How do you guys feel about Ahmedinejad's wanting to visit Ground Zero?

[Midlodemocrat]

I've been gone for a few weeks and am just getting up to speed in terms of the news, but I really don't care one way or another. I think the guy is unstable, but so is Bush and we let him go, so what's the big deal?

Interested to hear your thoughts pro/con a visit to the World Trade Center site by this guy.


http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/20/ahmadinejad.ground.zero/index.html

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

1. Grandstanding on his part

but so it has been with any other electable (or "elected") public figure.

[cali]

2. I think he should be allowed to go

but without media.

[blondeatlast]

22. Perfect. I agree with that from the POTUS on down...

Visit if it means something to you, but absolutely no photo-ops for anyone.

Excellent idea.

[demnan]

3. I think he's making a point

Iran didn't cause 9/11 is his point. I seem to remember how sympathetically the Iranians responded after 9/11. It would be good for most Ameicans to remember that.

[Midlodemocrat]

5. I think I am leaning more to what you just said.

I checked a list I have of victims by country and there weren't (apparently)any victims from Iran, so initially, I questioned his motives, but the more I think about it, he's simply trying to show the American people that Iran had nothing to do with 9/11.

[Katherine Brengle]

17. Excellent point, especially when you turn on the news these days

and see a lot of very reminiscent run-up shit being spewed, just like before we invaded Iraq.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

31. yes, and he is right to make that point/

[Saphire]

4. I think it's just the beginning of * trying to make it seem that Iran was

part of 9/11 and to justify an attack on them. Would he deny the British PM from a visit??

[KoKo]

27. Agree...C-Span was heavily promoting that him wanting to see Ground Zero was shameful...

and ranting callers were carrying on about it as if Iran instead of Saudi Arabia was responsible for 9/11.

It's easy to see the propaganda as the C-Span anchors pick out choice pieces from the NYPost, Weekly Standard, WSJ. They always have the articles and points highlighted for them... to coordinate with the paid RW crazies who call in and verify.

[DrDan]

6. Iranians died in NY on 9/11 also

[Midlodemocrat]

10. My list, admittedly a few years old, doesn't indicate that.

Do you have a more current list/link? Thanks. :hi:

[babylonsister]

11. This was posted yesterday:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1854214

[DrDan]

14. sure - no numbers, but Iran is mentioned as having deaths

http://usinfo.state.gov/is/img/assets/4756/9_11onepager1.pdf

[liberal N proud]

7. How is it a sign of disrespect?

The hijackers were reportedly from Saudi Arabia, Not Iran

[babylonsister]

8. Did Saudis visit? He should be able to visit imo; we should be bigger than this. nt

[PA Democrat]

25. Yes. I recall Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal visited Ground Zero

and caused a big flap when he suggested that the US take a good hard look at its policies in the Middle east as a possible explanation as to what caused the 9/11 attacks. This was within weeks of the attacks while the emotions in the country were still very high.

http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/10/11/rec.giuliani.prince/index.html

[Warren Stupidity]

9. From the False Noise this morning I learned To Hate All Muslims

It seems we are in fact in a global war against Islam. The morning hate session was quite the show. Completely out in the open and unapologetic. It seems that Iranians attacked us on 9-11.

[KharmaTrain]

12. Not Much To See There

I've been down to the site several times over the past two years and it's nothing but a construction site. There's no official memorial and the only thing that gets attention in the area is the rebuilt PATH station. He'd probably get harassed by the locals who don't like limos and motorcades messing up the already messed up streets in lower Manhattan.

Let him visit...his money is as good any anyone elses. He's not there for a visit to the U.S., but to the United Nations. Our country agreed to host the U.N. and allow for all member nations to have free access to the building, and by association, Manhattan. He's there to press his case to the world...let the man have his say and be on his way.

[0007]

13. What's the big fucking deal?

[ellie]

15. I think that

the bushies think it would be a mistake to allow him to go as it would humanize him and make the case for using nukes on Iran a lot harder. Americans would say, "But he brought a wreath! How can we nuke him?" It's all perception.

[rodeodance]

16. MY understanding is thar police said they did not know if they could adequately

protect him. 'security reasons"

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

18. I agree with Josh Marshall:

Who cares what he does? Who cares what he says? Are we not the US of fucking A? Can we not deal with it if some character makes a "statement"?

I'm old enough to remember Kruschev pounding his shoe and shouting "we will bury you" at the UN. It was treated like a joke even then. But now we can't take it if the leader of some country that doesn't even have nuclear missiles trained on our cities wants to go to Ground Zero? What the hell are we afraid of?

Let him come. Let him visit. Let him do whatever. Letterman will do a Top Ten, Stewart will do a correspondent segment, and it'll all be over and done with by the time the next Republican sex scandal breaks.

[BlooInBloo]

23. Links for the interested...

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/053806.php

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/053780.php

[sinkingfeeling]

19. How is it a sign of disrespect?

[BlooInBloo]

21. Because he looks like an arab, and this is America.

[sinkingfeeling]

28. So are you going to ban arll 'Arab-looking' people from the WTC memorial?

A tad on the racist side, don't you think?

[BlooInBloo]

20. Thanks for this poll. Nice to know the number of fucking whiny ass titty babies...

... is significantly smaller than I thought it was.

[mulsh]

24. It's not as if he was going to comandeer a bull horn and pose

on the rubble.

[bunkerbuster1]

26. Honestly don't know.

If he goes, it's this BFD for every right-wing yahoo, so it doesn't really do squat for us.

On the other hand, I'm very queasy with the message it sends--basically, that we're actively trying to prevent prominent Muslims from observing what had, at one time, been seen as an international tragedy.

My gut tells me to let him go. But my gut's often wrong.

[EFerrari]

33. This could be a good step towards normalizing relations with Iran

and promoting peace. But peace isn't very profitable for BushCo so it isn't going to happen.

[Jed Dilligan]

29. It would be a great thing if he did,

an actual achievement in the "War on Terror." Muslims look up to him, probably more so than they do to OBL. For him to distance himself from the acts of 9/11 would be a blow to the suicide-bombing movement.

Yes, he supports terrorists in Israel, but is that our biggest problem? Surely we won't exclude Hu Jintao from paying respects because of what he does in Tibet?

[WillyT]

30. Hell... I Think He Should Visit Auschwitz Too !!!

Maybe both would enlighten him.

:shrug:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

32. I think it's a grave insult to the 9-11 victims.

To use the site of their death to promote bigotry and hatred against muslims? It's a fucking disgrace.