Did Ahmadinejad really theaten to wipe Israel off the map?

Propaganda. Propaganda. Propaganda. War. War. War.

People fall for the same old tricks, time after time. When will we learn to see through the bullshit?

Great post Mr Phil.

yea he did not say that. I have read the Persian transcript of the speech and he is quoting Khomeini. However there was never a correction in the western media and the translator is still claiming that he said that.
This does not mean that he did not agree with Khomeini, however they should have made it clear that he did read a quote from someone else.

Not only are those words not the words radicals in our midst have attributed to him, but you'd further have to understand it in the context of the Iranian society.

The misinterpretation is clearly an ongoing attempt to deceive Americans and the world.

Has anyone seen this. It's 1:20 minutes or so, but really quite comprehensive in it's explanation about what's going on. I realize there may be another side to this and I'd love to see an equally thorough explanation from the Israeli perspective. The people who made it, made it in typical empathetic Christian fashion:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7713806100545252588

Another very interesting doc, the attempted sinking of an American vessel by Israel in 1967:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7267134620652018859

There are radicals in every group, every walk of life. Radicals who seek to destroy and kill. Very often, they wrap themselves in causes, very often religious causes or even geopolitical issues as a rationalization or justification for their actions to the exclusion of more intelligent, thoughtful, enlightened, creative, constructive methods of dealing with issues.

The rest of us have to see this, and realize those perpetrating such aggressive behavior are in need of psychiatric care, not empowerment with weapons.

It is analogous to children in school. If your elementary school child resorted punching another child to get position of the ball on the playground, it be obvious your kid had some serious problems.

Now, your kids in Jr. high. Same deal, only nows he's got a knife.

Now you kids in high school, and now he's got a gun.

Now your kids an adult and joined a radical group whose at an age where they realize the need to look justified, so they rationalize their aggression against all people and the world by claiming they were violated, victimized, attacked - whatever.

My point is the mentality is the same with each example, and no more constructive nor intelligent than the elementary school kids response.

Watch the videos I posted and express your thoughts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-eyuFBrWHs&feature=user

This video is short but gets its point across. We're hearing the same old song that we heard in 2003. Hopefully this time around we're wise enough to actually speak up!

You realize the only one debating this shit is americans?

It is nauseating.

The shit you put up with from your politicians and journalists makes you all look like a bunch of retarded babies.

Put down your 99 cent burger and try to figure out who your REAL enemy is.

I can sure as hell guarantee they are not in another country.

I won't debate the specifics of what he said in this particular instance. It doesn't matter.

This guy has a strong secret police, a double-standard for morality that goes far far beyond anything the US has, and no accountability to the average citizen. But wait, theres more. He's threatening war in Lebannon to try to squeeze the USA because the nearby emerging democracy in Iraq is corrosive to the mullah police state that maintains him in power.

When this regime of so-called revolutionary Iran comes down, keep your eyes on these folks who say it wasn't so bad. And do the same thing with the friends of the leadership of it's leading trade partner: North Korea. Watch these "friends" and where they go and how they change their stories.

I find it absolutely hilariously ironic that gay lefties can giggle when Ahmadi Nejad tells them to their face that they are the product of corruption -- and yet can't find accomodation with Garriage instead of Marriage when dealing with their own society's conservatives. This is strategic suicide of epic proportions.

Watching Che Guevara's Sister reject the fake offer of friendship from the Iranians is another wonderful outcome of a malevolent and hypocritical campaign that seeks only to digest what it befirends.

Yet the folks commenting here want to compare GWB on his worst day to the Iranian President's best and find Iran has the best man. When I get that close to pandering and rot, I get a little sick -- excuse me. These people making the comparisons must themselves be full of the rot and I get queasy.

In previous years it was the embrace of Communism that inspired dupes from all walks of life to make their loopy moth path to the fire light. If they achieved their goals, they served as host to the truly evil who actually did eliminate all opposition in the most violent ways possible.

What does it take for a turncoat NJ Governor to cuckold his wife for a somewhat unwilling assistant? What drove him to pretend to be straight all the way to the top and then bring his entire network of supporters down? What gave him the stones to publicly humiliate his wife repeatedly in the way he came out in the world? An American Communist would know.

How about showing love and support to someone who wants to see all gays killed when one is gay? It is only the gay lefties that can explain this.

What amazing twists of devotion and service!

You are right when you translate it literally, but you are so, so wrong about the meaning. This also shows the confusion that happens when you interpret words too literally.

1. The translation "wiped off the map" was provided to the Western media by Iran's own official news agency. I'm assuming they understand Farsi (the Iranian language).

2. You have to look at the context of the statement and the speaker himself. At the time of his speech, he was standing in front of a backdrop with the words "A World Without Zionism" prominently displayed in Farsi and English, and during the speech several times he referred to the "Zionist regime" in Israel. Shortly after this speech, he headlined a Jerusalem Day ceremony in Oct 2005 (an annual rally to show Iran's support for Palestine), where there were tens of thousands of participants shouting "Death to Israel, death to the Zionists", the protesters dragged Israeli flags along the ground and then set them on fire.
Many carried posters and placards sporting the slogan "Israel should be wiped off the map".
Joining the protest, Mr Ahmadinejad said: "My words were the Iranian nation's words."
Or, if you don't believe the media, you can watch video of him whipping up a rally crying "Death to Israel" here at a rally in January this year, captured by Memri TV on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FckLO8HcNyo

And these aren't exactly aberrations. "Death to Israel, Death to America" have become routine slogans in Iran everywhere from political rallies to grade school assemblies.