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dipsydoodle Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 07:31 AM
Original message
Iranian leader demands US apology
Source: BBC News

Iran's president has responded to an overture by the new US president by demanding an apology for past US "crimes" committed against Iran.

The US "stood against the Iranian people in the past 60 years," Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said during an address in the western region of Khermenshah.

"Those who speak of change must apologise to the Iranian people and try to repair their past crimes," he said.

President Obama has offered to extend a hand if Iran "unclenched its fist".

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7855444.stm


Since he mentioned 60 years he's going back to the 50's when there was true interfernce by both the UK and the USA in connection with Persia's oil.
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Le Taz Hot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 07:35 AM
Response to Original message
1. And did they apoloize for holding
American hostages for 444 days? So much for "looking forward." I guess this is one of those clenched fist countries the Prez. talked about.
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dipsydoodle Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 07:41 AM
Response to Reply #1
2. It doesn't change the fact
Edited on Wed Jan-28-09 07:42 AM by dipsydoodle
that you need to foloww the path. The hostage situation followed removal of the Shah. Check out what SAVAK , the Shah's CIA trained death squad , got up to prior to that. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAVAK
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Le Taz Hot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 08:04 AM
Response to Reply #2
3. And you're missing the point
and yes I do know how the Shah was installed by the U.S. and I am aware of the role of the C.I.A. and several U.S. presidents. I pay attention like that, you know? So do most DUers. The POINT was that if you want to look back, nobody has clean hands, INCLUDING terrorist-sponsoring Iran. The POINT that the president was making is that we need to look forward if we're going to reduce the full-scale murder of innocents ON ALL SIDES including ours.

"An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind." Ghandi
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dipsydoodle Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 08:19 AM
Response to Reply #3
7. Funny old world isn't it
It's always the initial wrongdoers that just want to look forward. :sarcasm:

Maybe some apologies are necessary first.
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Le Taz Hot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 08:27 AM
Response to Reply #7
10. That whooshing sound you're
hearing is the point flying over your head.

I'm done here.
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MUAD_DIB Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 09:01 AM
Response to Reply #7
12. If you go back far enough then you'll find that Iran probably screwed

somebody else over as well at once time.

I don't think that is what should be looked at.


If Iran wants to start fresh, or at least try a diplomatic approach, they might want to take this opportunity and send out an olive branch of their own instead of "demanding" things from the US.


<i>Yes, I also know of the Shah and the USA's horrible involvement in Iran, but that doesn't change the fact if Tehran wants to have the illusion of a peaceful dialog then they should consider how they parse their words.</i>
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dipsydoodle Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 09:12 AM
Response to Reply #12
14. It doesn't really look as though
Iran actually wants or necessarily even needs a dialogue. Maybe they'd be happier just ignoring the USA as seemingly some South American countries do these days as a result of past issues similar to those suffered by Iran.
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MUAD_DIB Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 09:52 AM
Response to Reply #14
19. Well, if Iran wants to ignore the USA

then they can go ahead and do that, but if they make demands of the USA or other countries which they know aren't going to be met then I would say that they have no intention of diplomacy or don't understand it all that well.

In addition if Iran wants to move ahead with developing a peaceful nuclear program, which they say has been their goal all along, then maybe they should relax their rhetoric against others. If they want to be part of the world then they will have to start acting like it: regardless of past unfortunate histories.
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Ticonderoga Donating Member (489 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 09:40 AM
Response to Reply #3
17. Perhaps first we need to move beyond
this "terrorist-sponsoring" rhetoric, as both sides have unclean hands in that respect.
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Le Taz Hot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 09:47 AM
Response to Reply #17
18. Which was pretty much my point.
Perhaps you might want to read the entire post instead of focusing on two words used to MAKE that point.
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Ticonderoga Donating Member (489 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 10:00 AM
Response to Reply #18
20. I wasn't attacking you
or your piece, but was stating the obvious, stereotyping and label dropping is very counterproductive.
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earthlite Donating Member (75 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 08:12 AM
Response to Original message
4. What about all the gays and women Iran has executed?
We are far from perfect but the IRG regime has hurt the Iranian people more than the US.
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Le Taz Hot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 08:25 AM
Response to Reply #4
8. But...but...but...
Iran doesn't have any gays. As per their president.
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Freddie Stubbs Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 08:27 AM
Response to Reply #8
9. None because they have all been executed?
:shrug:
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dantyrant Donating Member (278 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 09:38 AM
Response to Reply #4
16. We overthrew their democratic government,
gave them Savak, and had Saddam attack them in a war that killed hundreds of thousands.

More recently, we've imposed economic sanctions on them. These are all acts of violence.

I'm disgusted by Iran's killing of innocent gay citizens, but this is as beside the point as Bush's killing of the mentally handicapped.

It's not about who is better or worse. We should be able to be honest about what we(our country) has done to their country.
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trynotto_giveuphope Donating Member (55 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 08:16 AM
Response to Original message
5. Oh, Ahmadinejad...
Ahmadinejad is to Iran what W was to us. He hasn't started any wars yet, but I wouldn't put it passed him.

He is clearly trying to rile up his constituency and trying to fluster President Obama. Sorry, it won't work. Obama has said he is open to sit down to talk, but I presume he'd want to talk about the future and how to move forward. As bad as both sides have been, rehashing the past won't accomplish anything.
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MUAD_DIB Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 09:03 AM
Response to Reply #5
13. Ahmadinejad is the Little guy in Iran. He doesn't have as

much power as one might expect.


The real power is still in the hands of their Fundamentalist order.
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ohio2007 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 08:17 AM
Response to Original message
6. Making demands must mean they are getting close
to generating electricity

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Uranium-For-Iranian-Nuke-Within-2009-Expert-Says-Country-Will-Have-Enough-Capacity-For-Warhead/Article/200901415211260?lpos=World_News_Carousel_Region_1&lid=ARTICLE_15211260_Uranium_For_Iranian_Nuke_Within_2009_

:sarcasm:
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Tripmann Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 08:42 AM
Response to Original message
11. Perspective people
Edited on Wed Jan-28-09 09:12 AM by Tripmann
Ahmadinejad is a politician whos popularity grows the more america threatens Iran. I'm sure you all heard the proper middle east experts remarking how the US threatening Iran over its nuclear program only strengthened Ahmadinejads support.

And, of course, the opposite is also true. Obama reaching out to the middle east in moderate tones weakens Ahmadinejads hand. He's a politician first, don't forget, and he knows the greatest risk to his presidency is a friendly america.
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L0oniX Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 09:26 AM
Response to Original message
15. I agree. We assisted the rape of their countries assests.
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Ohio Joe Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-09 10:19 AM
Response to Original message
21. I see this as promising
I don't believe that Iran expects this to happen, certainly not right off the bat. They are used to dealing with a belligerent US and have gotten used to responding in kind. While not worded as I'd like to see, I do believe this is an expression of willingness (with suspicion) to talk.
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