Iran says it's ready to talk

[sabra]

http://www.metronews.ca/reuters_international.asp?id=147205

International

Iran says it's ready to talk


JAKARTA (Reuters) - Iran's nuclear program is peaceful and has no military purpose, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday, adding he was ready to engage in dialogue with anybody.

"It has nothing to do with nuclear weapons, or military purposes," he said during a visit to Indonesia. He was speaking in an interview broadcast live on local Metro television.

He also said it was "ridiculous" for countries with nuclear arsenals of their own to be pressing Iran to curb its effort to develop nuclear energy.

"We also possess the technical and other capabilities to defend our interests," Ahmadinejad added.

[Oversea Visitor]

1. They been ready to talk for a long time

Just that your chimp dont understand what talk means

[mom cat]

2. He knows talk ... he don't know "listen"

[PsychoDad]

4. He knows talk...

It's the idea of dialogue that he has a problem grasping.

[cliss]

5. You got that right.

Message to Ahmadinejad: Don't count on getting any dialogue, just because you're ready to talk.

Bush is not in a talking mood.

[Oversea Visitor]

6. Iran not counting on it

They getting ready.
World not counting on it.
World getting ready

But no. No one giving up yet on US.
Give US one more chance.

Really up to US. Want to jump into DEEP HOLE with no bottom, no one can stop US doing that.
Maybe only US people can, After all it is their country.

It is not about Iran losing.
See we got no choice.
Iran will win. Cause we wont let Iran lose.

[cliss]

8. Yes, you could be right.

From what you're writing, the US is desperate....I agree.

What do you think? I agree with you, we won't let Iran lose.

[Oversea Visitor]

11. Iran wont lose if US start war

That is a fact. Maybe millions will die but US will lose.

[DoYouEverWonder]

12. We've already lost

but for us to attack Iran would be insanity. I still hope that there are people within our own military that won't allow that to happen. But on the other hand there are dark players at work who want chaos. Then of course, there's the wild card called Israel, who may try the say trick they pulled on Iraq and just try to take out a few 'assets'.

[Phx_Dem]

21. get real OV....nt

[Oversea Visitor]

31. Hehe

:hug:
I am
but sadly you have your deep faith in the US being unbeatable.
Me I have ears eyes wideopen and the mood outside US is very ugly.
Very clear how attack on Iran end up.

[Pavulon]

25. Right...

The US will not start a war.

If Iran starts a war the nato treaty will be invoked, and the europeans will happily pound Iran along with the pacific fleet and the other half of the US Armed forces not deployed in the ME.

Iran is not a super power, they are a hollow shell, like Iraq. Winning that kind of war has nothing to do with occupation.

[knight_of_the_star]

30. Except I doubt Iran will

Because for all his red meat tossing the gov't of Iran probably isn't THAT stupid. Running guns and supplies into Iraq I could see, but I don't think they would be THAT stupid unless we did something that REALLY put us in a bad position.

[Bruden]

3. Cue the * response dismissing everything

[Jamison]

7. They're ready to talk but...

Condosleeza Rice only has about 2 words in her vocabulary...nuke and war.

[HuffleClaw]

9. spin spin spin

iran has always been willing to 'talk', its BUSH whose been whining and demanding things no sane nation would submit to. bush is pretending iran doesn't have the right to nuclear power under the non-proliferation treaty, something the media has 'forgotten' too.

[Behind the Aegis]

10. Iran also says....

"JAKARTA, Indonesia - Iran's president on Thursday intensified his attacks against Israel, calling it a "a tyrannical regime that will one day will be destroyed," but also said he was ready to negotiate with the United States and its allies over his country's nuclear program."

Iran Leader: Israel a 'Tyrannical Regime'

[DoYouEverWonder]

13. What do you expect this nutcase to say?

That's his job is to say outrageous things that get people like you all upset. Ahmadinejad likes pushing peoples buttons because now he's getting all kinds of attention. But guess what Ahmadinejad is now controlling the dialogue. I thought he was just an idiot at first. Its turning out he's not so dumb after all. Crazy yes, dumb no.

[David__77]

14. This is the mainstream Muslim and middle eastern position.

Of course he calls for the end of the Israeli regime. He's an anti-Zionist (though one with at least some degree of anti-Semitism as well). Such talk only makes him more popular at home.

[truth2power]

22. *sigh*

This is what just pisses me off.

"...intensified his attacks against Israel, calling it a "a tyrannical regime that will one day will be destroyed,"...

First of all, I don't know what he said, exactly. I don't speak Persian. I find Juan Cole credible in these matters, though. And he posted recently that Ahmadinejad didn't say (in a previous utterance) that Israel should be wiped off the map, and he posted what purported to be the original Persian to prove it. Again, while I don't read Persian, I would think if what he posted was in error, someone would have spoken up by now.

To digress, what I understood is that Ahmadinejad quoted something Khomeni said, and it wasn't that Israel should be wiped off the map. Yet, Yahoo continues to perpetuate this canard in the article.

As to the above quote: Israel is a regime? It doesn't even make sense. A regime is "a system of management of government" or "administration". Thus, "a tyrannical administration that will one day be destroyed..." I would take that to mean that he thinks those in power (Govt.) in Israel will someday be thrown out of office (or destroyed). I don't think that translates to: "The entire country will be wiped off the map", however one may feel about the Israeli government, generally.

If someone stated they wanted to destroy the American (or Bush) regime , I wouldn't expect anyone to be gunning for me. I'm certainly not part of the regime.

As to whether anyone thinks that the Israeli G O V E R N M E N T is composed of a bunch of war criminals, OR NOT, that's an entirely different issue that should be open to rational discussion. If I were to say that the North Korean government is infested with a bunch of lunatics and criminals who should be swept out of power, I would hope no one would accuse me of hating all NK citizens or wanting their country laid waste.

[Andromeda]

27. I think you mean Farsi, the most common Persian language...

But you don't have to read Farsi to understand the translation. Ahmadinejad DID call for the end of Israel and no matter how you translate it, it means one thing---The president of Iran wants Israel wiped off the face of the earth. He may have used different words but he said what he meant and the fact that Israel exists is a burr in his side.

His threats were pretty straighforward and you would have to be in total denial not to see that.

[truth2power]

33. My mistake. Thanks Andromeda.

I disagree that he necessarily wants Israel (the country) destroyed. How do you know that's what he meant if he used different words?

[Behind the Aegis]

32. What pisses me off...

...people will give a "pass" to rabid anti-Semitic, Holocaust-denying assholes and "play it down" as "he was just misunderstood!"

Why is "truth to power" (not you, but that "quote") only applicable when it is anti-Israeli or anti-US? Why does the media always "lie" when supportive or positive of Israel, but anything anti-Israel, must be the damn truth? Why did those who questioned the Dubai deal get labeled an Islamaphobe, but screeds and rants against Israel are dismissed as "legitimate?"

It reminds me of Animal Farm, "some are more equal than others." Actually, it reminds me of the rant about the "Axis of Evil" by the Bush administration. It is wrong to 'label' a whole country as "evil," except for two...sometimes three....can you guess the other?

[Autonomy]

15. Iran Says It's Ready to Negotiate

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Iran's president said Thursday he was ready to negotiate with the United States and its allies over his country's nuclear program but he also suggested that any threats against Tehran would make the dialogue more difficult.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also intensified his verbal attacks on Israel, calling it a "a tyrannical regime that one day will be destroyed."

The Iranian leader, known for his fiery rhetoric, made his remarks to cheering students and in a television interview during a visit to the world's largest Muslim majority nation amid a deepening standoff with the West over Tehran's nuclear program and suspicions it is seeking atomic weapons.

Asked what it would take to begin talks with the United States to resolve the standoff, Ahmadinejad told Metro TV that Iran "is ready to engage in dialogue with anybody."

"There are no limits to our dialogue," Ahmadinejad told Metro TV station. "But if someone points a weapon at your face and says you must speak, will you do that?"

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IRAN_NUCLEAR?SITE=ORLAG&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&SECTION=HOME

edit: fixed link

[Autonomy]

16. This capitulation, de-scalation of the rhetoric

reminds me of Saddam circa Feb/March, 2003. Sounds like Ahmadinejad knows the invasion is coming and is trying to buy some time or something. It fits the projected timing for a June invasion.

[Phx_Dem]

18. can't get the link to work

I really don't see any country invading Iran anytime soon.

PS--congrats on reaching 1000 posts!

[Autonomy]

19. I can't figure out why the link isn't working...

maybe it's the HTML. I'll just post it.

Holy crap! I didn't notice I made 1000 posts! Thanks for pointing that out. ;)

[Dhalgren]

20. I think that he could be strengthening China's and Russia's

position against the US hard-line. Asia can now point to this statement and the letter and say that any reasonable nation or person would accept this call for talks. If the US is serious, it will take up this challenge to talk. The Dictator won't do it, but it will help Asia's position...

[Kagemusha]

17. Actually if someone pointed a gun in my face and said, 'Let's talk,'

I think I'd talk, myself.

But this is international politics.

...Well no, I'd talk anyway. I just might not be all that cozy in doing so.

[Andromeda]

23. If Ahmadinejad's intentions are so peaceful...

then why has he called for Israel to be wiped off the map?

[Pavulon]

24. *CallinG* just said it again yesterday. Israel will cease to exist.

[Ezlivin]

26. Maybe he's nervous about the nuclear armed Israeli submarines?

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1061381,00.html

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/israel/sub.htm

And you get just one guess as to who has supplied these submarines with Harpoon missiles.

[Pavulon]

28. The ones germany sold them?

Of course Israel is not threatening to wipe Iran off the map..

[Ezlivin]

29. If I park my car in front of your house and I have a missile launcher

Would you feel threatened?

Parking submarines armed with nuclear missiles off a country's coast says plenty without using a single word.

[PaDem]

34. This will speed up the run up to war..........

significantly. Can't allow the sheep out there to believe that there is room for negotiation.

[Roland99]

35. US says, "Hunh? What? I didn't catch that. Was busy spying on Americans"