Amid Protests, Iran Leader Calls Holocaust a Myth

[pampango]

Source: New York Times

"LONDON — Courting renewed international criticism, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran on Friday called the Holocaust a myth as his country marked an annual pro-Palestinian demonstration amid reports of clashes between his supporters and opposition protesters."

"The Associated Press, citing an opposition Web site, said that hard-liners attacked former President Mohammad Khatami, a reformist, and pushed him to the ground. Reuters quoted an unidentified witness as saying 10 supporters of Mir Hussein Moussavi, the leading opposition candidate in the June election, were arrested after thousands of people wearing the opposition’s hallmark green wristbands and shawls joined crowds marching to mark Qods Day.

The witness was also quoted as saying Mr. Ahmadinejad’s supporters had beaten the opposition marchers."

"Mr. Ahmadinejad made similar remarks after his first election as president in 2005. But, coming only days before scheduled talks between his government and western powers, his latest denial of the Holocaust seemed likely to cast a cloud over those discussions."

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/19/world/middleeast/19iran.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

---

You wonder whether Mahmoud doesn't wish Georgie was still in office. The two of them had a continuing contest on who could be more bellicose and each could be portrayed as a great villain to the other's base. Mahmoud would probably prefer that Obama give him a good "Axis of Evil" speech to fire up his domestic support. Multilateral diplomacy and negotiations, especially if Obama can get more backing from Russia, must make Mahmoud a little more nervous than Georgie's bombastic speeches.

[Tim01]

1. Maybe somebody will accidentally put a bomb in his phone. nt

[ixion]

2. The governments of this world are run by stupid, spoiled brats

I swear, it's like watching a kindergarten class. And that goes for all of them, not just Iran.

[Mike Daniels]

3. I'm sure someone will be along soon to say that Mahmoud was misquoted.

as is par for the course.

[mayahbird]

4. Maybe Bush converted him into one of those Republicans

who think Obama is an Arab, not a citizen of the US and wants to kill old people.

[shadowknows69]

5. Who gives a fuck what Amadouchebag says?

Someone is actively beating the war drums again. Thanks for playing along NY Times.

[Pavulon]

6. On rare occasion I agree..

Ignore his ass and layout the facts clearly that if any nuclear material from his country ends up where it should not we will launch a 3 prong nuclear assault ending all life in persia, with no exception. Not a scaled response, just a complete MAD response.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

13. That's horrible!

Those poor Iranian people want no part of this silliness.

How can you so blithely imply you would incinerate tens of millions of innocent people? The radiation sickness. the fallout. That's horrible.

Please reconsider your words. Please.

[Pavulon]

17. That is a real shame. But it is the only position available. MAD

that is the standard used at the adults table for 60 years. If they build a bomb or enrich material they own it from start to finish. So if it ends up going critical in midtown or haifa the response is always going to be thousands of megatons with the intent to destroy the country of origin.

If the iranian people do not want to be part of that system they should consider the path taken by South Africa or the Soviet colonies after the collapse of the USSR. They all gave up weapons programs.

I can PROMSE you that sequence of events would happen in the event of an attack.

North Korea: 20Kt weapon detonates and kills americans in south korea or japan. The US will (without hesitation) counter by authorizing the Ohio class subs in the area to launch an already determined number of weapons. These drills are running now. There are many hundreds of thermonuclear weapons online as a deterrent. That would probably be in the order of several hundred warheads each at least 10 times more destructive than hiroshima.

Any weapon leaving N. Korean air space with a computed flight path landing in the US or Japan would be intercepted or would cross trident SLBMs in the air. That would be then end of north korea.

This area is not really friendly to emotional assholes and idle threats. Any action here will result in millions of deaths.

The deterrent is that there is no tit for tat, any response or second strike from the US is complete.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

20. How do we accept such a world?

I know what you say is true and I'm certainly not upset with you. This isn't the first time I've encountered the "doctrine". I just happen to find it repugnant that we can discuss such things with such detachment.

My blood chills when I think how easily we sign away our fellow humans.

[Pavulon]

21. Well, getting rid of God and Money

would be the realistic way to stop this. I mean most wars are driven by those things. In reality we are stuck with the weapons.

Iran has a choice to make, the wise choice would be to not participate in that system by declaring it has no nuclear interest and opening up for inspections.

[pampango]

10. Do we ignore the speeches of all lunatics or just those who might cause a reaction

that we don't like? Do we ask the Times to ignore Kim Jong-il's speeches or those of Benjamin Netanyahu because they might cause violent reactions?

Surely you don't think that President Obama is happy to have Ahmadinejad stir the pot just when he is trying to mend fences and put together a multilateral effort to peacefully deal with Iran. I imagine Obama wishes Ahmadinejad would shut up (or that the Times) would just ignore him, because Ahmadinejad's words make a peaceful solution more difficult to achieve.

Just because you, I and President Obama want Ahmadinejad to shut up (or at least be ignored by the media) doesn't mean the Times has to follow our lead. Shining a light on idiots, whether they are Ahmadinejad, the Grand Wizard of the KKK, or Dan Stein from Federation for American Immigration Reform is not always a bad thing. Ignoring idiots may, or may not, make them go away.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

14. Maybe mending fences is the problem

Fences are symbols of possessiveness and mistrust.

[pampango]

15. You lost me. Mending fences? n/t

[Nuclear Unicorn]

16. You noted...

...President Obama was trying to mend fences while the Iranian president was pot-stirring.

I'm not finding fault with the president--or you--I'm just noting how the thought patterns we've grown comfortable with over the years reveal how we tend to create our own problems. I hope you understand my comments in the spirit in which they are meant.

[Odin2005]

7. Oh, I'm sure he was just misquoted! *SARCASM*

[LeftishBrit]

8. Ugh.

And I agree with your point at the end:

'You wonder whether Mahmoud doesn't wish Georgie was still in office. The two of them had a continuing contest on who could be more bellicose and each could be portrayed as a great villain to the other's base. Mahmoud would probably prefer that Obama give him a good "Axis of Evil" speech to fire up his domestic support. Multilateral diplomacy and negotiations, especially if Obama can get more backing from Russia, must make Mahmoud a little more nervous than Georgie's bombastic speeches.'

RW xenophobes, even when enemies, often help to keep each other in power. Nothing like a good enemy for rallying the base.

[fascisthunter]

9. really stupid

[LynnTheDem]

11. And American rightwingnut lunatics call the President of the United States of America "Hitler".

Same shit, same assholes.

[Ian David]

12. That's okay. When we blow-up his nuke plant, we'll call it a myth. n/t

[ShortnFiery]

18. No this same old shit again.

:crazy:

[Raston]

19. horrible nuclear fallout, watch what you say? Are you kidding?

Iran is another word for Persia. Does that ring a bell? The Persian Empire? They have been hell-bent on religious and 'righteous' conquest of the world ever since their incarnation.
Of course there are innocents - since when do rulers dictate over the educated and the strong? If however you assassinate Ahmadinejad, will it solve the problem? No, and why not? Because it's in their very culture, and has been for a thousand years.

Erase their culture, let them try again. I'm sick of dealing with their medieval ignorance mixed with blind religious fervor. Maybe be irradiating the oil, we'll actually apply some 21st century technology and engage our brains enough to turn to renewable energy resources while we're at it.

- Raston

[LeftishBrit]

22. Whaaaaaaattttttttt????

Do you actually want to blow the world up?

[Selatius]

23. Turn your argument the other way around. If somebody killed Bush, it wouldn't change America either.

There would simply be another stooge and the same stupidity that plagues America as much as Iran or any other country.

[nadinbrzezinski]

24. When was the last time they tried that shit?

Oh yes, the 17th century. Try again

By the way, mad in the head is power crazy, but I do get it why he is saying this. or did you miss the demonstrations? They are now firmly in the same rhythm that led to the fall of the Shah