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May 22, 2013
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Putin and Ahmadinejad: Two AmigosPosted on Oct 16, 2007
Continuing to broadcast a clear message of disapproval to the U.S. regarding its foreign policy and commercial interests abroad, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran on Tuesday to discuss Iran’s nuclear program and to present a unified front against Washington’s possible plans vis-à-vis Iran.
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By Akira_Maritias, October 18, 2007 at 5:17 am Link to this comment
Aafshar, you should know by now: 90% of Truthdig is filled with people who prefer to NOT meet who they are mocking.
I’m in the middle, neither republican nor democrat, neither liberal nor conservative. I agree for pro choice and stem cell research, but I do see the necessity in SOME war. Afghanistan was, in my opinion, something that needed to be done. Iraq was not; not for the reasons that we did it, anyway. We took on a job far too big and made far too many enemies because of it.
A bombing of Iran would sadden me considerably, because I can see how Bush thinks. Bush thinks like an extremist: He believes that evolution is false, he believes that the Earth is 6,000 years old, he says that Jesus tells him what to do….sound a little off to anyone? It doesn’t surprise me at all that he so strongly defends Israel; he probably does believe that God chose that land for the Jews, and he probably believes that it is the holiest land around.
I hate to say it, but we’ll probably go to war with Iran. Bush (or whomever comes next) will hear Israel saying that Iran is a huge threat to their safety, fall for it, and attack Iran. Iran will be forced into battle, and we’ll see the entire middle east boil with intense hatred for America-just like Israel.
It’s all a mistake. This much suffering caused because of a supposedly loving God? It is pointless; yet the Jews in Israel are still trying to use the fact that their holy book(s) call them the chosen people; the people that God will protect and kill for, so they are now exercising their so called ‘power’ to choose who lives and who dies. Once they slaughter all of the Palestinians, they’ll start looking at Iran, probably…more land, less of other religions.
Sad. An ethnic cleansing done by the people that were ethnically cleansed.
To the Israel-humping-fanboys(and girls): This does NOT make me an anti-semitic/evil bitch/racist/terrorist/Muslim/Arab lover. I’m just a person, a person with Jewish ancestry, who thinks that it’s WRONG to allow Israel to act like a beast, always hungry and ALWAYS trying to consume and destroy those who are around it.
Report thisBy BadMan, October 18, 2007 at 1:58 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Very nice posts ash, but I am sorry to tell you, there is a class war here. It has been class warfare since the creation of the USA, it was always about control and division. Read US history 101. A Peoples History. So I find your words very intelligent, very forward thinking but also very idealistic. This country was build on the wealthy oppressing and dividing the middle class from the poor and the poor from the minorities. And as a result, they have had free reign to war and make profits.
They let the religious fanatics do and say what they want as long as they get the vote. They have let the racists do and say what they want, as long as they get the vote. Right now you have all of middle America raging against illegal immigrants, forgetting that a good percentage of their ancestors were immigrants illegal and not. And they forget that those illegals to the jobs that their lazy fat asses wont do. But they can hide their racism this way by calling it border control and liberal versus conservative and they do. And it is more than racism, because they don’t mind the immigration of wealthy foreigners, but the poor, forget about it. Send the dogs after them, throw them in jail and ship them back.
What I am trying to say is that you make good points but at the same time your points are idealistic and this country is anything but. There is class warfare going on, and I am not talking about the hollywood rich here, though many of them are beholden to the Israeli lobby, I am talking about the entrenched conservative christian families that have controlled this country for centuries and their upper middle class. That is why things won’t change. It WOULD be nice if everyone just woke up from the brainwashing and jingoist false nationalism, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon, this will eventually lead into some form of civil war at some point, because the deep seeded divisions are just too great to overcome and are getting worse. All we need is a couple more wars and a continuing deterioration in the economy and our civil rights and things will start falling apart.
Cheers
———————————————————————-
And about the comments about Iran being the only country to call for the end of Israel by the government shill, well to be honest, I don’t know Farsi so I have no idea what was said, but as I know other languages, I know these on spot translators are horrible and things never translate the same, so I am not even sure Ahmedinejad said those things, though I am sure he said Israel as it is, an apartheid state running an ethnic cleansing campaign, should not continue to exist in its current form and I would agree, and any ethical human being would agree as well. But it is the classic response, you are basically saying, the USA has NO problem overthrowing democratic leaders, propping up military dictators, selling them top of the line weaponry, helping train their security forces and in effect helping to oppress the same people we claim to want to democratize, we are willing to do all of this as long as they don’t threaten the status quo in Israel. WTF??? Thank you, your words do so much more than mine ever could. You have made it quite obvious the US’s REAL stance on democracy in the middle east. It should be non existent as long as Israel is left alone, the oil keeps flowing and the weapons keep flying off the shelves.
Bravo
Report thisBy aafshar, October 17, 2007 at 9:23 pm Link to this comment
By the way you will not gain anything by labeling people liberal as the nut heads in your party want. There is nothing wrong being a liberal American, you are still American and havent sold your sole to a foreign entity like some in your party have. Dont you dare label an American liberal as if its some kind of disease, you seem to forget you are labeling your country man, an American, your blood and they only person who will defend you from a foreign tread. Go read up and deprogram your head. Stop listening to the traitors sean hannity and rush Limbaugh and bill o rially and ann coulter They are the true traitors for dividing this country by labeling us red and blue, black and white, liberal and conservative. Do you label your own children, should you?? They have divided us to rule us, wake up and look at your neighbor do you see him as an American or some alien liberal. Please think for your self dont let others tell you what to think, that is what will bring down this country. Not iran or Iraq or al qaeda our own division will bring us down.
Report thisBy aafshar, October 17, 2007 at 9:22 pm Link to this comment
captain happy
your labels wouldnt stick here, for your information I was a Republican, I voted for GHB1, not only that i did fundraising for him, I was a donor and I walked the streets canvassing for him, but I could not identify myself with the party after newt gingrich and his contract on America, I was in the rational realist wing of the republican party, like Scowcroft, and Hegel.
Coming from Iran and seeing the religious fundamentalism I could not indentify myself with the religious fundamentalist in the republican party which this gang is. I saw up-close how they operated and what they wanted to do with the country, do you remember the bombing outside the abortion hospitals, I do, killing Americans because of what they believed didnt seem very American to me. See this is an advantage we Iranian Americans have, we have seen all this first hand we have experienced it. You have not seen this fundamentalist phenomenon here yet, you are just beginning to see it. I could see how these guys were similar to the fundamentalist in Iran they were parallel, they took everything out of the book of fundamentalist in Iran and applied it here, same tactics and strategy.
Report thisFirst they create this enormous phony enemy, then they put fear in your head, now they have you complete attention and stop you from thinking, then thru media they fill your head with propaganda and now they have complete control over you. These are old fascist tactics that now fundamentalist who are nothing but fascist use. Ask any Iranian if you know any, ask them how were the fundamentalist able to avert the revolution from its course. Why do you think they took over the us embassy, because they wanted to creat an enemy to control the environment and not let the nationalist have the power. So they had to create and enemy to create fear to control. Go back to early 90s when newt took over and read the news about him see how they were trying to make this monster enemy out of Iraq and iran and liberals, liberals were the true enemy of America. My god, how can large population of American public become this evil enemy. Look it up you will know what I am talking about.
Back to the first point I am not a democrat or a liberal, actually I identify myself more of conservative than a liberal given my back ground (because of culture most middle eastern are conservatives by nature). But I will never sell my country for my party which is what you people are doing, everything is for the party to win no matter if the country goes down to hell. As long as the party is in power and there is no other party. That is the same attitude the Nazis and the communist had. That is so un-American. You should never ever put anything before your country and constitution nothing, country comes first. Last thing on your mind should be your party. This is not some freaking football game that you have to win every time; this is about lives not scores. Get this god damn win for the party mentality out of your head. Try to deprogram your heads. And look at the elders of the party see what Scowcroft has to say see what hagel has to say they are the real republicans, the realist. By the way the ONLY politician who I have great respect for right now is chuck hagel. not even al gore, the time when his country needs him now, he is worried about something that will happen 50 years form now. what about what is happening in this country now? mr gore
By captain happy, October 17, 2007 at 7:46 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Voice of Truth….haven’t you figured it out. Here on Truth Dig, if you don’t have an exact 180 degree view to all the administration or their cronies have to say, if you mediate your own views through your own sense of reason…if you don’t think Bush’s every action regardless how mundane is somehow more evil than anyone elses in the world, or if you somehow think that anyone who doesn’t like Bush is less than immaculate..you are the enemy. Welcome to the knee jerk liberalism that empowers Fox News…
Report thisIf you aren’t with us..your against us.
By voice of truth, October 17, 2007 at 3:29 pm Link to this comment
Where did I say that they should be bombed??? Are you nuts?
Report thisBy aafshar, October 17, 2007 at 3:26 pm Link to this comment
voice of truth you post
Report this“Which again leads me to why the folks on this site have such hatred for Isreal. It is the only country in the whole region which actually has a representative, functioning government.”
so by your reasoning since a country doesnt have a representative, functioning government we should go and bomb them. I have news for you, if that is you rationale then you better run to your bomb shelter because this country should get bomb as it is closes to your reach and does not have a representative government, reminder for you 2000 election which al gore won the popular vote but was not elected, does that sound like a representative government to you. functioning government, well this one sure is not functioning correctly, just look at how many vacant head of governmental offices we have, highest vacancy in the history of this nation. do you call that functioning. i doubt it.
By voice of truth, October 17, 2007 at 3:10 pm Link to this comment
I have no love for Mubarek, the House of Saud, Assad or any of them. They are just as horrid as any. However, I don’t hear Mubarek running around stating publicly that his plans include the extermination of one country (Isreal) and massive killings in a second (Us!).
Which again leads me to why the folks on this site have such hatred for Isreal. It is the only country in the whole region which actually has a representative, functioning government.
Report thisBy bad man, October 17, 2007 at 2:29 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Wow, since when did government shills start reading and posting comments on truthdig, who is this whackjob ” voice of truth “? What a patronizing way to try to force everyone to prescribe to his distorted world view.
Putin hasn’t killed anyone, he has 70% +++ approval in his country, people are begging him to run again, though under the current Russian Constitution he can’t. He has presided over double digits increases in just about every area of Russian economy, people are making ten times what they were before. There are a few groups heavily funded by the US and EU, who have very strong reasons for not wanting a strong unified assertive Russia and are doing everything to smear him and weaken Russia, but it isn’t going to happen. Every government in the world doesn’t need to be a keynesian polyarchy like the US.
As far as Iran is concerned, just to put it into context, take a look at the middle east, you have Hosni Mubarek in Egypt, a dictator who has been in power going on 40 YEARS now, the US’s best freind and the second greatest recipient of foreign aide in the world, hmm I wonder why no one brings him up ? Then you have Saudi Arabia, also a dictatorial monarchy that is in bed witht e Bush family and a heavy recipient of military aide from UK and the US, good deal, pacify the masses, treat em like chattel, if they act up, have the CIA trained secret police ” disapear ” them and then just sell us their oil and you make profits to buy more of our weapons, win win right ? No one talks about them. Jordan Israel Lebanon and now even Iraq, all heavily funded clients state and all basically dicatorships. In Iraq, the Baghdad fiefdom doesn’t even have the authority to kick out Blackwater, and the government was elected during a military occupational dictatorship under the Viceroy Paul bremer, damn, is THAT a democracy. Not to mention all the millions killed under US sponsored Un sanctions, which killed millions of children, since they werre the ones most affected, and that was BEFORE the war. And you call Ahmadinejad the bad guy ? What kind of jaded world do you live in ? There is issues in Iran and it is for Iranians to figure it out.
Remember back when Iran had a democracy ?? Remember President Mossadeh ?? Remember how he was democratically elected, during a time when actual western style democracy was starting to flourish in Iran ? Then remember how he wanted to nationalize British Petroleum and Anglo Iranian oil companies ? Remember how the Brits and the Yanks didn’t like that idea one bit ?? Then do you remember sending in the CIA, fomenting a military coup ?? Then how about installing the Shah of Iran as our faithful Dictator/ally who dutifully erased the notions of nationalized Oil companies? Remember how he squashed dissent by killing and ” disapearing ” thousands of Iranians who didn’t like a US installed Dictatorship. And you ask why they revolted? And you ask why they turned to their religion for the answers our brutal savage way of trying to run the world failed to to show them ?
Wow, and you want us not to tell you about history ? Well someone has to because it seems whatever the fbi or cia is teaching you just doesn’t cut the mustard.
The US needs to calm down, relax, take a few deep breathes and count to ten. Because if not, there is a slowly growing coalition of strong nations that are banding together and saying ENOUGH already, the bloodiest nation in the world goes around the world killing people, starting wars, installing dictators, propping up dictators, funding apartheid in Palestine, the laundry list is too long, and THEY are supposed to be the worlds Moral Compass ??? Give us all a break chuck. Russia and Iran are natural allies, kinda like the US and Israel. You don’t hear Putin bi**hing about it.
Report thisBy rodney, October 17, 2007 at 1:24 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
If the Democrats had half the spine and balls of Putin, we could rein in the war mongering Bush and Cheney.
Report thisBy Peter RV, October 17, 2007 at 8:12 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
#107514 by Voice of Truth (or Israel?)
Report thisVoice of Truth starts with an outright lie.
Where is the proof that Ahmadinejad or any other Iranian religious leader, have claimed they “want to kill as many infidels as possible”? No ‘ifs’ or ‘buts’,just put your money where your foul lying mouth is.
You are obviously trying to detract from the main point of discussion which is that- it is possible to have a friendly relations with Iran, if you eliminate the threats of bombs and forceful change of regime (BTW,the country which needs most urgently a change of regime is precisely your beloved Israel, dear Voice of ‘Truth’).
What you don’t seem to understand is that Iranians are genuinly religious people and have no fear of our and Israeli bravados and sabre ratling. If you had observed Ahmadinejad at Colombia, you could easily conclude he is the Man of Peace not your psychopath Sharon.
By Akira_Maritias, October 17, 2007 at 4:30 am Link to this comment
Bush is probably already signing the war papers; he probably thinks that Putin is allied with Iran and wants to kill America, so he’s ready to bomb ‘em both.
Putin’s been sitting here saying ‘don’t use bombs, there are more reasonable ways to do it and I don’t trust Bush enough to have him use bombs as the -only- way to do it.’ Considering Bush’s track record, this is a smart thing to say.
I know that there’s a lot of fear of Russia becoming the old Soviet…but I love her sensibility. Russia is thinking peaceful talks and diplomacy, -Russia!-, before the United States even bothers to consider it. How sad is that? Come on, even you Russia bashers have to see the trouble here! When RUSSIA is being more diplomatic than US, we have a problem.
Report thisBy Douglas Chalmers, October 16, 2007 at 10:03 pm Link to this comment
#107502 by Peter RV on 10/16 at 11:06 am: “... This is the way to solve problems between the nations, not to throw the bombs. Let’s see if our jerk in the White House learns something from him….”
Can you imagine how convenient it has been for Putin to go there alone to give his declaration of supporting security for Iran? China has conveniently withdrawn from its visit so that he can have the limelight (to their mutual advantage) whilst blaming Bush over the Dalai Lama.
Step right up, folks…..... sucker Bush, ha ha.
Report thisBy rage, October 16, 2007 at 9:09 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Dumya and the oilers are just trying to push through to the oil in the Caspian sea. According to the Chimperor, every nation sitting on oil is a danger. They threaten us by sitting on what the BFEE bullies have determined to be American oil. Putin maintains that Russia has oil bullies who also claim that oil, and Ahmadinejad is Putin’s friend. That Dumya has an itch he can’t reach over in the Caspian Sea is not enough justification for the dilapidated American Armed Forces to be sent to Iran, where we’re way more likely to get our butts stomped, talking that ridiculous yang about taking Tehran the way we did Baghdad. The Chimperor is never going to be able to fly onto the deck of the Lincoln claiming he accomplished a mission in Iran. The Repugs need to just crack a window to air that silliness out. Our troops are stretched too far past the breaking point for these idiots to still be beating the war drum for Iran.
Report thisBy Paolo, October 16, 2007 at 7:29 pm Link to this comment
First, the obligatory “I’m not a fan of either Ahmadi-Nejad or Putin.”
There. Now having said that, there have been some pretty outrageous claims against both of them. One poster said, without any attribution or evidence, that Ahmadi-Nejad wants to “kill as many non-believers as he can.”
Please, give me the exact quotation and source where he said this (you know you can’t).
Then again, we hear that Putin is making “Joe Stalin look like a nice guy.” Really? Show me evidence that the number of political prisoners killed by Putin is anywhere remotely close to those killed by Stalin. (Don’t bother: we both know you can’t.)
The sad thing is, both these leaders would probably be quite open to a diplomatic approach by the USA. But the Bush nut-jobs don’t want diplomacy or peace: they want conquest, thinly disguised by some made-up pretense, just as they did with Iraq.
Report thisBy PatrickHenry, October 16, 2007 at 5:30 pm Link to this comment
I hear of what an evil government Iran is but I don’t see any conclusive proof.
I see the provocative rhetoric this administation puts out via the jewish controlled (Israeli) media, with name calling, slandering and mis-reporting facts regarding Iran, all without proof.
I hear of the U.S. supporting insurgent elements inside Iran and arming them.
I see the U.S. talking about how Iranian supplied munitions are making their way across the border and being used in the killing of our soldiers, the nerve!
What a two faced foreign policy we have.
Report thisBy great_satan, October 16, 2007 at 5:22 pm Link to this comment
No big fan of Ahmadinejab, Putin, or Bush. But if Putin can do a bit to dilute the Neocon dream of perpetual unipolar dominion, then good. If he can do anything to overt the catastrophe that the bombing (nuking?) of Iran would be, then cool.
Report thisBy aafshar, October 16, 2007 at 4:57 pm Link to this comment
voice of truth please read this article and learn a little about history. below is a little excerpt of it but the whole article is here.
http://www.antiwar.com/orig/sahimi.php?articleid=11762
Hezbollah, notwithstanding its terrorist past and Iran’s major role in its formation, is now a popular movement that can bring a million people into the streets on short notice. In addition, in legitimate elections in Lebanon, Hezbollah received a significant fraction of the votes, and it is a participant in Lebanon’s government.
Hamas’ aim is to recover every inch of the Palestinian land occupied since 1967, in return for which it is willing to enter a decades-long cease-fire with Israel. It has never carried out any military or terrorist operation outside the historical Palestine, and it has no connection with al-Qaeda. Iran’s aid to Hamas is due to the popularity of the Palestinian cause among Muslims everywhere, and Iran’s desire to curry favor in the larger Islamic world. Saudi Arabia also provides financial aid to Hamas, and Egypt allows it to bring funds raised abroad into Gaza, all without U.S. protests.
Report thisBy yours truly, October 16, 2007 at 4:29 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Russia and Iran don’t threaten us. What does? Our own government by way of these perpetual wars, not to mention global warming. How to rid ourselves of our government? Troops out now, that’s how, whereupon, empowered by our victory over the powers that be, it’ll be up to us, the what sort of world.
Report thisBy voice of truth, October 16, 2007 at 3:50 pm Link to this comment
First off, did I give any defense of President Bush?? Or do you just jump to conclusions and in so doing prove my point. My point was that many, in their absolute hatred of President Bush, would rush to defend these two evil people. By attacking me and linking me to Bush, you have proven that.
Now, to your point…Iran has not aggressed (your word, which I believe isn’t really a word) anyone in how long?? What is Hezbollah? What is sending armed forces into Iraq right now? What was the seizing of the US Embassy hostages? What were the attacks on Gulf shipping.
Please do not argue history with me (real history, not a distorted view on what you think should be right).
Report thisBy K. E. Heartsong, October 16, 2007 at 2:12 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
To ‘voice of truth.’
To date GW Bush has in fact has killed via his wars in Afghanistan and Iraq over 1 million innocent civilians, and is aggressively threatening another country, Iran. Iran, on the other hand, is a country that has not aggressed a neighboring country in several hundred years (some say a thousand)! Can the same be said of the United States of America or GW Bush? NO. So then, who, is the ‘Whack Job and who is intent on destroying the world?’ How is it ‘voice of truth’ that you are so horribly misinformed and your arguments so bereft of any historical moorings?
It would appear that G.W. Bush owns the attributes that you would give to another. And ask yourself this, if Mr. Ahmadinejad country wasn’t sitting on millions of barrels of oil…would Madison Avenue be so tireless in making him out to be ‘Satan’ or a ‘Whack Job?’ A bit of critical thinking here is important ‘voice of truth (and therein lies the irony).’
Cheers.
Report thisBy Ken Mitchell, October 16, 2007 at 1:37 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Dear voice of truth,
I don’t think much of either Ahmadinejad ar Putin. Back in 2001, I didn’t like the governments of Iran, Iraq or Afghanistan. All 3 governments hated each other. Then Afghanistan attacked us. Bush’s policy of linking Iraq to 9/11, and later trying to implicate Iran in the mess only served to unite Iran and some of the resistance movements in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now Bush’s policy against Iran and Russia are bringing these countries together. Bush needs to rethink his foreign policy.
Report thisBy voice of truth, October 16, 2007 at 12:34 pm Link to this comment
Ahmadinejad is a wackjob intent on killing as many “non-believers” as he can, and taking the whole world with him, and Putin is cold-blooded murderer who is starting to make ol’ Uncle Joe Stalin look like a nice guy.
Are we really supposed to give any credence to what these monsters say? Or is that so long as they denigrate Bush they are ok?
Please tell me that is not the case, that you are not so bound up in your hatred.
Report thisBy thomas billis, October 16, 2007 at 12:22 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
The guy next to Ahmadinejab should be our President.Condi is worried about the Israelis and the Palestinians while our guys are dying in Iraq and the drumbeat for war with Iran continues.Is this administration living in a parallel universe.The house is burning down I think I will go get the lawn mower I loaned to the my neighbor.We should have delegation upon delegation visiting Tehran.Isolation does not work anybody remember Cuba.Anybody remember sanctions against Iraq.I know a trip to Tehran would cut into brush clearing down at the Crawford ranch but what the hell if it has a 1 in a 100 chance of saving an American serviceman’s life why not.Maybe our President could give Ahmadinejab a history lesson on the holocaust while explaining why his grandfather Prescott Bush was a Nazi sympathizer just before www2.
Report thisBy Peter RV, October 16, 2007 at 12:06 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Bravo, Vladimir Putin!
Report thisWhat a statesman the President of Russia. This is the way to solve problems between the nations, not to throw the bombs.
Let’s see if our jerk in the White House learns something from him.