Iran president says Israel's days are numbered
NCfan
Posts: 945
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."
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."
Post edited by Unknown User on
0
Comments
Untill their will grows tired
not us...
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!!!!!!!
i agree,...
~Ron Burgundy
" "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!
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.
lets not forget the greatest U.S president of all time....
Give me an
-R
-E
-A
-G
-A
-N
Huh? You're joking right? I think my sarcasm detector is broken.
-C Addison
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?
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...?
Yes. But to be honest, sarcasm is often hard to detect in written form. But, just so you're sure, check out my locations.
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?
Tell that to Latin America! That would be the equivalent of a German today telling Israel that Hitler was Germany's greatest leader.
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.
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?
That's awsome! Let's call each other ignorant... I'm sure that will help solve a lot of problems!
I'm guessing you don't smile a lot.
Anyway...good ole' President Tom and David Duke. "I take no position on the issue of gas chambers."
Those damned ignorant Americans forcing President Tom to say these inflamotory things! Damn those rich pigs in Washington, Texas, and...(where does George Soros live?) who force people to wipe out jews.
And I try to make this kind and clear
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days
Cuz I don't need boxes wrapped in strings
And desire and love and empty things
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days
I said 'ignorant jingoistic Americans'. I didn't say all Americans. If you regard yourself as falling within the former category then that's your problem.
Perhaps. But then 10 years of oppression and bloodshed during which tens of thousands were slaughtered as a result of Reagan sponsored terrorism doesn't qualify Reagan as being America's greatest ever president, despite what Fox news may say. History will see to that.
Actually, I chuckle to myself every time I get on the M.T. It's a constant source of amusement to me.
And the stupid comments on the Moving Train keep on rollin'.
Stupid to you perhaps. Were you born and raised in El Salvador, or Nicaragua?
Spend anytime in a concentration camp?
1 thing to say Reagan isn't the greatest president. But to compare him to Hitler is just.....well...it's just stupid.
WHy is that anytime someone dislikes a president they try and say he is just as bad as Hitler? Try some fresh material.
If you had been at the end of a gun in Latin America during the 1980's as a result of Reagan sponsored terrorism there, and had perhaps witnessed your family being massacred by a death squad, then I doubt that you'd compare Reagan to Mother Theresa. But then I don't expect you to be able to see the world through the eyes of another.
how? all he did was outspend them...the encyclopedia even states they cooked the intel back then to make the ussr look like more of a threat than it was, ppl in the cia have admitted this, as well. honestly, in those past few decades how were they a real threat to us?
he had a voice that was strong and loud and
i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
eager to identify with
someone above the crowd
someone who seemed to feel the same
someone prepared to lead the way