Tuesday, September 25, 2007

• Iranian President Speaks at Columbia University

  The honeymoon for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is over.  Last year, Ahmadinejad's visit was a coming out party of sorts.  The Iranian President was warmly received by a fawning media, he held court at the United Nations, and showed the world that he could hold his own on the international stage.  A lot has happened since last year.

  This year, as one Chicago Tribune editorial puts it, the Iranian President got the "kind of blistering reception he richly deserved."  As the editorial points out, Iran has been quite busy provoking the world.  In the past year Iran has ignored U.N. resolutions, provided weapons that have killed American soldiers in Iraq, sponsored a Holocost denial conference, seized 15 British marines, and continued to tighten its grip on the Iranian people, restricting speech, assembly, and other rights.

  The debate now is not over whether the Iranian President is a dictator or a threat to the United States.  That has been determined.  The debate is over whether Columbia University should have permitted him to speak.  The United States government had already denied him access to Ground Zero in New York.  What do you think?

  Posted by D. Price

  • 9:36 AM
  • 4 eprops
  • 2 comments