Ahmadinejad Echoes the Democratic Left

Cross-posted from Faultline USA

 On Sept. 20, 2007, 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley interviewed Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran, Iran. Sounding like he was speaking from the Daily Kos and Netroots playbook, Ahmadinejad was sending a clear signal to his allies on the Democratic left – especially to Rosie and her ilk.

And his message was also a pat on the heads of his pet Dhimmis now running for President on the Democratic ticket. Why was he constantly smiling? He knows that he’s already got these presidential hopefuls trained and on a tight leash.

If they can’t even stand up to MoveOn.org, he knows he’s already got them cowered. For him it's a "Piece o cake"! Doesn’t he sound just like Rosie???

The American people still don't know who was behind the bombing of the Twin Towers. Many books in the U.S. have been written about the incident., and there are questions circling in your society. Once you go back, go to the streets, ask the local people who was behind this, what were the reason for that? 

And, again, I fail to see why you continually say “the American people.“ I have the latest surveys. Eighty percent of the American citizens say that the American government knew about the attack beforehand.” 

Pelly asked questions about Ahmadinejad’s desire to visit to the World Trade Center, Iran’s nuclear program, about his view of Bush, and his view of Israel among other things.

 Excerpts from the 60 Minutes interview with MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD. You can read the entire transcript here.

 Please note that the entire interview with Ahmadinejad was not broadcast on 60 Minutes. I’ve selected excerpts that demonstrate Ahmadinejad’s pandering to the Democratic left.

 AHMADINEJAD: . . . you are representing a media and you're a reporter. The American nation is made up of 300 million people. There are different points of view over there. I would like to think that the points of view of the American people is very close to the points of view of the Iranian people. The American people are very much against and opposed what certain American officials are saying and their points of view. And they're also, the way that the people have voted in the American elections is very telling. And we are criticizing such behavior on the part of the American government. We believe that if anyone just allows himself to accuse others, there will be no possibility for peace and friendship. 


PELLEY: What do you mean the American election is telling? What did you take from it?


 AHMADINEJAD: What I'm saying is that the American people very clearly have shown that they do not endorse what certain American officials are saying and doing. I remind you of the rallies in Washington a couple of days ago. What were they saying and shouting? Perhaps 70, 80 percent of the American people are against their troops, their sons and daughters being in Iraq and war. And as I said, they're very much against war. And for that matter, the American people are peace-loving people. You shouldn't think that what the American officials are doing and their behavior reflects completely the mood of the American people. And American officials must not make the American people a victim of their wants and wishes. And we make a distinction between the American people and American officials. And the American people are opposed to occupation, the use of force, and also terrorism, the killing of the people of other nations. And this is what we are saying. This is what we believe in. With that in mind, we feel very close to the American people. And I'm sure that this is reciprocal. A couple of days ago, an American scientist, a scholar, wrote to me saying that he has a great love for Iran. And once he passes, he wants to be buried in this country. The two nations are very close to one another. . . . [snip] 


PELLEY: What trait do you admire in President Bush? 


AHMADINEJAD: Again, I have a very frank tone. I think that President Bush needs to correct his ways.  


PELLEY: What do you admire about him? 


 AHMADEINEJAD: He should respect the American people. 


PELLEY: Is there anything? Any trait? 


 AHMADINEJAD: As an American citizen, tell me what trait do you admire? 


 PELLEY: Well, Mr. Bush is, without question, a very religious man, for example, as you are. I wonder if there's anything that you've seen in President Bush that you admire. 


 AHMADEINEJAD: Well, is Mr. Bush a religious man? 


PELLEY: Very much so. As you are. 


 AHMADEINEJAD: What religion, please tell me, tells you as a follower of that religion to occupy another country and kill its people? Please tell me. Does Christianity tell its followers to do that? Judaism, for that matter? Islam, for that matter? What prophet tells you to send 160,000 troops to another country, kill men, women, and children? You just can't wear your religion on your sleeve or just go to church. You should be truthfully religious. Religion tells us all that you should respect the property, the life of different people. Respect human rights. Love your fellow man. And once you hear that a person has been killed, you should be saddened. You shouldn't sit in a room, a dark room, and hatch plots. And because of your plots, many thousands of people are killed. Having said that, we respect the American people. And because of our respect for the American people, we respectfully talk with President Bush. We have a respectful tone. But having said that, I don't think that that is a good definition of religion. Religion is love for your fellow man, brotherhood, telling the truth. . . [snip] 




PELLEY: President Bush has pledged that you will not be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon and will use military force if necessary. 


 AHMADEINEJAD: I think Mr. Bush, if he wants his party to win the next election, there are cheaper ways and ways to go about this. I can very well give him a few ideas so that the people vote for him. He should respect the American people. They should not bug the telephone conversations of their citizens. They should not kill the sons and daughters of the American nation. They should not squander the taxpayers' money and give them to weapons companies. And also help the people, the victims of Katrina. People will vote for them if they do these things. But if they insist on what they are saying right now, this will not help them. Again, nobody can hurt the Iranian people. And history tells us that the people who have been less than kind to the Iranian people, they have lost out. What I'm saying, I am being very sincere here. I'm a Muslim. I cannot tell a lie. I am supposed to tell the truth. What I'm saying is that President Bush's conduct in Iraq is wrong. And his wrong conduct is behind his party losing the previous elections. This is very clear. The American people are very much dismayed with the behavior and the conduct of the present administration. They are not dismayed with Iran. In fact, the two nations are very close to one another. An example of that would be the letter sent to me by an American scholar a few days ago. 


 PELLEY: You mentioned telling the truth as a Muslim, and as you know so much better than I do, Verse 42 of the second sura: "The truth shall not be obscured by falsehood, and those who know the truth must tell it." But when I ask you a question as direct as "Will you pledge not to test a nuclear weapon?" you you dance all around the question. You never say "yes." You never say "no." 


 PELLEY: You mentioned telling the truth as a Muslim, and as you know so much better than I do, Verse 42 of the second sura: "The truth shall not be obscured by falsehood, and those who know the truth must tell it." But when I ask you a question as direct as "Will you pledge not to test a nuclear weapon?" you you dance all around the question. You never say "yes." You never say "no." 

(Note: Abdullah Al Araby, writing in Islam Review, explains that “unlike most religions, within Islam there are certain provisions under which lying is not simply tolerated, but actually encouraged … When dealing with Muslims, one must keep in mind that Muslims can communicate something with apparent sincerity, when in reality they may have just the opposite agenda in their hearts. Bluntly stated, Islam permits Muslims to lie anytime that they perceive that their own well-being, or that of Islam, is threatened.”)

 The above quote came from The Free Thinker. Sometimes Athiests are useful. Back to the interview . . .

  AHMADEINEJAD: Well, thank you for that. You are like a CIA investigator. And you are . . . 


PELLEY: I am just a reporter. I am a simple, average American reporter. 


 AHMADEINEJAD: This is not a Baghdad prison. Please, this is not a secret prison in Europe. This is not Abu Ghraib. This is Iran. I'm the president of this country. Well, I think that I've gone beyond what you've asked me, above and beyond. And I think that if you speak to your job as a reporter, what I have said so far, again, goes above and beyond what you ask me. 


 PELLEY: One last thing. So important for the American people to understand. When your airplane approaches Manhattan this week, you will look out the window and you will see that the World Trade Center is gone. Many Americans, Mr. President, to be frank, believe that you look out that window and you say to yourself, "Good. Somebody got 'em." They believe our countries are enemies. 


AHMADEINEJAD: Well, you shouldn't speak on behalf of the American people. I can speak on behalf of the Iranian people, but you cannot speak on behalf of the American people. Why do you insist on doing that? Why do you not allow the American people to speak for themselves? Why? Let them speak for themselves. The people gathered around the White House a couple of days ago. They spoke whatever was in their hearts and minds. Are they not American citizens? Hundreds of thousands of people have rallied against the war. Are they not citizens? Our government at the time expressed its condemnation. We issued an official communiqué condemning that incident. How can you, in your mind, accuse and condemn others? Well, if an Iranian person for that matter had done the same thing, it would have been shameful, and it would not have been fair. So, again, this is not fair. Maybe this is your point of view or also perhaps your editor's point of view. And you are saying that the American people are saying these things. The American people still don't know who was behind the bombing of the Twin Towers. Many books in the U.S. have been written about the incident., and there are questions circling in your society. Once you go back, go to the streets, ask the local people who was behind this, what were the reason for that? And, again, I fail to see why you continually say “the American people.“ I have the latest surveys. Eighty percent of the American citizens say that the American government knew about the attack beforehand. They had information. . . 

If you want to know why Ahamadinejad wants the Democrats to win the next national election, please read The Enemy at Home by Dinesh D’Souza. Here’s a quote:

 “In reality, the left already has a foreign policy and a strategy and it is called working in tandem with bin Laden to defeat Bush. As we have seen, the left and the Islamic radicals operate like the two sides of a scissors, each prong working separately , but toward the same end . . .the same goal of defeating Bush in Iraq, and they need each other to accomplish this goal. . .” 

 Thanks to Little Green Footballs for listing the information on these planned protests Protests Against Ahmadinejad on Monday Congressman Duncan Hunter issued a statement Sunday morning from Mackinac Island directed to Columbia University. 

"To host the leader of Iran when he supports terrorists that are moving deadly roadside bombs across the Iraqi border to be used against American troops is a slap in the face for the entire 165,000 men and women in Iraq and to those that have served before them," said Hunter. "If President Lee Bollinger follows through with this hosting of the leader of Iran, I will move in Congress to cut off every single type of Federal Funding to Columbia University. If the left-wing leaders of academia will not support our troops, they, in the very least, should not support our adversaries. 

This event, following the slanderous action of MoveOn.org, depicting General Petraeus as "General Betray Us," in the New York Times represents the emergence of the extreme left-wing in American politics." Concluding, "I think it is time for the Democrat party to denounce this fringe element in their party," said Hunter.