(CNN) -- Two days before his official trip to Afghanistan, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, a "big lie" intended to pave the way for the invasion of a war-torn nation, according to Iranian state media. Ahmadinejad, known for his harsh rhetoric toward the West and Israel, said the attack on U.S. soil was a "scenario and a sophisticated intelligence measure," Iran's state-run Press TV reported Saturday. The assault was a "big lie intended to serve as a pretext for fighting terrorism and setting the grounds for sending troops to Afghanistan," Press TV reported Ahmadinejad as saying.
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Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says 9/11 attacks a ruse to allow invasion of Afghanistan
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His remarks, reported by state media, come two days before he arrives in Afghanistan
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Ahmadinejad to meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, according to reports
It's not the first time @placeholder has denied a historical tragedy.