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Bollinger Stuns Ahmadinejad With Blunt Rebuke

Submitted by M. Delphia Block, Sep 26, 2007 04:24

The lack of civility displayed by so many Jews toward Ahmadinejad's visit is un-American and embarrassing to America! The visceral hatred and lack of respect displayed by these insidious jews makes us understand why no country wanted the six million Jews that Hitler offered to any country that would take them! Israel was just voted the country having the most ‘negative image' in a globe-spanning survey of 28,000 attitudes toward 12 major countries in the world. Israel, Iran and he U.S. are the countries with the most negative image. America was once a powerful, respected country. Now because we allowed these insidious ingrates to immigrate to america, they have pulled America down to their level! Also, I would urge Jews to stop urging America to bomb Iran. Senator Lieberman, among many Jews are passionate in their attempt to have America attack Iran. Another insidious neocon, Norman Pothoretz, has written in the Commentary, "The Case for Bombing Iran." Hitler called Jews "evil." It is evil to encourage our country to attack a country that is no threat to us. Considering the egregious behavior of the U.S. in 1953 which overthrew Iran's democracy without provocation, I consider Mr. Ahmadinejad's cerebral gesture a very gracious and thoughtful one which should be welcomed by Americans! Americans want diplomacy, not confrontation! In early 1951, the Iranian parliament voted to nationalize the facilities of the AIOC, a British company, the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, which had controlled the extraction, production and marketing of Iranian oil. Mohammed Mossadeq, the main architect of Iran's nationalization policy, was elected prime minister. Mossadeq was ridiculed in the West as a hypochondriac but in his own country, Mossadeq was revered as a charismatic figure whose defiant opposition to British domination captured the imagination of the Iranian public. Britain responded harshly to the nationalization of the AIOC's facilities and imposed an embargo on Iranian oil in an attempt to wreck Iran's economy. It advocated a military takeover of the AIOC's oil refinery in Abadan, on the southern coast of Iran. The Truman administration opposed military intervention, fearing that it might provoke a Soviet invasion in Iran. Meanwhile, Britain's boycott devastated Iran's economy which in turn, caused Mossadeq to lose popularity, compelling him to govern in an increasingly authoritarian manner. Eisenhower took a harsher view of Mossadeq than Truman and in the summer of 1953, the CIA sent Kermit Roosevelt to Iran to recruit officers in the Iranian military to stage a coup against Mossadeq. Roosevelt hired local gangs to stage anti-government demonstrations in the streets of Tehran. With the city in chaos, the pro-U.S. Iranian army officers seized control of the government, replacing Mossadeq with a pro-shah prime minister. A consortium of foreign oil companies was allowed to control and market Iran's oil, with the AIOC surrendering a large share of the operation to American oil companies. Iran became a major recipient of U.S. economic aid. The shah himself was now deeply beholden to the U.S. At the time, U.S. officials thought they had won a splendid victory, but once the shah was reinstalled in power, he governed much more repressively than before. Ordinary Iranians came to see him as a puppet of Washington; the ultimate consequences of these perceptions were later to become clear in the Iranian revolution of the late 1970. I recount this history (The Great Courses - The United States and the Middle East: 1914 to 9/11 - Univ. of Chicago) to point out how the U.S. overthrew Iran's democracy. I believe President Clinton apologized to Iran for this tragic blunder. The similarities of the situation in Israel in the early 60s and the present situation in Iran is stunning! The concern that Iran's civilian nuclear power program would be converted to a weapons program is identical to the situation in Israel in the early 60s which I have recounted as follows: In the early 60s, before President Kennedy was tragically assassinated, he was attempting to influence Israeli behavior regarding two principal issues. President Kennedy wanted to prevent Israel from converting its civilian nuclear power program into a weapons program and he wanted Israel to permit the repatriation of Palestinian refugees, something Israel had refused to do since 1948, on the grounds that this would threaten the Jewish character of Israel. Not only had the Arab states called for Israel's repatriation of Palestinians, but in late 1948, the UN General Assembly had passed Resolution 194 calling on Israel to repatriate all Palestinian refugees who wished to return to their homes in present-day Israel. To induce the Israelis to make concessions in these areas, Kennedy agreed to sell them advanced antiaircraft guns, Hawk missiles. Kennedy did not establish a formal quid-pro-quo between the arms sale on the one hand and the refugee and nuclear issues on the other. Unfortunately for Kennedy, this lack of formal linkage permitted Israel to pocket the inducement without making significant concessions on the refugee and nuclear issues. On the nuclear question, Israel appeared to be cooperating with Kennedy, assuring him that the Dimona nuclear reactor was purely for civilian purposes. By evading and thwarting U.S. attempts to conduct meaningful inspections, Israel continued to develop a nuclear weapons capability. The similarity between America's attempt to inspect Dimona in the early 60s and the current attempt to inspect Iran's civilian nuclear power is overwhelming. Both Israel and Iran used religious holidays as excuses to thwart inspection. Both set very rigid ground rules for inspection. Both used numerous ways to delay, etc. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 during which time he was growing very frustrated with Israel. President Johnson was no more successful than Kennedy had been at keeping Israel from developing the bomb. Although the Israeli government insisted that it had no intention of acquiring a nuclear weapons capability, the U.S. intelligence community learned otherwise. Israel's standard statement on the question, "Israel will not be the first to introduce nuclear weapons to the Middle East"! It is believed that Israel acquired its first usable nuclear bomb sometime in early 1968. The visceral attack on Mr. Ahmadinejad by many Jews reminds us of the terrorist attack on the King David Hotel and the USS LIBERTY. Terrorism and Israel are synonymous. Begin, Shamir and Ben-Gurion all terrorists and all prime ministers of Israel and of course Sharon is the butcher of Lebanon. While Israeli troops stood by providing light from flares, the Phalangist entered the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila. There were no PLO fighters there. They found only old men, women and children and slaughtered several hundred. The Kahan Commission found Sharon indirectly responsible for the massacres at Sabra and Shatila. Sharon was dismissed as Minister of Defense by Prime Minister Menachem Begin. The crimes of Ariel Sharon are many. Ariel Sharon, the man who in 1983 was not fit to be "minister of defense", was called, "an enemy of the people" and "worse than evil" became Israel's prime minister. Ben-Gurion - Haganah, Menachem Begin - Irgun Z'vai Leumi and Yitzhak Shamir, all terrorists, all prime ministers of Israel! Israel was born out of terrorism. Ben Gurion, Menachem Begin and Yitzhak Shamir -- all terrorists and all prime ministers of Israel! Chagrined, M. Delphia Block


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Other reader comments on this article

Comment By Date

It's evident we are a classless society. [MORE]

erin scarlett

Sep 28, 2007 17:13

Mr. Bollinger, your speech to the man that calls himself "president" of Iran excites my sincere and deep admiration for you... [MORE]

Vito

Sep 26, 2007 06:15

The lack of civility displayed by so many Jews toward Ahmadinejad's visit is un-American and embarrassing to America! The visceral...

M. Delphia Block

Sep 26, 2007 04:24

with guantanamo in our own backyard! hypocrisy anyone? [MORE]

coffee

Sep 27, 2007 15:23

Lee, I am an American-Iranian. As an Iranian, I was very proud of you. As an American, I am ashamed of... [MORE]

Mostafa Davoodi

Sep 25, 2007 22:19

Columbia Univ president Bollinger represents his university as a chicken which runs for cover with his kind hiding in the... [MORE]

Gary S

Sep 25, 2007 18:10

It's stunning to insult a guest. That's unspeechable... I guess Lee is full of hate. In that sense, he is certainly... [MORE]

Breadman Sebring

Oct 2, 2007 21:33

Why are we giving this silly man so much attention? He doesn't deserve it. Honestly, why are we giving him... [MORE]

Rachel Z.

Sep 25, 2007 16:04

The way Bollinger introduced President Ahmedinezad, it looke like that we were in the un-civilized Nation, not free America. How... [MORE]

John Dahodi

Sep 25, 2007 13:49

Does't matter what his motivation was or what compelled him to confront his "guest". Fact is that the questions the President... [MORE]

M. Martin

Sep 25, 2007 12:57

President Bollinger, who was a beacon of light just a few weeks ago when he told the British academics who... [MORE]

Steve B

Sep 25, 2007 12:41

The academics have a hard time addressing political issues on the right side of the isle, so for that Mr.... [MORE]

GF

Sep 25, 2007 09:41

I am mortified that the president of my Alma Mater so damaged Columbia's intellectual status by attacking a guest speaker... [MORE]

Columbia grad

Sep 25, 2007 08:02

You've got to be kidding. Bollinger didn't "attack" Ahmadinejad, he criticized him. With words. And it's not "hysteria" to criticize... [MORE]

Jeff

Sep 25, 2007 09:59

The first mistake was inviting this speaker at all. There are other ways and means to have accomplished the same... [MORE]

Dr. Michael Nace

Sep 25, 2007 10:53

It's really unfortunate that the president of a prestigous University will behave in this manner. I don't like anything Iran's... [MORE]

Obinna Utah

Sep 25, 2007 15:05

I was equally distressed by the rudeness displayed yesterday to the President of Iran both by the President of Columbia... [MORE]

marion costa

Sep 25, 2007 22:56

Ahmadinejad danced around every question raised, and in doing so validated what we already knew about this serpent. The Constitutionality should be... [MORE]

Joni Moskol

Sep 25, 2007 06:49

If you look at the fine print for the Sun's Comment policy, you will discover that they reserve the right... [MORE]

Tim

Sep 25, 2007 02:40

Bollinger's arrogant, self-righteous rant only reinforced the stereotype of Americans as a bunch of cowboys who shoot first and ask... [MORE]

Red Cabbage

Sep 25, 2007 19:39

"I am only a professor, who is also a university president, and today I feel all the weight of the... [MORE]

Jerry W.

Sep 25, 2007 01:34

It seems so hypocritical for these people to scream at the Iranian President, when their own President are causing more... [MORE]

KC

Sep 25, 2007 01:30

KC, newsflash for you: this isn't about George W, it's about some guy from Iran. Get off your anti-Bush bandwagon... [MORE]

SA

Sep 25, 2007 10:34

SA, before you attack KC for simply stating the obvious you should keep in mind that although Ahmadinejad is just... [MORE]

Sahand Arshadmansab

Sep 25, 2007 17:40

Isn't amazing that the President of a so-called "terrorist" nation is willing to come to a foreign land to answer... [MORE]

Red Cabbage

Sep 25, 2007 19:47

It is about barking...... you should also be barking at your President with the same passion. Granted you despise the Iranian... [MORE]

KC

Sep 25, 2007 22:03

Annie, do you really consider Ahmadinejad's visit to be for diplomatic purposes? It is for propaganda. I am really surprised... [MORE]

Cory

Sep 25, 2007 01:22

The rudeness of Mr Bollinger's gratuitous insults to the Iranian President during his Columbia speech was shocking, though not his... [MORE]

hramsden

Sep 25, 2007 01:03

Why should he been spoken to in a dignified and respectful manner?? He runs his country as a Third-World Dictatorship!!... [MORE]

Chaya Eitan

Sep 25, 2007 07:04

Although I do not know President Bollinger's actual intentions in scheduling President Ahmadinejad to speak, I believe it did provide... [MORE]

Chris Lee

Sep 25, 2007 00:49

Is that any way to treat an invited guest? Mr. Bollinger seems to have a strange understanding of academic etiquette... [MORE]

Fred I. White

Sep 25, 2007 00:38

Amid the criticism of President Bollinger, we see first hand a courageous educator who launched his own missle of freedom.... [MORE]

surfer-dude

Sep 25, 2007 00:32

It is sad to see how politicians, still in the pockets of the ever-rich Zionists, continue to berade a man... [MORE]

Ramsey

Sep 25, 2007 00:32

At first I was impressed w/Columbia University President's bold & righteous invitiation of the Iranian President to speak at the... [MORE]

MT

Sep 25, 2007 00:31

In my opinion. Bollinger behaved like a kid. I do not think he stunned Ahmadinejad...I think he stunned the US... [MORE]

Wyne

Sep 25, 2007 00:27

One Bollinger does not represent America as One Bush does. Still his most uncivilized and uncultured diatribe to an invited... [MORE]

Subhra Dutta

Sep 25, 2007 14:57

I think it was really bad on Mr Bollinger's side to invite and then insult Mr Ahmedinejad. He is a... [MORE]

Sandesh

Sep 25, 2007 00:14

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