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			<title>Obowma</title>
			<link>http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/obowma-544082/</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:42:41 GMT</pubDate>
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			<category domain="http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/">Politics / Presidential Election</category>
			<dc:creator>enginjoe</dc:creator>
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			<title>Instead of Tea Parties, this is what Keith Olbermann Supported</title>
			<link>http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/instead-tea-parties-what-keith-olbermann-supported-543948/</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:08:34 GMT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[I know so many of you so horribly hate him. He comes off as arrogant and mocking many times on his show, but this is exactly why you separate him from the Becks and Limbaughs of the World. 

Countdown’s free clinic in New Orleans reveals health reform’s human stories, demonstrates need for overhaul - Daily Kos TV (beta) (http://www.dailykostv.com/w/002341/)


---Quote---
*Countdown’s free clinic in New Orleans reveals health reform’s human stories, demonstrates need for overhaul*

Posted Nov 16, 2009, 6:41 PM PT by Jed Lewison • First broadcast: Nov 16, 2009

A few weeks ago, Countdown Sr. Producer Richard Stockwell came up with an idea: create a series of free clinics which would not only deliver care to the uninsured, but would demonstrate the need for health care reform that covers all Americans.

On Saturday, Stockwell attended the first of those free clinics, held in New Orleans in partnership with the National Association of Free Clinics. On Monday, Stockwell described his experience there in a post on MSNBC.com, delivering a powerful and moving testament to the imperative of a health care overhaul.

Keith Olbermann read the post in its entirety during the first segment of Monday’s Countdown, along with video footage from the free clinic itself. Here’s the video:
---End Quote---
The full text of the article he read from is at the link below. Below is a little snippet of information regarding the people who showed up for the event.
Health reform's human stories - Countdown with Keith Olbermann- msnbc.com (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33975919/ns/msnbc_tv-countdown_with_keith_olbermann)

---Quote---
83% are employed, 90% had 2+ diagnoses, 82% had a life-threatening condition, 4 people taken immediately to hospitals. These people are suffering from heart disease, cancer, and diabetes and they don't even know why they don't feel healthy.
---End Quote---
Hate Olbermann all you want, but something like this speaks volumes over any Tea Party Protest. The idea proposed by his producer was to have these free clinics be held in the cities of those key politicians who are being obstructionists towards reform, and they will continue. While the Tea Baggers wave their giant anti-everything signs for the Right Wing MSM, the Left MSM is directly helping people like them.]]></description>
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<div>I know so many of you so horribly hate him. He comes off as arrogant and mocking many times on his show, but this is exactly why you separate him from the Becks and Limbaughs of the World. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.dailykostv.com/w/002341/" target="_blank">Countdown’s free clinic in New Orleans reveals health reform’s human stories, demonstrates need for overhaul - Daily Kos TV (beta)</a><br />
<br />
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				<b>Countdown’s free clinic in New Orleans reveals health reform’s human stories, demonstrates need for overhaul</b><br />
<br />
Posted Nov 16, 2009, 6:41 PM PT by Jed Lewison • First broadcast: Nov 16, 2009<br />
<br />
A few weeks ago, Countdown Sr. Producer Richard Stockwell came up with an idea: create a series of free clinics which would not only deliver care to the uninsured, but would demonstrate the need for health care reform that covers all Americans.<br />
<br />
On Saturday, Stockwell attended the first of those free clinics, held in New Orleans in partnership with the National Association of Free Clinics. On Monday, Stockwell described his experience there in a post on MSNBC.com, delivering a powerful and moving testament to the imperative of a health care overhaul.<br />
<br />
Keith Olbermann read the post in its entirety during the first segment of Monday’s Countdown, along with video footage from the free clinic itself. Here’s the video:
			
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<!-- END TEMPLATE: bbcode_quote_printable -->The full text of the article he read from is at the link below. Below is a little snippet of information regarding the people who showed up for the event.<br />
<a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33975919/ns/msnbc_tv-countdown_with_keith_olbermann" target="_blank">Health reform's human stories - Countdown with Keith Olbermann- msnbc.com</a><br />
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<div style="margin:20px; margin-top:5px; ">
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				83% are employed, 90% had 2+ diagnoses, 82% had a life-threatening condition, 4 people taken immediately to hospitals. These people are suffering from heart disease, cancer, and diabetes and they don't even know why they don't feel healthy.
			
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<!-- END TEMPLATE: bbcode_quote_printable -->Hate Olbermann all you want, but something like this speaks volumes over any Tea Party Protest. The idea proposed by his producer was to have these free clinics be held in the cities of those key politicians who are being obstructionists towards reform, and they will continue. While the Tea Baggers wave their giant anti-everything signs for the Right Wing MSM, the Left MSM is directly helping people like them.</div>


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			<category domain="http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/">Politics / Presidential Election</category>
			<dc:creator>The Milkman</dc:creator>
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			<title>Future EU president attends Bilderberg dinner</title>
			<link>http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/future-eu-president-attends-bilderberg-dinner-543570/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:26:49 GMT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Future EU president attends Bilderberg dinner

Image: http://static2.tijd.be/i/00/69/d6.250.jpeg?ts=1257787220000 

Wim Craeye
Prisonplanet
Sunday, Nov 15th, 2009

According to &#8216;De Tijd&#8217; (http://www.tijd.be/nieuws/binnenland/Van_Rompuy_steekt_nek_uit_op_Bilderberg-diner.8259003-438.art), Belgian Prime-minister Herman Van Rompuy (Christian Democrat), who&#8217;s name is widely circulating as the first European President, attended a Bilderberg dinner at Hertoginnendal, Brussels last night.

In his speech he talked about the implementation of a green tax in Europe; a necessary measure to rebuild the economy. Apparently this news of a possible new eco-tax is rapidly spreading through the cabinets in Europe&#8217;s capitals. This might put a mortgage on Van Rompuy&#8217;s candidacy for European Presidency.

According to the article Van Rompuy was invited to give a speech at the dinner by Bilderberg chairman Etienne Davignon under the guarantee that the content of those meetings never leaks. A promise not quite kept.

One might wonder how the information got out on to the websites of all the mainstream Belgian newspapers today, considering that reporting in mainstream media about the Bilderberg group, and their historical relation to political candidates, has always been effectively silenced.

Then again, the authors of the article in &#8216;De Tijd&#8217;, who broke the story give the impression that Van Rompuy has pulled an act of bravery by making his bold statements at such dinner, rather then questioning why a Prime-minister, and possible first European President, was taking part in such a secretive private event with highly influential statesmen and captains of industry.

Future EU president attends Bilderberg dinner 121109banner2

None of the other newspapers have the intent to pose this question either. By spinning the story, they make it seem as if Van Rompuy is bringing the Bilderberg group up to date about the fact that political leaders are developing the idea of generating a European &#8216;green&#8217; source of income. While this idea of &#8216;green&#8217; taxes is something that many have stated has been brewed up by elite think-tanks such as the Bilderberg group.

Its amazing to see that a highly sensitive issue like Bilderbergers, that has either been ignored or ridiculed for the past 50 years, is now being treated by the media as somewhat of a casual old men&#8217;s dining club.

More and more people would like to put that in a different perspective. As so many times in the past, the dinner that took place last night could be regarded as a fancy job interview between the leaders of a rising &#8216;corpocracy&#8217;, and a man who might be picked to represent what&#8217;s left of our democracy.

But after these &#8216;accidental&#8217; leaks, chances are getting slim Herman Van Rompuy will be the chosen one. Besides don&#8217;t we need someone who&#8217;s more fit for TV?

De Standaard and RTL have also reported on this story.


___________________________________________

It is obvious what is happening now&#8230;.. for years the Bilderberg group has been known as a conspiracy theory. If their named was mentioned you were deemed as a crazy. So now&#8230;.. softly softly the Bilderberg group are being exposed to the public. And&#8230; as a large majority of the world are more interested in their sport, money, nails, property, the Bilderberg group will just be a normal every day to day name. Clever.

Partly because the Bilderberg group have not been heard of by so many people, the sheeple will think that they are a GOOD new group to help us all.


^^I copied that comment from someone else so as not to plagiarize someone else's thoughts I'm saying that, because it's the same point I wanted to make exactly.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<!-- BEGIN TEMPLATE: postbit_external -->
<div>Future EU president attends Bilderberg dinner<br />
<br />
<img src="http://static2.tijd.be/i/00/69/d6.250.jpeg?ts=1257787220000" border="0" alt="" onload="NcodeImageResizer.createOn(this);" /><br />
<br />
Wim Craeye<br />
Prisonplanet<br />
Sunday, Nov 15th, 2009<br />
<br />
According to <a href="http://www.tijd.be/nieuws/binnenland/Van_Rompuy_steekt_nek_uit_op_Bilderberg-diner.8259003-438.art" target="_blank">&#8216;De Tijd&#8217;</a>, Belgian Prime-minister Herman Van Rompuy (Christian Democrat), who&#8217;s name is widely circulating as the first European President, attended a Bilderberg dinner at Hertoginnendal, Brussels last night.<br />
<br />
In his speech he talked about the implementation of a green tax in Europe; a necessary measure to rebuild the economy. Apparently this news of a possible new eco-tax is rapidly spreading through the cabinets in Europe&#8217;s capitals. This might put a mortgage on Van Rompuy&#8217;s candidacy for European Presidency.<br />
<br />
According to the article Van Rompuy was invited to give a speech at the dinner by Bilderberg chairman Etienne Davignon under the guarantee that the content of those meetings never leaks. A promise not quite kept.<br />
<br />
One might wonder how the information got out on to the websites of all the mainstream Belgian newspapers today, considering that reporting in mainstream media about the Bilderberg group, and their historical relation to political candidates, has always been effectively silenced.<br />
<br />
Then again, the authors of the article in &#8216;De Tijd&#8217;, who broke the story give the impression that Van Rompuy has pulled an act of bravery by making his bold statements at such dinner, rather then questioning why a Prime-minister, and possible first European President, was taking part in such a secretive private event with highly influential statesmen and captains of industry.<br />
<br />
Future EU president attends Bilderberg dinner 121109banner2<br />
<br />
None of the other newspapers have the intent to pose this question either. By spinning the story, they make it seem as if Van Rompuy is bringing the Bilderberg group up to date about the fact that political leaders are developing the idea of generating a European &#8216;green&#8217; source of income. While this idea of &#8216;green&#8217; taxes is something that many have stated has been brewed up by elite think-tanks such as the Bilderberg group.<br />
<br />
Its amazing to see that a highly sensitive issue like Bilderbergers, that has either been ignored or ridiculed for the past 50 years, is now being treated by the media as somewhat of a casual old men&#8217;s dining club.<br />
<br />
More and more people would like to put that in a different perspective. As so many times in the past, the dinner that took place last night could be regarded as a fancy job interview between the leaders of a rising &#8216;corpocracy&#8217;, and a man who might be picked to represent what&#8217;s left of our democracy.<br />
<br />
But after these &#8216;accidental&#8217; leaks, chances are getting slim Herman Van Rompuy will be the chosen one. Besides don&#8217;t we need someone who&#8217;s more fit for TV?<br />
<br />
De Standaard and RTL have also reported on this story.<br />
<br />
<br />
___________________________________________<br />
<br />
It is obvious what is happening now&#8230;.. for years the Bilderberg group has been known as a conspiracy theory. If their named was mentioned you were deemed as a crazy. So now&#8230;.. softly softly the Bilderberg group are being exposed to the public. And&#8230; as a large majority of the world are more interested in their sport, money, nails, property, the Bilderberg group will just be a normal every day to day name. Clever.<br />
<br />
Partly because the Bilderberg group have not been heard of by so many people, the sheeple will think that they are a GOOD new group to help us all.<br />
<br />
<br />
^^I copied that comment from someone else so as not to plagiarize someone else's thoughts I'm saying that, because it's the same point I wanted to make exactly.</div>


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			<category domain="http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/">Politics / Presidential Election</category>
			<dc:creator>VegasSRT-4</dc:creator>
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			<title>Change!</title>
			<link>http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/change-542938/</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:17:49 GMT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Justice Dept. Asked For News Site's Visitor Lists - Taking Liberties - CBS News (http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/11/09/taking_liberties/entry5595506.shtml?tag=mncol;txt)]]></description>
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<div><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/11/09/taking_liberties/entry5595506.shtml?tag=mncol;txt" target="_blank">Justice Dept. Asked For News Site's Visitor Lists - Taking Liberties - CBS News</a></div>


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			<category domain="http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/">Politics / Presidential Election</category>
			<dc:creator>Vooduguru</dc:creator>
			<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/change-542938/</guid>
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			<title>Anyone who really LOVES Obama...</title>
			<link>http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/anyone-who-really-loves-obama-542882/</link>
			<pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:07:56 GMT</pubDate>
			<description>HEAD O STATE (http://headostate.com/home.htm)

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:</description>
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<div><a href="http://headostate.com/home.htm" target="_blank">HEAD O STATE</a><br />
<br />
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:</div>


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			<category domain="http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/">Politics / Presidential Election</category>
			<dc:creator>Vooduguru</dc:creator>
			<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/anyone-who-really-loves-obama-542882/</guid>
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			<title>USA Goes Bankrupt...</title>
			<link>http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/usa-goes-bankrupt-542510/</link>
			<pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:33:46 GMT</pubDate>
			<description>What would happen if the US government went bankrupt?</description>
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<div>What would happen if the US government went bankrupt?</div>


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			<category domain="http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/">Politics / Presidential Election</category>
			<dc:creator>Santorican</dc:creator>
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			<title><![CDATA[Bernie Sanders unveils the "Too Big to Fail, Too Big to Exist Act"]]></title>
			<link>http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/bernie-sanders-unveils-too-big-fail-too-big-exist-act-542365/</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:49:28 GMT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[I don't think anyone can see this as being a bad thing. Get this out to everyone before huge corporations try to destroy a bill like this.


---Quote---
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced new legislation on Friday that should, he claims, solve the phenomenon of massive and failing financial institutions holding the nation's economy captive.

It's all of two pages long.

The Vermont Democrat-Socialist unveiled the "Too Big to Fail, Too Big to Exist Act" -- which he billed as a succinct remedy for tackling financial risk and avoiding a repeat of the taxpayer-funded bailouts that occurred just one year ago.

The act is straightforward. It would require that 90 days after its passage, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner "submit to Congress a list of all commercial banks, investment banks, hedge funds and insurance companies that the Secretary believes are too big to fail."

Subsequently, one year after the law is enacted, the Treasury Secretary would be required to "break up entities included on the Too Big To Fail List, so that their failure would no longer cause a catastrophic effect on the United States or global economy without a taxpayer bailout."

The rest of the details -- like, say, how to do that, how the broken-up entities would be structured, and what authorities would be granted for preempting institutions from becoming too big to fail in the first place -- would be filled in during the legislative process, Sanders's office said. The goal is simply to immediately preempt a duplication of last year's economic meltdown.

"Here is an example of amazing irony," the senator said in a video shot by Brave New Films accompanying the legislation's release. "Three out of the four largest financial institutions in the country who led us to this financial disaster are now bigger then they were before the collapse. So we have got to break these guys up so we don't see a recurrence of what we saw a year ago."
---End Quote---

lJP_EXQ2Am8



Source (http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/11/06-1)

You can read the bill at the source above![/quote]]]></description>
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<div>I don't think anyone can see this as being a bad thing. Get this out to everyone before huge corporations try to destroy a bill like this.<br />
<br />
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				Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced new legislation on Friday that should, he claims, solve the phenomenon of massive and failing financial institutions holding the nation's economy captive.<br />
<br />
It's all of two pages long.<br />
<br />
The Vermont Democrat-Socialist unveiled the &quot;Too Big to Fail, Too Big to Exist Act&quot; -- which he billed as a succinct remedy for tackling financial risk and avoiding a repeat of the taxpayer-funded bailouts that occurred just one year ago.<br />
<br />
The act is straightforward. It would require that 90 days after its passage, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner &quot;submit to Congress a list of all commercial banks, investment banks, hedge funds and insurance companies that the Secretary believes are too big to fail.&quot;<br />
<br />
Subsequently, one year after the law is enacted, the Treasury Secretary would be required to &quot;break up entities included on the Too Big To Fail List, so that their failure would no longer cause a catastrophic effect on the United States or global economy without a taxpayer bailout.&quot;<br />
<br />
The rest of the details -- like, say, how to do that, how the broken-up entities would be structured, and what authorities would be granted for preempting institutions from becoming too big to fail in the first place -- would be filled in during the legislative process, Sanders's office said. The goal is simply to immediately preempt a duplication of last year's economic meltdown.<br />
<br />
&quot;Here is an example of amazing irony,&quot; the senator said in a video shot by Brave New Films accompanying the legislation's release. &quot;Three out of the four largest financial institutions in the country who led us to this financial disaster are now bigger then they were before the collapse. So we have got to break these guys up so we don't see a recurrence of what we saw a year ago.&quot;
			
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<object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/lJP_EXQ2Am8" width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lJP_EXQ2Am8" />BORKED</object><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/11/06-1" target="_blank">Source</a><br />
<br />
You can read the bill at the source above![/quote]</div>


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			<category domain="http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/">Politics / Presidential Election</category>
			<dc:creator>The Milkman</dc:creator>
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			<title>I thought this was interesting...</title>
			<link>http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/i-thought-interesting-542354/</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:16:54 GMT</pubDate>
			<description>Image: http://blogs.ancestry.com/circle/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/05-22-06%20Pearl%20Harbor%20newspaper%20-free%20samples.jpg 


You read the little blurbs from the opponents of the war, and the statements by the Germans, the day after Pearl Harbor. I see some similarities to that and statements by radical muslim leaders in the middle east.</description>
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<br />
<br />
You read the little blurbs from the opponents of the war, and the statements by the Germans, the day after Pearl Harbor. I see some similarities to that and statements by radical muslim leaders in the middle east.</div>


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			<category domain="http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/">Politics / Presidential Election</category>
			<dc:creator>Vooduguru</dc:creator>
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			<title>Hmm....</title>
			<link>http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/hmm-542280/</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:31:13 GMT</pubDate>
			<description>DailyTech - Global Warming Afforded Same Legal Status as Religion in UK (http://www.dailytech.com/Global+Warming+Afforded+Same+Legal+Status+as+Religion+in+UK/article16721.htm)

I think I mentioned something similar to this a few years back.  :readclose</description>
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<div><a href="http://www.dailytech.com/Global+Warming+Afforded+Same+Legal+Status+as+Religion+in+UK/article16721.htm" target="_blank">DailyTech - Global Warming Afforded Same Legal Status as Religion in UK</a><br />
<br />
I think I mentioned something similar to this a few years back.  :readclose</div>


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			<category domain="http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/">Politics / Presidential Election</category>
			<dc:creator>Vooduguru</dc:creator>
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			<title>My tribute to Barack Obama, our great leader...</title>
			<link>http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/my-tribute-barack-obama-our-great-leader-542041/</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:45:16 GMT</pubDate>
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Image: http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/files/2009/10/village-of-the-damned-kids.jpg ]]></description>
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<img src="http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/files/2009/10/village-of-the-damned-kids.jpg" border="0" alt="" onload="NcodeImageResizer.createOn(this);" /></div>


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			<category domain="http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/">Politics / Presidential Election</category>
			<dc:creator>VegasSRT-4</dc:creator>
			<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/my-tribute-barack-obama-our-great-leader-542041/</guid>
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			<title>Words by Abe Lincoln</title>
			<link>http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/words-abe-lincoln-541724/</link>
			<pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:35:22 GMT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot lift the wage earners up by pulling the wage payer down.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away initiative and independence.
You cannot help people permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.


Who has the exact opposite ideology?

PS: Yes I'm aware the the Reverend William John Henry Boetcker was supposedly the original author of these statements.]]></description>
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<div>You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.<br />
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.<br />
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.<br />
You cannot lift the wage earners up by pulling the wage payer down.<br />
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.<br />
You cannot build character and courage by taking away initiative and independence.<br />
You cannot help people permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.<br />
<br />
<br />
Who has the exact opposite ideology?<br />
<br />
PS: Yes I'm aware the the Reverend William John Henry Boetcker was supposedly the original author of these statements.</div>


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			<category domain="http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/">Politics / Presidential Election</category>
			<dc:creator>dodgezdad</dc:creator>
			<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/words-abe-lincoln-541724/</guid>
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		<item>
			<title>Obama Lies</title>
			<link>http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/obama-lies-540922/</link>
			<pubDate>Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:21:20 GMT</pubDate>
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			<category domain="http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/">Politics / Presidential Election</category>
			<dc:creator>SNOOPALOOP</dc:creator>
			<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/obama-lies-540922/</guid>
		</item>
		<item>
			<title>Wipe Israel off the map? @ Voodu and others.</title>
			<link>http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/wipe-israel-off-map-voodu-others-540394/</link>
			<pubDate>Sat, 24 Oct 2009 21:17:40 GMT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[
---Quote---
*Lost in translation (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2006/jun/14/post155)*

Experts confirm that Iran's president did not call for Israel to be 'wiped off the map'. Reports that he did serve to strengthen western hawks.

    *
      Comments (289)
    * Buzz up!
    * Digg it

    * Jonathan Steele
    *
          o Jonathan Steele
          o guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 14 June 2006 12.49 BST
          o Article history

My recent comment piece (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,1788542,00.html) explaining how Iran's president was badly misquoted when he allegedly called for Israel to be "wiped off the map" has caused a welcome little storm. The phrase has been seized on by western and Israeli hawks to re-double suspicions of the Iranian government's intentions, so it is important to get the truth of what he really said.

I took my translation - "the regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time" - from the indefatigable Professor Juan Cole's website (http://www.juancole.com/) where it has been for several weeks.

But it seems to be mainly thanks to the Guardian giving it prominence that the New York Times, which was one of the first papers to misquote Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, came out on Sunday with a defensive piece attempting to justify its reporter's original "wiped off the map" translation. (By the way, for Farsi speakers the original version is available here (http://www.president.ir/farsi/ahmadinejad/speeches/1384/aban-84/840804sahyonizm.htm).)

Joining the "off the map" crowd is David Aaronovitch, a columnist on the Times (of London), who attacked (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,22369-2222387,00.html) my analysis yesterday. I won't waste time on him since his knowledge of Farsi is as minimal as that of his Latin. The poor man thinks the plural of casus belli is casi belli, unaware that casus is fourth declension with the plural casus (long u).

The New York Times's Ethan Bronner and Nazila Fathi, one of the paper's Tehran staff, make a more serious case (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/11/weekinreview/11bronner.html). They consulted several sources in Tehran. "Sohrab Mahdavi, one of Iran's most prominent translators, and Siamak Namazi, managing director of a Tehran consulting firm, who is bilingual, both say 'wipe off' or 'wipe away' is more accurate than 'vanish' because the Persian verb is active and transitive," Bronner writes.

The New York Times goes on: "The second translation issue concerns the word 'map'. Khomeini's words were abstract: 'Sahneh roozgar.' Sahneh means scene or stage, and roozgar means time. The phrase was widely interpreted as 'map', and for years, no one objected. In October, when Mr Ahmadinejad quoted Khomeini, he actually misquoted him, saying not 'Sahneh roozgar' but 'Safheh roozgar', meaning pages of time or history. No one noticed the change, and news agencies used the word 'map' again."

This, in my view, is the crucial point and I'm glad the NYT accepts that the word "map" was not used by Ahmadinejad. (By the way, the Wikipedia entry on the controversy gets the NYT wrong, claiming falsely that Ethan Bronner "concluded that Ahmadinejad had in fact said that Israel was to be wiped off the map".)

If the Iranian president made a mistake and used "safheh" rather than "sahneh", that is of little moment. A native English speaker could equally confuse "stage of history" with "page of history". The significant issue is that both phrases refer to time rather than place. As I wrote in my original post, the Iranian president was expressing a vague wish for the future. He was not threatening an Iranian-initiated war to remove Israeli control over Jerusalem.

Two other well-established translation sources confirm that Ahmadinejad was referring to time, not place. The version of the October 26 2005 speech put out by the Middle East Media Research Institute, based on the Farsi text released by the official Iranian Students News Agency, says: "This regime that is occupying Qods [Jerusalem] must be eliminated from the pages of history." (NB: not "wiped". I accept that "eliminated" is almost the same, indeed some might argue it is more sinister than "wiped", though it is a bit more of a mouthful if you are trying to find four catchy and easily memorable words with which to incite anger against Iran.)

MEMRI (its text of the speech is available here (http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP101305)) is headed by a former Israeli military intelligence officer and has sometimes been attacked for alleged distortion of Farsi and Arabic quotations for the benefit of Israeli foreign policy. On this occasion they supported the doveish view of what Ahmadinejad said.

Finally we come to the BBC monitoring service which every day puts out hundreds of highly respected English translations of broadcasts from all round the globe to their subscribers - mainly governments, intelligence services, thinktanks and other specialists. I approached them this week about the controversy and a spokesperson for the monitoring service's marketing unit, who did not want his name used, told me their original version of the Ahmadinejad quote was "eliminated from the map of the world".

As a result of my inquiry and the controversy generated, they had gone back to the native Farsi-speakers who had translated the speech from a voice recording made available by Iranian TV on October 29 2005. Here is what the spokesman told me about the "off the map" section: "The monitor has checked again. It's a difficult expression to translate. They're under time pressure to produce a translation quickly and they were searching for the right phrase. With more time to reflect they would say the translation should be "eliminated from the page of history".

Would the BBC put out a correction, given that the issue had become so controversial, I asked. "It would be a long time after the original version", came the reply. I interpret that as "probably not", but let's see.

Finally, I approached Iradj Bagherzade, the Iranian-born founder and chairman of the renowned publishing house, IB Tauris. He thought hard about the word "roozgar". "History" was not the right word, he said, but he could not decide between several better alternatives "this day and age", "these times", "our times", "time".

So there we have it. Starting with Juan Cole, and going via the New York Times' experts through MEMRI to the BBC's monitors, the consensus is that Ahmadinejad did not talk about any maps. He was, as I insisted in my original piece, offering a vague wish for the future.

A very last point. The fact that he compared his desired option - the elimination of "the regime occupying Jerusalem" - with the fall of the Shah's regime in Iran makes it crystal clear that he is talking about regime change, not the end of Israel. As a schoolboy opponent of the Shah in the 1970's he surely did not favour Iran's removal from the page of time. He just wanted the Shah out.

The same with regard to Israel. The Iranian president is undeniably an opponent of Zionism or, if you prefer the phrase, the Zionist regime. But so are substantial numbers of Israeli citizens, Jews as well as Arabs. The anti-Zionist and non-Zionist traditions in Israel are not insignificant. So we should not demonise Ahmadinejad on those grounds alone.

Does this quibbling over phrases matter? Yes, of course. Within days of the Ahmadinejad speech the then Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, was calling for Iran to be expelled from the United Nations. Other foreign leaders have quoted the map phrase. The United States is piling pressure on its allies to be tough with Iran.

Let me give the last word to Juan Cole, with whom I began. "I am entirely aware that Ahmadinejad is hostile to Israel. The question is whether his intentions and capabilities would lead to a military attack, and whether therefore pre-emptive warfare is prescribed. I am saying no, and the boring philology is part of the reason for the no."
---End Quote---

---Quote---
Iran and "wiping Israel off the map (http://www.examiner.com/x-18425-LA-County-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m8d8-Iran-and-wiping-Israel-off-the-map)"
August 8, 9:10 AMLA County Nonpartisan ExaminerCarl Herman

&#8220;If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.&#8221; &#8211; George Orwell, preface to Animal Farm

 
Senator Lieberman (http://www.examiner.com/x-9462-LA-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m8d5-Sen-Joe-Lieberman-advocating-US-strike-against-Iran), Secretary of State Clinton (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052970204908604574332753028699432.html), and former UN Ambassador John Bolton (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22john+bolton%22+iran+war&aq=f&oq=&aqi=) have resumed rhetoric of a United States attack upon Iran. There are two general justifications they speak of to justify war: Iran's "nuclear program" and their threat to Israel. The following is edited from my brief (http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/41708) on the current US Wars of Aggression.
 
&#8220;Wiping Israel off the Map&#8221;: Wikipedia admits to &#8220;controversy&#8221; over the interpretation of Iranian President Ahmadinejad&#8217;s meaning of an October, 2005 speech.[1] (http://www.examiner.com/x-18425-LA-County-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m8d8-Iran-and-wiping-Israel-off-the-map#_ftn1) However, Wikipedia doesn&#8217;t mention the context within which it was spoken to help our understanding. In his speech, Ahmadinejad was discussing how people once thought it was impossible to remove the Shah as Iran&#8217;s dictator, but it was done. He then said that people thought the Soviet government and Saddam&#8217;s government would never fall. He then quoted Ayatollah Khomeini&#8217;s words from speeches he gave encouraging Iran&#8217;s persistence to oppose the Shah&#8217;s government that translate awkwardly into English as, &#8220;erase from the page of time.&#8221; Unless Khomeini and Ahmadinejad were advocating for the destruction of their own country, the speech&#8217;s meaning is to encourage the Iranian people to persist for change in Israel&#8217;s government.[2] (http://www.examiner.com/x-18425-LA-County-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m8d8-Iran-and-wiping-Israel-off-the-map#_ftn2) Again, please don&#8217;t believe me. Look at the evidence; read the speech. If you have Persian friends as I do, talk with them to gain their perspective of the discrepancy between our government and major media reporting of the meaning of the speech and what Ahmadinejad actually said. My Persian friends are understandably outraged by US threats to attack Iran, and frightened that what has happened in Iraq will happen to their friends and families in Iran.
 
Political leadership from both parties have not corrected this contrivance; rather they use it as an argument to demonize Iran. The US House of Representatives passed a resolution requesting the UN Security Council to charge President Ahmadinejad with the War Crime of inciting genocide.[3] (http://www.examiner.com/x-18425-LA-County-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m8d8-Iran-and-wiping-Israel-off-the-map#_ftn3) John McCain has twice made public &#8220;jokes&#8221; about killing Iranians, escalating concern.[4] (http://www.examiner.com/x-18425-LA-County-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m8d8-Iran-and-wiping-Israel-off-the-map#_ftn4) Senator McCain stated his position on Iran that includes this lie of President Ahmadinejad&#8217;s speech:
 
&#8220;The leadership of Iran has repeatedly used violence to undermine Israel and the Middle East peace process. It has trained, financed, and equipped extremists in Iraq who have killed American soldiers fighting to bring freedom to that country. It remains the world's chief sponsor of terrorism and threatens to destabilize the entire Middle East, from Basra to Beirut&#8230;It's hard to see what&#8230; a summit with President Ahmadinejad would actually gain, except an earful of anti-Semitic rants, and a worldwide audience for a man who denies one Holocaust and talks before frenzied crowds about starting another."[5] (http://www.examiner.com/x-18425-LA-County-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m8d8-Iran-and-wiping-Israel-off-the-map#_ftn5)
 
Senator Obama spoke in Israel in July 2008 and seems to endorse this lie, stating that Iran &#8220;sponsors terrorism, pursues nuclear weapons and threatens Israel&#8217;s existence.&#8221;[6] (http://www.examiner.com/x-18425-LA-County-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m8d8-Iran-and-wiping-Israel-off-the-map#_ftn6) One of President Bush&#8217;s advisors and the author of the idea for the troop &#8220;surge&#8221; in 2007, Fred Kagan, stated on MSNBC on July 23, 2008:
 
&#8220;Well, there&#8217;s nothing we can do short of an attack to force Iran to give up its nuclear program. &#8230; At the end of the day, the only way that you can make for sure that [a nuclear arm&#8217;s race] doesn&#8217;t happen is with an attack.&#8221;[7] (http://www.examiner.com/x-18425-LA-County-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m8d8-Iran-and-wiping-Israel-off-the-map#_ftn7)
 
In apparent complicity in this deliberate misinformation, and perhaps working for war against Iran, the UK&#8217;s Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, stated in his speech to the Israeli Legislature, the Knesset, on July 21, 2008, "It is totally abhorrent for the President of Iran to call for Israel to be wiped from the map of the world."[8] (http://www.examiner.com/x-18425-LA-County-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m8d8-Iran-and-wiping-Israel-off-the-map#_ftn8)
Mike Wallace of the famed television show 60 Minutes won an Emmy for a contrived interview with President Ahmadinejad in 2006, where Mr. Ahmadinejad&#8217;s comments encouraging democracy for Palestinians was edited to appear that he was hostile to Israel. You can verify this by watching the brief 5-minute clip for yourself: YouTube - Apologize to the World Mr. Wallace and Return that Emmy (http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=onNzrNEFs1E&feature=related) .
One scenario for initiating war with Iran came from Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Carter&#8217;s National Security Advisor and the National Security Advisor to Senator Obama&#8217;s presidential campaign. Brzezinski testified to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on February 1, 2007:
 
&#8220;A plausible scenario for a military collision with Iran involves Iraqi failure to meet the benchmarks; followed by accusations of Iranian responsibility for the failure; then by some provocation in Iraq or a terrorist act in the U.S. blamed on Iran; culminating in a &#8216;defensive&#8217; U.S. military action against Iran that plunges a lonely America into a spreading and deepening quagmire eventually ranging across Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.&#8221;[9] (http://www.examiner.com/x-18425-LA-County-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m8d8-Iran-and-wiping-Israel-off-the-map#_ftn9)
 
This strategy was echoed by retired CIA Analyst, Ray McGovern, who served under seven US Presidents. McGovern&#8217;s comprehensive understanding of intelligence work qualified him as one of the few analysts chosen to present the President&#8217;s Daily Brief in morning meetings to Presidents.[10] (http://www.examiner.com/x-18425-LA-County-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m8d8-Iran-and-wiping-Israel-off-the-map#_ftn10) McGovern states that Israel and/or the CIA have numerous possibilities to attack US interests (known as a false-flag attack), blame Iran, then use the media to stoke public opinion in favor of war.[11] (http://www.examiner.com/x-18425-LA-County-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m8d8-Iran-and-wiping-Israel-off-the-map#_ftn11)
 
But why have war with Iran? Next, we take a look at history and motivation. Can&#8217;t wait? Read my brief (http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/41708), &#8220;War with Iraq and Afghanistan, rhetoric for war with Iran.&#8221;
---End Quote---


It would behoove you to read Ahmadinajad's letter to George W. Bush sourced here (http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iran/2006/iran-060510-irna01.htm)


---Quote---
Full text of President Ahmadinejad's letter to George Bush

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, May 9, IRNA &#8211;-
Iran-US-Ahmadinenejad's Letter
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has written a letter to the US President George W. Bush.

"The letter to US President George Bush carries the Iranian nation's views and comments on international issues as well as suggestions for resolving the many problems facing humanity," said the Iranian president here Tuesday.

The president made the remark at Tehran Mehrabad International Airport before his departure for Indonesia to attend a meeting of the D-8 (Group of eight developing Muslim states).

The letter was submitted to President Bush via the Swiss embassy in Tehran, which takes care of the US interest section in Iran.

Earlier, Ahmadinejad had told reporters he had decided to send letters to leaders of certain countries on the occasion of Year of Great Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

The following is the full text of Ahmadinejad's letter to George Bush:
"In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful,
Mr George Bush,
President of the United States of America,
For sometime now I have been thinking, how one can justify the undeniable contradictions that exist in the international arena -- which are being constantly debated, especially in political forums and amongst university students. Many questions remain unanswered. These have prompted me to discuss some of the contradictions and questions, in the hope that it might bring about an opportunity to redress them.

Can one be a follower of Jesus Christ (PBUH), the great Messenger of God,
feel obliged to respect human rights, present liberalism as a civilization model, announce one&#8217;s opposition to the proliferation of nuclear weapons and WMDs, make &#8220;War on Terror&#8221; his slogan, and finally, work towards the establishment of a unified international community &#8211; a community which Christ and the virtuous of the Earth will one day govern, but at the same time, have countries attacked. The lives, reputations and possessions of people destroyed and on the slight chance of the presence of a few criminals in a village, city, or convoy for example, the entire village, city or convoy (are) set ablaze.

Or because of the possibility of the existence of WMDs in one country, it is occupied, around one hundred thousand people killed, its water sources, agriculture and industry destroyed, close to 180,000 foreign troops put on the ground, sanctity of private homes of citizens broken, and the country pushed back perhaps fifty years. At what price? Hundreds of billions of dollars spent from the treasury of one country and certain other countries and tens of thousands of young men and women &#8211; as occupation troops &#8211; put in harms way, taken away from family and loved ones, their hands stained with the blood of others, subjected to so much psychological pressure that everyday some commit suicide and those returning home suffer depression, become sickly and grapple with all sorts of ailments; while some are killed and their bodies handed to their families.

On the pretext of the existence of WMDs, this great tragedy came to engulf both the peoples of the occupied and the occupying country. Later it was revealed that no WMDs existed to begin with.

Of course Saddam was a murderous dictator. But the war was not waged to topple him, the announced goal of the war was to find and destroy weapons of mass destruction. He was toppled along the way towards another goal; nevertheless the people of the region are happy about it. I point out that throughout the many years of the imposed war on Iran Saddam was supported by the West.

Mr. President,
You might know that I am a teacher. My students ask me how can these actions be reconciled with the values outlined at the beginning of this letter and duty to the tradition of Jesus Christ (PBUH), the Messenger of peace and forgiveness?
There are prisoners in Guantanamo Bay that have not been tried, have no legal representation, their families cannot see them and are obviously kept in a strange land outside their own country. There is no international monitoring of their conditions and fate. No one knows whether they are prisoners, POWs, accused or criminals.

European investigators have confirmed the existence of secret prisons in Europe too. I could not correlate the abduction of a person, and him or her being kept in secret prisons, with the provisions of any judicial system. For that matter, I fail to understand how such actions correspond to the values outlined in the beginning of this letter, i.e. the teachings of Jesus Christ (PBUH), human rights and liberal values.

Young people, university students, and ordinary people have many questions about the phenomenon of Israel. I am sure you are familiar with some of them.

Throughout history many countries have been occupied, but I think the establishment of a new country with a new people, is a new phenomenon that is exclusive to our times.

Students are saying that sixty years ago such a country did not exist. They show old documents and globes and say try as we have, we have not been able to find a country named Israel.

I tell them to study the history of WWI and II. One of my students told me that during WWII, which more than tens of millions of people perished in, news about the war, was quickly disseminated by the warring parties. Each touted their victories and the most recent battlefront defeat of the other party. After the war they claimed that six million Jews had been killed. Six million people that were surely related to at least two million families.

Again let us assume that these events are true. Does that logically translate into the establishment of the state of Israel in the Middle East or support for such a state? How can this phenomenon be rationalized or explained?

Mr. President,
I am sure you know how &#8211; and at what cost &#8211; Israel was established:

-Many thousands were killed in the process.

-Millions of indigenous people were made refugees.

-Hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland, olive plantations, towns and villages were destroyed.

This tragedy is not exclusive to the time of establishment; unfortunately it has been ongoing for sixty years now.

A regime has been established which does not show mercy even to kids, destroys houses while the occupants are still in them, announces beforehand its list and plans to assassinate Palestinian figures, and keeps thousands of Palestinians in prison. Such a phenomenon is unique &#8211; or at the very least extremely rare &#8211; in recent memory.

Another big question asked by the people is &#8220;why is this regime being supported?&#8221;
Is support for this regime in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ (PBUH) or Moses (PBUH) or liberal values?
Or are we to understand that allowing the original inhabitants of these lands &#8211; inside and outside Palestine -- whether they are Christian, Moslem or Jew, to determine their fate, runs contrary to principles of democracy, human rights and the teachings of prophets? If not, why is there so much opposition to a referendum?
The newly elected Palestinian administration recently took office. All independent observers have confirmed that this government represents the electorate. Unbelievingly, they have put the elected government under pressure and have advised it to recognize the Israeli regime, abandon the struggle and follow the programs of the previous government.

If the current Palestinian government had run on the above platform, would the Palestinian people have voted for it? Again, can such position taken in opposition to the Palestinian government be reconciled with the values outlined earlier? The people are also asking &#8220;Why are all UNSC resolutions in condemnation of Israel vetoed?&#8221;
Mr. President,
As you are well aware, I live amongst the people and am in constant contact with them -- many people from around the Middle East manage to contact me as well. They do not have faith in these dubious policies either. There is evidence that the people of the region are becoming increasingly angry with such policies.

It is not my intention to pose too many questions, but I need to refer to other points as well.

Why is it that any technological and scientific achievement reached in the Middle East region is translated into and portrayed as a threat to the Zionist regime? Is not scientific R&D one of the basic rights of nations?
You are familiar with history. Aside from the Middle Ages, in what other point in history has scientific and technical progress been a crime? Can the possibility of scientific achievements being utilized for military purposes be reason enough to oppose science and technology altogether? If such a supposition is true, then all scientific disciplines, including physics, chemistry, mathematics, medicine, engineering, etc. must be opposed.

Lies were told in the Iraqi matter. What was the result? I have no doubt that telling lies is reprehensible in any culture, and you do not like to be lied to.

Mr. President,
Don&#8217;t Latin Americans have the right to ask why their elected governments are being opposed and coup leaders supported? Or, Why must they constantly be threatened and live in fear?
The people of Africa are hardworking, creative and talented. They can play an important and valuable role in providing for the needs of humanity and contribute to its material and spiritual progress. Poverty and hardship in large parts of Africa are preventing this from happening. Don&#8217;t they have the right to ask why their enormous wealth &#8211; including minerals &#8211; is being looted, despite the fact that they need it more than others?
Again, do such actions correspond to the teachings of Christ and the tenets of human rights?
The brave and faithful people of Iran too have many questions and grievances, including: the coup d&#8217;etat of 1953 and the subsequent toppling of the legal government of the day, opposition to the Islamic revolution, transformation of an Embassy into a headquarters supporting the activities of those opposing the Islamic Republic (many thousands of pages of documents corroborate this claim), support for Saddam in the war waged against Iran, the shooting down of the Iranian passenger plane, freezing the assets of the Iranian nation, increasing threats, anger and displeasure vis-à-vis the scientific and nuclear progress of the Iranian nation (just when all Iranians are jubilant and celebrating their country&#8217;s progress), and many other grievances that I will not refer to in this letter.

Mr. President,
September Eleven was a horrendous incident. The killing of innocents is deplorable and appalling in any part of the world. Our government immediately declared its disgust with the perpetrators and offered its condolences to the bereaved and expressed its sympathies.

All governments have a duty to protect the lives, property and good standing of their citizens. Reportedly your government employs extensive security, protection and intelligence systems &#8211; and even hunts its opponents abroad. September eleven was not a simple operation. Could it be planned and executed without coordination with intelligence and security services &#8211; or their extensive infiltration? Of course this is just an educated guess. Why have the various aspects of the attacks been kept secret? Why are we not told who botched their responsibilities? And, why aren&#8217;t those responsible and the guilty parties identified and put on trial?
All governments have a duty to provide security and peace of mind for their citizens. For some years now, the people of your country and neighbors of world trouble spots do not have peace of mind. After 9.11, instead of healing and tending to the emotional wounds of the survivors and the American people -- who had been immensely traumatized by the attacks -- some Western media only intensified the climate of fear and insecurity &#8211; some constantly talked about the possibility of new terror attacks and kept the people in fear. Is that service to the American people? Is it possible to calculate the damages incurred from fear and panic?
American citizens lived in constant fear of fresh attacks that could come at any moment and in any place. They felt insecure in the streets, in their place of work and at home. Who would be happy with this situation? Why was the media, instead of conveying a feeling of security and providing peace of mind, giving rise to a feeling of insecurity?
Some believe that the hype paved the way -- and was the justification --for an attack on Afghanistan. Again I need to refer to the role of media.

In media charters, correct dissemination of information and honest reporting of a story are established tenets. I express my deep regret about the disregard shown by certain Western media for these principles. The main pretext for an attack on Iraq was the existence of WMDs. This was repeated incessantly -- for the public to finally believe -- and the ground set for an attack on Iraq.

Will the truth not be lost in a contrived and deceptive climate?
Again, if the truth is allowed to be lost, how can that be reconciled with the earlier mentioned values? Is the truth known to the Almighty lost as well?

Mr. President,
In countries around the world, citizens provide for the expenses of governments so that their governments in turn are able to serve them.

The question here is &#8220;what has the hundreds of billions of dollars, spent every year to pay for the Iraqi campaign, produced for the citizens?&#8221;
As Your Excellency is aware, in some states of your country, people are living in poverty. Many thousands are homeless and unemployment is a huge problem. Of course these problems exist &#8211; to a larger or lesser extent -- in other countries as well. With these conditions in mind, can the gargantuan expenses of the campaign &#8211; paid from the public treasury &#8211; be explained and be consistent with the aforementioned principles?
What has been said, are some of the grievances of the people around the world, in our region and in your country. But my main contention &#8211; which I am hoping you will agree to some of it &#8211; is:
Those in power have a specific time in office and do not rule indefinitely, but their names will be recorded in history and will be constantly judged in the immediate and distant futures.

The people will scrutinize our presidencies.

Did we mange to bring peace, security and prosperity for the people or insecurity and unemployment?
Did we intend to establish justice or just supported especial interest groups, and by forcing many people to live in poverty and hardship, made a few people rich and powerful -- thus trading the approval of the people and the Almighty with theirs&#8217;?
Did we defend the rights of the underprivileged or ignore them?
Did we defend the rights of all people around the world or imposed wars on them, interfered illegally in their affairs, established hellish prisons and incarcerated some of them?
Did we bring the world peace and security or raised the specter of intimidation and threats?
Did we tell the truth to our nation and others around the world or presented an inverted version of it?
Were we on the side of people or the occupiers and oppressors?
Did our administrations set out to promote rational behavior, logic, ethics, peace, fulfilling obligations, justice, service to the people, prosperity, progress and respect for human dignity or the force of guns, intimidation, insecurity, disregard for the people, delaying the progress and excellence of other nations, and trample on people&#8217;s rights?
And finally, they will judge us on whether we remained true to our oath of office &#8211; to serve the people, which is our main task, and the traditions of the prophets -- or not?
Mr. President,
How much longer can the world tolerate this situation?
Where will this trend lead the world to?
How long must the people of the world pay for the incorrect decisions of some rulers?
How much longer will the specter of insecurity &#8211; raised from the stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction -- hunt the people of the world?
How much longer will the blood of the innocent men, women and children be spilled on the streets, and people&#8217;s houses destroyed over their heads?
Are you pleased with the current condition of the world?
Do you think present policies can continue?
If billions of dollars spent on security, military campaigns and troop movement were instead spent on investment and assistance for poor countries, promotion of health, combating different diseases, education and improvement of mental and physical fitness, assistance to the victims of natural disasters, creation of employment opportunities and production, development projects and poverty alleviation, establishment of peace, mediation between disputing states, and extinguishing the flames of racial, ethnic and other conflicts, were would the world be today? Would not your government and people be justifiably proud?
Would not your administration&#8217;s political and economic standing have been stronger?
And I am most sorry to say, would there have been an ever increasing global hatred of the American government?
Mr. President, it is not my intention to distress anyone.

If Prophet Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ishmael, Joseph, or Jesus Christ (PBUH) were with us today, how would they have judged such behavior? Will we be given a role to play in the promised world, where justice will become universal and Jesus Christ (PBUH) will be present? Will they even accept us?
My basic question is this: Is there no better way to interact with the rest of the world? Today there are hundreds of millions of Christians, hundreds of millions of Muslims and millions of people who follow the teachings of Moses (PBUH). All divine religions share and respect one word and that is &#8220;monotheism&#8221; or belief in a single God and no other in the world.

The Holy Koran stresses this common word and calls on all followers of divine religions and says: [3.64] Say: O followers of the Book! Come to an equitable proposition between us and you that we shall not serve any but Allah and (that) we shall not associate aught with Him, and (that) some of us shall not take others for lords besides Allah; but if they turn back, then say: Bear witness that we are Muslims. (The Family of Imran)

Mr. President,
According to divine verses, we have all been called upon to worship one God and follow the teachings of divine Prophets.


&#8220;To worship a God which is above all powers in the world and can do all He pleases.&#8221; &#8220;The Lord which knows that which is hidden and visible, the past and the future, knows what goes on in the Hearts of His servants and records their deeds.&#8221;
&#8220;The Lord who is the possessor of the heavens and the earth and all universe is His court&#8221; &#8220;planning for the universe is done by His hands, and gives His servants the glad tidings of mercy and forgiveness of sins&#8221; &#8220;He is the companion of the oppressed and the enemy of oppressors&#8221; &#8220;He is the Compassionate, the Merciful&#8221; &#8220;He is the recourse of the faithful and guides them towards the light from darkness&#8221; &#8220;He is witness to the actions of His servants&#8221; &#8220;He calls on servants to be faithful and do good deeds, and asks them to stay on the path of righteousness and remain steadfast&#8221; &#8220;Calls on servants to heed His prophets and He is a witness to their deeds&#8221; &#8220;A bad ending belongs only to those who have chosen the life of this world and disobey Him and oppress His servants&#8221; and &#8220;A good end and eternal paradise belong to those servants who fear His majesty and do not follow their lascivious selves.&#8221;
We believe a return to the teachings of the divine prophets is the only road leading to salvation. I have been told that Your Excellency follows the teachings of Jesus (PBUH) and believes in the divine promise of the rule of the righteous on Earth.

We also believe that Jesus Christ (PBUH) was one of the great prophets of the Almighty. He has been repeatedly praised in the Koran. Jesus (PBUH) has been quoted in Koran as well: [19.36] And surely Allah is my Lord and your Lord, therefore serve Him; this is the right path. Marium
Service to and obedience of the Almighty is the credo of all divine messengers.

The God of all people in Europe, Asia, Africa, America, the Pacific and the rest of the world is one. He is the Almighty who wants to guide and give dignity to all His servants. He has given greatness to Humans.

We again read in the Holy Book: &#8220;The Almighty God sent His prophets with miracles and clear signs to guide the people and show them divine signs and purify them from sins and pollutions. And He sent the Book and the balance so that the people display justice and avoid the rebellious&#8221;.

All of the above verses can be seen, one way or the other, in the Good Book as well.

Divine prophets have promised:
The day will come when all humans will congregate before the court of the Almighty, so that their deeds are examined. The good will be directed towards Haven and evildoers will meet divine retribution. I trust both of us believe in such a day, but it will not be easy to calculate the actions of rulers, because we must be answerable to our nations and all others whose lives have been directly or indirectly affected by our actions.

All prophets, speak of peace and tranquility for man -- based on monotheism, justice and respect for human dignity.

Do you not think that if all of us come to believe in and abide by these principles, that is, monotheism, worship of God, justice, respect for the dignity of man, belief in the Last Day, we can overcome the present problems of the world -- that are the result of disobedience to the Almighty and the teachings of prophets &#8211; and improve our performance?
Do you not think that belief in these principles promotes and guarantees peace, friendship and justice?
Do you not think that the aforementioned written or unwritten principles are universally respected?
Will you not accept this invitation? That is, a genuine return to the teachings of prophets, to monotheism and justice, to preserve human dignity and obedience to the Almighty and His prophets?

Mr. President,
History tells us that repressive and cruel governments do not survive. God has entrusted the fate of men to them. The Almighty has not left the universe and humanity to their own devices.

Many things have happened contrary to the wishes and plans of governments. These tell us that there is a higher power at work and all events are determined by Him.

Can one deny the signs of change in the world today?
Is the situation of the world today comparable to that of ten years ago? Changes happen fast and come at a furious pace.

The people of the world are not happy with the status quo and pay little heed to the promises and comments made by a number of influential world leaders. Many people around the world feel insecure and oppose the spreading of insecurity and war and do not approve of and accept dubious policies.

The people are protesting the increasing gap between the haves and the have-nots and the rich and poor countries.

The people are disgusted with increasing corruption.

The people of many countries are angry about the attacks on their cultural foundations and the disintegration of families. They are equally dismayed with the fading of care and compassion. The people of the world have no faith in international organizations, because their rights are not advocated by these organizations.

Liberalism and Western style democracy have not been able to help realize the ideals of humanity. Today these two concepts have failed. Those with insight can already hear the sounds of the shattering and fall of the ideology and thoughts of the Liberal democratic systems.

We increasingly see that people around the world are flocking towards a main focal point -- that is the Almighty God. Undoubtedly through faith in God and the teachings of the prophets, the people will conquer their problems. My question for you is: &#8220;Do you not want to join them?&#8221;
Mr. President,
Whether we like it or not, the world is gravitating towards faith in the
Almighty and justice and the will of God will prevail over all things.

Vasalam Ala Man Ataba&#8217;al hoda
Mahmood Ahmadi-Nejad
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran "
---End Quote---

*The "Wipe Israel Off The Map" Hoax*
What Ahmadinejad really said and why this broken record is just another ad slogan for war

Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet
Friday, January 26, 2007

Barely a day goes by that one can avoid reading or hearing yet another Israeli, American or British warhawk regurgitate the broken record that Iran's President Ahmadinejad threatened to "wipe Israel off the map," framed in the ridiculous context that Israelis are being targeted for a second holocaust. This baseless rallying call for conflict holds about as much credibility as Dick Cheney's assertion that Saddam Hussein was planning to light up American skies with mushroom clouds.

Today it's the turn of would-be future British Prime Minister David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party, who repeated the "wipe Israel off he map" fraud in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=ORWWKLFIA1DS5QFIQMGSFF4AVCBQWIV0?xml=/news/2007/01/26/ntory26.xml), using it to qualify his refusal to rule out a military strike on Iran under a Tory government.

Did Ahmadinejad really threaten to "wipe Israel off the map" or is this phrase just another jingoistic brand slogan for selling the next war in the Middle East?

The devil is in the detail, wiping Israel off the map suggests a physical genocidal assault, a literal population relocation or elimination akin to what the Nazis did. According to numerous different translations, Ahmadinejad never used the word "map," instead his statement was in the context of time and applied to the Zionist regime occupying Jerusalem. Ahmadinejad was expressing his future hope that the Zionist regime in Israel would fall, not that Iran was going to physically annex the country and its population.

To claim Ahmadinejad has issued a rallying cry to ethnically cleanse Israel is akin to saying that Churchill wanted to murder all Germans when he stated his desire to crush the Nazis. This is about the demise of a corrupt occupying power, not the deaths of millions of innocent people.

The Guardian's Jonathan Steele cites (http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/jonathan_steele/2006/06/post_155.html) four different translations, from professors to the BBC to the New York Times and even pro-Israel news outlets, in none of those translations is the word "map" used. The closest translation to what the Iranian President actually said is, "The regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time," or a narrow relative thereof. In no version is the word "map" used or a context of mass genocide or hostile military action even hinted at.

The acceptance of the word "map" seemingly originated with the New York Times, who later had to back away from this false translation. The BBC also wrongly used the word and, in comments to Steele, later accepted their mistake but refused to issue a retraction.

"The fact that he compared his desired option - the elimination of "the regime occupying Jerusalem" - with the fall of the Shah's regime in Iran makes it crystal clear that he is talking about regime change, not the end of Israel. As a schoolboy opponent of the Shah in the 1970's he surely did not favor Iran's removal from the page of time. He just wanted the Shah out," writes Steele.

"It's important to note that the "quote" in question was itself a quote, writes Arash Norouzi, "they are the words of the late Ayatollah Khomeini, the father of the Islamic Revolution. Although he quoted Khomeini to affirm his own position on Zionism, the actual words belong to Khomeini and not Ahmadinejad. Thus, Ahmadinejad has essentially been credited (or blamed) for a quote that is not only unoriginal, but represents a viewpoint already in place well before he ever took office."

Professor Juan Cole concurs, arguing, "Now, some might say, "So he didn't say, 'wipe off the map,' he said 'erase from the page.' What's the difference? Anyway he's saying he wants to get rid of Israel. Ahmadinejad was not making a threat, he was quoting a saying of Khomeini and urging that pro-Palestinian activists in Iran not give up hope -- that the occupation of Jerusalem was no more a continued inevitability than had been the hegemony of the Shah's government. Whatever this quotation from a decades-old speech of Khomeini may have meant, Ahmadinejad did not say that 'Israel must be wiped off the map' with the implication that phrase has of Nazi-style extermination of a people. He said that the occupation regime over Jerusalem must be erased from the page of time."

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Let's consider for a moment that Ahmadinejad really does wish to initiate a nuclear war on Israel, is this feasible? It would be like Paris Hilton picking a fight with Mike Tyson. The CIA's own estimates put Iran five to ten years away from being able to produce one nuclear bomb even if they were in the planning stages now, which is highly unlikely given that international inspectors have found no evidence of such a program and CIA satellite imagery also shows no proof of nuclear arms. Contrast this to an Israeli arsenal of anything up to 200 launch ready nukes allied to the might of the U.S. which has nearly 6,000 active warheads not to mention so-called "mini-nukes."

While it can be reasonably argued that Iran is seeking a nuclear weapon at some point in the future, to then claim that this means Ahmadinejad wishes to enact a second holocaust is an unfathomable leap of logic. The real reason for any nation in that region trying to acquire a nuclear weapon is for self defense, because they are surrounded by other hostile powers that already have the bomb.

Returning to the "wipe Israel off the map hoax," loathe are we to forget another of the commercial jingles concocted for hoodwinking Americans into attacking a certain other Middle Eastern country - "he used weapons of mass destruction against his own people," referring of course to Saddam Hussein's alleged role in the Halabja massacre where Iraqi Kurds were gassed. In reality, as former CIA analyst Stephen Pelletiere has revealed, Halabja came as a result of a battlefield exchange between the Iranians and the Iraqis after the Kurds had sided with the Iranians and allowed them to enter the city. According to the DIA's own report at the time, the type of gas that killed the Kurds was not used by the Iraqis but was used by the Iranians. The incident was a tragedy of war, not a directed program of genocide at the behest of Saddam Hussein.

Whenever Bush administration officials and others used Halabja as a pretext for war, the mass media routinely failed to mention the DIA report, just as they have failed to provide any balance on the real meaning of Ahmadinejad's statement, despite the fact that it is completely distorted almost every day and used as a call to arms as well as a propagandistic ploy to convince western populations that dark skinned invaders are hell-bent on their wholesale destruction.]]></description>
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				<b><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2006/jun/14/post155" target="_blank">Lost in translation</a></b><br />
<br />
Experts confirm that Iran's president did not call for Israel to be 'wiped off the map'. Reports that he did serve to strengthen western hawks.<br />
<br />
    *<br />
      Comments (289)<br />
    * Buzz up!<br />
    * Digg it<br />
<br />
    * Jonathan Steele<br />
    *<br />
          o Jonathan Steele<br />
          o guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 14 June 2006 12.49 BST<br />
          o Article history<br />
<br />
My recent <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,1788542,00.html" target="_blank">comment piece</a> explaining how Iran's president was badly misquoted when he allegedly called for Israel to be &quot;wiped off the map&quot; has caused a welcome little storm. The phrase has been seized on by western and Israeli hawks to re-double suspicions of the Iranian government's intentions, so it is important to get the truth of what he really said.<br />
<br />
I took my translation - &quot;the regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time&quot; - from the indefatigable Professor Juan Cole's <a href="http://www.juancole.com/" target="_blank">website</a> where it has been for several weeks.<br />
<br />
But it seems to be mainly thanks to the Guardian giving it prominence that the New York Times, which was one of the first papers to misquote Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, came out on Sunday with a defensive piece attempting to justify its reporter's original &quot;wiped off the map&quot; translation. (By the way, for Farsi speakers the original version is available <a href="http://www.president.ir/farsi/ahmadinejad/speeches/1384/aban-84/840804sahyonizm.htm" target="_blank">here</a>.)<br />
<br />
Joining the &quot;off the map&quot; crowd is David Aaronovitch, a columnist on the Times (of London), who <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,22369-2222387,00.html" target="_blank">attacked</a> my analysis yesterday. I won't waste time on him since his knowledge of Farsi is as minimal as that of his Latin. The poor man thinks the plural of casus belli is casi belli, unaware that casus is fourth declension with the plural casus (long u).<br />
<br />
The New York Times's Ethan Bronner and Nazila Fathi, one of the paper's Tehran staff, make a more <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/11/weekinreview/11bronner.html" target="_blank">serious case</a>. They consulted several sources in Tehran. &quot;Sohrab Mahdavi, one of Iran's most prominent translators, and Siamak Namazi, managing director of a Tehran consulting firm, who is bilingual, both say 'wipe off' or 'wipe away' is more accurate than 'vanish' because the Persian verb is active and transitive,&quot; Bronner writes.<br />
<br />
The New York Times goes on: &quot;The second translation issue concerns the word 'map'. Khomeini's words were abstract: 'Sahneh roozgar.' Sahneh means scene or stage, and roozgar means time. The phrase was widely interpreted as 'map', and for years, no one objected. In October, when Mr Ahmadinejad quoted Khomeini, he actually misquoted him, saying not 'Sahneh roozgar' but 'Safheh roozgar', meaning pages of time or history. No one noticed the change, and news agencies used the word 'map' again.&quot;<br />
<br />
This, in my view, is the crucial point and I'm glad the NYT accepts that the word &quot;map&quot; was not used by Ahmadinejad. (By the way, the Wikipedia entry on the controversy gets the NYT wrong, claiming falsely that Ethan Bronner &quot;concluded that Ahmadinejad had in fact said that Israel was to be wiped off the map&quot;.)<br />
<br />
If the Iranian president made a mistake and used &quot;safheh&quot; rather than &quot;sahneh&quot;, that is of little moment. A native English speaker could equally confuse &quot;stage of history&quot; with &quot;page of history&quot;. The significant issue is that both phrases refer to time rather than place. As I wrote in my original post, the Iranian president was expressing a vague wish for the future. He was not threatening an Iranian-initiated war to remove Israeli control over Jerusalem.<br />
<br />
Two other well-established translation sources confirm that Ahmadinejad was referring to time, not place. The version of the October 26 2005 speech put out by the Middle East Media Research Institute, based on the Farsi text released by the official Iranian Students News Agency, says: &quot;This regime that is occupying Qods [Jerusalem] must be eliminated from the pages of history.&quot; (NB: not &quot;wiped&quot;. I accept that &quot;eliminated&quot; is almost the same, indeed some might argue it is more sinister than &quot;wiped&quot;, though it is a bit more of a mouthful if you are trying to find four catchy and easily memorable words with which to incite anger against Iran.)<br />
<br />
MEMRI (its text of the speech is available <a href="http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&amp;Area=sd&amp;ID=SP101305" target="_blank">here</a>) is headed by a former Israeli military intelligence officer and has sometimes been attacked for alleged distortion of Farsi and Arabic quotations for the benefit of Israeli foreign policy. On this occasion they supported the doveish view of what Ahmadinejad said.<br />
<br />
Finally we come to the BBC monitoring service which every day puts out hundreds of highly respected English translations of broadcasts from all round the globe to their subscribers - mainly governments, intelligence services, thinktanks and other specialists. I approached them this week about the controversy and a spokesperson for the monitoring service's marketing unit, who did not want his name used, told me their original version of the Ahmadinejad quote was &quot;eliminated from the map of the world&quot;.<br />
<br />
As a result of my inquiry and the controversy generated, they had gone back to the native Farsi-speakers who had translated the speech from a voice recording made available by Iranian TV on October 29 2005. Here is what the spokesman told me about the &quot;off the map&quot; section: &quot;The monitor has checked again. It's a difficult expression to translate. They're under time pressure to produce a translation quickly and they were searching for the right phrase. With more time to reflect they would say the translation should be &quot;eliminated from the page of history&quot;.<br />
<br />
Would the BBC put out a correction, given that the issue had become so controversial, I asked. &quot;It would be a long time after the original version&quot;, came the reply. I interpret that as &quot;probably not&quot;, but let's see.<br />
<br />
Finally, I approached Iradj Bagherzade, the Iranian-born founder and chairman of the renowned publishing house, IB Tauris. He thought hard about the word &quot;roozgar&quot;. &quot;History&quot; was not the right word, he said, but he could not decide between several better alternatives &quot;this day and age&quot;, &quot;these times&quot;, &quot;our times&quot;, &quot;time&quot;.<br />
<br />
So there we have it. Starting with Juan Cole, and going via the New York Times' experts through MEMRI to the BBC's monitors, the consensus is that Ahmadinejad did not talk about any maps. He was, as I insisted in my original piece, offering a vague wish for the future.<br />
<br />
A very last point. The fact that he compared his desired option - the elimination of &quot;the regime occupying Jerusalem&quot; - with the fall of the Shah's regime in Iran makes it crystal clear that he is talking about regime change, not the end of Israel. As a schoolboy opponent of the Shah in the 1970's he surely did not favour Iran's removal from the page of time. He just wanted the Shah out.<br />
<br />
The same with regard to Israel. The Iranian president is undeniably an opponent of Zionism or, if you prefer the phrase, the Zionist regime. But so are substantial numbers of Israeli citizens, Jews as well as Arabs. The anti-Zionist and non-Zionist traditions in Israel are not insignificant. So we should not demonise Ahmadinejad on those grounds alone.<br />
<br />
Does this quibbling over phrases matter? Yes, of course. Within days of the Ahmadinejad speech the then Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, was calling for Iran to be expelled from the United Nations. Other foreign leaders have quoted the map phrase. The United States is piling pressure on its allies to be tough with Iran.<br />
<br />
Let me give the last word to Juan Cole, with whom I began. &quot;I am entirely aware that Ahmadinejad is hostile to Israel. The question is whether his intentions and capabilities would lead to a military attack, and whether therefore pre-emptive warfare is prescribed. I am saying no, and the boring philology is part of the reason for the no.&quot;
			
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				<a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-18425-LA-County-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m8d8-Iran-and-wiping-Israel-off-the-map" target="_blank">Iran and &quot;wiping Israel off the map</a>&quot;<br />
August 8, 9:10 AMLA County Nonpartisan ExaminerCarl Herman<br />
<br />
&#8220;If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.&#8221; &#8211; George Orwell, preface to Animal Farm<br />
<br />
 <br />
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-9462-LA-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m8d5-Sen-Joe-Lieberman-advocating-US-strike-against-Iran" target="_blank">Senator Lieberman</a>, <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052970204908604574332753028699432.html" target="_blank">Secretary of State Clinton</a>, and <a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&amp;q=%22john+bolton%22+iran+war&amp;aq=f&amp;oq=&amp;aqi=" target="_blank">former UN Ambassador John Bolton</a> have resumed rhetoric of a United States attack upon Iran. There are two general justifications they speak of to justify war: Iran's &quot;nuclear program&quot; and their threat to Israel. The following is edited from my <a href="http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/41708" target="_blank">brief</a> on the current US Wars of Aggression.<br />
 <br />
&#8220;Wiping Israel off the Map&#8221;: Wikipedia admits to &#8220;controversy&#8221; over the interpretation of Iranian President Ahmadinejad&#8217;s meaning of an October, 2005 speech.<a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-18425-LA-County-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m8d8-Iran-and-wiping-Israel-off-the-map#_ftn1" target="_blank">[1]</a> However, Wikipedia doesn&#8217;t mention the context within which it was spoken to help our understanding. In his speech, Ahmadinejad was discussing how people once thought it was impossible to remove the Shah as Iran&#8217;s dictator, but it was done. He then said that people thought the Soviet government and Saddam&#8217;s government would never fall. He then quoted Ayatollah Khomeini&#8217;s words from speeches he gave encouraging Iran&#8217;s persistence to oppose the Shah&#8217;s government that translate awkwardly into English as, &#8220;erase from the page of time.&#8221; Unless Khomeini and Ahmadinejad were advocating for the destruction of their own country, the speech&#8217;s meaning is to encourage the Iranian people to persist for change in Israel&#8217;s government.<a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-18425-LA-County-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m8d8-Iran-and-wiping-Israel-off-the-map#_ftn2" target="_blank">[2]</a> Again, please don&#8217;t believe me. Look at the evidence; read the speech. If you have Persian friends as I do, talk with them to gain their perspective of the discrepancy between our government and major media reporting of the meaning of the speech and what Ahmadinejad actually said. My Persian friends are understandably outraged by US threats to attack Iran, and frightened that what has happened in Iraq will happen to their friends and families in Iran.<br />
 <br />
Political leadership from both parties have not corrected this contrivance; rather they use it as an argument to demonize Iran. The US House of Representatives passed a resolution requesting the UN Security Council to charge President Ahmadinejad with the War Crime of inciting genocide.<a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-18425-LA-County-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m8d8-Iran-and-wiping-Israel-off-the-map#_ftn3" target="_blank">[3]</a> John McCain has twice made public &#8220;jokes&#8221; about killing Iranians, escalating concern.<a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-18425-LA-County-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m8d8-Iran-and-wiping-Israel-off-the-map#_ftn4" target="_blank">[4]</a> Senator McCain stated his position on Iran that includes this lie of President Ahmadinejad&#8217;s speech:<br />
 <br />
&#8220;The leadership of Iran has repeatedly used violence to undermine Israel and the Middle East peace process. It has trained, financed, and equipped extremists in Iraq who have killed American soldiers fighting to bring freedom to that country. It remains the world's chief sponsor of terrorism and threatens to destabilize the entire Middle East, from Basra to Beirut&#8230;It's hard to see what&#8230; a summit with President Ahmadinejad would actually gain, except an earful of anti-Semitic rants, and a worldwide audience for a man who denies one Holocaust and talks before frenzied crowds about starting another.&quot;<a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-18425-LA-County-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m8d8-Iran-and-wiping-Israel-off-the-map#_ftn5" target="_blank">[5]</a><br />
 <br />
Senator Obama spoke in Israel in July 2008 and seems to endorse this lie, stating that Iran &#8220;sponsors terrorism, pursues nuclear weapons and threatens Israel&#8217;s existence.&#8221;<a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-18425-LA-County-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m8d8-Iran-and-wiping-Israel-off-the-map#_ftn6" target="_blank">[6]</a> One of President Bush&#8217;s advisors and the author of the idea for the troop &#8220;surge&#8221; in 2007, Fred Kagan, stated on MSNBC on July 23, 2008:<br />
 <br />
&#8220;Well, there&#8217;s nothing we can do short of an attack to force Iran to give up its nuclear program. &#8230; At the end of the day, the only way that you can make for sure that [a nuclear arm&#8217;s race] doesn&#8217;t happen is with an attack.&#8221;<a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-18425-LA-County-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m8d8-Iran-and-wiping-Israel-off-the-map#_ftn7" target="_blank">[7]</a><br />
 <br />
In apparent complicity in this deliberate misinformation, and perhaps working for war against Iran, the UK&#8217;s Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, stated in his speech to the Israeli Legislature, the Knesset, on July 21, 2008, &quot;It is totally abhorrent for the President of Iran to call for Israel to be wiped from the map of the world.&quot;<a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-18425-LA-County-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m8d8-Iran-and-wiping-Israel-off-the-map#_ftn8" target="_blank">[8]</a><br />
Mike Wallace of the famed television show 60 Minutes won an Emmy for a contrived interview with President Ahmadinejad in 2006, where Mr. Ahmadinejad&#8217;s comments encouraging democracy for Palestinians was edited to appear that he was hostile to Israel. You can verify this by watching the brief 5-minute clip for yourself: <a href="http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=onNzrNEFs1E&amp;feature=related" target="_blank">YouTube - Apologize to the World Mr. Wallace and Return that Emmy</a> .<br />
One scenario for initiating war with Iran came from Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Carter&#8217;s National Security Advisor and the National Security Advisor to Senator Obama&#8217;s presidential campaign. Brzezinski testified to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on February 1, 2007:<br />
 <br />
&#8220;A plausible scenario for a military collision with Iran involves Iraqi failure to meet the benchmarks; followed by accusations of Iranian responsibility for the failure; then by some provocation in Iraq or a terrorist act in the U.S. blamed on Iran; culminating in a &#8216;defensive&#8217; U.S. military action against Iran that plunges a lonely America into a spreading and deepening quagmire eventually ranging across Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.&#8221;<a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-18425-LA-County-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m8d8-Iran-and-wiping-Israel-off-the-map#_ftn9" target="_blank">[9]</a><br />
 <br />
This strategy was echoed by retired CIA Analyst, Ray McGovern, who served under seven US Presidents. McGovern&#8217;s comprehensive understanding of intelligence work qualified him as one of the few analysts chosen to present the President&#8217;s Daily Brief in morning meetings to Presidents.<a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-18425-LA-County-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m8d8-Iran-and-wiping-Israel-off-the-map#_ftn10" target="_blank">[10]</a> McGovern states that Israel and/or the CIA have numerous possibilities to attack US interests (known as a false-flag attack), blame Iran, then use the media to stoke public opinion in favor of war.<a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-18425-LA-County-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m8d8-Iran-and-wiping-Israel-off-the-map#_ftn11" target="_blank">[11]</a><br />
 <br />
But why have war with Iran? Next, we take a look at history and motivation. Can&#8217;t wait? Read my <a href="http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/41708" target="_blank">brief</a>, &#8220;War with Iraq and Afghanistan, rhetoric for war with Iran.&#8221;
			
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<font color="Red">It would behoove you to read Ahmadinajad's letter to George W. Bush sourced <a href="http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iran/2006/iran-060510-irna01.htm" target="_blank">here</a></font><br />
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				Full text of President Ahmadinejad's letter to George Bush<br />
<br />
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency<br />
<br />
Tehran, May 9, IRNA &#8211;-<br />
Iran-US-Ahmadinenejad's Letter<br />
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has written a letter to the US President George W. Bush.<br />
<br />
&quot;The letter to US President George Bush carries the Iranian nation's views and comments on international issues as well as suggestions for resolving the many problems facing humanity,&quot; said the Iranian president here Tuesday.<br />
<br />
The president made the remark at Tehran Mehrabad International Airport before his departure for Indonesia to attend a meeting of the D-8 (Group of eight developing Muslim states).<br />
<br />
The letter was submitted to President Bush via the Swiss embassy in Tehran, which takes care of the US interest section in Iran.<br />
<br />
Earlier, Ahmadinejad had told reporters he had decided to send letters to leaders of certain countries on the occasion of Year of Great Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).<br />
<br />
The following is the full text of Ahmadinejad's letter to George Bush:<br />
&quot;In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful,<br />
Mr George Bush,<br />
President of the United States of America,<br />
For sometime now I have been thinking, how one can justify the undeniable contradictions that exist in the international arena -- which are being constantly debated, especially in political forums and amongst university students. Many questions remain unanswered. These have prompted me to discuss some of the contradictions and questions, in the hope that it might bring about an opportunity to redress them.<br />
<br />
Can one be a follower of Jesus Christ (PBUH), the great Messenger of God,<br />
feel obliged to respect human rights, present liberalism as a civilization model, announce one&#8217;s opposition to the proliferation of nuclear weapons and WMDs, make &#8220;War on Terror&#8221; his slogan, and finally, work towards the establishment of a unified international community &#8211; a community which Christ and the virtuous of the Earth will one day govern, but at the same time, have countries attacked. The lives, reputations and possessions of people destroyed and on the slight chance of the presence of a few criminals in a village, city, or convoy for example, the entire village, city or convoy (are) set ablaze.<br />
<br />
Or because of the possibility of the existence of WMDs in one country, it is occupied, around one hundred thousand people killed, its water sources, agriculture and industry destroyed, close to 180,000 foreign troops put on the ground, sanctity of private homes of citizens broken, and the country pushed back perhaps fifty years. At what price? Hundreds of billions of dollars spent from the treasury of one country and certain other countries and tens of thousands of young men and women &#8211; as occupation troops &#8211; put in harms way, taken away from family and loved ones, their hands stained with the blood of others, subjected to so much psychological pressure that everyday some commit suicide and those returning home suffer depression, become sickly and grapple with all sorts of ailments; while some are killed and their bodies handed to their families.<br />
<br />
On the pretext of the existence of WMDs, this great tragedy came to engulf both the peoples of the occupied and the occupying country. Later it was revealed that no WMDs existed to begin with.<br />
<br />
Of course Saddam was a murderous dictator. But the war was not waged to topple him, the announced goal of the war was to find and destroy weapons of mass destruction. He was toppled along the way towards another goal; nevertheless the people of the region are happy about it. I point out that throughout the many years of the imposed war on Iran Saddam was supported by the West.<br />
<br />
Mr. President,<br />
You might know that I am a teacher. My students ask me how can these actions be reconciled with the values outlined at the beginning of this letter and duty to the tradition of Jesus Christ (PBUH), the Messenger of peace and forgiveness?<br />
There are prisoners in Guantanamo Bay that have not been tried, have no legal representation, their families cannot see them and are obviously kept in a strange land outside their own country. There is no international monitoring of their conditions and fate. No one knows whether they are prisoners, POWs, accused or criminals.<br />
<br />
European investigators have confirmed the existence of secret prisons in Europe too. I could not correlate the abduction of a person, and him or her being kept in secret prisons, with the provisions of any judicial system. For that matter, I fail to understand how such actions correspond to the values outlined in the beginning of this letter, i.e. the teachings of Jesus Christ (PBUH), human rights and liberal values.<br />
<br />
Young people, university students, and ordinary people have many questions about the phenomenon of Israel. I am sure you are familiar with some of them.<br />
<br />
Throughout history many countries have been occupied, but I think the establishment of a new country with a new people, is a new phenomenon that is exclusive to our times.<br />
<br />
Students are saying that sixty years ago such a country did not exist. They show old documents and globes and say try as we have, we have not been able to find a country named Israel.<br />
<br />
I tell them to study the history of WWI and II. One of my students told me that during WWII, which more than tens of millions of people perished in, news about the war, was quickly disseminated by the warring parties. Each touted their victories and the most recent battlefront defeat of the other party. After the war they claimed that six million Jews had been killed. Six million people that were surely related to at least two million families.<br />
<br />
Again let us assume that these events are true. Does that logically translate into the establishment of the state of Israel in the Middle East or support for such a state? How can this phenomenon be rationalized or explained?<br />
<br />
Mr. President,<br />
I am sure you know how &#8211; and at what cost &#8211; Israel was established:<br />
<br />
-Many thousands were killed in the process.<br />
<br />
-Millions of indigenous people were made refugees.<br />
<br />
-Hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland, olive plantations, towns and villages were destroyed.<br />
<br />
This tragedy is not exclusive to the time of establishment; unfortunately it has been ongoing for sixty years now.<br />
<br />
A regime has been established which does not show mercy even to kids, destroys houses while the occupants are still in them, announces beforehand its list and plans to assassinate Palestinian figures, and keeps thousands of Palestinians in prison. Such a phenomenon is unique &#8211; or at the very least extremely rare &#8211; in recent memory.<br />
<br />
Another big question asked by the people is &#8220;why is this regime being supported?&#8221;<br />
Is support for this regime in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ (PBUH) or Moses (PBUH) or liberal values?<br />
Or are we to understand that allowing the original inhabitants of these lands &#8211; inside and outside Palestine -- whether they are Christian, Moslem or Jew, to determine their fate, runs contrary to principles of democracy, human rights and the teachings of prophets? If not, why is there so much opposition to a referendum?<br />
The newly elected Palestinian administration recently took office. All independent observers have confirmed that this government represents the electorate. Unbelievingly, they have put the elected government under pressure and have advised it to recognize the Israeli regime, abandon the struggle and follow the programs of the previous government.<br />
<br />
If the current Palestinian government had run on the above platform, would the Palestinian people have voted for it? Again, can such position taken in opposition to the Palestinian government be reconciled with the values outlined earlier? The people are also asking &#8220;Why are all UNSC resolutions in condemnation of Israel vetoed?&#8221;<br />
Mr. President,<br />
As you are well aware, I live amongst the people and am in constant contact with them -- many people from around the Middle East manage to contact me as well. They do not have faith in these dubious policies either. There is evidence that the people of the region are becoming increasingly angry with such policies.<br />
<br />
It is not my intention to pose too many questions, but I need to refer to other points as well.<br />
<br />
Why is it that any technological and scientific achievement reached in the Middle East region is translated into and portrayed as a threat to the Zionist regime? Is not scientific R&amp;D one of the basic rights of nations?<br />
You are familiar with history. Aside from the Middle Ages, in what other point in history has scientific and technical progress been a crime? Can the possibility of scientific achievements being utilized for military purposes be reason enough to oppose science and technology altogether? If such a supposition is true, then all scientific disciplines, including physics, chemistry, mathematics, medicine, engineering, etc. must be opposed.<br />
<br />
Lies were told in the Iraqi matter. What was the result? I have no doubt that telling lies is reprehensible in any culture, and you do not like to be lied to.<br />
<br />
Mr. President,<br />
Don&#8217;t Latin Americans have the right to ask why their elected governments are being opposed and coup leaders supported? Or, Why must they constantly be threatened and live in fear?<br />
The people of Africa are hardworking, creative and talented. They can play an important and valuable role in providing for the needs of humanity and contribute to its material and spiritual progress. Poverty and hardship in large parts of Africa are preventing this from happening. Don&#8217;t they have the right to ask why their enormous wealth &#8211; including minerals &#8211; is being looted, despite the fact that they need it more than others?<br />
Again, do such actions correspond to the teachings of Christ and the tenets of human rights?<br />
The brave and faithful people of Iran too have many questions and grievances, including: the coup d&#8217;etat of 1953 and the subsequent toppling of the legal government of the day, opposition to the Islamic revolution, transformation of an Embassy into a headquarters supporting the activities of those opposing the Islamic Republic (many thousands of pages of documents corroborate this claim), support for Saddam in the war waged against Iran, the shooting down of the Iranian passenger plane, freezing the assets of the Iranian nation, increasing threats, anger and displeasure vis-à-vis the scientific and nuclear progress of the Iranian nation (just when all Iranians are jubilant and celebrating their country&#8217;s progress), and many other grievances that I will not refer to in this letter.<br />
<br />
Mr. President,<br />
September Eleven was a horrendous incident. The killing of innocents is deplorable and appalling in any part of the world. Our government immediately declared its disgust with the perpetrators and offered its condolences to the bereaved and expressed its sympathies.<br />
<br />
All governments have a duty to protect the lives, property and good standing of their citizens. Reportedly your government employs extensive security, protection and intelligence systems &#8211; and even hunts its opponents abroad. September eleven was not a simple operation. Could it be planned and executed without coordination with intelligence and security services &#8211; or their extensive infiltration? Of course this is just an educated guess. Why have the various aspects of the attacks been kept secret? Why are we not told who botched their responsibilities? And, why aren&#8217;t those responsible and the guilty parties identified and put on trial?<br />
All governments have a duty to provide security and peace of mind for their citizens. For some years now, the people of your country and neighbors of world trouble spots do not have peace of mind. After 9.11, instead of healing and tending to the emotional wounds of the survivors and the American people -- who had been immensely traumatized by the attacks -- some Western media only intensified the climate of fear and insecurity &#8211; some constantly talked about the possibility of new terror attacks and kept the people in fear. Is that service to the American people? Is it possible to calculate the damages incurred from fear and panic?<br />
American citizens lived in constant fear of fresh attacks that could come at any moment and in any place. They felt insecure in the streets, in their place of work and at home. Who would be happy with this situation? Why was the media, instead of conveying a feeling of security and providing peace of mind, giving rise to a feeling of insecurity?<br />
Some believe that the hype paved the way -- and was the justification --for an attack on Afghanistan. Again I need to refer to the role of media.<br />
<br />
In media charters, correct dissemination of information and honest reporting of a story are established tenets. I express my deep regret about the disregard shown by certain Western media for these principles. The main pretext for an attack on Iraq was the existence of WMDs. This was repeated incessantly -- for the public to finally believe -- and the ground set for an attack on Iraq.<br />
<br />
Will the truth not be lost in a contrived and deceptive climate?<br />
Again, if the truth is allowed to be lost, how can that be reconciled with the earlier mentioned values? Is the truth known to the Almighty lost as well?<br />
<br />
Mr. President,<br />
In countries around the world, citizens provide for the expenses of governments so that their governments in turn are able to serve them.<br />
<br />
The question here is &#8220;what has the hundreds of billions of dollars, spent every year to pay for the Iraqi campaign, produced for the citizens?&#8221;<br />
As Your Excellency is aware, in some states of your country, people are living in poverty. Many thousands are homeless and unemployment is a huge problem. Of course these problems exist &#8211; to a larger or lesser extent -- in other countries as well. With these conditions in mind, can the gargantuan expenses of the campaign &#8211; paid from the public treasury &#8211; be explained and be consistent with the aforementioned principles?<br />
What has been said, are some of the grievances of the people around the world, in our region and in your country. But my main contention &#8211; which I am hoping you will agree to some of it &#8211; is:<br />
Those in power have a specific time in office and do not rule indefinitely, but their names will be recorded in history and will be constantly judged in the immediate and distant futures.<br />
<br />
The people will scrutinize our presidencies.<br />
<br />
Did we mange to bring peace, security and prosperity for the people or insecurity and unemployment?<br />
Did we intend to establish justice or just supported especial interest groups, and by forcing many people to live in poverty and hardship, made a few people rich and powerful -- thus trading the approval of the people and the Almighty with theirs&#8217;?<br />
Did we defend the rights of the underprivileged or ignore them?<br />
Did we defend the rights of all people around the world or imposed wars on them, interfered illegally in their affairs, established hellish prisons and incarcerated some of them?<br />
Did we bring the world peace and security or raised the specter of intimidation and threats?<br />
Did we tell the truth to our nation and others around the world or presented an inverted version of it?<br />
Were we on the side of people or the occupiers and oppressors?<br />
Did our administrations set out to promote rational behavior, logic, ethics, peace, fulfilling obligations, justice, service to the people, prosperity, progress and respect for human dignity or the force of guns, intimidation, insecurity, disregard for the people, delaying the progress and excellence of other nations, and trample on people&#8217;s rights?<br />
And finally, they will judge us on whether we remained true to our oath of office &#8211; to serve the people, which is our main task, and the traditions of the prophets -- or not?<br />
Mr. President,<br />
How much longer can the world tolerate this situation?<br />
Where will this trend lead the world to?<br />
How long must the people of the world pay for the incorrect decisions of some rulers?<br />
How much longer will the specter of insecurity &#8211; raised from the stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction -- hunt the people of the world?<br />
How much longer will the blood of the innocent men, women and children be spilled on the streets, and people&#8217;s houses destroyed over their heads?<br />
Are you pleased with the current condition of the world?<br />
Do you think present policies can continue?<br />
If billions of dollars spent on security, military campaigns and troop movement were instead spent on investment and assistance for poor countries, promotion of health, combating different diseases, education and improvement of mental and physical fitness, assistance to the victims of natural disasters, creation of employment opportunities and production, development projects and poverty alleviation, establishment of peace, mediation between disputing states, and extinguishing the flames of racial, ethnic and other conflicts, were would the world be today? Would not your government and people be justifiably proud?<br />
Would not your administration&#8217;s political and economic standing have been stronger?<br />
And I am most sorry to say, would there have been an ever increasing global hatred of the American government?<br />
Mr. President, it is not my intention to distress anyone.<br />
<br />
If Prophet Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ishmael, Joseph, or Jesus Christ (PBUH) were with us today, how would they have judged such behavior? Will we be given a role to play in the promised world, where justice will become universal and Jesus Christ (PBUH) will be present? Will they even accept us?<br />
My basic question is this: Is there no better way to interact with the rest of the world? Today there are hundreds of millions of Christians, hundreds of millions of Muslims and millions of people who follow the teachings of Moses (PBUH). All divine religions share and respect one word and that is &#8220;monotheism&#8221; or belief in a single God and no other in the world.<br />
<br />
The Holy Koran stresses this common word and calls on all followers of divine religions and says: [3.64] Say: O followers of the Book! Come to an equitable proposition between us and you that we shall not serve any but Allah and (that) we shall not associate aught with Him, and (that) some of us shall not take others for lords besides Allah; but if they turn back, then say: Bear witness that we are Muslims. (The Family of Imran)<br />
<br />
Mr. President,<br />
According to divine verses, we have all been called upon to worship one God and follow the teachings of divine Prophets.<br />
<br />
<br />
&#8220;To worship a God which is above all powers in the world and can do all He pleases.&#8221; &#8220;The Lord which knows that which is hidden and visible, the past and the future, knows what goes on in the Hearts of His servants and records their deeds.&#8221;<br />
&#8220;The Lord who is the possessor of the heavens and the earth and all universe is His court&#8221; &#8220;planning for the universe is done by His hands, and gives His servants the glad tidings of mercy and forgiveness of sins&#8221; &#8220;He is the companion of the oppressed and the enemy of oppressors&#8221; &#8220;He is the Compassionate, the Merciful&#8221; &#8220;He is the recourse of the faithful and guides them towards the light from darkness&#8221; &#8220;He is witness to the actions of His servants&#8221; &#8220;He calls on servants to be faithful and do good deeds, and asks them to stay on the path of righteousness and remain steadfast&#8221; &#8220;Calls on servants to heed His prophets and He is a witness to their deeds&#8221; &#8220;A bad ending belongs only to those who have chosen the life of this world and disobey Him and oppress His servants&#8221; and &#8220;A good end and eternal paradise belong to those servants who fear His majesty and do not follow their lascivious selves.&#8221;<br />
We believe a return to the teachings of the divine prophets is the only road leading to salvation. I have been told that Your Excellency follows the teachings of Jesus (PBUH) and believes in the divine promise of the rule of the righteous on Earth.<br />
<br />
We also believe that Jesus Christ (PBUH) was one of the great prophets of the Almighty. He has been repeatedly praised in the Koran. Jesus (PBUH) has been quoted in Koran as well: [19.36] And surely Allah is my Lord and your Lord, therefore serve Him; this is the right path. Marium<br />
Service to and obedience of the Almighty is the credo of all divine messengers.<br />
<br />
The God of all people in Europe, Asia, Africa, America, the Pacific and the rest of the world is one. He is the Almighty who wants to guide and give dignity to all His servants. He has given greatness to Humans.<br />
<br />
We again read in the Holy Book: &#8220;The Almighty God sent His prophets with miracles and clear signs to guide the people and show them divine signs and purify them from sins and pollutions. And He sent the Book and the balance so that the people display justice and avoid the rebellious&#8221;.<br />
<br />
All of the above verses can be seen, one way or the other, in the Good Book as well.<br />
<br />
Divine prophets have promised:<br />
The day will come when all humans will congregate before the court of the Almighty, so that their deeds are examined. The good will be directed towards Haven and evildoers will meet divine retribution. I trust both of us believe in such a day, but it will not be easy to calculate the actions of rulers, because we must be answerable to our nations and all others whose lives have been directly or indirectly affected by our actions.<br />
<br />
All prophets, speak of peace and tranquility for man -- based on monotheism, justice and respect for human dignity.<br />
<br />
Do you not think that if all of us come to believe in and abide by these principles, that is, monotheism, worship of God, justice, respect for the dignity of man, belief in the Last Day, we can overcome the present problems of the world -- that are the result of disobedience to the Almighty and the teachings of prophets &#8211; and improve our performance?<br />
Do you not think that belief in these principles promotes and guarantees peace, friendship and justice?<br />
Do you not think that the aforementioned written or unwritten principles are universally respected?<br />
Will you not accept this invitation? That is, a genuine return to the teachings of prophets, to monotheism and justice, to preserve human dignity and obedience to the Almighty and His prophets?<br />
<br />
Mr. President,<br />
History tells us that repressive and cruel governments do not survive. God has entrusted the fate of men to them. The Almighty has not left the universe and humanity to their own devices.<br />
<br />
Many things have happened contrary to the wishes and plans of governments. These tell us that there is a higher power at work and all events are determined by Him.<br />
<br />
Can one deny the signs of change in the world today?<br />
Is the situation of the world today comparable to that of ten years ago? Changes happen fast and come at a furious pace.<br />
<br />
The people of the world are not happy with the status quo and pay little heed to the promises and comments made by a number of influential world leaders. Many people around the world feel insecure and oppose the spreading of insecurity and war and do not approve of and accept dubious policies.<br />
<br />
The people are protesting the increasing gap between the haves and the have-nots and the rich and poor countries.<br />
<br />
The people are disgusted with increasing corruption.<br />
<br />
The people of many countries are angry about the attacks on their cultural foundations and the disintegration of families. They are equally dismayed with the fading of care and compassion. The people of the world have no faith in international organizations, because their rights are not advocated by these organizations.<br />
<br />
Liberalism and Western style democracy have not been able to help realize the ideals of humanity. Today these two concepts have failed. Those with insight can already hear the sounds of the shattering and fall of the ideology and thoughts of the Liberal democratic systems.<br />
<br />
We increasingly see that people around the world are flocking towards a main focal point -- that is the Almighty God. Undoubtedly through faith in God and the teachings of the prophets, the people will conquer their problems. My question for you is: &#8220;Do you not want to join them?&#8221;<br />
Mr. President,<br />
Whether we like it or not, the world is gravitating towards faith in the<br />
Almighty and justice and the will of God will prevail over all things.<br />
<br />
Vasalam Ala Man Ataba&#8217;al hoda<br />
Mahmood Ahmadi-Nejad<br />
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran &quot;
			
			<hr />
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<b><font color="Red">The &quot;Wipe Israel Off The Map&quot; Hoax</font></b><br />
What Ahmadinejad really said and why this broken record is just another ad slogan for war<br />
<br />
Paul Joseph Watson<br />
Prison Planet<br />
Friday, January 26, 2007<br />
<br />
Barely a day goes by that one can avoid reading or hearing yet another Israeli, American or British warhawk regurgitate the broken record that Iran's President Ahmadinejad threatened to &quot;wipe Israel off the map,&quot; framed in the ridiculous context that Israelis are being targeted for a second holocaust. This baseless rallying call for conflict holds about as much credibility as Dick Cheney's assertion that Saddam Hussein was planning to light up American skies with mushroom clouds.<br />
<br />
Today it's the turn of would-be future British Prime Minister David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party, who repeated the &quot;wipe Israel off he map&quot; fraud in a <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=ORWWKLFIA1DS5QFIQMGSFF4AVCBQWIV0?xml=/news/2007/01/26/ntory26.xml" target="_blank">speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos</a>, using it to qualify his refusal to rule out a military strike on Iran under a Tory government.<br />
<br />
Did Ahmadinejad really threaten to &quot;wipe Israel off the map&quot; or is this phrase just another jingoistic brand slogan for selling the next war in the Middle East?<br />
<br />
The devil is in the detail, wiping Israel off the map suggests a physical genocidal assault, a literal population relocation or elimination akin to what the Nazis did. According to numerous different translations, Ahmadinejad never used the word &quot;map,&quot; instead his statement was in the context of time and applied to the Zionist regime occupying Jerusalem. Ahmadinejad was expressing his future hope that the Zionist regime in Israel would fall, not that Iran was going to physically annex the country and its population.<br />
<br />
To claim Ahmadinejad has issued a rallying cry to ethnically cleanse Israel is akin to saying that Churchill wanted to murder all Germans when he stated his desire to crush the Nazis. This is about the demise of a corrupt occupying power, not the deaths of millions of innocent people.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/jonathan_steele/2006/06/post_155.html" target="_blank">The Guardian's Jonathan Steele cites</a> four different translations, from professors to the BBC to the New York Times and even pro-Israel news outlets, in none of those translations is the word &quot;map&quot; used. The closest translation to what the Iranian President actually said is, &quot;The regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time,&quot; or a narrow relative thereof. In no version is the word &quot;map&quot; used or a context of mass genocide or hostile military action even hinted at.<br />
<br />
The acceptance of the word &quot;map&quot; seemingly originated with the New York Times, who later had to back away from this false translation. The BBC also wrongly used the word and, in comments to Steele, later accepted their mistake but refused to issue a retraction.<br />
<br />
&quot;The fact that he compared his desired option - the elimination of &quot;the regime occupying Jerusalem&quot; - with the fall of the Shah's regime in Iran makes it crystal clear that he is talking about regime change, not the end of Israel. As a schoolboy opponent of the Shah in the 1970's he surely did not favor Iran's removal from the page of time. He just wanted the Shah out,&quot; writes Steele.<br />
<br />
&quot;It's important to note that the &quot;quote&quot; in question was itself a quote, writes Arash Norouzi, &quot;they are the words of the late Ayatollah Khomeini, the father of the Islamic Revolution. Although he quoted Khomeini to affirm his own position on Zionism, the actual words belong to Khomeini and not Ahmadinejad. Thus, Ahmadinejad has essentially been credited (or blamed) for a quote that is not only unoriginal, but represents a viewpoint already in place well before he ever took office.&quot;<br />
<br />
Professor Juan Cole concurs, arguing, &quot;Now, some might say, &quot;So he didn't say, 'wipe off the map,' he said 'erase from the page.' What's the difference? Anyway he's saying he wants to get rid of Israel. Ahmadinejad was not making a threat, he was quoting a saying of Khomeini and urging that pro-Palestinian activists in Iran not give up hope -- that the occupation of Jerusalem was no more a continued inevitability than had been the hegemony of the Shah's government. Whatever this quotation from a decades-old speech of Khomeini may have meant, Ahmadinejad did not say that 'Israel must be wiped off the map' with the implication that phrase has of Nazi-style extermination of a people. He said that the occupation regime over Jerusalem must be erased from the page of time.&quot;<br />
<br />
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<br />
Let's consider for a moment that Ahmadinejad really does wish to initiate a nuclear war on Israel, is this feasible? It would be like Paris Hilton picking a fight with Mike Tyson. The CIA's own estimates put Iran five to ten years away from being able to produce one nuclear bomb even if they were in the planning stages now, which is highly unlikely given that international inspectors have found no evidence of such a program and CIA satellite imagery also shows no proof of nuclear arms. Contrast this to an Israeli arsenal of anything up to 200 launch ready nukes allied to the might of the U.S. which has nearly 6,000 active warheads not to mention so-called &quot;mini-nukes.&quot;<br />
<br />
While it can be reasonably argued that Iran is seeking a nuclear weapon at some point in the future, to then claim that this means Ahmadinejad wishes to enact a second holocaust is an unfathomable leap of logic. The real reason for any nation in that region trying to acquire a nuclear weapon is for self defense, because they are surrounded by other hostile powers that already have the bomb.<br />
<br />
Returning to the &quot;wipe Israel off the map hoax,&quot; loathe are we to forget another of the commercial jingles concocted for hoodwinking Americans into attacking a certain other Middle Eastern country - &quot;he used weapons of mass destruction against his own people,&quot; referring of course to Saddam Hussein's alleged role in the Halabja massacre where Iraqi Kurds were gassed. In reality, as former CIA analyst Stephen Pelletiere has revealed, Halabja came as a result of a battlefield exchange between the Iranians and the Iraqis after the Kurds had sided with the Iranians and allowed them to enter the city. According to the DIA's own report at the time, the type of gas that killed the Kurds was not used by the Iraqis but was used by the Iranians. The incident was a tragedy of war, not a directed program of genocide at the behest of Saddam Hussein.<br />
<br />
Whenever Bush administration officials and others used Halabja as a pretext for war, the mass media routinely failed to mention the DIA report, just as they have failed to provide any balance on the real meaning of Ahmadinejad's statement, despite the fact that it is completely distorted almost every day and used as a call to arms as well as a propagandistic ploy to convince western populations that dark skinned invaders are hell-bent on their wholesale destruction.</div>


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			<category domain="http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/">Politics / Presidential Election</category>
			<dc:creator>VegasSRT-4</dc:creator>
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			<title>Facebook Labels Fall Of The Republic “Abusive,” Blocks Links</title>
			<link>http://www.srtforums.com/forums/f367/facebook-labels-fall-republic-abusive-blocks-links-540248/</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:54:46 GMT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Facebook Labels Fall Of The Republic &#8220;Abusive,&#8221; Blocks Links

Social networking giant preventing new Alex Jones documentary from going viral, just as they attempted to do with The Obama Deception

Image: http://www.prisonplanet.com/images/october2009/231009top.jpg 

Facebook Labels Fall Of The Republic Abusive, Blocks Links 231009top

Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet.com
Friday, October 23, 2009

The social networking giant Facebook.com has labeled Alex Jones&#8217; new documentary film Fall Of The Republic to be &#8220;abusive&#8221; and is blocking some links to the film from its website, preventing the movie from spreading virally like the Obama Deception, which received tens of millions of viewers despite a Facebook policy to block it too.

A You Tube video illustrates that when a Facebook user attempts to &#8217;share&#8217; a link to the video, that is post it as a status update on their Facebook page, they get a message telling them the function has been blocked because the video is &#8220;abusive&#8221;.

The full message reads, &#8220;Warning: This Message Contains Blocked Content &#8211; Some content in this message has been reported as abusive by Facebook users.&#8221;

There seems little doubt that the Facebook users who reported the film as &#8220;abusive&#8221; are Obama kool-aid drinkers who think it&#8217;s a hate crime to point out that their demagogue has broken every single promise he made before the election, as Fall Of The Republic masterfully documents.

(ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW)

Facebook Labels Fall Of The Republic Abusive, Blocks Links 260909banner

It is important to stress that this does not occur for all versions of Fall Of The Republic posted on Facebook. For example, the link posted at the top of Fall of the Republic: The Presidency of Barack Ã&#732;bama | Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/FallOfTheRepublic) can still be shared. However, if it is a policy for Facebook to block links to this film, then we can expect more different versions to be censored in future.

If Facebook has crafted a policy to block links to Fall Of The Republic, it would befit everything that we know about the California-based company.

Shortly after the release of The Obama Deception in March this year, we started getting reports (http://www.prisonplanet.com/facebook-censors-user-for-promoting-the-obama-deception.html) that Facebook was threatening to delete user accounts of people who were posting You Tube links to the film. A Facebook user who attempted to post the film on her profile page first had her ability to post links revoked and then her account was deleted altogether.

Facebook has been staunchly pro-Obama since his election, even offering an &#8216;Obama skin&#8217; page design that the company bragged was used by hundreds of thousands of people.

The video below illustrates how Facebook is blocking some versions of Fall Of The Republic.

xBse7KJJhAY&feature=player_embedded




This is one of the best documentaries yet to explain current politics to people, this and Camp FEMA.  I saw these this week and they are great.  Everyone should watch it.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<!-- BEGIN TEMPLATE: postbit_external -->
<div>Facebook Labels Fall Of The Republic &#8220;Abusive,&#8221; Blocks Links<br />
<br />
Social networking giant preventing new Alex Jones documentary from going viral, just as they attempted to do with The Obama Deception<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.prisonplanet.com/images/october2009/231009top.jpg" border="0" alt="" onload="NcodeImageResizer.createOn(this);" /><br />
<br />
Facebook Labels Fall Of The Republic Abusive, Blocks Links 231009top<br />
<br />
Paul Joseph Watson<br />
Prison Planet.com<br />
Friday, October 23, 2009<br />
<br />
The social networking giant Facebook.com has labeled Alex Jones&#8217; new documentary film Fall Of The Republic to be &#8220;abusive&#8221; and is blocking some links to the film from its website, preventing the movie from spreading virally like the Obama Deception, which received tens of millions of viewers despite a Facebook policy to block it too.<br />
<br />
A You Tube video illustrates that when a Facebook user attempts to &#8217;share&#8217; a link to the video, that is post it as a status update on their Facebook page, they get a message telling them the function has been blocked because the video is &#8220;abusive&#8221;.<br />
<br />
The full message reads, &#8220;Warning: This Message Contains Blocked Content &#8211; Some content in this message has been reported as abusive by Facebook users.&#8221;<br />
<br />
There seems little doubt that the Facebook users who reported the film as &#8220;abusive&#8221; are Obama kool-aid drinkers who think it&#8217;s a hate crime to point out that their demagogue has broken every single promise he made before the election, as Fall Of The Republic masterfully documents.<br />
<br />
(ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW)<br />
<br />
Facebook Labels Fall Of The Republic Abusive, Blocks Links 260909banner<br />
<br />
It is important to stress that this does not occur for all versions of Fall Of The Republic posted on Facebook. For example, the link posted at the top of <a href="http://www.facebook.com/FallOfTheRepublic" target="_blank">Fall of the Republic: The Presidency of Barack Ã&#732;bama | Facebook</a> can still be shared. However, if it is a policy for Facebook to block links to this film, then we can expect more different versions to be censored in future.<br />
<br />
If Facebook has crafted a policy to block links to Fall Of The Republic, it would befit everything that we know about the California-based company.<br />
<br />
Shortly after the release of The Obama Deception in March this year, <a href="http://www.prisonplanet.com/facebook-censors-user-for-promoting-the-obama-deception.html" target="_blank">we started getting reports</a> that Facebook was threatening to delete user accounts of people who were posting You Tube links to the film. A Facebook user who attempted to post the film on her profile page first had her ability to post links revoked and then her account was deleted altogether.<br />
<br />
Facebook has been staunchly pro-Obama since his election, even offering an &#8216;Obama skin&#8217; page design that the company bragged was used by hundreds of thousands of people.<br />
<br />
The video below illustrates how Facebook is blocking some versions of Fall Of The Republic.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
This is one of the best documentaries yet to explain current politics to people, this and Camp FEMA.  I saw these this week and they are great.  Everyone should watch it.</div>


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