My conversation with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

I was on vacation last week in France when the Iranian government said yes to a request for an interview with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. I flew to Tehran and talked to the President in the garden outside his presidential office. We talked about Georgia, Afghanistan, the U.S. presidential election, the Iranian economy and his own upcoming election. Here is a part of that conversation:

Comments

[ProudNeoCon]

This is not an interview, this is a propoganda piece. I do not think Iran is evil (it is more democratic than some of our allies in Middle East). However, Mr. Rose did not challenge a single point in the entire "interview". How is this "interview" is different from Iran's releasing a talking points? What did Mr. Rose add?

Where was a question about brand new Iranian weapons being used by Taliban (yes I do know that Taliban and Iran used to be enemies)? What about Canadian women of Iranian decent who was killed while being interogated by secret police in Iran? What about Iranian support for Shiite militia in Iraq? What about Iranian persecution of Bahai? Where is a question about effect sof Iran raising subsidised gas prices for population and riots which follow? Where is a question about a mini-war going on in Arab provinces of Iran where in the last year over 100 soldiers were killed? Where is a question on reletanship between Iran and Kurds?

Iran is a complex country with ancient history. Mr. Rose did nothing to help us better understand it...

[fussygorilla]

The Impaler: I cannot access Chrlie Rose video. When I click, a balnd white space shows up. How did you access it?

[TheImpaler]

None of those so called "axis of evil" leaders are as bad as the state department would want you to believe.

[MagisterLudi]

True. But current Iranian theocracy is one of the worst oppressors of human rights on the planet. And Ahmadinejad is its mouthpiece... and what a big lyi--ing mouth it is....

[TheImpaler]

I don"t think US is in the position to judge anyone"s human rights abuses. If all the oil profits would go to the usual suspects we would not even hear about any human rights abuses. In any case we should look in our backyard first before judging others!

[booksnmore4you]

As an anthropologist, I can say that I cannot think of anything more positive for rogue leaders than exposure, in person, to people outside of their cultural/political in group. It works toward giving them a contrastive opposition to their internal reality which can lead to cognitive dissonance and thus changes in their way. This is why ENGAGEMENT will ever and always be the superior foreign policy kingpin over and against isolation.

[RobinSeattle]

You guys are all out of our minds. All Rose did in this interview was be a kind of televisual fluffer for Ahmadinejad's propaganda purposes. He talks about nations making decisions for themselves; yet, he supports terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah that have turned Beirut, which was once known as the Paris of the Middle East, into a glorified bomb crater and Iran itself has oppressed non-Muslim minorities such as the Bahais and jailed political dissidents while its elections aren't exactly the paragon of transparency.

Rose made this megalomaniac look reasonable when, in fact, progressives in Iran are being harrassed, beaten and imprisoned for daring to go against the opressive theocracy there. Yes, the U.S. has blown it in its relations with Iran, installing the Shah of Iran, or as I call him, G.W. Bush on crack, in an illegal coup that overturned a democratically elected government lead by Mossadegh, which would eventually set the stage for the Islamic revolution.

This isn't a one or the other proposition. Both the Republicans and the current Iranian leaders are imperialists who loathe human rights. And Rose was almost grateful in being allowed to be the conduit for Iranian propaganda just as Tim Russert was always willing to echo neocon cant week after week. Actually, Rose may be closer to Larry King than Russert, he is that featherweight. This was just disgusting.

[arvay]

This gave me a real laugh, sort of like listening to George Bush lash out at insurgents in Iraq

. . . he supports terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah that have turned Beirut, which was once known as the Paris of the Middle East, into a glorified bomb crater . . .

What's turned Lebanon into a battlefield is the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who took refuge in Lebanon as part of the Israeli ethnic cleansing operation they didn't show in "Exodus," the Israeli invasion to attack the PLO there, which was what prompted the foundation of Hizbollah, which effectively forced Israel out, and the recent fiasco that saw Israel bombing Lebanon in its futile attempt to eradicate Hizbollah.

Ahmadinejad is a tyrant and incompetent, and his mishandling of the Iranian economy would probably have resulted in his ouster if we didn't prop him up by our constant harassment of Iran over its nuclear R&D. The glaring omission, of course, are those 150-odd Israeli nuclear weapons, which are the reason Iran would want its own nukes.

Interviewing Ahmadinejad is perfectly respectable journalism. After all, we've made him into a world figure. The fact that he spouts "propaganda" is scarcely remarkable, so does George Bush. But your suggestion that our press should keep Americans and others from hearing him is a bit Soviet.

[MagisterLudi]

The ONLY reason Lebanon is relatively free is because Israel kicked out the PLO, who illegally occupied South Lebanon. Deal with it. There are no innocents in ME. Least of all Iran.
The war against Hezbollah was strategically very successful. Proof---Hez. has been cowered into total peace. The border is VERY quiet.

[fussygorilla]

RobinSeattle: Could you explain WHY you think Ahmadinejad is "megalomeniac"? be specific.
Who the hell are your "progressives in Iran"? The remnants of the Pahlavi regime leftovers? Where is the evidence you claim Hezbollah and Hamas are "terrorists"? Would you include Israel as one also? Did Hezbollah terrorize Lebanese or defend Lebanon against Lebanon's arch enemy, Israel and repelled its invasion of their country?
Finally, on claimed discrimination against Baha'is: Baha'ism is not a religion but a cult and NONE of the Muslim countries in the world recognize it as a religion. Baha'is are staunch supporters of Israel therefore are considered the friend of the arch enemy of Iran. I remeber also you claiming previously that Baha'ism is the "fastest growing religion in the world"! You must be kidding, right?

[MagisterLudi]

Talking to enemies is important, provided they are asked serious questions and confronted if the lies are getting too outrageous. But public interview has little to do with "talking with your enemies." But everything to do with giving public forum to disseminate shameless propaganda.

[BlueZoo]

I am so pleased it was Charlie Rose who got this important interview! He's one of the very few top journalists we have and this proves why. The United States must engage our enemies in dialogue instead of war. I am, again, reminded of Indira Ghandi and I quote: "You can't shake hands with a clenched fist!"

[LinusBern]

Excellent interview Mr. Rose.

[slaxx]

the people of iran are not our enemies. we should blame/punish them no more than we want to be punished for the actions of our administration. the iranians gave the most to the US after hurricane katrina than any other country. they are quite westernized and just want peace. although their pres always sounds good in his interviews, he is still a dictator and oppresses his people.

[Susej]

He was elected democratically.
Please stop repeating the same buzz words of MSM.

[Overd0g]

Apparently you forgot to inspect the observers evaluation of his "election". In any case, he does have a lot of support in Iran, which clarifies the case that a large percentage of the Iranian civilian populace is indeed an enemy of the U.S.

[MagisterLudi]

"He was elected democratically."
Democratically???? Are you saying that a socialist or democrat party can run for election in Iran? Wow.... Their democracy is a choice between two Shiite religious parties. Wake up.

[middlevillage]

Leave it to Charlie. He gets to talk to the most interesting and influencial people in the world. He even got to speak to one of the most uninteresting....but popular political newsmaker since Sadam and Adolph
Pres. Ahmadinejad was actually much more forthcoming then I ever imagained he would be. He actually answered most of Charlie's questions and I even began to understand one of the prime reason's Iran hates USA. It had to do with our policies at the time of our friend, the Shah of Iran. I actually learned something. We didn't do right by the Persian people then, and we still haven't figured out what to do about them now.
It was a very enlightening conversation and I continue to be amazed at the people in this world that want to express themselves and it's usually directly to Charlie Rose.

[Christian]

You just figured that out? Well I guess it is a question of age. The Shaw's son was training at our air base in Texas back in the late 60s and what was going on in Iran was all over the tube so I remember it well and understood exactly what Ron Paul was trying to tell his fellow republicans. We did for the oil companies back then and guess who we do things for today? We don't learn because we don't teach our students history.

[sifta]

The US reluctantly became a global power (people like Mark Twain were violently against our Imperial pretensions), and have a history of exercising our power in the style of European imperialists, tempered and watered down by our principles (and sometimes delusions) of egalitarianism.

Which is to say to not manage power effectively, to be willfully ignorant of other frames of reference (even among so-called specialists), and stick our heads in the sand when our activities are causing the suffering of lots of people who don't fit into the demographic profile of "White America." That way we can try to promote the idea that we are "doing right," even by those who don't really believe that there is any such thing.

[sonshine]

Your comment is so refreshing. Too often peolpe don't admit that they can learn something about why our "enemies" do what they do. That doesn't mean we no longer protect ourselves it means the dialogue can change and perhaps we can learn to live with each other and not sacrifice anymore blood on the war fields because our government wants to pretend they are a posse on the hunt--THE LAW--in the international arena.

[SimonNZ]

Hmmm. Very interesting. Without wishing to be an apologist for Ahmadinejad I'll say only that you'd never get such an articulate and considered interview out of Bush.

[sifta]

Saying that other countries have leaders that are smarter and better-spoken than the admittedly misunderestimated W is not really being an apologist. I'll go out on a limb here and say that I think that the leaders of Russia, India, and China are also more intelligent than our fine leader.

[RenoSage]

I believe that dialogue with heads of other countries is very important. One has to make an effort to
understand. It is essential to know where "they are coming from". It is not required that one agree with
everything
"Even a stopped clock tells the right time twice a day."

[Overd0g]

He's been rather explicit. I think we understand him quite well. When you speak to a politician/pro liar, you don't "understand" them any better. All you "understand" is whatever impression they are trying to make.

[MagisterLudi]

In order to understand a politician you have to simply figure out what they're selling. Ahmadinajad is "selling" deeply seated hatred towards U.S. and the West. Also he's selling the superiority of his theocratic government to the Muslims of the world. He wants to be a new Nasser of the Muslims "street." Let him try.

[MagisterLudi]

Certainly a intelligent persons can see for themselves thru' the disingenuous spewed forth by this man. However, the danger is the people, who without ability to analyze his statements will take it on face value. And it's the job of the interview to cut thru' some of the peddled stuff....
I'd prefer that Letterman did the interview :-) he doesn't suffer foo-ls gladly.