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Ahmadinejad: US, ‘big prison’

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad slams Washington’s domestic policy saying the US has turned into a big prison for the American nation. He made the remarks at a meeting with the leaders of US Muslim community on Tuesday. Ahmadinejad criticized the offensive remarks made by Columbia University’s President Lee Bollinger adding, “They insult the guest they’ve invited and echoed statements of a terrorist group in their remarks. They knew their words would

Israeli minister proposes trading Barghuti for Shalit

Al-Manar TV reports: An Israeli occupation minister said on Tuesday the Jewish state should exchange detained Palestinian Intifada leader Marwan Barghuti for an Israeli soldier captured by Gaza resistance fighters more than a year ago. “Marwan Barghuti has a good chance of becoming the next Palestinian leader,” Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, infrastructure minister and member of Israeli powerful security cabinet, told army radio. “His release could allow the political negotiations to advance

Do you or your government seek the destruction of the state of Israel as a Jewish state?

Excerpt of the exchange between President Ahmadinejad and Mr Coatsworth at Columbia University: MR. COATSWORTH: Mr. President, your statements here today and in the past have provoked many questions which I would like to pose to you on behalf of the students and faculty who have submitted them to me.Let me begin with the question to which you just —PRESIDENT AHMADINEJAD: (In English.) It is one by one, one by

Full transcript of Ahmadinejad’s visit to Columbia University

(taken from the blog Tangible Info) INTERPRETER: The president is reciting verses from the Holy Koran in Arabic. (Not translated.) PRESIDENT AHMADINEJAD: Oh, God, hasten the arrival of Imam al- Mahdi and grant him good health and victory, and make us his followers and those who attest to his (rightfulness ?).Distinguished Dean, dear professors and students, ladies and gentlemen. At the outset, I would like to extend my greetings to

The “voice for civilized world” exhibits a wholly un-civilized lack of manners

Below is the transcript of the introductory remarks to President Ahmadinejad (taken from the Tangible Info blog). I have added some short comments inside this text. MR. BOLLINGER: I would like to begin by thanking Dean John Coatsworth and Professor Richard Bulliet for their work in organizing this event and for their commitment to the School of International and Public Affairs and its role — (interrupted by cheers, applause) —

Turning Ahmadinejad into public enemy No. 1

Demonizing the Iranian president and making his visit to New York seem controversial are all part of the neoconservative push for yet another war. By Juan Cole “Salon” — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad‘s visit to New York to address the United Nations General Assembly has become a media circus. But the controversy does not stem from the reasons usually cited. The media has focused on debating whether he should be

Two interviews with Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi

Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, former C-in-C of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Corps and current advisor for military affairs to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has recently given two interviews: West Has Launched a “Media War“ TEHRAN, Sept. 23–Iran is working only for the peace, security and the welfare of the Iranian nation as well as the nations of the region, said a senior military advisor to Iran’s leader, Yahya

How George Bush Became The New Saddam

Its strategies shattered, a desperate Washington is reaching out to the late dictator’s henchmen. By Patrick Graham It was embarrassing putting my flak jacket on backwards and sideways, but in the darkness of the Baghdad airport car park I couldn’t see anything. “Peterik, put the flak jacket on,” the South African security contractor was saying politely, impatiently. “You know the procedure if we are attacked.” I didn’t. He explained. One

Serbia offers Kosovo internal autonomy

Iran’s PRESS TV reports that Serbia is going to offer a solution to the Kosovo issue which will be acceptable to all sides in the upcoming direct negotiations in New York. “Our proposal offers internal independence to Kosovo, or an opportunity for the ethnic Albanians to manage their own lives,” Serbian negotiation team member Goran Bogdanovic was quoted as saying. He pointed out that Serbia would not interfere in the

Ahmadinejad 60 minutes interview – full transcript (and video)

This is a complete transcript of the interview President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gave to CBS correspondent Scott Pelley in Tehran on Sept. 20, 2007. SCOTT PELLEY: Do you have a greeting to the American people? MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD: In the name of God, the compassionate, the merciful, I would like to greet the American people and the good nations around the world. Right now we are in the city of Tehran. It’s

Truly, we have returned to the Middle-Ages

Did a non-member of the IAEA really attack an IAEA member in early September? The Times Online has published an interesting story which claims that the Israeli Air Force overflight of Syria in early September was part of a complex military operating aimed at seizing and destroying nuclear materials shipped from the DPRK to Syria: Israeli commandos from the elite Sayeret Matkal unit – almost certainly dressed in Syrian uniforms

Beneath the Hideous Veneer of “Security”

By JENNNIFER LOEWENSTEIN On January 26th 1976 the United Nations Security Council debated a resolution (S11940) introduced by Jordan, Syria and Egypt that included all the crucial wording of UNSC resolution 242. It accepted the right of all states in the region to exist within secure and recognized borders while re-emphasizing the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force. This resolution added for the first time, however, what was

Numerous warnings made by Iranian officials: “enemies will regret any attack on Iran”

Enemies will regret any attack on Iran: IRGC commander TEHRAN — The enemies will bitterly regret any attack against Iran, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Commander Major General Mohammad-Ali Jafari said here on Saturday. As a united nation with strong defense capabilities, Iran has become invincible and “definitely the outcome of any attack on Iran will be bitter and regretful for the enemies,” Jafari told reporters on the sidelines of

The Police State Is Right Here, Right Now

By Carolyn Baker As nightfall does not come all at once, neither does oppression. In both instances, there is a twilight when everything remains seemingly unchanged. And it is in such a twilight that we all must be aware of change in the air-however slight-lest we become unwilling victims of the darkness. ~Justice William O. Douglas~ 09/20/07 “ICH” — — In April, 2007 I was pleasantly surprised to find Naomi

Pakistani Islamists demonstrate against Musharraf Islamists stage rally against Musharraf

By SADAQAT JAN Hundreds of Islamists chanting slogans against Pakistan’s military leader rallied outside the Supreme Court on Friday as judges heard petitions challenging President Gen. Pervez Musharraf’s right to run for re-election. Musharraf, meanwhile, appointed a new intelligence chief and promoted five other army generals in a shake-up just days after signaling he would resign from the military if he wins a new five-year term as president. Opposition parties,

Fears of dollar collapse as Saudis take fright

By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, International Business Editor, “The Telegraph” Saudi Arabia has refused to cut interest rates in lockstep with the US Federal Reserve for the first time, signalling that the oil-rich Gulf kingdom is preparing to break the dollar currency peg in a move that risks setting off a stampede out of the dollar across the Middle East. “This is a very dangerous situation for the dollar,” said Hans Redeker,

“I HOPE IT’S YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS THAT DIE” – US Representative Dana Rohrabacher

By US Army Reserves Colonel (Retired) Ann Wright “I HOPE IT’S YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS THAT DIE” said US Representative Dana Rohrabacher to American citizens who questioned the Bush Administration’s unlawful extraordinary rendition policies. Congressional hearings provide a deep insight into the inner spirit of our elected representatives-and sometimes, the insight is not pretty. On April 17, we witnessed Representative Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) unleash his unbridled anger onto members of the

Will realists prevail inside the Administration?

by Jim Lobe Steve Clemons’ article this week in Salon, “Why Bush won’t attack Iran,” offers, I think, a helpful corrective to what has been the growing conviction that has gripped anti-war critics and others that the administration is consciously moving toward war with Iran, possibly imminently. I think Steve’s analysis, which should be read carefully and in full, is very sound, although I’m not quite as persuaded as he

Congressman James Moran accused of Hitler-like thinking because of AIPAC comments: 16 Democrats send Moran angry letter

by Politico Sixteen of Democratic Rep. Jim Moran’s House colleagues rebuked him in a withering letter Wednesday for saying last week that the pro-Israel lobby, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, “pushed [the Iraq] war from the beginning.” It was the Virginia congressman’s latest dust-up over Israel — and one that brought a demand for a retraction by the House Democratic leader, Rep. Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland. Moran’s colleagues

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