lizzie2000

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Columbia University President Lee Bollinger excoriated Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday, going through a long list of documented actions and remarks by the firebrand Iranian leader and his government.
"Mr. President, you exhibit all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator," Bollinger said to applause from many of the 600 people in the room for a speech from the Iranian leader.

Bollinger cited the Iranian government's "brutal crackdown" on dissidents, public executions, executions of minors and other actions.

And he assailed Ahmadinejad's "denying" of the Holocaust as "ridiculous" and "dangerous propaganda." He called the Iranian leader either brazenly provocative "or astonishingly uneducated."

"The truth is that the Holocaust is the most documented event in human history," he said.

He said he doubted Ahmadinejad would show the intellectual courage to answer the questions before him.

Ahmadinejad responded quickly.

"We don't think it's necessary before the speech is given to come in with some series of claims," the Iranian leader said.

He said Bollinger's comments included "insults" and false claims, and flew in the face of an environment that's supposed to let people speak their minds.

On the Holocaust, Ahmadinejad asked why history can't be questioned and further researched.

"If the Holocaust is a reality of our time, a history that occurred, why is there not sufficient research that can approach the topic from different perspectives?" he asked.

The Iranian leader has made statements in the past suggesting that Israel be politically "wiped off the map," though he insists that can be accomplished without violence. See some of Ahmadinejad's controversial remarks »

While he would not respond with a "yes" or "no" when asked Monday if he sought the destruction of Israel, he said the status of Israel should be determined by a free election.

"Let the people of Palestine freely choose what they want for their future," he said.

Asked about widely documented government abuse of women and homosexuals in his country, Ahmadinejad said, "We don't have homosexuals" in Iran. "I don't know who told you we had it," he said.

He also repeatedly said that women have freedoms in Iran and refused to comment on reports that their freedom is severely constrained.

Ahmadinejad said Iran questions "the way the world is being run and managed today."

But he said Iran would hold talks with the U.S. government "under fair and just circumstances."

As he ended his talk at Columbia, he invited faculty and students to visit any university they liked in Iran.

Earlier Monday, in a question-and-answer video conference with the National Press Club, Ahmadinejad said the Middle East can govern itself without interference from the United States and other Western nations.

Speaking from New York to the luncheon in Washington, Ahmadinejad said Iran wanted to see "an independent powerful Iraq ... which will benefit the entire region."

"We are two nations interconnected," he said of Iran and Iraq. "We are brothers and friends."

But he said the region didn't need U.S. help.

"We oppose the way the U.S. government tries to manage the world. ... We propose more humane methods of establishing peace," he said.

He also said all the world's religions have the same common ground, "justice and friendship."

The views of all religions must be respected and "we must all move hand in hand," Ahmadinejad said.

Earlier in an interview with The Associated Press, Ahmadinejad said he didn't think the United States was preparing for war against Iran.

"I believe that some of the talk in this regard arises first of all from anger. Secondly, it serves the electoral purposes domestically in this country. Third, it serves as a cover for policy failures over Iraq," he told the AP.

The Iranian president said his country would not attack Israel.

"Iran will not attack any country," the AP quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.

Despite an outcry against Ahmadinejad that included New York tabloid headlines such as "The Evil Has Landed," John Coatsworth, acting dean of Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs, said it is important for Americans to hear from the Iranian leader.

"Iran is going to ... hold the key to peace in the Middle East. We have to deal with and negotiate with leaders like this however much we may disagree with their views," Coatsworth said on CNN's "American Morning."

Christine C. Quinn, speaker of the New York City Council, said Columbia should not be giving Ahmadinejad a platform. "All he will do on that stage ... is spew more hatred and more venom out there to the world," Quinn said.

Hamid Dabasi, a professor of Iranian studies at Columbia, called the whole forum "misguided."

Ahmadinejad also has drawn fire for his insistence that Iran will defy international demands that it halt production of enriched uranium. Iran insists it is producing nuclear fuel for civilian power plants, but Washington accuses Tehran of trying to create a nuclear weapons program. Video Watch Ahmadinejad's comments on the nuclear issue »

Also, the United States says Iranian explosives and weapons are making their way to Shiite Muslim militias in Iraq's sectarian conflict and have been used against U.S. troops in the 4-year-old war. U.S. commanders say they have captured Iranian agents involved in supplying those weapons to the militias, some of which have longstanding ties to the Islamic republic.

In an interview broadcast Sunday on CBS' "60 Minutes," Ahmadinejad denied U.S. accusations that Iranian weapons are being used against American troops in Iraq, saying, "Insecurity in Iraq is detrimental to our interests."

He said U.S. officials are blaming his country for problems unleashed by the American-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

"American officials, wherever around the world that they encounter a problem which they fail to resolve, instead of accepting that, they prefer to accuse others," he said. "I'm very sorry that because of the wrong decisions taken by American officials, Iraqi people are being killed and also American soldiers."
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He added, "If they accuse us 1,000 times, the truth will not change."

Ahmadinejad landed in New York on Sunday to attend the U.N. General Assembly session, which opens Monday. He is set to speak Tuesday at the United Nations.

Iranian leader 'petty, cruel dictator,' school president says - CNN.com

I just thought this was very interesting, especially that he was speaking at NYU. I also couldn't find any threats about him in general on this board and since he is so controversial it would be great to discuss.

ceilirose

I saw part of it. Bollinger's comments were pretty strong and a commentator thought it went over the top. I don't really agree that they did.

A lot a Ahmadinejad's comments were pretty standard. He was asked about homosexuals in Iran and their treatment. He said that they didn't exist in Iran. The crowd started laughing and then so did he but I'm guessing it was more a polite, something lost in translation kind of thing.

lizzie2000

I apologize in advance for the fact that it was at Columbia and not NYU, sleep deprivation and studying for the LSATs is too blame!

I was just reading an article about Bollinger's comments and how they were personal, especially towards the Holocaust so maybe he had family affected or is Jewish (I dont know anything about him).

The statement Ahmadinejad made about homosexuals was crazy. Seriously who says that. Some commentators are saying that he toned down his speech, especially pertaining to Israel and the Holocaust because they think he is starting to face blacklash even at home.

Jacob1983

The guy deserved be grilled with tough questions. When you supply weapons to terrorists, you aren't going to get that much sympathy especially from Americans. It's totally inappropriate and wrong that he was allowed to step foot on American soil. I'm glad that he wasn't allowed to visit Ground Zero. Let's not forget that this guy wants Isreal wiped off the map. He also denies the Holocaust. Columbia University is a disgrace to American colleges and universities. They let a terrorist come to their university to speak yet they won't let U.S. military recruiters come to their campus.

lizzie2000

I definitely agree that he should be been grilled on tough questions and I also question if he should have been allowed to speak; however I wouldn't go so far as to say that Columbia is a disgrace for allowing people to speak on their campus because there are a lot of people that believe President Bush could also be considered a terrorist and he is allowed to speak on campuses. It was their choice and although the President of Columbia was critizied he definitely showed his true thoughts on this leader and his own opinions. In a way it was good because it let everyone in America know what this guy thinks, not just those that sort of follow the press.

migamoo

Lizzie, I fixed the title for you.

lizzie2000

Thank you!

migamoo

I totally agree with this. No matter how much you might not like someone's views, you're still going to have to come to agreements on some things. If you can't look past your disagreements, no matter how outlandish they might be, you're never going to get anywhere.

Is he directly responsible for weapons going into Iraq? If not, than I don't think you have a leg to stand on here.

Why?

He wants a Palestinian nation, what's so wrong with that? Israel, as a country, has only been around for 60 or so years, yes? Before that, it was Palestine. Personally, I think it's only fair that they have their own country.

It's a private university, they can invite whomever they like. How does that make them a disgrace?

flagpolesitta43

Eh, actually I think that he does deserves some of the blame for Iranian weapons being in Iraq.

I don't see anything wrong with him being here or speaking at Columbia. Honestly, I wish I would have been able to hear him speak. Do I agree with him? No. Do I think he helps foster terrorism? Yes I do. Still he's the leader of a country that is very important to us at the moment, and it would be interesting to hear what he has to say first hand.

migamoo

I was just asking the question, I don't know if he is or not. But, if he's not, than we should not hold him responsible.

flagpolesitta43

I'm pretty sure there is no direct evidence of that, if there was we would have definitely heard about it in the news. In the interviews I've read whenever he seems to avoid giving any direct answer to any question pertaining to Iranian weapons being found in Iraq. I personally think he knows a lot more than what he says, but again that's just my personal intuition.

ceilirose

Probably since the Shia in Iraq and Iran are so closely linked I'm sure it's happening. I don't know where you're going to find the absolute proof in that - I wouldn't bet against it though.

Also I don't think Iran is the only ME country sending arms into Iraq either.

TheAngel

Actually there never was any such country as Palestine. The Palestinian people were originally part of the Ottoman Empire and during the 1st World War, and after, when the land was taken from the Ottoman Empire it was named internationally neutral land. most of the Palestinian people that owned that land legally sold it to Jews from Russia and from other countries that were escaping persecution.

That being said, I see no problem that he came to speak in the US, I feel that Bush should be challenged internationally as well because I think he's done some terrible things as well. We have always been a country that has allowed free expression and exchange of ideas, I think this is a great testimony of the US continuing to do so.

migamoo

This is true. I never meant to imply that they had their own nation. But, they still lived in the region and in my opinion, have every right to have their own nation. But this is for another thread so I think we should leave it at that.

Jacob1983

In my opinion, terrorists such as Ahmadinejad don't deserve the right to freedom of speech. Ahmadinejad aka windbreaker wearing guy pretty much loses that right when he denies the Holocaust, supplies weapons to terrorists in Iraq, and calls for Israel to wiped off the map. Let's not forget that this man condones women and homosexuals being stoned to death.
I honestly think some people are not taking this nutjob seriously enough.

Columbia University is a disgrace in my opinion. They give Ahmadinejad respect and courtesy when he speaks out against Jews and homosexuals but they go crazy when Minutemen are present at their college. Let's not forget that this is a university that denies ROTC to be on the campus.

Glenn Beck devoted almost a full hour of his show on Ahmadinejad visiting Columbia University. Glenn made a lot of good points especially the point that people don't realize how dangerous and evil Ahmadinejad really is. He also played some archive clips of Ahmadinejad saying horrible things about America and Jews. Windbreaker wearing guy also believes that he is destined to make the 2nd coming of the Messiah happen by causing worldwide violence and chaos.
Glenn also showed the clip of the dean of Columbia saying that he would let Hitler visit the university.

Ahmadinejad is the Hitler of the 21st Century.