Middle East News
Peace pacts are not solving Mideast dilemma, Ahmadinejad tells Annan
Oct 13, 2008, 19:04 GMT
Tehran - Middle East peace pacts will not solve the dilemma in the Middle East, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Monday told former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and several former heads of Western states.
Annan and the Western dignitaries were in Tehran for attending a religious conference initiated by Ahmadinejad's opponent and ex- president Mohammad Khatami.
'For 60 years the Zionist regime (Israel) has committed crimes in Palestine. The problem cannot be solved as long as Palestinian lands are occupied (and) five million Palestinians are homeless, even if all governments some and sign up peace pacts,' Ahmadinejad said.
Also present at the meeting were the former presidents of Ireland and Portugal, Mary Robinson and Jorge Sampaio, as well as ex-premiers of Italy and Norway, Romano Prodi and Kjell Magne Bondevik.
'The roots of regional problems should be considered and problems cannot be solved by minor and sporadic moves,' Ahmadinejad said, referring to the Road Map favoured by the West to settle the Israeli- Palestinian dilemma.
Iran, which does acknowledge Israel as a sovereign state, has several times proposed a referendum to be held by all Palestinians, including all refugees, to determine the fate of Palestine. Ahmadinejad also supports this option.
The proposal has however always been categorically been rejected by the West as it does neither acknowledge Israel nor includes the two- state option.
Ahmadinejad further said that another main condition for ending the crisis in the Middle East and Gulf region was the withdrawal of all foreign troops, especially US forces from Afghanistan and Iraq.
Israel was also a topic at Monday's international religious conference entitled Religion in the Modern World, where discrimination of Jews and provocative remarks against Israel were harshly criticized by the former Western leaders.
Former Norwegian premier Bondevik referred in the conference to the anti-Israeli tirades by Ahmadinejad and said that remarks such as 'wiping out a country from the world map' would only add fuel to the fire of religious tensions.
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Older Talkback
page: 1
Peace is the only option. Agreed. But how? Can you give us some specifics.
Shuja
In the name of peace, fraud and oppression is committed against Palestanians. Through Peace, 300 nukes are developed, 500 F16's were received, 5000 bunker busters are received, 300 F15's are received. The Senate, The Congress, The House and all the political establishment is occupied in the name of Peace. What peace are we talking about? Oh' one of the oppressions is that the oppressed should recognize the rights of oppressor first. Is this the peace? What peace are we talking about? Peace only can be acheived and recognition will only come when you are ready to remove all your forces before 1967 borders, followed by 100 thousand interntional forces at the borders. No, no, no sir. You have to recognize us first. haaaaaa. Sit with us first. Kiss us first. You should not come to the table with stony faces. You may have lost your lands, families, you may have been humiliated, but you still have to smile. And we are crying for 60 years what happened to us in Germany. But you have to smile, smile and smile. We will bulldoze, bulldoze and bulldoze your property. You need to smile.
Shuja
Okay, we know Ahmadinejad is as much a jerk as George Bush. They're in many ways cross-cultural versions of each other. That said, when will Western gov'ts lay off that 'wants to wipe Israel off the map' canard? It is so unbelievably lame. He never said that, and that's been made very clear over and over again. Every time it's used it tells more about the politics of the writer than it relates actual information. Ahmadinejad makes a clear distinction between Israel and 'the Zionist Regime' as he calls it. I'm old enough to remember the time when the rest of the world was also able to make a distinction between the two, even when the UN was brave enough to label Zionism for the bigoted belief it is. Israel's full court press brainwashing has been pretty successful however, as almost no one seems any longer able to see the difference. It's a crucial difference, and until we can see it for ourselves we will continue to be guilt-tripped into fighting Israel's wars and trying to solve the problems they continue to make for themselves.
So now begin your howls of outraged defense for poor beleaguered Israel, the great lover of peace, and don't forget its puppet regime lapdog, the USA. Pity those poor defenseless creatures while big mean guys like me beat up on it.
The article makes a mistake in claiming that Iran recognizes Israel as a sovereign state. The Islamic Republic of Iran has never recognized Israel, which the article verifies in the following sentence! Second, the article says that President Ahmadinejad also supports the option of holding a referendum in Palestine. First, this option was introduced by Ahmadinejad, so he naturally supports his own proposal. Second, president Ahmadinejad has made it clear that Jews and Christians and Muslims must take part in this referendum for it to have the intended authority, while the article implies that the proposals only envisions the Palestinians taking part in it.
ALL the current problems stem from the theft of Palastinian lands by the Jews.....Both of the wars......99.3% of the terrorism in the ENTIRE world..The spread of nuclear weapons too comes from this theft...The Israelis need nuclear weapons to defend what they have stolen from the rightful owners and those inclined to redress the theft...So the Israelis use these weapons to threaten their neighbors too causing them to NEED these same weapons to be on equal footing with and not be bullied and intimidated by nuclear militaristic aggressive pre-emptive Israel.. Soon all their many enemies will have the means to and the will to thwart Israeli hegemony. The Jews seem to be the chosen people......Nowdays and in the future the question is, chosen for WHAT, by WHOM and WHEN.....We have seen some of what in the past with by whom being Spain and Germany.....The Jewish people are wonderful people.....It is so sad to see their leaders waving the red flag in the face of the horned beast...Choosing war and aggression as their G-d
page: 1
Option or...Oct 14th, 2008 - 08:13:38
Peace is the only true option for a lasting solution. Unless, of course, you want to wipe-out one another from the face of the earth.
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