Ahmadinejad says Clinton should think before she speaks

TEHRAN, Sept. 20 (MNA) -- President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who is in New York to attend the annual UN summit tells U.S. TV network ABC that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton should think before she speaks.

Ahmadinejad was responding to a claim by Clinton that the power of the military is growing in Iran.

"Don't you think that Miss Clinton should think a little bit before she makes statements of such nature? How would she feel if we were to just fabricate statements?"

Ahmadinejad also urged the U.S. to release Iranian citizens after Tehran freed on bail a U.S. hiker accused of espionage.

The Iranian president said Washington should make a humanitarian gesture to release eight Iranians "illegally detained" in the U.S., BBC reported.

His remarks came as the released hiker, Sarah Shourd, arrived in the U.S.

On his call for the release of Iranians held in the U.S., he told ABC: "Now you may be aware that eight Iranians are illegally detained in the U.S. So I believe that it would not be misplaced to ask the U.S. government to make a humanitarian gesture and release the Iranians who were illegally arrested and detained here in the United States. "

Two of U.S. hiker Sarah Shourd's fellow travelers are still in custody in Iran.