Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad
(Updated December 2005)
The belligerent rhetoric
of the President of Iran,
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is prompting worldwide
concern about his intentions and the future
stability of the Middle East.
In September 2005, Iran
threatened to resume uranium enrichment and
bar open inspections of its nuclear facilities
if the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) refers it to the Security Council
for sanctions. Ahmadinejad defended his country’s
right to produce nuclear fuel in a fiery
speech to the UN
General Assembly and later raised worldwide
concern about nuclear proliferation when
he said, “Iran is ready to transfer
nuclear know-how to the Islamic countries
due to their need.” Iran has already
agreed to assist Syria in developing the
capability to independently produce chemical
weapons. Iran could also transfer its own
stocks to terrorists or use them in warheads
to threaten American, Israeli, and other
nations’ interests.
Speaking to students
at a conference entitled “The
World Without Zionism” on
October 26, 2005, Ahmadinejad called Israel
“a disgraceful blot” and quoted Ayatollah
Khomeini, the former Supreme Leader of
Iran, saying “As the
Imam said, Israel must be wiped off the map.”
This
call to genocide sparked strong international
condemnation from the United States, the United
Kingdom, the European Union, and the United
Nations Security Council. Responding
to the condemnation, Ahmadinejad stated
that Western nations are free to criticize
his statements, but their reactions are
invalid. Defending his comments about
Israel’s destruction, he said, “They [International
Zionist and Expansionist Policies of
the World Arrogance, i.e. United States
and Israel] are cheeky humans, and they
think that the entire world should obey
them. They destroy Palestinian families
and expect nobody to object to them.”
In this same speech, Ahmadinejad
harshly criticized Muslim nations and leaders
who normalize relations with Israel or accept
its legitimacy. “Anybody who recognizes Israel
will burn in the fire of the Islamic nation’s
fury,” he said. “Any (Islamic
leader) who recognizes the Zionist regime
means he is acknowledging the surrender and
defeat of the Islamic
world.”
On December 8, 2005, Ahmadinejad
gave a speech at a summit for Muslim nations
in Saudi
Arabia that denied
the Holocaust and suggested Israel
should be moved to Europe. “Some European
countries insist on saying that during World
War II, Hitler burned millions of Jews and put them in concentration
camps,” said Ahmadinejad. “Any
historian, commentator or scientist who
doubts that is taken to prison or gets condemned.
Although we don’t accept this claim, if
we suppose it is true, if the Europeans
are honest they should give some of their
provinces in Europe — like
in Germany, Austria or
other countries — to the Zionists and the Zionists can establish their state
in Europe. You offer part of Europe and we
will support it.”
Despite increased condemnation
by the international community, including
many Arab and Muslim nations, on December
14, 2005 Ahmadinejad again denied the Holocaust
took place and called for Israel to
be transferred out of the Middle East. During
a live nationally televised speech on Iranian
television, Ahmadinejad stated:
They have invented a myth
that Jews were massacred and place this
above God,
religions and the prophets. The West has
given more significance to the myth of
the genocide of the Jews, even more significant
than God, religion, and the prophets,
(it) deals very severely with those who
deny this myth but does not do anything
to those who deny God, religion, and the
prophet. If you have burned the Jews, why
don’t you give a piece of Europe, the
United States, Canada or Alaska to
Israel. Our question is, if you have committed
this huge crime, why should the innocent
nation of Palestine pay for this crime?
Along with Israel, the United
States is a frequent target of Ahmadinejad’s
venom. He accuses the United
States of attempting to be the “absolute
rulers of the world,” and asserts that
U.S. support for Israel is a conspiracy against
the Islamic world. “We have to
watch out for conspiracies. For more than
50 years, the World Arrogance [United States]
has tried to give recognition to the existence
of this fake regime [Israel]....” At “The
World Without Zionism” conference,
he also called for the destruction of
the United States:
Many are sowing the
seeds of defeat and despair in this
all-out war between the Islamic world and
the Infidel Front, hoping to dishearten
the Islamic world. Such people are using
words like “it’s
not possible.” They say, How
could we have a world without America
and Zionism? But you know well that
this slogan and goal can be achieved
and can definitely be realized.
On
November 27, 2005, Ahmadinejad blamed the
U.S. for once using nuclear weapons and then
criticizing Iran’s nuclear intentions. He
said, “You [the United States], who have
used nuclear weapons against innocent people,
who have used uranium ordnance in Iraq, should
be tried as war criminals in courts.”
Given Iran’s capabilities
and past record, the rhetoric of President
Ahmadinejad must be viewed with alarm.
For
years, Saddam Hussein’s
Iraq served as a counterweight to the regional
hegemonic designs of the theocrats in Tehran;
however, the removal of Saddam from power,
and destruction of his army, has left Iran
as the most powerful nation in the Gulf. Iran
is viewed by its Arab neighbors as a menace.
Iran has a long record of coveting their
resources and territory, and Iran’s
radical Muslim leaders have consistently
sought to export their revolution beyond
their nation’s borders.
Since the Iranian revolution,
the country’s leaders have been
the leading opponents of the peace
process between Israel and
the Palestinians.
Iran is also the primary sponsor of terrorism in
the region, funding and encouraging terrorist
groups such as Hizballah and Palestinian
Islamic Jihad to carry out deadly attacks
against Israelis, Americans, and their political
opponents. The danger
posed by Iran has grown
as it has developed increasingly sophisticated
missiles and engaged in an illicit program
to develop nuclear weapons.
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