AHMADINEJAD TARGET OF MURDER PLOT

OK, who dropped the ball on this one?

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was the target of an assassination plot at the UN food summit in Rome earlier this month as well as during a trip to Iraq in March, an aide said on Monday.

Ahmadinejad last week himself revealed the purported Iraq murder plot -- an announcement greeted with astonishment in some sections of the local press -- but this is the first time a conspiracy has been linked to his Italy trip.

Ahmadinejad said on Thursday that enemies had planned to kidnap and kill him in Iraq but the plot was foiled after the Iranian delegation changed their travel plans.

According to Zabihi, the plots were "in line with the order given by (US President George W.) Bush to kill Iranian leaders." He did not give further details.

Ahmadinejad faces a battle for re-election in summer 2009 against a background of popular discontent over rising prices and exasperation amongst some conservatives over his repeatedly provocative statements.

But some moderate newspapers have already started questioning the validity of the president's allegations of an attempt on his life during the trip to Iraq, the first ever by an Iranian president.

The Iranian people won't buy this story, but the American media will.