He doen't sound barbaric...Iranian leader talks to Mike W.

[Buttercup McToots]

Link:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/08/09/60minutes/mai...

CBS) Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sat down with Mike Wallace in Tehran on Tuesday in a rare, exclusive interview with a Western reporter.

In the wide-ranging interview, the Iranian leader comments on President Bush's foreign policy, the lack of relations between Iran and the United States, Hezbollah, Lebanon and Iraq.

Speaking about President Bush's failure to answer his 18-page letter that criticized U.S. foreign policy, Ahmadinejad said, "Well, (with the letter) I wanted to open a window towards the light for the president so that he can see that one can look on the world through a different perspective. … We are all free to choose. But please give him this message, sir: Those who refuse to accept an invitation will not have a good ending or fate. You see that his approval rating is dropping every day. Hatred vis-à-vis the president is increasing every day around the world. For a ruler, this is the worst message that he could receive. Rulers and heads of government at the end of their office must leave the office holding their heads high."

On what the "conducive conditions" would be for Iran to establish relations with the U.S., the president said, "Well, please look at the makeup of the American administration, the behavior of the American administration. See how they talk down to my nation. And this recent resolution passed about the nuclear issue, look at the wording. They have given us — presented us with a package which we are studying right now. We even gave them a date for our response. Ignoring that, they passed a resolution. They want to build an empire. And they don't want to live side-by-side in peace with other nations. The American government, sir, it is very clear to me they have to change their behavior and everything will be resolved. (George W. Bush) believes that his power emanates from his nuclear warhead arsenals. The time of the bomb is in the past, it's behind us. Today is the era of thoughts, dialogue and cultural exchanges."

Portions of the interview will appear on the CBS Evening News on Thursday, Aug. 10 at 6:30 p.m. ET/PT. The entire report will be broadcast on 60 Minutes this Sunday at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[Buttercup McToots]

2. guess we have to wait and see...

if Mike's still got it...

[Warpy]

3. I'm sure he did

and his age has little to do with it. Does Helen Thomas's age prevent her from asking tough questions?

Real journalists have a lifetime of asking tough questions behind them, of getting doors slammed in their faces, of getting reactions that range from terror to fury.

As for the Iranian fighters in Lebanon, didn't the first group get stopped at the Turkish border? Weren't the rest recalled?

After all, remember there are Americans fighting on the Israeli side.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

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[madokie]

8. Helen is on our, you and I's side. and that is a fact

and don't forget that, ok.

[DemCapitalist]

7. That's probably how he got the gig.

(By agreeing not to ask tough questions)

[KurtNYC]

4. I hear from people who speak farsi that the dude is bat shit crazy

He is theocratic fascist who was among the students who held american hostages in 1979. They went on to purge Iran of non-Shiites. They have persecuted Jews, Bahais and other groups for decades and are now shelling Haifa 24/7. I don't understand how people would would abhor living under a theocracy can suspend their anxiety for the Iranian leader.

[Little Star]

He probably is bat shit crazy. I hear from

people that speak english that the same can be said of Bush. Its sort of like pot meet kettle. What a world!

[eridani]

26. He's got lots of things in common with Bush

--both do the folksy "Aw shuckins" thing very well, and their supporters fall for it
--Bush got a big boost in popularity after 9/11; so did Admenidjahad after the big uptick in anti-Iranian saber-rattling
--the voting base for both consists of derranged fundie whackjobs.

[blurp]

27. He's telling us what we want to hear. IOWs he's lying to the infidels.

[DemCapitalist]

6. Hitler didn't sound barbaric either. In fact, he was a non-smoking,

non drinking vegetarian who appreciated art and culture.

[Xenotime]

10. Why are you comparing him to Hitler?

What has he done?

[DemCapitalist]

13. Let's see--how do I count the ways?

Are you serious?

[jayfish]

15. Please, Count Them Out Loud.

I'm sure he's not Gandhi, but Hitler? Let's hear em.

Jay

[The Cleaner]

14. I think the point is, psychopaths and sociopaths

are more often than not intelligent and well spoken. They know how to play the game. They make it so that nobody would ever suspect them of wrongdoing.

Just because the man isn't locked up in some institution weaving baskets and singing kum ba ya doesn't mean he's not insane.

[fordnut]

16. i just wish that

the Iranians would understand that we are under a dictator and
it's all George W and his croonies that want to destroy Iran
for there oil.i'm sure the democrats don't want a war with
Iran we want peace. :kick: 

[KurtNYC]

17. Check this list

http://www.kosherdelight.com/Iranactivities.htm

[Xenotime]

20. What conclusions am I supposed to draw?

What does this list have to do with the discussion?

[KurtNYC]

21. Someone asked about the comparison to Hitler

so I point out that they are persecuting jews internally and want to "wipe israel off the map" etc.

[Toots]

9. Today is the era of thoughts, dialogue and cultural exchanges."

Boy he knows nothing about America does he. American having thoughts dialogue from this Cabal cultural exchanges suggests there must be culture there in the first place. Americans having culture

[Catherine Vincent]

11. You guys should register and post a message in that forum.

I did yesterday. The link is on Drudge's site and the freepers are freeping that board with all their hateful messages.

[The Cleaner]

12. Er...the guy wants Israel DESTROYED.

I think that's pretty barbaric.

[Truthy Nessy]

19. Translations are not correct.

He does not want Israel destroyed...He wants regime change. HE wants the Zionists out of power...same as we do about the Bush regime. Don't you want the change of governments for the USA? What is the difference from the Christian Zionists and the Israeli Zionists? Nothing, they want power and domination and money. The IDF is going after the Lebanon water. The river is their goal. Israel has a severe water shortage. The Israeli govt is building a wall and going 20 km deep into Palestine land to circle the water for the Jewish population. This is criminal.

I have written my MP that is what will probably happen to Canada when the water shortage in America becomes pretty severe. This is estimated to happen by 2010. Do you think I will sit and smile about that. Not at all. Canadians are a rough bunch when we want to be.

[evox]

30. good reply - n/t

[ShaneGR]

18. IMO, he's just a muslim version of Bush

That letter he wrote was crazy.

[evox]

31. I read parts of the letter when it was published

it wasn't that crazy...

[Ravenseye]

22. Barbaric?

He is the President though of a country which has pretty much the opposite of our own bill of rights. I'm not one for saying that every country should be democratic, or even that democracy equals freedom, which it certainly does not.

Iran under this guy...

Executes Children.
Tortures, amputates, flogs, and stones people as punishment.
Discriminates against women and girls in a million ways making them second class citizens.
Persecutes any political opponents.
Discriminates against minorities (jews, christians, sunni muslims, bahai, and more)

There is practically no freedom of religion, expression, speech, movement, you name it.

He's not a nice guy, and neither is the Iranian government.

[McKinneyIsAHero]

23. He's mostly talk; says hateful rhetoric, rarely backs it up

He's the total opposite of Bush: Bush talks peace and wages ultimate war. He talks war and does nothing.

[AngryAmish]

24. we need to learn from his wisdom

he is a guiding light of our generation.

[Behind the Aegis]

29. Please tell me you are talking about Mike Wallace?!

[Poll_Blind]

25. People who think Ahmadinejad is crazy are cheating themselves.

  Learn about this guy. Learn his education background. Learn who he beat in the last election. Learn what laws he institutes and what things he dismantles, legally.

  Oh, and one very important thing- learn who his friends are and what their goals are. And when I say friends I mean those nations who support him both economically, militarily and technologically.

  You can find all these things at his WikiPedia entry.

  For Americans, especially, to think Ahmadinejad is crazy is possibly the most desirable disposition and one that continually works into his and his friends' favor.

PB

[evox]

28. Winner post

Totally agree with you.