Ahmadinejad says he'll visit Ground Zero despite the objections

[cali]

I don't care for Ahmadinejad, but I'm glad he's doing this. The posturing around his proposed visit is absurd and shameful.

Iranian president intends to visit Ground ZeroIranian mission says he'll go despite NYPD rejection

(New York - WABC, September 19, 2007) - Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad requested to visit Ground Zero during an upcoming trip to New York. That request was rejected Wednesday. But a source tells Eyewitness News that the decision may not stop him.

A law enforcement source says the Iranian mission to the United Nations has informed the Secret Service that the Iranian president intends to visit Ground Zero Monday at 10 a.m.
The source says regardless of the NYPD's rejection of the request for a Ground Zero tour, Iran's president and his entourage will be accompanied by a Secret Service protective detail, a detail provided to all heads of state when they visit the United States.

The Iranian mission to the United Nations made the initial request to the NYPD and the Secret Service, who will jointly oversee security during the president's two-day visit.

<snip>

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=local&id=5665164

[liberalnurse]

1. Were there any Iranian citizens

in the Towers on 911? Did Iran have victims as well? If so, it is reasonable. :shrug:

[harun]

4. Yes

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1854214

[havocmom]

5. The question is: How do we assure his safety in a nation full of trigger happy bigots

who just don't act responsibly? Seems like a BIG accident waiting to happen.

[tammywammy]

8. That's what I was thinking n/t

[cali]

12. Like all visiting Heads of State, he has Secret Service protection

and if they have to increase it to ensure his safety... oh well.

[havocmom]

17. Ah, he is a little more reviled in this country than most heads of state

AND cheney is going around just lookin to start a war with Iran. Seems like an awfully easy way to set up an incident where some Iranian would act to avenge anything that may happen to their leader and that would allow cheney/bush to claim justification for doing what they already want to do.

My old pappy said: Don't borrow trouble. Enough of it will find you anyway.

Setting the stage for Iranian to be on American 'hallowed ground' when we have a nation with too many un-thinking hot heads is just begging for disaster.

And, as good as the Secret Service is, they have failed a time or two. With cheney pulling strings, seems too easy for a failure to happen at this particular juncture. If it benefits cheney, it is all too possible.

Don't borrow trouble, indeed.

[Stephanie]

20. As if anyone would recognize him.

You and I might, but the Tourists of Ground Zero will not, and neither will most New Yorkers.

[havocmom]

22. He will be a bit more conspicous though, won't he?

Lots of security? Doesn't that get any response in NY? Having never been there, I am not sure.

What worries me is cheney just looking for an excuse for a fight. We know he is not above creating his own excuses when real ones don't happen along on his schedule ;)

[charlie]

26. He wouldn't be

if he stood to one side, instead of in the center of the security detail. He's the one national leader who doesn't dress remotely like a national leader. :)

And Cheney... shiver... capping Ahmadinejad would raise the situation to the hellish temperatures Cheney likes.

[havocmom]

30. cheney and his tendency to use any means to his ends is my big worry

The American public is not a worry for me. But cheney using the American public for cover for a black op... I put nothing past cheney.

[Bluerthanblue]

28. if we can't feel ok about someones safety in the US- what the hell

kind of freedom do we have????


I'm enraged about the reply to Abdin.

Don't want ground zero to become a PHOTO OP???

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!

[Clark2008]

25. People might think he's Ringo Starr and ask for autographs.

:shrug:

[Flabbergasted]

32. Bush wants him dead less than he wants Osama dead.

[havocmom]

34. cheney wants a reason to go to war

to protect cheney's exposed ass.

I put my money on cheney getting what he wants WAY over bush/rice/gates. Anything which plays into cheney's insane plans worries me a lot.

[harun]

2. There are a lot of ways to show disagreement with Ahmadinejad

not letting him visit ground zero isn't one of them.

[rodeodance]

11. agree. Picking a fight over this issure will be dangerous

[havocmom]

3. I don't care for him either, and think he's being as big an idiot as bush.

They are both walking with chips on their shoulders, itchin to fight, only neither will actually be in the fight. They will leave it to others to fight and die for their pissing contests.

[annabanana]

6. The fury that the Corpomedia has whipped up about this

will make it dangerous for him.

Iran did not attack us on 9/11
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1854221&mesg_id=1854221


Iranian citizens were killed on 9/11
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1854214

[The Stranger]

7. The underlying assumption by those opposed is that Ahmedinejad was a perpetrator of 911.

The meme is that all Muslims are responsible for 911. This is also the underlying concept behind the "Clash of Civilizations" and the "War on Terror."

This can never be expressed explicitly publicly, only in right-wing email threads, at the water cooler by oblique references, or in the Church vestibule by good patriotic "Christians" with their hand on your shoulder and an American flag pin on their lapel.

[Flabbergasted]

29. That's it.

[bdamomma]

9. just let the man visit the site, geez, what the hell is wrong with people

when are people growing to grow up instead of acting like a bunch of bullies, welcome to bushworld. sickening.

[PDenton]

10. Sure, I'm all for it

... maybe something will click in his head. I wonder if he realizes how much the course he is choosing will turn his whole country into a Ground Zero glass parking lot?

[annabanana]

13. You sound confused.

Iran didn't attack us on 9/11
Iranians died there too
There were candllight vigils in Tehran
They supported us going into Afganistan

They are complying with the IAEA demands for inspections and information about their nuclear programs.(http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/Statements/2007/ebsp2007n014a.html#iran)

What's your beef?

[PDenton]

16. I stand corrected

But Iran is just taking a first step, and it remains to be seen how commited they will be to the IAEA.

[cali]

15. Are you sure you're on the correct website (sniff, sniff)

The U.S. is the one acting agressively and without cause. As I said, I'm no fan of Ahmadinejad, but the rush to war is being perpetrated by the vile war mongers in the bushcheney admin.

Maybe you should return to whatever site you came from: The glass parking lot talk doesn't exactly make for a good fit at DU.

[PDenton]

19. So I guess Hillary Clinton would get kicked off DU?

I don't like Iran. It is a state sponsor of terrorism and has acted aggressively towards the United States in the past. It has a horrible human rights record. It justifiably is in the "Axis of Evil", or more properly, a pariah state. I was just hoping that maybe Ahmadinejad, if he visited Ground Zero, would realize the folly of engaging in sponsoring terrorism and hostility towards the international community and allies and interests of the United States, which has been its historic position.

[cali]

24. She might have her problems here.

But I don't think she'd make a "glass parking lot" comment.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

37. Change the names...

"I don't like (the U.S.). It is a state sponsor of terrorism and has acted aggressively towards the (Iraq) in the past. It has a horrible human rights record. It justifiably is in the 'Axis of Evil', or more properly, a pariah state."

Sad, but true, isn't it. :(

You do know the history of Iran in the late 20th/early 21st century, no? That we supported the Shah, who was not a very nice person to his people? That the modern fundementalist Islamic movement was born out of that US backed repression? That we waged a 10 year war against them using our good buddy Saddam Hussein as our surrogate? And that Iran, on its own steam, was moving back towards a more moderate stance, with its people electing representatives who were open to modernizing their country and improving relations with the US? Do you know that, when 9/11 happened, the people of Iran openly supported our country? And, more importantly, are you aware that the election of Ahmadinejad was a direct response of fear by the Iranian people to our illegal invasion of their neighbor and fellow Shias?


I believe the term that is used is unintended "blowback".

Ahmadinejad is a creature of our own making, as most of our country's enemies are.

[TwilightGardener]

14. Making this big of a deal about him visiting GZ is just making him

look more important (and willing to bravely stand up to America) back home--why not just let him visit without cameras and a big fuss (which is probably what he wants)? It's not like HIS country sent the hijackers over, anyway--I'm sure if Prince Bandar wanted to visit GZ, nobody would raise a stink.

[Stephanie]

18. They run tour buses there constantly.

He could just hop on one of those.

[flpoljunkie]

21. What are we afraid of? Let's show Ahmadinejad we're better than most of the world thinks we are.

[harun]

35. The sad answer to that is we are afraid of everything (n/t)

[Moochy]

23. Taser him!

It seems to work for so many of our discipline problems these days!

[KillCapitalism]

27. How many 9/11 hijackers were Iranian again?

ZERO!

[havocmom]

33. How many were Iraqi? Didn't stop a lot of Americans from believing

and supporting a pointless invasion/occupation.

The carefully controlled perceptions of the fringe is a tool cheney loves to use to make a situation bad for the world but good for cheney.

[Flabbergasted]

31. nvm nt

[ShaneGR]

36. Great, another religious wacko using a gravesite as a photo op

Thought Bush was enough.