Ahmadinejad Challenges Obama To TV Debate

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Monday he's ready to meet "face-to-face" with President Obama in a televised debate over their countries' disputes.

The Iranian leader said he plans to visit New York for the next U.N. General assembly in September, as he has several times since coming to power in 2005.

During the trip, "we are ready to sit with his excellency Obama, face to face, free and before media, to put the world's issues on the table to find out whose solution is better," Ahmadinejad said in a speech to visiting Iranian expatriates aired live on state TV.

Ahmadinejad has repeatedly proposed televised debates with American presidents over the past years, an offer dismissed by Washington.

The U.S. accuses Tehran of seeking to build a nuclear weapon, a claim Iran denies. The United Nations has imposed four rounds of financial sanctions on Tehran for its refusal to halt uranium enrichment, a process that can be used to produce fuel for a reactor or a warhead. Iran says it has a right to conduct enrichment for what it says is its peaceful nuclear program.

In his speech, Ahmadinejad derided the sanctions, saying "how many resolutions you have passed? Four? Pass as many as you can to make it 4,000."

Comments

[Pete DiMartino]

06:09 AM on 08/09/2010

Yea right after he debates RUSH.

[blutigeroo]

05:31 AM on 08/04/2010

Excellent Idea. From what I have heard (from those who know Farsi), Ahmadinejad is a great speaker like Obama. However, when it comes to the dispute between the 2 countries, Ahmadinejad is generally right.

[Hassan shoja]

03:16 PM on 08/04/2010

The difference is Ahmadinejad means what he says but Obama is only give great speeches.

It would be nice if Obama delivers at least a few of the promises he had made during his campaign.

One of Obama's promises was to meet President Ahmadinejad and try to sort things out with him, instead of giving warmongers another golden opportunity to make more money on yet another war with Iran and ruin US economy.

[the smart one]

08:13 PM on 08/04/2010

test, make sure i can read back

[Pete DiMartino]

06:07 AM on 08/09/2010

health care reform

[Baghooli]

06:46 PM on 08/03/2010

Both president should seat and talk with each other, by judging from Persepolis sculptures it's quite natural for great leaders to accept foreign dignitaries in their seat of power and it could be great show of power by US president, of course privately at first before moving on to TV circus shows!

[Hassan shoja]

07:55 PM on 08/03/2010

Any types of meeting will decrease tensions and reduce the probability of yet another war in ME.

I was surprised to see so many negative reactions for something as positive as an invitation to talk from President Ahmadinejad to decrease the tensions between two countries.

Iran and US have not meet face to face in an official meeting for over 30 years.

Maybe it is time for Obama to make history and accept this invitation to break the ice between Iran and US.

[Libertarian09]

08:42 PM on 08/03/2010

He wont because he knows America is in the wrong and an actual debate would not come off well for Obama

[SureThang]

05:44 AM on 08/04/2010

Obama doesn't need to make history with this ...

[TurnToTheLeft]

05:10 PM on 08/03/2010

Oh Good idea for TV! Will Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul serve as the judges?

[BraveWarrior]

03:02 PM on 08/03/2010

It is clear that this president avoids press conferences, even after the purge of the implacable Helen Thomas. Better to go on the 'View" and prove charming, while avoiding difficult and embarrassing questions. I once chanted with fellow protesters, 'Hey, hey LBJ how many kids did you kill today'. That is the question someone should ask him. Perhaps if we grow to like him we will forget how many innocent people he has ordered killed. Perhaps someday he will explain why Israel has nuclear bombs but Iran is the cause of any arms race. Perhaps some day he will explain the massacre at Falluja. Perhaps he can explain why shooting a bound prisoner 4 times in the head is called self defense.

[mountvernon43]

10:29 AM on 08/03/2010

One invitation to debate provokes a thousand cheap, sneering remarks.

[me again]

08:39 AM on 08/03/2010

What a waste of copy.

[marre]

06:20 AM on 08/03/2010

Ahmadinejad's performance at Columbia is adequate proof that there's not much point in this kind of thing. His answer about gays (no problem, we don't have any in Iran) says it all, and giving him a public platform and a media circus would be silly and a waste of Obama's time. I have no doubt that Obama's desire to discuss is sincere, and also no doubt that an effort is being made towards this end behind the scenes, as is always the case.

[Libertarian09]

08:44 PM on 08/03/2010

Where did you learn to speak Farsi?

[Power2Truth]

04:46 AM on 08/03/2010

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hasn’t earned the creads for an audience let alone a debate with President Obama.
On the other hand, communication and airing of grievances is a good thing.
Hillary Clinton would be a better fit and more appropriate.
Besides, let him debate with a woman, particularly one of caliber.

[Libertarian09]

08:45 PM on 08/03/2010

Ahmadinejad is certainly more worthy of an audience than Obama is worthy of his Nobel. Hillary will have no interest in having to avoid the issues any more than Obama

[Hassan shoja]

03:33 AM on 08/03/2010

U.S. make fake movie against Iran

http://www.iranmilitaryforum.net/index.php?topic=4850.msg41015#msg41015

[mudshark12]

03:27 AM on 08/03/2010

Hold debate at the UN in NYC. Rules: Obama and Imadinnerjacket MUST answer each question asked of them by the other in a polite manner, NO rambling diatribes are to be allowed.

Imadinnerjacket had better brush up on his public speaking as our President is a very articulate and eloquent public speaker.

[Cihangir]

04:05 AM on 08/03/2010

Then you speak rhetorical Farsi? Cool.

[mountvernon43]

10:23 AM on 08/03/2010

"Imadinnerjacket" is rhetorical Farsi?

[Libertarian09]

08:49 PM on 08/03/2010

If you spoke Farsi you would probably find "Imadinnerjacket" to be a rather compelling speaker. I can only imagine how ridiculous Obama sounds once translated into Farsi.

Don't care for your position on this issue but I can't help but laugh every time I see "Imadinnerjacket"

[mudshark12]

11:57 PM on 08/03/2010

I welcome dialogue between these two leaders as it's much better than going to a NUCLEAR war, as I suspect they already have the bomb.

I just wish the Iranian President would LISTEN for a change instead of pushing his agenda only despite anything Obama might say. I also would like for him not to be such a hothead, if he were to do that then I wouldn't make fun of his name.

[Occam123]

03:10 AM on 08/03/2010

"During his speech at Columbia University, President Ahmadinejad said his country ‘doesn’t have problems with gay people because they don’t have homosexuals in Iran.’ Which finally explains why Ahmadinejad gets away with wearing a windbreaker from 1983."
Conan O’Brien

[marcehole]

11:39 AM on 08/03/2010

hahahahaha!

[Foxrun]

09:18 PM on 08/18/2010

Boy you sure didn't understand what he said. He said we don't have the same phenomena as you do in this country.

[leutenizer]

01:59 AM on 08/03/2010

There is much one can find to criticize Ahmadinejad, but one thing should remain certain in our History: Ahmadinejad has come to NYC every year of his presidency and had openly asked to debate anyone who wants to talk to him, now for 5 years. The man even took an invitation to Colombia University for an open debate with the students there. Which President has done that. We talk about diplomatic solutions, this guy comes here and says he wants to talk, now for 5 years, and we still are debating whether we should talk to them.
What is more sad, is that the media keeps bringing up Obama's rhetorical sugestion for Iran to open its fist without any concrete proposals. The same media forgets that the Iranian President has come to US and asked for more. now for 5 years.

[LorenzoMN]

03:20 PM on 08/03/2010

Except for one fact: the president of Iran stole the election in his country...why would we talk to him? he does not represent the people of Iran. All he is trying to do is get on a bigger stage so he can repeat his crackpot ideas to a bigger audience.

[Libertarian09]

08:59 PM on 08/03/2010

Your opinion. You have no idea whether that election was rigged or not and you are just taking the anti Iran propaganda position. Whether you want to believe it or not this man has the legitimate support of many Iranians. The only ones opposed to him are the ones who wish to return to the days of the Shah, advancement of the wealthy at the expense of everyone else.

[BurritoT]

01:12 AM on 08/03/2010

O wait this is good news, Obama loves to have picnics with the bad guys. He got elected on this platform and all the left weenies bought into the idea have having campfire chats with people like Ahmad. Well let's do it, let's all be buddies.

[Power2Truth]

04:39 AM on 08/03/2010

Now you know, that's not true.

[BurritoT]

01:09 AM on 08/03/2010

I have seen Ahmed in a number of interviews - he NEVER answers the questions asked and only rambles on and on about his views and inflexible positions. Obama would be wasting his time.

[wolfdogNM]

01:57 AM on 08/03/2010

My, then he is like so many of those talk radio and Faux comentators.

[Libertarian09]

09:01 PM on 08/03/2010

When was the last time you saw one of your politicians answer a question? For that matter when was the last time you saw someone ask them a real question?