what is it? you guys sit around searching on Technorati and split the posts amongst yourselves to go and counter and spout your “X is hitler”.. “Y denies holocaust”..

Since when is “denying” anything a criminal offense (I think it was the inquisition which engaged in X denies Y bullshit). Now that you have the power, you don’t mind it so much. In the olden days, when your “judeo-christian” brethren starting burning you on the stake, you packed up and took your ungrateful asses to Baghdad. But you conveniently forget that now. There is no more any need to remember that is there?

Good thing no one reads or remembers history.

That’s funny…he doesn’t seem to want to discuss or negotiate his nuclear program very much. And I’m sure he agrees that the United Nations and every nation in it is corrupt as well?

“It strikes me that Iran, more than any other nation will—like the mother of an illegitimate child—bear the responsibility of the political chaos and social upheaval we started in Iraq.”

Can you explain how this is the case? What is Iran doing to bear the responsibility of the political chaos and social upheaval in Iraq? How are they helping to rebuild? How are they attempting to inspire cooperation among the Iraqi factions towards peace? Honestly Duane, this statement seems like a gross exaggeration.

“According to General Scheid, former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld actively discouraged the top US strategists from planning the restorative “phase 4″ of the war. From the word “go”, we never intended to stay in Iraq and clean up after ourselves.”

Ah yes. First we (not you specifically, but referring to opponents of the Iraq war in general–I will let you decide if you fit into this category) criticize the government for staying in Iraq, and then we criticize the government for NOT planning to stay in Iraq? The hypocrisy is mind-boggling. Whether or not this information is true (I have never heard of the source of this information, and so I am hesitant to make a judgment on its credibility), I think our actions speak louder. We have stayed in Iraq, and we are trying to rebuild it. Whatever people can find to criticize the government, they jump on–even if it contradicts their other criticisms. Withdraw from Iraq or stay and clean up? Which is it? People can’t demand that we bring the troops home and then criticize the that we didn’t plan on staying around to clean up at the same time.

“I can see you believe that Ahmadinejad is a very evil man. From this lens, it’s clear that any letter of “good will” ought to be immediately suspicious and probably propagandistic.”

Yet this seems to be the same view you have taken towards the United States government. Perhaps you should reassess some of your own hardened opinions and views towards those you criticize?

“If Iranians were to wage a “pre-emptive war” in your neighbors’ backyard, killing them and inciting others to violence, I would grant you every right to defend yourself, and by extension, your community.

It’s so easy to talk about wars in *other* peoples’ lands when it’s not our families or relatives that are being killed. The Iranians have every right to be actively involved in the defense of their community. I have no doubt that they supported Hizballah as well.”

This sounds exactly like what Iran did via its proxy Hezbollah. They disrupted peace (or at least the absence of active fighting) between Lebanon and Israel by kidnapping Israeli soldiers in their neighbor’s backyard and thus incited the Israelis to violence. The more you look at what Iran is actually doing, the more you realize what Mr. Ahmadinejad’s true intentions really are, and they don’t mesh with this letter of “good-will” very well.

Iran has a proven track record of terrorism. When the president of Iran follows his own words and agrees to cooperate with the international community on his nuclear program, stop funding terrorists such as Hezbollah, and begin actively contributing towards the peace and stability of the region then I will be happy to accept any letter of good-will from him.

I don’t think my power of discernment is sufficient to conclude one side is good and one evil. The black shades of war seem indistinguishable to me.

From what I understand, however, there were over 1000 civilian deaths in Lebanon and about 45 in Israel. This is according to the BBC and Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Israel-Lebanon_conflict).

If I use your logic, then “America supports Israel—and Israel bombs innocent people (again, civilians, not military assets).” This gets us nowhere.

In commending President Ahmadinejad for his letter, I do not mean to condone Iran’s mistakes. I simply recognize that There can not be peace without understanding. This “warmly worded letter” is as legitimate a bid for peace as I know how to tell. If we ignore it, so be it. There can only only be escalation from there.

Most people agree this war was botched and that conditions in Iraq haven’t improved. Nevertheless, my point is that a warmly worded letter does not a good person make. As you said, Iran supports Hizballah - and Hizballah bombs innocent people (again, civilians, not military assets). How is that ever a good thing?

If Iranians were to wage a “pre-emptive war” in your neighbors’ backyard, killing them and inciting others to violence, I would grant you every right to defend yourself, and by extension, your community.

It’s so easy to talk about wars in *other* peoples’ lands when it’s not our families or relatives that are being killed. The Iranians have every right to be actively involved in the defense of their community. I have no doubt that they supported Hizballah as well.

We just slap the word “terrorist” on them, and feel like we’re on some moral high-ground to discern evil from good. Remember, we started this war—even though it was on false information. Propaganda right from the top of our own nation.

I can see you believe that Ahmadinejad is a very evil man. From this lens, it’s clear that any letter of “good will” ought to be immediately suspicious and probably propagandistic.

But I think you should also consider the other side as carefully: that perhaps our translations of Mr. Ahmadinejad (especially of things he says inside his own country, since he speaks to his own people in Persian) are misconstrued to their worst possible meaning.

For example, he has *not* denied the Haulocaust, only that the western nations have used the Haulocaust to commit crimes against the Palestinian people. This moral justification is the “myth” he speaks of.

In addition, he did *not* say he would wipe Israel “off the map” (this is an English phrase which, if I understand correctly, has no direct translation from the Persian)—rather, he said that “there is no place for the Zionist regime in the world civilized community.” In other words, he despises the atrocities committed by the “Zionist Regime”, and would rather see it replaced. This is very much like the United States’ desire to see Saddam Hussein removed from power. Ahmadinejad does not hate the Jews, only what some of them have done.

If you would like a more complete analysis, I encourage you to read this article:

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article12790.htm

How could he? He writes such wonderful letters.

Sorry but he reminds me of Hitler in the 30’s. All his claims of peace as the world looked the other way. “What a swell guys he is” they all thought. Then Hitler unleashed 6 years of pure hell.

This guy has a track record of hate, and calling for the death of Americans.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahmoud_Ahmadinejad

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4150214.stm