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Naturally, the media was all over this unusual news opportunity. If you only heard their comments after the actual speech based on the media's perception, you really did not get the sense about this entire controversy and speech.
WAS IT SMART FOR COLUMBIA'S PRESIDENT TO OFFER THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR A MAN LABELED A "TERRORIST"? COLUMBIA MADE A POINT, BUT WAS IT SMART TO DO SO?
It told, or better showed the world, that "free speech" is well and alive in the US,at least at Columbia, even for a so-called "terrorist." That took some guts, and I am sure Mr. Lee Bollinger took lots of heat for it even though his "pre-speech" statement was very blunt and did not mince words.
WHO GOT MORE MILEAGE OUT OF THIS SPECTACLE?
I would say that the Iranian President did, no doubt about it. I am not sure if his speaking at a prestigious US university lends "legitimacy" to his regime or not, certainly not worldwide. But, I am sure the Iranians only get to hear, see or read what the government WANTS them to, and there can't be no doubt about it either.
WHAT DID IRAN'S PRESIDENT GAIN?
Those intellectuals in Iran, I am sure, know what's going on and understand what this was all about.
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I believe the Iranian
By Michelle Kenneth, September 25, 2007 at 17:12I believe the Iranian President is HINTING at the fact that the 9/11 report is FALSE. It's full of a pack of lies.
I can't go into too much details as far as what I've learned in the past couple of days since his visit to NYC, but I will say this...I have contended (and the Iranian president has further put the pieces together for me) that our own government was behind 9/11. The way I remember things surrounding 9/11 beginning with 9/10 until immediately before the news started reporting the first plane hitting the first tower, was that Bush was involved. How do you go from having a meeting with an important foreign dignitary scheduled in the White House on 9/11 at 10 a.m., announced on the 10:00 p.m. news the night before, and then at 7:00 a.m. the next morning, the President is on his way to read school books to children in Florida???? That to me was fishy. At 9:02 a.m. the report that the president was meeting the dignitary was still scheduled at 10:00 a.m. according to Yahoo! news.
Even as we go back into the history of Al Qaeda and Bin Laden...look at all the ties the US has had with them. WE were the ones who trained them and provided them with the weaponry.
Based on what I've learned in the past couple of days, sure...the US may be going to war with Iran...but I find it interesting how much the US is SHARING with Iran prior to any war that we could possibly be having soon. If he's the so called terrorist or protecting terrorists...then why did we let him into this country to roam so freely and SHARE such vital important information with him??? Especially when it concerns our nation's security.
All I have to say is thanks Mr. Bush and thanks to the Iranian president for clarifying the whole scheme for me this week...first hand. I always like to know I was RIGHT about something. All the missing pieces were provided to me this week.
IF the US goes to war with Iran, all you need to know is that Bush and Iran are shaking each others hands underneath the table.
I have to say, you said that
By Margaret Holborow, September 25, 2007 at 13:13I have to say, you said that the people hear and see only what the Government wants them to, I am afraid that stands true in your own country to.
Re: Is The Iranian President Smarter Than We Give Him Credit For
By Josh Sidman, October 6, 2007 at 09:17While this article is obviously not pro-Bush, I have to observe that by leading off with the question, "who won, Columbia or Ahmadinejad", the writer has bought into the American confrontational world-view. This is just another instance of the insanity of the American response to the Iranian leader's visit. Ahmadinejad came here to counter the incredibly biased representations of his statements by the American government and media (like the constant harping on holocaust denial and his calls for Israel to be "wiped off the map", neither one of which is an accurate reflection of his statements, by the way). Therefore, regardless of one's position as to what should be done vis-a-vis Iran's nuclear ambitions, there is no question but that some dialogue is better than none. And, to view an event like this as something to be won or lost is another instance of the immature American world-view in which there are "good" countries and "evil" countries. There is no such thing. People, generally speaking, are good, regardless of which country they live in. Governments, in general, are corrupt, regardless of whether its our government or Iran's.