He is a hit with the poor at home for hitting out at the West

His speeches cause outrage in the West, and critics at home say his economic policies are failing, but President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad still rallies Iran's poor with his common touch and promises of state handouts.

Since his surprise election win in 2005, Ahmadinejad has rarely missed a chance to berate the West for trying to halt Iran's nuclear progress -- three times in as many years taking his message to the UN in New York.

At New York's University of Columbia on Monday, his readiness to push Iran's atomic cause on US soil wins plaudits from backers at home.