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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Ahmadinejad says ready for 'face-to-face' talks with Obama |
| 2010-08-03 |
| Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday he was ready for face-to-face talks with his US counterpart Barack Obama, whom he said was being influenced by Israel in his global policies. Criticising Obama for missing "historic opportunities" to repair the broken relations with Iran, Ahmadinejad said he was ready to discuss issues concerning the international community with the US president. "We are hopefully coming for the UN assembly," Ahmadinejad said in an address to expatriate Iranians, which was broadcast live, on state television. "We are ready to sit down with Obama face-to-face and put the global issues on the table, man-to-man, freely, and in front of the media and see whose solutions are better. We think this is a better approach." Ahmadinejad is expected to travel to New York for the UN General Assembly meeting next month. The Iranian president has previously challenged Obama to hold a public debate with him on issues concerning the international community. He has on various occasions blamed the US for "global disorders," particularly the financial crisis in the world economy. His call on Monday comes after a series of punitive sanctions imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council, the US and the EU over Tehran's controversial nuclear programme. Ahmadinejad criticised Obama for missing what he said were "historic opportunities" to repair relations with Iran, with whom the US has had no direct diplomatic ties for more than 30 years. "He (Obama) said he wants to make changes and we welcomed (that). Unfortunately, he did not correctly exploit historic opportunities," the president said, adding that Obama "overly values Zionists." Obama had in March 2009 extended a hand of diplomacy towards Iran in an attempt to break the deadlock between the two countries, but since then the animosity between the two nations has steadily worsened. Ahmadinejad said he was informed that Obama "is under a lot of pressure." "Somebody should answer questions whether the US government is dominated by the Zionists or the Zionist regime is controlled by the US government." Israel, like the US, has not ruled out a military strike against Iran to halt its nuclear programme. Ahmadinejad, under whose presidency Iran has been slapped with four sets of UN sanctions, has remained steadfast in pursuing a sensitive uranium enrichment programme, which Washington and other world powers want Tehran to abandon. Iran says it is not enriching uranium for any military aims. Under Ahmadinejad, animosity between Iran and Israel has also increased dramatically, with the world powers lashing out at him for his regular anti-Israel tirades. In front of a cheering audience, Ahmadinejad blasted Obama and Western powers for supporting Israel, the sole if undeclared nuclear weapons power in the Middle East. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #11 is nut hjob needing his butt kissed? If he brings his little stool Toto, we'll know the answer to that one. |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-08-03 21:01 |
| #10 see: "cojones, none". Both sides |
| Posted by: Frank G 2010-08-03 19:14 |
| #9 is nut hjob needing his butt kissed? |
| Posted by: chris 2010-08-03 17:33 |
| #8 What is it a liar's convention? |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2010-08-03 17:01 |
| #7 Can't speak for Frank, gorb, but I took it to mean "both sides." God help us all. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2010-08-03 13:12 |
| #6 I guess they're sending stand-ins? Are you talking "they're" as in Iran, or do you mean "they're" as in both sides? |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-08-03 12:58 |
| #5 "man to man"? I guess they're sending stand-ins? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2010-08-03 09:58 |
| #4 "We are ready to sit down with Obama face-to-face and put the global issues on the table, man-to-man, freely, and in front of the media and see whose solutions are better. We think this is a better approach." I'm sure that would be a wonderful, insightful debate. They could argue which form of tyranny is more desirable; european socialism or just good ol' fashioned dictatorship. Who knows they might even be able to find some commond ground. Perhaps they could discuss how best to ensure "fairness" in the media... |
| Posted by: Keenster 2010-08-03 09:35 |
| #3 Tomorrow's headline: Pot Calls Kettle Black |
| Posted by: 2sealys 2010-08-03 08:04 |
| #2 Sounds like he'll have to get a pair of them 70's disco pimp shoes and put lifts in them... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2010-08-03 01:02 |
| #1 Ahmadinejad says ready for FIFY. |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-08-03 00:56 |