kalam, a professor of Political Science at Tehran university.

He said the organisers are vulnerable to critics addressed at the way the Iranian authorities are dealing with their own dissidents, being intellectuals, journalists, scholars or politicians.

He was referring to the bundle closure of more than 40 publications, most of them independent and pro-reforms as well as the imprisonment of a dozen of influential journalists and the recent arrest of sixty nationalist-religious and members of Iran Freedom Movement, all ordered by Ayatollah Khamenehe'i. ENDS INTIFADA TEHRAN CONF 26401