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Iran President Challenges Bush to a Debate

By Jeralyn, Section Foreign Affairs
Posted on Tue Aug 29, 2006 at 12:54:41 PM EST
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Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad defended his country's nuclear program today, denounced the U.N. Security Council demand that Iran stop its enrichment program and called upon Bush to debate him in a world-wide televised event. The White House turned him down, calling the challenge a diversion.

The Security Council has given Iran until Thursday to suspend enrichment, a process that can produce either fuel for a reactor or material for weapons, or face economic and political sanctions.

"The U.S. and Britain are the source of many tensions," Ahmadinejad said at a news conference. "At the Security Council, where they have to protect security, they enjoy the veto right. If anybody confronts them, there is no place to take complaints to. "This (veto right) is the source of problems of the world. ... It is an insult to the dignity, independence, freedom and sovereignty of nations," he said.

As to the debate:

[Ahmadinejad ] said such a debate would show "the proposals of the Iranian nation on how to run the world better, different from the U.S. method of use of force."

In dismissing Ahmadinejad's proposal, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said the United States was willing to talk to Iran in the context of a "positive response" to the package of incentives offered by the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany.

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    Iran President Challenges Bush to a Debate | 15 comments (15 topical)
    Re: Iran President Challenges Bush to a Debate (none / 0) (#1)
    by Edger on Tue Aug 29, 2006 at 01:15:07 PM EST
    From the AP article:
    The White House dismissed the idea of a debate, describing it as a diversion.
    Of course. Actually discussing issues with an opponent would be a diversion from bushco's agenda.

    Re: Iran President Challenges Bush to a Debate (none / 0) (#2)
    by Bill Arnett on Tue Aug 29, 2006 at 01:48:59 PM EST
    Of course bush will never debate Ahmadinejad! If you think bush stank up the room in the first Kerry debate you can easily see how his inability to string three words together to form a sentence would lead to a thorough humiliation of bush by an educated, erudite, and very intelligent man such as Ahmadinejad. It would be so embarrassing to the U.S. that we would be laughed out of the international community as bush revealed what an idiot he is. It would be fun to watch, though!

    Re: Iran President Challenges Bush to a Debate (none / 0) (#3)
    by Che's Lounge on Tue Aug 29, 2006 at 02:03:17 PM EST
    Cage match in the Saudi desert. And throw away the key.

    Re: Iran President Challenges Bush to a Debate (none / 0) (#4)
    by Edger on Tue Aug 29, 2006 at 02:11:01 PM EST
    Che... Bowie knives. Tie their left wrists together. They want a war, let them fight it.

    Re: Iran President Challenges Bush to a Debate (none / 0) (#5)
    by Bill Arnett on Tue Aug 29, 2006 at 02:31:56 PM EST
    Peaceniks!

    Re: Iran President Challenges Bush to a Debate (none / 0) (#6)
    by jimakaPPJ on Wed Aug 30, 2006 at 06:25:35 AM EST
    edger - Wonderful. If you man loses will you becone a Christian?

    Re: Iran President Challenges Bush to a Debate (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Aug 30, 2006 at 06:33:29 AM EST
    And you'll do the same, PPJ?

    Re: Iran President Challenges Bush to a Debate (none / 0) (#8)
    by jimakaPPJ on Wed Aug 30, 2006 at 07:37:14 AM EST
    Dark Avenger - None of the above. I'm not stupid enough to want to give up the advantage of having the world's strongest military. You??

    Re: Iran President Challenges Bush to a Debate (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Aug 30, 2006 at 11:12:59 AM EST
    HE HE HE, poor Bush he can not even speak extemporaneously without screwing up and he has nothing to sell that anyone wants to buy, only war and poverty. Anyhow he has to be stopped before he can cause more damage. The world can't wait group is trying to rouse up the sleeping American people. They are calling for demonstrations on Oct 5th and I think it important for everyone to get out and raise hell especially if we want a better life for our grandchildren. They also need money. http://www.worldcantwait.org/

    Re: Iran President Challenges Bush to a Debate (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Aug 30, 2006 at 01:25:13 PM EST
    From Edger:
    It's no great surprise that the WH is rejecting a debate between bush and Ahmadinejad. It would be pointless. One of them can't speak english... and the other one is Iranian. btw - I can't become a christian or a bush supporter, for the same reason that I'm not allowed to buy lottery tickets. My IQ isn't low enough.


    Re: Iran President Challenges Bush to a Debate (none / 0) (#11)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Wed Aug 30, 2006 at 04:30:53 PM EST
    He also turned down the opportunity to duel Saddam. Dumbya is not only an idiot, but a big sissy as well.
    I'm not stupid enough to want to give up the advantage of having the world's strongest military.
    And what would that be? Umm...besides no protection from terrorist attacks and natural disasters, along with a staggering national debt and perpetual war?

    Re: Iran President Challenges Bush to a Debate (none / 0) (#12)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 06:41:27 AM EST
    Spinoza750 - Actually Bush can speak very well in Red State English, "Southerm English," etc. The problem is that you haven't bothered to learn to speak/understand one of the major dialects of the country, so to try and communicate with you he striuggles. Damn nice of him, actually. edger - They'll make an exception for you. Ernesto - I guess you must be a huge fan of Patton, since "Old Blood and Guts" wanted a tank duel to end WWII. Now, can you tell us what major "to the death" battles you have been engaged in?

    Re: Iran President Challenges Bush to a Debate (none / 0) (#13)
    by Sailor on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 07:28:33 AM EST
    Actually Bush can speak very well in Red State English
    really?
    "I'm going to spend a lot of time on Social Security. I enjoy it. I enjoy taking on the issue. I guess, it's the mother in me." --Washington D.C., April 14, 2005
    "I think -- tide turning -- see, as I remember -- I was raised in the desert, but tides kind of -- it's easy to see a tide turn -- did I say those words?" --George W. Bush, asked if the tide was turning in Iraq, Washington, D.C., June 14, 2006
    "The point now is how do we work together to achieve important goals. And one such goal is a democracy in Germany." --George W. Bush, D.C., May 5, 2006
    "And so I'm for medical liability at the federal level." --George W. Bush, on medical liability reform, Washington, D.C., March 10, 2006 ... etc, etc, etc.
    He doesn't speak southern, he speaks moron ... tho it's easily understood how ppj can confuse the two.

    Re: Iran President Challenges Bush to a Debate (none / 0) (#14)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 10:13:28 AM EST
    If Patton was driving the tank against Rommel, sure why not. Second question: the same as you: ZERO!

    Re: Iran President Challenges Bush to a Debate (none / 0) (#15)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 10:26:25 AM EST
    PPJ: when all else fails, resort to the WWII analogies. Battle to the death? According to you and Conrad Burns, I guess that would be the last time I was in a taxi cab.

    Iran President Challenges Bush to a Debate | 15 comments (15 topical)