Rice rejects letter from Iranian president to Bush

IRAN’S president declared in a letter to US President George W Bush that democracy had failed worldwide and lamented “an ever-increasing global hatred” of Washington.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice swiftly rejected the letter, saying it didn’t resolve questions about Tehran’s suspect nuclear programme.

“This letter is not the place that one would find an opening to engage on the nuclear issue or anything of the sort,” Ms Rice said.