| Submit your comments on this article |
| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Ahmadinejad challenges Obama to live debate |
| 2009-07-05 |
| [Iran Press TV Latest] After his reelection as Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad extends an invitation to his American counterpart Barack Obama for a debate before the eyes of the world. Addressing Iranian heads of medical universities on Saturday, President Ahmadinejad offered to debate President Obama at the United Nations headquarters in New York before the eyes of all nations of the world. President Ahmadinejad had previously urged a debate with former US president George W. Bush. The Iranian president wrote an 18-page letter to President Bush in 2006 that touched on religious values, history and international relations. The letter was viewed as an offer extended to the United States for dialogue. However, the Iranian official's letter never received an answer from the former US president. Under the former US president, Washington pursued a carrot-and-stick policy toward Tehran over its nuclear program and by setting preconditions, snubbed calls by President Ahmadinejad for talks on the long-standing dispute. Meanwhile President Obama has adopted a new tone for engaging Tehran, drawing a sharp line between his foreign policies regarding Iran and that of his predecessor. The call for talks come as earlier in February, Ahmadinejad expressed willingness for dialogue but stressed that negotiations should be held "in a climate of fairness with mutual respect." Earlier in May a report by the Israeli daily Haaretz said the United States had set October as its deadline for engaging Iran in the first round of talks over the country's nuclear activities. The report quoted the special US envoy on Iran, Dennis Ross, as saying that "unless the US sees a change in Iran's position on its nuclear program, Washington's stance toward Tehran will stiffen at that time." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #12 His royal lowness performing his magic!! Yay!! /Sarc |
| Posted by: GirlThursday 2009-07-05 23:07 |
| #11 Teleprompters at 20 paces. |
| Posted by: Iblis 2009-07-05 11:40 |
| #10 I watched all the Iran Presidential debates on Press TV links. Ahmadinejad is an inarticulate and insufferable bore, and a poor liar in spite of all his practise. Liars look down when they utter deceit; Ahmadinejad did exactly that. And he refused to explain his claim that angels accompanied him at his UN speech. He didn't want to have to say: I made it up to appeal to pious idiots. Then there was the $1-3 billion in unaccounted state funds. Actually he might have a kindred spirite in Hussein O. But all they would be debating would be the content of Obama's apologies. |
| Posted by: Thrineque Lumplump8647 2009-07-05 11:36 |
| #9 Unfortunately Barry cannot make it President Ahmadinejad so we are sending Ambassador John Bolton instead. We hope this will be alright. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-07-05 11:32 |
| #8 What's to debate? They seem pretty close on issues as it is. |
| Posted by: Richard of Oregon 2009-07-05 11:25 |
| #7 Agreed, assuming there were an effective and articulate opposition ... |
| Posted by: lotp OCONUS 2009-07-05 11:22 |
| #6 Having a 30 minute 'Question Time' in the US House once every other week, in which the President would walk in and answer the opposition, would do wonders for this country. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2009-07-05 10:58 |
| #5 Absolutely OS! |
| Posted by: 3dc 2009-07-05 10:24 |
| #4 Obama would lose, horribly, without his teleprompter and a lot of help - if you take the blinders off, you can see that he is, after all, a fucking idiot who can read lines well and that's about it. Remember, US presidential "debates" are NOT real debates -- they are dumbed down press Q&A sessions. They do not question each other, nor do they have to defend their position against others questions or analysis. US Politicians are wimps compared to parliamentarians when it comes to this. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2009-07-05 02:19 |
| #3 Live? TOTUS not invited? Fuggedaboudit. Besides, how do you debate someone who has sunshine coming out of his head instead of his butt? |
| Posted by: KBK 2009-07-05 02:08 |
| #2 How about Sarah Palin against both of them? They can even go two-against-one against her. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2009-07-05 01:10 |
| #1 Obama would wipe the floor with you anyway - even being weal as he is. Looks like the Iranians may hang you from a streetlamp anyways so whats the use? Good for them by the way. Good people they are. |
| Posted by: newc 2009-07-05 00:26 |