Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday blasted U.S. President George W. Bush's foreign policy in a letter to the American people and called for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

"The legitimacy, power and influence of a government do not emanate from its arsenals of tanks, fighter aircraft, missiles or nuclear weapons," Ahmadinejad said in the letter released by Iran's UN mission.

"Legitimacy and influence reside in sound logic, quest for justice and compassion and empathy for all humanity."

"The global position of the United States is in all probability weakened because the administration has continued to resort to force, to conceal the truth and to mislead the American people about its policies and practices."

The Iran leader urged the Bush administration to withdraw its troop from Iraq, saying "Now that Iraq has a constitution and an independent assembly and government, would it not be more beneficial to bring the U.S. officers and soldiers home and to spend the astronomical U.S. military expenditures in Iraq for the welfare and prosperity of the American people?"

"Undoubtedly the American people are not satisfied with this behavior and they showed their discontent in the recent elections, " Ahmadinejad noted. "I hope that in the wake of the mid-term elections, the administration of President Bush will have heard and will heed the message of the American people.

In mid-term election on Nov. 7, Bush's Republican Party lost control of both the Senate and the House of the Representatives.

In his unprecedented letter to the American people, Ahmadinejad also tried to seek for direct dialogue between Iran and the United States.

"Noble Americans, our nation has always extended its hand of friendship to all other nations of the world."

"Hundreds of thousands of my Iranian compatriots are living amongst you in friendship and peace, and are contributing positively to your society," he said, noting "Our people have been in contact with you over the past many years and have maintained these contacts despite the unnecessary restriction of the US authorities."

Prio to his latest letter, Ahmadinejad wrote an 18-page letter to U.S. President George W. Bush in May, which Washington criticized for not addressing Iran's nuclear program - where the U. S. is leading the drive to impose UN sanctions on Tehran for its refusal to stop enriching uranium.

Iran and the United States have had no diplomatic relations since 1979 when Iranian protesters seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and kept 52 people hostage for 444 days.

Source: Xinhua