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.
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You're correct on this issue as well as many other current issues. I wish more people would listen to you. Maybe then the media would start talking about you like a serious candidate and not just the comic relief at the debates.
Why was Bush allowed to visit ground zero? After all, he ignored all the warnings ahead of time. NO IRANIANS were involved with 9/11, so why should their president be barred from visiting the site? After his 60 Minutes interview, I was impressed. This man is intelligent, and knowledgeable. He probably knows more about the US than Thompson. When is the US going to get a leader with intellectual ability like him?
Colmore, the best candidate so far is Sen. Gravel by more than a Mile! I hope you are a Gravel Vote already. If not, check him out. For sanity and the brains we are looking for, we have Mike. He addresses the issues important to us and the rest of the world with clarity and intelligence because he is not bought-up by the blood spilling corporatist machinery. I am excited and glad that we have a candidate who only has the interests of the people at this critical time. We have a rare opportunity!! Peace. Go gravel!!!
Correct again, Senator. Thank you! The stupidity of the Bush administration continues to boggle the mind.
Earthings Unite!
Senator Gravel,
Thank you for being a voice of reason in trying to stop this insane global pissing contest. The only thing war is good for is population control. I don't think Iran's president is any crazier than ours. Laying a wreath at Ground Zero is a peace offering, something we should welcome, something our President AWOL should learn from.
I fully agree with you, Sir. Sad to see another great diplomatic opportunity lost.
Sen. Mike Gravel
Let Ahmadinejad Go to Ground Zero
Ahmadinejad - Like Bush played like he was god come back
- To win the election ...
The win at all cost election's here - might have taught
other's - how to sway people - IN the wrong way of greed ...
What has America taught other's of - How to respect people
over the last 7 year's and beyong because of greed ???
Once upon a time - The movement of the manifest-destiny -
toward Native American's - Other's - was hidden from view -
Now it's in plan view before the world ...
Ahmadinejad - Is just playing his politic's to keep support
- just like Bush did ...
What everybody should be asking - If even Ahmadinejad - was
able to use this way of winning a election - manifest-destiny
- Greed What has it truly given birth too ??? - Now that anyone
in the World can see how it work's ???
The KING-OF-LIAR'S - Did you no favor's - Through out History
- He has taken great pride in even watching his own king's and
queens suffer ...
Ahmadinejad know's the more crazy a thing he say's - the dumbass
market will rush out and give more for oil ...
Making Cheney real happy ...
Wasn't it the beloved Ronnie who met with the leader of the evil empire, Mike Gorbachov? Wasn't it the darling of the right, Trickey Dick with Kissinger in tow who went to visit Mao Tse Tung?
Wasn't it salt 1, salt 2, and the subsequent start negotiations that lead to peace with this abstraction of familial communism?
Today it's terrorism. The antidote to this problem certainly is not bad manners.
Oh...how about a meeting with Castro, we've been trying to murder him for decades, but it just seems our boys can wipe him out. (which might cause you to wonder who the good guys really are on this planet)
I agree Mike, supposedly 70% of americans disapprove of president Bush, yet we still let him tell us who we should hate? I don't get it.
Well said.
Mike Gravel is right about the fact that Bush is more socially connected with and friendly with Bin Laden, Al Qaeda, and terrorist-
Bush had the Bin Laden's gathered up and flown home during the no-fly period immediately after 9/11.
Bush Sr. and Osama's father were associates. Mohammed Bin Laden welcomed Bush Sr. to his office in Jedda Saudi Arabia on more than one occasion.
Ahmadinejad is full of crap, but Bush is a war criminal and Bush doesn't care in the least about protecting American national security. Actually, it appears his intentions are to the contrary.
The Iranian Professors I had in college were some of the best Education Professionals I have ever met. They were considerate and went to extremes to help some students understand complicated problems. I never saw any of them treat woman as second class citizens either.
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