Charm Offensive?
Well yes, in this case, it is. Times of London:
The President of Iran has arrived in New York on a controversial charm offensive to convince the American people that they have nothing to fear from his country.
In an interview broadcast on American television yesterday, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that Iran was neither building a nuclear bomb nor headed to war with the United States.
… Mr Ahmadinejad said that the American people had been denied “correct information” and that his visit would give them a chance to hear a different voice, the official IRNA news agency reported.
Times doesn’t exactly bend over backwards to point out what decent people here and elsewhere find offensive about Ahmadinejad. There are his calls for the destruction of Israel and his claims that if the Holocaust happened at all, it must have been a Jewish plot. Highly offensive. There’s the stoning to death and hanging of young lovers, the arrest of women who show their hair or dare to wear bright colors. There was his direct involvement in the illegal seizure and humilation of British sailors and Royal Marines. Very offensive. There was his direct involvement in the illegal seizure and humiliation of United States Embassy personnel. Very offensive. There is his nation’s supply of weapons and training to terrorists in Iraq who do not simply attack American soldiers, as Times gets around to stating, but have murdered them. Offensive. The arming, training and manipulation of murderous terrorist organizations in Lebanon and Gaza. Offensive. The development of chemical weapons with Syria. Offensive. The development of nuclear weapons, which doesn’t simply alarm the United States, as Times suggests, but even alarms France. Which is saying something.
That “Mr Ahmadinejad” kid glove treatment has a little of the “Mr Hitler” about it. Offensive.
Speaking of the French, AFP is a little quicker to the point:
NEW YORK (AFP) — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad starts his third visit to the United States Monday with two public appearances that have kicked up a storm of controversy.
The Iranian leader, who has called for the destruction of Israel and questioned the Holocaust, was to address the National Press Club in Washington by video conference and to speak at Columbia University.
Juan Cole at Salon thinks we’re “demonizing the Iranian president.” That’s a no-heavy-lifting job.
Michael Slackman at Int’l Herald Tribune: What’s everyone so worked up about Jew-bashing, West-baiting A’jad for? Subtlies of Iranian political system misunderstood. Other leaders in the shadows more dangerous! (Distinction lost on me. Murderous international meddling, nuke lust, A’jad’s role as public international face of regime in United Nations, other venues, not mentioned. File under “Same shit, different office.” That’s OK. Cruise missiles and air raids on Iranian nuke, military and terrorism-supporting infrastructure will disarm the more dangerous ones, too.)
James Carroll, Boston Globe: Terrorist Bush, not human family member Ahmadinejad, desecrates Ground Zero.
Palate-cleansing Boston Herald coverage here, here, here, and here.
Topics: Iran
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 8:39 am on Monday, September 24, 2007
12 Responses to “Charm Offensive?”
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September 24th, 2007 at 9:32 am
[...] Also worth noting, posts by Michelle Malkin and Jules Crittenden. [...]
September 24th, 2007 at 10:13 am
Ahmeanie’s visit: The latest (UPDATE 2)
The protests are on today in NYC as Ahmeanie prepares to make his speeches to the UN and Columbia U (Correction: The UN speech is tomorrow - h/t: Allahpundit). Here’s the latest:
—- The NYSun reports that state and city lawmakers are cons…
September 24th, 2007 at 10:47 am
Ahmadinejhad raises taqiyya (”the art of lying to the infidel”) to a new level.
While this simplistic and naive “America says” line in the London Times is enough to gag a maggot.
“America says that Iran is secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons and accuses it of helping Shia militias in Iraq to attack US troops - claims that Iran denies.”
September 24th, 2007 at 10:59 am
Why yes, I do find his brand of charm offensive.
September 24th, 2007 at 11:09 am
What part of “Death to America” have I been misinterpreting?
September 24th, 2007 at 11:55 am
“Juan Cole at Salon thinks we’re “demonizing the Iranian president.”
No. He did it to himself. Unfortunately, we cannot take credit for that.
September 24th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
You can’t demonize the devil. I’m very offended by the thought of this murderous little dog-turd setting foot on my soil, let alone visiting Ground Zero. Perhaps next year the USAF can reciprocate the visit.
September 24th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
Ahmadinejad In NY Amid Massive Protests
This lunatic is still planning to go to Ground Zero, despite his request being rejected and family members of 9/11 victims have been EVICTED from Ground Zero this morning??? What the hell is wrong with this picture?
September 24th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
I’ve met illegal aliens with more American patriotism than Juan “Haw Haw” Cole. This POS isn’t worth the skinned knuckle you’d get from removing his teeth. The bastard is beyond contempt and is quite possibly the worst traitor living in Texas. I cannot believe that some of my Texas brethren haven’t tar and feathered this creep by now. Rot in hell Juan Cole, and may the spirits haunt you eternally. (Yeah, yeah, I know. Next time I’ll tell yall how I REALLY feel.)
September 24th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
There are times when I become too overwhelmed with disgust to do more than try to soothe my sputtering brain. This is one of those times.
Add to this shite today’s report from Al Jeez that the good Admiral who has taken over command central told the ME that he thinks a good chit-chat is the best thing and that he thinks we need to lower the rhetoric about war with Iran. I don’t have a link. I couldn’t stay on the page long enough to even think of getting the link.
September 24th, 2007 at 10:43 pm
That might be OK Salty, provided that once their guard was down we bombed the crap out of them.
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:32 am
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