KING: Do you not understand the fears about nuclear -- nuclear weaponry in your country? With all the hostility in the region, don't you understand the fears over your having nuclear weapons? That could trigger something that you might not even start.

AHMADINEJAD (through translator): Who is concerned?

KING: The world is concerned.

AHMADINEJAD (through translator): Who is the world? Who represents the world? The United States? Its friends? No, the world is a very big place. And what U.S. officials are wrong about is that they see themselves as the world but they are not.

KING: All right. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was a guest recently on our program and he said, quote, "The greatest threat facing humanity." Humanity. That's the world. "Is that Iran would acquire nuclear weapons."

If Israel feels that strongly and you don't directly assure them, don't you fear that they might do a first strike?

AHMADINEJAD (through translator): So you think that we are concerned -- we should be concerned about allaying Mr. Netanyahu's fears and concerns?

KING: Yes.

AHMADINEJAD (through translator): Why should we be doing that for him? Who is he?

KING: He's the head of a country --

AHMADINEJAD (through translator): Who is he in the first place, to begin with? He is a skilled killer. All dictators in the world have condemned others, and he's one of many of them.

KING: Maybe --

AHMADINEJAD (through translator): He should be put on trial for killing Palestinians, for placing Gaza under siege, which is against the law and against the spirit of the charter of the United Nations.

He should be put on trial for killing women and children, and you want to allay his fears and concerns here?

KING: I want to allay yours.

AHMADINEJAD (through translator): Allow me to ask a question from you. Why does U.S. media feel so responsible for allaying Mr. Netanyahu's concerns and fears?

KING: Because --

AHMADINEJAD (through translator): Why?

KING: What if he took his concerns to the next step and threatened you? So shouldn't you be concerned about him? You, Iran?

AHMADINEJAD (through translator): So you are afraid that he might start a war? These are people who will want to start a war, are looking for an excuse so you're concerned about that.

I think that the way to control peoples like Mr. Netanyahu and design this regime is to cease supporting him. The U.S. government should stop using U.S. taxpayers' money to assist him.

There are 30 million, 40 million poor people in this country. Four million homeless people in this country. Why should this money go to him to acquire weapons, to attack Lebanon under different pretext and threaten Iran?

This is terrible. Very terrible.

KING: Let me take a break. We'll be right back.