First, a timely headline: "Iran smuggling missiles into Iraq: US military." The story begins--
Iran is smuggling advanced weapons, including surface-to-air missiles, into Iraq to be used by extremists against American troops, the US military charged on Sunday.
US military spokesman Rear Admiral Mark Fox told reporters in Baghdad that Iran was shifting sophisticated arms such as "RPG-29s, explosively-formed penetrators (EFPs), 240 mm rockets and Misagh-1 surface-to-air missiles" across its borders into Iraq.
An EFP is a feared roadside bomb which when it explodes emits a white-hot slug of molten copper that can cut through the armoured skins of US military vehicles.
Fox reiterated that Iranian national Mahmudi Farhadi, detained on Thursday in the northern province of Sulaimaniyah, is one of the kingpins in the bomb smuggling operations.
"He is a member of the Ramazan Corps, the Quds Force department responsible for all operations in Iraq," Fox said.
Against this backdrop, Columbia invites Iran's president to speak. Columbia University's president, Lee Bollinger, gives a speech stating some things that we all know to be true --that Iran is at war with the West and is a cruelly repressive regime. Bollinger sits down, and Ahmadinejad schools him, and especially his hapless dean, as well as the audience and the world on how propaganda works. Some, including Dean Barnett below, express surprise and admiration for the Bollinger remarks. Talk about the soft bigotry of low expectations! Bollinger's remarks are the equivalent of the apology offered by the reckless driver to the victim of his recklessness. The dean's dismal performance afterwards illustrates why this was a fiasco from the start. The too polite dean dared not cut the fanatic off or press a question as central as Israel's right to exist! Meanwhile the networks catering to the jihadists will be slicing and dicing the fanatic's remarks; he will earn the admiration of radicals across the Arab world for standing up to the Americans; and the repressed people of Iran, especially the students who cannot speak out, the press that is muzzled, and the gays who don't exist will get all of Ahmadinejad and little if any of Bollinger. What will they conclude? Even a cursory examination of The Looming Tower or Inside the Jihad or any of many other serious books on the Islamist war against the West dwells on the crucial role of propaganda in pushing the extremist message, both Salafist and Shia versions. Today's fiasco has nothing to do with what Bollinger said, a name little known or long remembered anywhere outside of the upper West Side. It is about the platform Columbia provided this thug who is actively engaged in the killing of American soldiers and Marines while plotting the extermination of Israel..The absurd world of the academic left does not seem capable of imagining that skilled propagandists are at work for the other side, and that Ahmadinejad's non-answers to the questions posed to him will benefit him and his regime. They are naive beyond expression. One more example: President Bollinger suggested that Ahmadinejad's speech to the Council on Foreign relations last year led to Ahmadienjad's party losing local elections, thus indulging the twin absurdities that Iranian elections are free and that open and sustained debate occurs over the airwaves which can use Ahmadinejad's speeches against him to win elections. "May this do that and more," intoned Bollinger. Talk about cluelessness combined with epic self-importance. President Bollinger was actually suggesting that by hosting the fanatic he and Columbia are somehow involved in helping take down the despotic regime.Whenever Lee Bollinger steps down as Columbia's president, some poor fool will toast him for his "stirring" speech today, for speaking truth to power, blah blah blah. Nonsense. President Bollinger gave Ahmadinejad a microphone and a stage and then tried to use the underbilling to redeem his university's sorry complicity in the legitimizing of this fanatic's place in the world. Columbia can black out the backdrop and deliver stern lectures that go unheard in the Islamist world, but it won't remove the stain on its own reputation: It played a role of accessory to many lies today, delivered by a killer of our troops."What did you hope to accomplish by speaking at Columbia today," the hapless dean asked. Ahmadinejad was too polite to answer truthfully--"To find useful idiots who would allow me to deny that the facts of the Holocaust are fixed, to assert that Iran is the victim not the perpetrator of terror, that Israel's right to exist ought to be the subject of a referendum, and to announce that there are no gays in Iran, thus sending a very clear message to the gays in Iran. I came, in short, to find you and the audience you gave me.
"Calling for research into the facts [of the Holocaust] when the facts are so well established represents for many a challenging of the facts themselves and a denial that something terrible occured in Europe in those years," the dean at one point gently suggested. How tentative. How courteous. How distant from the dean's own feelings. How carefully phrased so as not to give offense. (from Hugh Hewitt.com)
To allow you some sence of the man whom Columbia University hosted today listen to Ahmadinejad in his own words:
Religious extremism and martyrdom:
"We don't shy away from declaring that Islam is ready to rule the world.“ 1
"The wave of the Islamist revolution will soon reach the entire world." 2
"Our revolution's main mission is to pave the way for the reappearance of the Twelfth Imam, the Mahdi." 3
“Soon Islam will become the dominating force in the world, occupying first place in the number of followers amongst all other religions.” 4
“Is there a craft more beautiful, more sublime, more divine, than the craft of giving yourself to martyrdom and becoming holy? Do not doubt, Allah will prevail, and Islam will conquer mountain tops of the entire world.” 5
"What is important is that they have shown the way to martyrdom which we must follow.'' 6 [President Ahmadinejad’s comments on an aircraft crash in Tehran that killed 108 people in December 2005].
Ahmadinejad praises Iran for being able to recruit thousands of suicide bombers a day. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad praised his country's ability to recruit "hundreds of suicide bombers a day," saying "suicide is an invincible weapon. Suicide bombers in this land showed us the way, and they enlighten our future.“ Amadinejad said the will to commit suicide was "one of the best ways of life." 7
“This regime (Israel) will one day disappear.” 8
“The Zionist regime is a rotten, dried tree that will be eliminated by one storm.” 9
Israel is "a disgraceful stain on the Islamic world" 10
Israel is doomed to be "wiped from the map" in "a war of destiny." 11
Ahmadinejad said that "the countdown for the destruction of Israel" has begun. 12
Zionists are „the personification of Satan.“ 13
"In the case of any unwise move by the fake regime of Israel, Iran's response will be so destructive and quick that this regime will regret its move for ever." 14
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared that the Holocaust is a “myth.” 15
“Them (the West) invented the myth of the massacre of the Jews and placed it above Allah, religions and prophets.” 16
Iran, its nuclear ambitions and sanctions:
“By the grace of Allah, we (will be) a nuclear power.” 17
Ahmadinejad fired off a fresh barrage of warnings to the United Nations, saying Iran did "not give a damn" about demands to freeze sensitive nuclear work. 18
"Iran does not give a damn about resolutions." 19
"The Islamic republic of Iran has the capacity to quickly become a world superpower. If we believe in ourselves... no other power can be compared to us.“ 20
"Iran's enemies know your courage, faith and commitment to Islam and the land of Iran has created a powerful army that can powerfully defend the political borders and the integrity of the Iranian nation and cut off the hand of any aggressor and place the sign of disgrace on their forehead." 21
"Our enemies should know that they are unable to even slightly hurt our nation and they cannot create the tiniest obstacle on its glorious and progressive way." 22
“In parallel to the official political war there is a hidden war going on and the Islamic states should benefit from their economic potential to cut off the hands of the enemies.” 23
Let me know your reactions? Extra credit for responses. Make sure to enter your name.
Mr. Hjort
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6 comments:
Youtube is a good way to get an idea of what sort of speaker, and propagandist Ahmadinejad is. In an interview with Brian Williams over his denial of the holocaust, the Iranian president avoids Williams' question, and goes on a slowly translated tirade on WWII and academics. Ahmadinejad makes the point that millions of people were killed in WWII and Jews were only part of that number and for all practical purposes asks why they are more important? Williams responds there is a difference between death in war and genocide. Ahmadinejad says that academics should be able to study "what actually happened" scientifically and that events that took place thousands of years ago are still being researched. How hard is it to talk to survivor's and go to the death camps if you need proof? And why should we need to research something that happened not so long ago and has been so thoroughly documented? These are obviously excuses for his previous remarks, and poor ones at that. He also asks why those who ask questions are persecuted. I would think he of all people might know the answer to that one. And so on and so forth. It seems obvious that this man is dangerous and needs to be dealt with, but it seems a lot of consideration needs to be put into a decision to go to war with Iran.
On the other hand, other youtube videos I watched claimed that Ahmadinejad's threat to "wipe Israel off the map" is the press blowing things out of proportion and what the man really said was "The Imam said this regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time". What I'm wondering is what's the difference except that he doesn't say he'll be the one to do it? There's also plenty of arguments about how Israeli soldiers have killed Pakistani children and so on and so forth. But no matter what, injustices are always going to be committed, no matter what side they are committed by. Another example of youtube videos defending the Iranian president's statements is that in his criticism of the Israeli government seeming fabricated (I think that was the word) Ahmadinejad offered a solution, democracy. But I'm not sure if his brand of democracy (a fundamentalist Islamic state) would necessarily benefit Israel. There is also the fact that Ahmadinejad claims Iran's pursuit of nuclear power is soley for peaceful purposes, but contrast that with his statement that nuclear power would make Iran a world power. True, the media lies and blows things out of proportion, but so does Ahmadinejad
- (sorry that was a bit longer than I was planning on making it) Brian
Wow what a mistake to let this idiot come to the United States and to let him have the national stage. Ahmadinejad is truly a master of propaganda. But his propaganda would not be possible without the media broadcasting it all over the place and taking it at face value as if they had never heard of the term. As to Ahmadinejad not believing in the Holocaust, I think that is a front for his own people. One does not reach the world fame he has without being intelligent, and you are not considered intelligent if you ignore facts. I think that he is just denying it because it makes his case against the Jews that much stronger. And by the way he is completely wrong about Israel being "removed from the pages of time." If I read the Bible correctly, nations such as his will be the ones that will eat God's vengance.
Ahmadinejad had his own purposes for coming to the US, called ulterior motives... that the president of Columbia U must have ignored. That night will forever live in my heart as the one time when proper Americans, I mean the ones with the jingoistic hearts, could finally stand up to someone who comes as close to Hitler as we may ever see, and say to him- "You are WRONG! Israel has a right to be a country, the Holocaust happened, we know that you want to destroy the world in the name of allah, but The United States of America stands squarely in your way and we will NOT stand for it!
Andrew (and damn proud to be an American!)
Great comments guys!
I do not know how to say who i am in the header so I'm Susan Jewell.
I believe that Columbia University did serve some purpose in allowing Iran's president to speak. The school was able to further pollute their students minds so that the people who graduate from that school believe exactly what media and liberals tell them.
No organization should have allowed a person so corrupt and opposed to American standards speak in public in America. The Iranian president could only do two things to a person's mind: anger or confuse into submission. Hitler was a fabulous speech maker and look where he took a large part of the world -- gas chambers and/or work camps. People who are so narrow minded should not be allowed to profess their beliefs in another country ( I don't belioeve that President Bush will be invited anytime soon to give speeches in most of the world) and especially not when a weak debater is opposite the speaker. Bad choice Columbia, bad bad choice.
HAYLEY BURNS
SO... umm everyone know that Ahmadinejad is crazy. There are few people in the United States that don't believe that. So I don't think there is anything wrong with inviting him to come speak. This allows Student at CU to think about his plans to take over the world with his ideas. Whatever.
BY KAYLEN MAY GERKEY:
So pretty much I think Columbia is pretty freakin stupid for letting Ahmadinejad come to speak to their students but its over and done with now.
I honestly don't know what made them think that bringing him to their university would somehow solve the issues of the American people or heal the wounds between us and Iran. After the whole thing was over Ahmadinejad became even more famous then the school - and I don’t think that was the plan. Personally I think the American people are ridiculous for trusting this man - he kills Jews and doesn't believe in the holocaust, comes here and doesn't answers the simplest questions we try to ask him and is good at being a bad guy, yet we're supposed to believe every word that comes out of his mouth? But we are.
I almost wish the Columbia President would have had the guts to hammer Ahmadinejad and just beat him down but the American people these days don't seem to have the guts. So pretty much letting him come here just made our people look bad and Ahmadinejad even more famous when in reality this man is evil and wants to kill us but apparently our people are too freakin blind to notice!
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