Just two days after Mike Wallace was seen chumming it up with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president has morphed from his Mr. Nice Guy persona back into his foaming at the mouth, little Hitler true self.
The contrast between today's Ahmadinejad and the Ahmadinejad that CBS presented on 60 Minutes couldn't be more striking.
Does Mike Wallace still consider the Iranian president to be "an impressive fellow"?
Does Wallace feel duped by Ahmadinejad's charm?
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that Hezbollah has "hoisted the banner of victory" over Israel and toppled U.S.-led plans for the Middle East. Hezbollah's main backers — Iran and Syria — struck nearly identical tones a day after a cease-fire took effect in Lebanon: heaping praise on the guerrillas as perceived victors for the Islamic world and claiming that Western influence in the region was dealt a serious blow.
"God's promises have come true," Ahmadinejad told a huge crowd in Arbadil in northwestern Iran. "On one side, it's corrupt powers of the criminal U.S. and Britain and the Zionists ... with modern bombs and planes. And on the other side is a group of pious youth relying on God."
In Damascus, Syrian President Syrian President Bashar Assad said Washington's plans for the Middle East were turned into "an illusion" by Hezbollah's resistance to the Israeli military during the 34-day conflict.
Israel "was defeated" and Hezbollah "hoisted the banner of victory," Ahmadinejad told the crowd, including many people waving yellow Hezbollah banners and Iranian flags.
Ahmadinejad drew cheers when he said Hezbollah foiled what he called the plans of Washington and its allies "to create the so-called new Middle East."
"The people of the region are also after the new Middle East, but a Middle East that is free from U.S. and British domination," he said.
Notice how Ahmadinejad and Assad are spinning the ceasefire into a defeat for the United States.
They both frame it as Washington's loss.
They believe that they have defeated the United States via the Israeli - Hezbollah conflict.
After the war broke out July 12, Ahmadinejad and other Iranian leaders repeatedly denounced the U.N. Security Council for moving slowly toward a cease-fire. They also sharply criticized other Muslim nations for what Iran considered a failure to rally around Hezbollah and Lebanese civilians.Here's an idea:
Ahmadinejad said the United Nations should force war reparations from Israel and its allies, led by the United States.
"Those who were involved in inflicting damage to the Lebanese nation are responsible," he said.
The United Nations should force war reparations from Lebanon, Iran, and Syria.
Those who were involved in inflicting damage to the Israeli nation are responsible.
...Earlier Tuesday, a hard-line Iranian cleric warned Israel that Iran's new long-range missiles will land in Tel Aviv if the Jewish state should attack Iran, state-run television said.
Ahmad Khatami, a mid-ranking cleric, declared that Israel would face dire consequences if it "makes an iota of aggression against Iran."
"They must fear the day 2,000-kilometer (1,250-mile)range missiles land in the heart of Tel Aviv," he said.
The ink on the ceasefire resolution isn't dry yet, and Iran is threatening Israel and trying to provoke violence.
I wonder what Khatami's definition of "iota" is.
For instance, if Olmert said that Iran should be wiped off the face of the map, would that be considered an "iota of aggression against Iran"?
Clearly, the Iranians want war with the U.S. and they think that they can get it through Israel.
...In his address, Ahmadinejad also said his government would stick by its plans to reply on Aug. 22 to a package of Western economic and technology incentives offered in exchange for a suspension of Iranian uranium enrichment.
The U.N. Security Council has told Iran it must halt enrichment by Aug. 31 or face possible sanctions.
There is no incentive package that will halt Iranian uranium enrichment.
No way.
Ahmadinejad would see that as weak. He will make no concessions.
Is there any doubt that this UN-brokered ceasefire was a mistake in the long-run?
Is there any question that the ceasefire served to embolden the Islamofascists?
The UN "peacekeeping" force is a joke.
There is no peace to keep.
_____________________________
From the Islamic Republic News Agency:
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday that Iranian nation favors the new Middle East to come true in absence of the United States and the occupying Zionist regime.
"The arrogant powers aim to create a new Middle East to grant free hand to the US, Britain and the Zionist regime. Those who advocate the new Middle East are against freedom and independence of the nations in the region examples of which are Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon," President Ahmadinejad said.
"Those, who think they can violate the rights of nations through propaganda campaign and conspiracy from the overseas, should know that they are making a serious mistake, because, nations in the Middle East are awakened and are making headway to victory through reliance on God," President Ahmadinejad said.
He said that Israeli aggression on Lebanon was a prelude to the plan of the new Middle East.
"They thought that they can eliminate Hezbollah through aggression on Lebanon but to no avail," he added.
It's important to note all of Ahmadinejad's references to God.
It's important to note that the story comes from the ISLAMIC Republic News Agency.
It's important to note that Iran is officially known as the ISLAMIC Republic of Iran.
جمهوری اسلامی ايران
It's important to note that it is impossible to address the War on Terror without addressing the religious component.
It's important to note that efforts to be politically correct and to appease the Islamofascists will guarantee defeat for freedom and democracy.
________________________________
Read about Iran's "victory celebrations" here.
Already Monday night thousands of Iranians took to the streets in celebration of what they defined as a Shiite and Hizbullah victory over the Zionist regime. In the streets of Iran , believers took advantage of the evening prayers to praise the Lebanese nation on Hizbullah's victory.
In parades toward the mosques calling "Allah is great, Khamenei is the leader," "Lebanon won with Hizbullah's help," Lebanon is victorious, Israel is destroyed," and "Hizbullah finally won." The daily internet newspaper Rooz Online, run by exiled Iranians, added that the marchers waived flags of Hizbullah and handed out miniature flags to children.
4 comments:
Should be no surprise that Iran's President can morph into nice-guy or evil-guy; no surprise that he can be charming, well-informed and perhaps a little more sophisticated than many Americans seem to suspect.
Since comparing the Iranian President to Hitler is all the rage these days, we might as well note that Hitler was at various times quite charming, intelligent, capable of patiently waiting for a mistake by his enemies and a supremely gifted politician, with a remarkable sense of good timing. - kind o' hard to rationalize that with the other Hitler - the demagogue seen foaming at the mouth?
The point of this apparently wandering rant, is that we Americans do ourselves a grave disservice when we oversimplify the makeup of our adversaries.
-especially the Iranians. i spent some time training Iranian pilots back in the 1970's. As a group, they were probably the most impressive officers or pilots I had occasion to deal with. We treat the current Iranian leaders lightly, at our own peril.
Cheers
Great blog, Mary! And I agree also with questrepublic (whose blog I could not get to)
Quest's referrence of AhmadineWhackjob and Hitler is right on the money........As is his warning about him.
I have little doubt that Mahmoud is a force to deal with, who can't be dealt with......Unfortunately many are too apathetic in this country to pay much attention until the Shiite hits the fan.
Which it will.
I agree that we cannot underestimate the threat posed by Ahmadinejad or Kim Jong Il or (fill in the blank).
Appeasement, while the easier short-term route, will be a disaster in the long run.
Post a Comment