Let Ahmadinejad Go to Ground Zero

First, a few words about Ahmadinejad: His claims that the Holocaust was a myth are wrong and disgusting. His rhetorical threats to Israel are irresponsible and detestable. I wish he lost his 2005 election campaign against his reformist opponent and I cheered his party's losses in last year's elections.

But Ahmadinejad is Iran's elected head of state and by snubbing him, we snub the Iranian government and its people. Right now, such a snub is not only wrong-headed, it's dangerous.

Sadly, most politicians find it much easier to fall back on tough talk, phony moralism and warmongering rather than try to explain the complex reality of international relations. Bush, Bloomberg, Lieberman, and most of my fellow Democratic presidential candidates want you to think the world is divided between good and evil and they are on 'the side of angels.'

This political tactic was always disingenuous, but regarding Iran, it's now downright dangerous.

Despite what the Bush administration claims, Iran was a great enemy of the perpetrators of 9/11 long before 2001. In the 1990s Iran waged a covert war against the Taliban and Wahabi-Sunni terrorist networks like Al-Qaeda. While Bush gave economic aid to the repressive Taliban in early 2001, Iran was funding the Taliban's bitter enemies, the Northern Alliance. Immediately after 9/11, Iran provided us with key intelligence about Afghanistan and helped us establish ties with the Northern Alliance, which drove the Taliban from Kabul two months later. The Iranians were willing to help us further in the winter of 2001, but Bush and the neocons ignored the advice of the State Dept. and the CIA and spurned further Iranian assistance. Once Bush dropped his infamous 'Axis of Evil' line in January 2002, there was no turning back. We missed a great opportunity to learn from the Iranians and build ties between our intelligence communities that might have helped us find Bin Laden.

Today Iran is Afghanistan's principle trade partner and according to Afghan president Hamid Karzai, Iran "has been a helper and a solution" in his fight against the Taliban. I trust Karzai's assessment of his relationship with Iran much more than I do George Bush's claims that Iran is a destabilizing force in Afghanistan.

Do we have grievances against the Iranian state? Of course, the 1979-80 hostage crisis was a gross violation of international law. Right now anti-American elements in Iran are supporting the Iraqi insurgency that kills our service people. But remember, our record with Iran is far from clean. Our government overthrew Iran's democratically elected, secular government under Mosaddeq in 1953. Over the subsequent decades we supported the oppressive Shah and trained his brutal secret police, the SAVAK. Right now we are once again orchestrating covert operations to undermine the Iranian government. Both our countries have legitimate grievances against each other. But we can either dwell on our past or work to avoid future bloodshed.

I commend Barack Obama for saying he wants to talk to Ahmadinejad. Only through recognizing the legitimacy of Iran's democratically elected president and negotiating with him can we possibly begin stabilizing Iraq and securing a peaceful resolution to our nuclear standoff.

So why not let Ahmadinejad pay his respects at Ground Zero? Why not let him send a message to the Muslim world that 9/11 was an atrocity that everyone, including fundamentalist Muslims, should mourn?

Dr. Trita Parsi, head of the National Iranian American Council, makes a convincing argument in national magazine that our leaders' moralistic belligerence toward Iran and their refusal to support robust diplomacy have put us on the path toward war, regardless of who wins in 2008.

Let's be clear -- a war with Iran will further isolate the United States in the world. It will unify the entire Middle East against U.S. forces that are stationed there. And worst of all, it will precipitate attacks on America that will far surpass the horror of 9/11. It's time to step away from the brink and begin finding common ground. Let Ahmadinejad go to Ground Zero and honor our dead. And together, let's all acknowledge that neither war nor terrorism will solve our problems.

Comments

[hoopoe]

Thanks, once again, to Senator Gravel for the much needed dose of reality and common sense.

[JimR]

Excellent post, and I agree.

[jgo]

"But Ahmadinejad is Iran's elected head of state"

So is Chevaz. Only Bush stole the election.
How come after all the liberal news papers did their own recount,they didnt print the results on the front pages of their papers everyday since 2000.
Answer, Bush won.

Now onto Ahmadinejad. Did you watch him on 60 minutes. He is repeating all the liberal talking points,how embarrassing.

[statascent]

Thank you Senator Gravel. Too bad your thoughts and views will never be a part
of the real decision making process here
in the good ol USA. We could sure use your
thinking in these trying times.
Even if it's futile, I'm voting for you...

[Ringding]

Mike's right. Little Bush plays just like his dad. Mislead countries and then declare war on them. Why can't we start naming these ass-kissing Republican senators who are voting against change. Expose these guys for what they are.

[nutty4tahoe]

Hopefully their opponents in the next election will do just that!

[Veleria29]

A great post!!
Until we learn to talk with our supposed enemies and people who do not agree with us we will continue fighting until we destroy ourselves and the world. I just hope we can keep our sanity until Bush is out of office.

[joebaggadonuts]

Senator. Thanks for your speaking out on this issue. I am surprised that we don't see any of the usual trolls here complaining. I think they think that you are irrelevant. If you continue to use level-headed reasoned discussion as your touchstone, you will prove them wrong.

[brutus948]

thank you sir. Agreed %100

[seawolf77]

Here here. Last time I checked we were the last country to wipe another country off the face of the map. Last time I checked we were the last country to use nuclear weapons. Last time I checked we were the last country to summarily execute another country's leader. And to all those silly spaghetti eating asses who think I hate my country, I am laughing my ass off at you and everything you believe. Sure he can come here. He can speak anywhere he wants. If our little chimp of a leader weren't behaving like a 2 year old, he should speak at the White House and on the Hill.

[FirstShirt]

Apologists and antiamericans get in line and take a number. why is it that so many left wingers see nothing wrong with patronizing and accomodating a man who claims that the holocoust didn't happen? Those who accomodate this man are forming an allegience with the likes of David Duke.

Talk about strange bedfellows.

diplomatic initiatives have nothing to do with allowing this freak to go to hallowed ground.

[matahari888]

Firstshirt­.....the truth is " holocoust denial and wipe out Israel of the map" are media contributi­on.....esp­eially zionist, who want propaganda and excuse to hate Iran and attack them later. Or are you one of them???? let David duke talk....le­t all people talk without and let the people decided which they want to hear...rig­ht or wrong....w­her is freedom of speech???? oh....I forgot...w­e could get tasser or anti-semistic label???..­..

[nutty4tahoe]

Here we go. More right wing "be VERY afraid" drivel.

[Neuromancer13]

I am in complete agreement; we have much more to gain from talking to Iran than from shooting at them.

We still ostensibly have the freedoms of speech and association. While Mr. Ahmadinejad is here, we should extend those same freedoms to him. He should be allowed to visit the publicly accessible portions of Ground Zero, though not to speak there. Ideally, GZ would be a place where no-one, particularly politicians, would speak. I am disgusted by the way that Bush and Giuliani, most prominently, have used GZ as a prop for their political theater. I believe that Mr Ahmadinejad has a planned speaking engagement elsewhere; he should be allowed to speak, and he should be asked hard questions. And then...we'­d be talking to Iran...and the sky would not be falling.

[apduncan1]

"Do we have grievances against the Iranian state? Of course, the 1979-80 hostage crisis was a gross violation of international law. "

How about us toppling a democraticaly elected Iranian president and installing a Shah and his torture machinery?

How would you like that?

[jvarga]

So did Senator Gravel edit his post after your comment OR DID YOU NOT READ THE FOLLOWING FOUR SENTENCES WHERE HE SAYS EXACTLY THAT?

It boggles my mind that you would read halfway into a paragraph and then type out a reply without even finishing the paragraph, let alone the entire piece.

[ManipulatedByMedia]

Mr Gravel,

Thank you for taking the time to write this. I totally agree!

[Zenobius]

Finally some sense on this issue. We gain nothing from preventing the President of Iran from visiting Ground Zero. So why do it?

[criscokid]

I agree with you, Senator Gravel. However, since you are a presidential candidate why have you choose this forum to express your views, rather than a press conference using all of the talking points you have expressed here, and taking a leadership role by offering to escort Ahmadinejad to ground zero?

Sometimes actions speak louder than words.

[ohdotoh]

"...rather than a press conference­..." and why didn't your reply at a press conference? For the same reason. The press isn't listening. The press has already decided who you can vote for. It's Romney/Guilliani and Clinton/Obama, so everybody else needs to just shut up and quit being a "spoiler". Now get in line before I have to Taser you.

[jesusquintana]

brilliant.