Transcript: Ahmaninejad Interview on 60 Minutes

[RMNIXON]

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

That is what he said in the interview I posted originally. He blames administrations, not the people of a nation (he even expresses his love the the American people in the very first thing he says, and sympathizes with those of us that don't like the current administration, which is the majority of Americans)

If you can believe that? But the kind of support and aid Iran gives to certain groups with very different opinions does not reflect that. That is why I suggest everyone be careful about what is said. As was noted this guy was elected. He can be very careful and clever with words like any politician. Be cautious that you don't just hear what you want to hear.

[SoFlaJDM]

Originally Posted by nbiggershaft

To me it's a very damaging interview. Through dodging every question and getting pissed at the reporter he seems to be verifying everything negative said about him. I haven't seen any video, but I get a definite vibe of, "if you were an Iranian reporter I would have your ass for asking these questions".

i don't call that dodging

[RMNIXON]

'No homosexuals in Iran': Ahmadinejad

2 hours ago

NEW YORK (AFP) — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad skirted a question about the treatment of homosexuals in Iran on Monday, saying in a speech at a top US university that there were no gays in Iran.

"In Iran we don't have homosexuals like in your country," Ahmadinejad said to howls and boos among the Columbia University audience.

"In Iran we do not have this phenomenon, I don't know who has told you that we have it," he said.

Ahmadinejad was challenged during his appearance on Amnesty International figures that suggested that 200 people had been executed in Iran so far this year, among them homosexuals.

"Don't you have capital punishment in the United States? You do too. In Iran there is capital punishment," he said.

__________________________________________________ ___________


Well, they booood at something!

[Ardentfrost]

Originally Posted by RMNIXON

'No homosexuals in Iran': Ahmadinejad

2 hours ago

NEW YORK (AFP) — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad skirted a question about the treatment of homosexuals in Iran on Monday, saying in a speech at a top US university that there were no gays in Iran.

"In Iran we don't have homosexuals like in your country," Ahmadinejad said to howls and boos among the Columbia University audience.

"In Iran we do not have this phenomenon, I don't know who has told you that we have it," he said.

Ahmadinejad was challenged during his appearance on Amnesty International figures that suggested that 200 people had been executed in Iran so far this year, among them homosexuals.

"Don't you have capital punishment in the United States? You do too. In Iran there is capital punishment," he said.

__________________________________________________ ___________


Well, they booood at something!

Hey, he shuts his eyes and sticks his fingers in his ears about gays just like our politicians!

[Scrum]

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

Hey, he shuts his eyes and sticks his fingers in his ears about gays just like our politicians!

[nbiggershaft]

Originally Posted by SoFlaJDM

i don't call that dodging

He dodged on top of that is what I was saying.

[Ardentfrost]

Crooks and Liars » 60 Minutes: Ahmadinejad plays coy

I thought when I first read it that the interviewer was painfully biased to the right, but then thought to myself "maybe I just have too high of expectations from interviewers." Guess I'm not the only one, and thank God.

I still think Ahmadinejad did a good job, esp with how bad the interviewer was.

[Donkey®]

I really hope the right isn't going with the whole "he hates gays" thing.

[Ardentfrost]

Originally Posted by Donkey®

I really hope the right isn't going with the whole "he hates gays" thing.

That would be so funny though. It'd prove that they're just looking for any reason to grab onto to make the American people hate this guy.

[goldenponderbob]

[AHMADEINEJAD: I think Mr. Bush, if he wants his party to win the next election, there are cheaper ways and ways to go about this. I can very well give him a few ideas so that the people vote for him.

The interview's references to Bush, including a line that indicated a hope for the republicans next November, struck me as curious. That's the only thing in that whole piece that made sense.

Perhaps he's supposing that a good scare will cause the Americans to go with the conservatives, That's worked before.

Bush is too weak right now to pose any threat to anyone, much less Iran.

Ahm's real problem is Hillary. If anything stinky from Iranian's nuclear program happens it will likely occur on her watch.

Being the darling of the liberals makes sense only when there are republicans around. When Hillary's liberal crew takes over, with house and senate in her pocket, a situation that does not favor Ahm will be the new game in town.

When Saddam fell, democracy favored the Shiites. A US pullout under Hill, could trigger the emergence of a powerful and vengeful Bathist/Sunni faction that could pose the major threat to Iran.

I never stopped supposing that Saddam's nuclear ambitions included Syrian help. His WMD program well could have been moved to Syrian soil before Shock and Awe began. Lately Syria has been sharing nuclear technology with North Korea. I've been hearing confident opionions of how Saddam destroyed his WMD program but failed to inform the UN. He did such a good job leaving virtually no traces it makes you wonder.

My supposition fits if you look at it from a rarely taken perspective, and, of course, its not a debate. The prize, in this case, does not go to the best speaker, or the most popular faction, just the most determined.

Determined is a really good word to describe Iranian's leader.

[JaJae]

Just posting some more recent quotes:

“People in Iran are very joyous, happy people,” he told a National Press Club audience that questioned him about the arrests of students, journalists and women. “They're very free in expressing what they think.”

He said women in Iran were “the freest women in the world ... They're active in every level of society.”

Human rights activists inside and outside Iran have decried a recent wave of arrests of people calling for political and legal reforms of the Iranian theocratic system. Ahmadinejad said those complaints were baseless, and denied knowing about any detention or harsh punishments of reformists.