"UNITED NATIONS (AP) Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seized center stage at the opening of a monthlong debate at the United Nations on how to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. But behind the scenes, U.N. Security Council powers were discussing ways to punish Iran for defying their demands that it curb nuclear activities that could be used to make bombs.

"The Iranian president used his platform as the only head of state to address the conference of signatories of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) to undermine growing momentum in the Security Council for a new round of sanctions.

"Speaking from the podium of the General Assembly Hall, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton accused Iran of "flouting the rules" of the nonproliferation treaty with its suspect uranium enrichment program."

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