Iran president says Israel's days are numbered

NCfan

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday told delegates at an international conference questioning the Holocaust that Israel's days were numbered.

Ahmadinejad, who has sparked international outcry by referring to the killing of six million Jews in World War Two as a "myth" and calling for Israel to be "wiped off the map," launched another verbal attack on the Jewish state.

"Thanks to people's wishes and God's will the trend for the existence of the Zionist regime is downwards and this is what God has promised and what all nations want," he said.

"Just as the Soviet Union was wiped out and today does not exist, so will the Zionist regime soon be wiped out," he added.

His words received warm applause from delegates at the Holocaust conference, who included ultra-Orthodox anti-Israel Jews and European and American writers who argue the Holocaust was either fabricated or exaggerated.

The Vatican, Germany and the European Commission added their voices on Tuesday to others -- such as the United States and Israel -- who have condemned the Tehran meeting.

Iran says it organized the conference to shed light on the reasons behind the formation of the state of Israel after World War Two and to allow researchers from countries where it is a crime to question the Holocaust to speak freely.

"Iran is your home and is the home of all freedom seekers of the world," Ahmadinejad said. "Here you can express your views and exchange opinions in a friendly, brotherly and free atmosphere."

"FACT-FINDING" COMMITTEE FORMED

He urged countries where Holocaust denial is a crime, to respect freedom of speech and not to take action against any of the conference participants on their return.

Human rights groups frequently number Iran as one of the world's worst violators of free speech, where scores of newspapers have been closed, journalists jailed, access to Web sites blocked and government critics hounded out of the country.

Delegates at the meeting earlier on Tuesday agreed to form a "fact-finding" committee to study the Holocaust.

The head of the new committee, identified as Iranian academic Mohammad Ali Ramin, said its members were "not racist or opposed to any particular group."

"Rather they are just seeking the truth to set humanity truly free," the ISNA students news agency quoted him as saying, without naming the committee members.

Robert Faurisson, a French scholar who has described the Holocaust as a "historical lie," said the committee included members from the United States, France, Canada, Switzerland, Austria, Iran, Bahrain and Syria, ISNA reported.

The Vatican called the Holocaust an "immense tragedy" which had to remain forever a warning for all people to respect the rights of others.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the Tehran meeting "shows the danger of the situation Israel is in and in particular the threat that Israel lives under."

She was speaking after meeting Ehud Olmert, who was on his first visit to Germany as Israeli Prime Minister.

Germany has made it a priority to support Israel since the Holocaust under the Nazis and the end of World War Two in 1945.

EU Commissioner Franco Frattini expressed "shock and indignation," adding: "Anti-Semitism has no place in Europe; nor should it in any other part of the world."

DCGARDEN

Yeah, let's " talk " with this lunatic about how to solve the problems in Iraq

inmytree

perhaps israel should address this...

not us...

jlew24asu

so sad

NCfan

DCGARDEN wrote:

Yeah, let's " talk " with this lunatic about how to solve the problems in Iraq

I'm all for diplomacy and dialouge, but I have to agree. How do you rationalize and negotiate with a government that has this perspective, this agenda? I don't see any common ground. Our cultures are directly at odds with each other. We aren't going to cede anything to the Iranians that will undermine our position in the future and visa versa.

Furthermore, how is it that a guy like this can just straight out lie to the world like he does??? Seems crazy to me... How in the world can people talk about fearing the U.S. more than any other country when this presidential nutjob, holocaust denier boasts of superior intellectual dialouge and freedom of speech compared to the West, when that is complete bullshit???? Makes you kind of scratch your head.....

The dumbest thing Bush has ever done, and for the record the stupidest thing any American president has ever done (IMO) is the whole aircraft carrier/mission accomplished stunt. As looney and compeltely mind bogglingly fucked up as that was.... it doesn't even compare to this guy!!!!!!!

Ahnimus

He seems to believe that the Muslim Brotherhood was solely responsible for the fall of the Soviet Union. When in actuality it was the Soviet Union that was solely responsible for it's own collapse.

sonicreducer

inmytree wrote:

perhaps israel should address this...

not us...

i agree,...

NMyTree

The best line:

" "Iran is your home and is the home of all freedom seekers of the world," Ahmadinejad said. "Here you can express your views and exchange opinions in a friendly, brotherly and free atmosphere."

hahahaha! This guy's a riot! Doesn't get any funnier (and more absurd) than that!

NMyTree

Ahnimus wrote:

He seems to believe that the Muslim Brotherhood was solely responsible for the fall of the Soviet Union. When in actuality it was the Soviet Union that was solely responsible for it's own collapse.

Yeah, but the Muslim Brotherhood made an effort, so I guess they accept all credit for it. Although, if that credit were to be percieved as blame, I suspect there would be less eagerness to accept.

miller8966

Ahnimus wrote:

He seems to believe that the Muslim Brotherhood was solely responsible for the fall of the Soviet Union. When in actuality it was the Soviet Union that was solely responsible for it's own collapse.

lets not forget the greatest U.S president of all time....
Give me an

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yosi1

Right on! Down with the Zionists!

dkst0426

inmytree wrote:

perhaps israel should address this...

not us...

Yes, I'm sure Ahmadinejad would be quite open to diplomatic talks with the very state he wants to erase off the world map.

Scubascott

yosi wrote:

Right on! Down with the Zionists!

Huh? You're joking right? I think my sarcasm detector is broken.

inmytree

dkst0426 wrote:

Yes, I'm sure Ahmadinejad would be quite open to diplomatic talks with the very state he wants to erase off the world map.

that is Israel's problem, not the ours....

NCfan

inmytree wrote:

that is Israel's problem, not the ours....

Why shouldn't we support Israel in the face of Iran? On one hand, you have a strong democracy that grants freedom and sufferage to all its people. I'm not saying Israel is perfect, but their form of government and what they stand for surely trump their wrong-doings.

On the other hand you have a theocratic Iran that outlaws all religions besides their ultra-conservative form of Islam, sentences homosexuals to death by hanging, closes newspapers and other media outlets and discriminates against women...

So I'll ask again, why shouldn't we support a country that shares our views towards human rights and self-determination?

inmytree

NCfan wrote:

Why shouldn't we support Israel in the face of Iran? On one hand, you have a strong democracy that grants freedom and sufferage to all its people. I'm not saying Israel is perfect, but their form of government and what they stand for surely trump their wrong-doings.

On the other hand you have a theocratic Iran that outlaws all religions besides their ultra-conservative form of Islam, sentences homosexuals to death by hanging, closes newspapers and other media outlets and discriminates against women...

So I'll ask again, why shouldn't we support a country that shares our views towards human rights and self-determination?

because we have enough to deal with...

also, why do we have to play the roll of big brother to Israel...? are we the world police...? why can't Israel take care of themselves...?

yosi1

Scubascott wrote:

Huh? You're joking right? I think my sarcasm detector is broken.

Yes. But to be honest, sarcasm is often hard to detect in written form. But, just so you're sure, check out my locations.

NCfan

inmytree wrote:

because we have enough to deal with...

also, why do we have to play the roll of big brother to Israel...? are we the world police...? why can't Israel take care of themselves...?

From my point of view, Iran's behavior is at or near the top of the list of "things we have to deal with". Besides, all aspects of foreign policy are related on some level. I would say Iran and Iraq are extremely inter-related.

We are in effect Israel's "big brother". Why is that a bad thing? Britain is in effect our "older parents". Why should we not support countries that share our world views?

Why should we leave an ally to fend for themselves when we can help?

Byrnzie

miller8966 wrote:

lets not forget the greatest U.S president of all time....
Give me an

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Tell that to Latin America! That would be the equivalent of a German today telling Israel that Hitler was Germany's greatest leader.

Byrnzie

NCfan wrote:

From my point of view, Iran's behavior is at or near the top of the list of "things we have to deal with".

We are in effect Israel's "big brother". Why is that a bad thing? Britain is in effect our "older parents". Why should we not support countries that share our world views?

What we need to deal with are ignorant jingoistic Americans acting unilaterlly in the world and stiring up war fever for the sole benefit af a handful of rich pigs in Washington and Texas.
And Britain does not share right-wing America's world views. Tony Blair does.

NCfan

Byrnzie wrote:

Tell that to Latin America! That would be the equivalent of a German today telling Israel that Hitler was Germany's greatest leader.

You did have a point until you tried to compare Reagan to Hitler.... that was completely unecessary and inflamatory. Are you hear to share ideas or make enemies?