Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the flamboyant president of Iran has been in the news lately.
This time he was promoting his own blog in where he criticises the US for opposing Iran's nuclear programme and asks readers to vote on whether they think Israel is trying to trigger a new world war.
In the blog, which can be read in various languages at http://www.ahmadinejad.ir/ he states how his dislike of the United States began while still at school, when he became enraged by Washington's interference in Iranian domestic affairs. More of the history of Iran & USA will be explained in later posts.
President Ahmadinejad is seen as a controversial figure, criticised by Western governments for his stance on Israel, supporter of Hezbollah, and controversial comments he has made about the Holocaust and the legitimacy of Israel's existence.
With regards to President Ahmadinejad's comments addressed in Persian that "Israel must be wiped off the map” seems to be widely misquoted by politician & the news media.
Juan Cole (University of Michigan Professor of Modern Middle East and South Asian History) said "Ahmadinejad did not say he was going to wipe Israel off the map because no such idiom exists in Persian" but "He did say he hoped its regime, i.e., a Jewish-Zionist state occupying Jerusalem, would collapse."
More statements & contradictory views can be found here: Wikipedia
Recently, he did an interview with Mike Wallace of CBS news. CBS were criticised by some American public to be unpatriotic for airing the interview. It seems that anything against American policy is deemed not fit to publish or broadcast. Well-done CBS.
The full script can be read here: CBS News
Earlier this year, he also sent President Bush an eight-page letter. The letter, the first written communication between the leaders of the two countries in 27 years, criticised the American Government for the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, detainee abuse in Guantanamo Bay and Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison, and for its support of Israel. He also praised various Muslim prophets and their teachings (including Jesus of Nazareth a prophet in Islam P.B.U.M and to Moses P.B.U.M.).
Letter in PDF: Letter to President Bush
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice dismissed the letter as "offering nothing new" and the White House said there would be no formal written reply.
Did he make a mistake? Maybe he has done what no one is supposed to do in his position, ask questions!
The United States may not agree with the contents of the letter or agree with President Ahmadinejad’s view but surely this was a missed opportunity to build a relationship with Iran. It was not long ago that we feared the Libyans and hated them, but after opening talks with Libya, Colonel Gaddafi has become our new friend. Maybe President Ahmadinejad would like a similar relationship – Lets not miss the opportunity, lets give friendship a chance.
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