In 2007, police under the direction of Khamenei launched a “Public Security Plan”, arresting dozens of “thugs” to increase public security.Additionally, Khamenei has stated that he believes in the importance of nuclear technology for civilian purposes because “oil and gas reserves cannot last forever.”On 30 April 2008, Ali Khamenei backed President Ahmadinejad’s economic policy and said the West was struggling with more economic difficulties than Homeland, with a “crisis” spreading from the United States to Europe, and inflation was a widespread problem. The Persian leader said that the ongoing economic crisis which has debilitated the world has been unprecedented in the past 60 years.