Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (help·info),[1] (born October 28, 1956) [2] is the 6th and current president of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He became president on 6 August 2005 after winning the 2005 presidential election. Ahmadinejad's current term will end in August, 2009, but he will be eligible to run for one more term in office in 2009 Presidential elections. Before becoming president, he was the Mayor of Tehran. He is the highest directly elected official in the country, but, according to article 113 of Constitution of Islamic Republic of Iran, he has less total power than the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, who is the commander in chief of the armed forces of Iran and has the final word in all aspects of foreign and domestic policies[3][4]
Ahmadinejad is an outspoken critic of the Bush Administration and supports strengthened relations between Iran and Russia.[5]He has refused to stop the nuclear program of Iran, in spite of the demands of the UN Security Council, declaring that the Iranian nuclear enrichment program is for peaceful purposes only.[6] He has been condemned internationally[7] for "calling for Israel to be 'wiped off the map,'"[7][8][9] and describing the Holocaust as a "myth",[7][10] leading to accusations of antisemitism,[11] though Ahmadinejad has said “No, I am not anti-Jew…I respect them very much.”[12]
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Personal life and education
Ahmadinejad, the son of a blacksmith, was born in Garmsar, near Tehran on October 28, 1956. In 1976, he took Iran's national university entrance exams (konkoor) to gain admission into Iran's top universities. His test score ranked him 132nd among over 400,000 participants that year,[13] landing him at the prestigious Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) as an undergraduate student of civil engineering.
After the revolution, he entered the Master of Science program for civil engineering in 1984. In 1989, he became a member of the Science faculty at the university where he had studied.[14] In 1997, he received his Ph.D. in transportation engineering and planning from the Science and Technology University. Even after being elected President, Ahmadinejad continued living in a simple apartment flat and eating meals brought from home, in his office. Both of these traits contributed to his widespread support amongst the poorer classes of Iran.[15]
Ahmadinejad is married with two sons and one daughter.[16] One of his sons formerly studied at the Amirkabir University of Technology.[17]
Timeline
Place Position or Primary Activity Year(s)
Garmsar - 1956
Tehran university examinee 1975
Basij paramilitary member in engineering division c.1980-1984
Iran University of Science and Technology graduate student c.1986-1989
Maku Governor c. early 1990s
Khoy Governor c. early 1990s
Kurdistan Province Advisor to Governor General c. early 1990s
Tehran Advisor to Minister of Culture 1993
Ardabil Province Governor General 1993-1997
Tehran Active professor 1997-2003
Tehran Mayor 2003-2005
Iran President 2005-
Iran University of Science and Technology Member of science & engineering board 1989-
Early political career
See also: Controversies surrounding Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Ahmadinejad was politically active as a student during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, and represented the University of Science and Technology in the Students Movement at the Central Committee for the “Office of Growth of Unity of the Students” where the plan for the embassy takeover was presented.[18] Reportedly, he first opposed the take-over .[19][20] or supported a larger plan that included the simultaneous take-over of the Soviet Union embassy[21] until the Ayatollah Khomeni gave his approval of the US embassy take-over.[22] Several former hostages and the former President of Iran have identified Ahmadinejad as one of the key individuals holding Americans inside the embassy.[23] In a secret report specifically investigating this issue, the CIA declared this identification "Not proven".[24][25]
Ahmadinejad served as Governor General of Ardabil Province from 1993 to 1997 but was not a nationally known figure when he was appointed Mayor of Tehran by the second City Council of Tehran on May 3, 2003, after a 12% turnout led to the election of the conservative candidates of Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran in Tehran. During his mayorship, he reversed many of the changes put into effect by previous moderate and reformist mayors, putting religious emphasis on the activities of the cultural centers founded by previous mayors, going on the record with the separation of elevators for men and women in the municipality offices,[26] and suggesting that the bodies of those killed in the Iran-Iraq War be buried in major city squares of Tehran. Such actions were coupled with an emphasis on charity, such as distributing free soup to the poor.
After two years as mayor, Ahmadinejad was shortlisted in a list of 65 finalists for World Mayor in 2005.[27] Out of the 550 nominated mayors, nine were from Asia.[28]
He was not much better known when he entered the presidential election campaign, although he had already made his mark for rolling back earlier reforms. After his election to the presidency, Ahmadinejad resigned from his post as the mayor of Tehran. His resignation was accepted on June 28, 2005.
He is a member of the Central Council of the Islamic Society of Engineers, but he has a more powerful base inside the Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran (Abadgaran) and is considered one of the main figures in the alliance.[citation needed]
Presidency
Presidential campaign
Ahmadinejad generally sent mixed signals about his plans for his presidency, which some US-based analysts considered to have been designed to attract both religious conservatives and the lower economic classes.[29] His campaign motto was, "It's possible and we can do it." (میشود و میتوانیم ).
In his presidential campaign, Ahmadinejad took a populist approach, with emphasis on his own modest life, and had compared himself with Mohammad Ali Rajai, the second president of Iran—a claim that raised objections from Rajai's family. Ahmadinejad claims he plans to create an "exemplary government for the people of the world" in Iran. He is a self-described "principlist"; that is, acting politically based on Islamic and revolutionary principles. One of his goals is "putting the petroleum income on people's tables", referring to Iran's oil profits being distributed among the poor.[30]
Ahmadinejad was the only presidential candidate who spoke out against future relations with the United States. Also, in an interview with Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting a few days before the elections, Ahmadinejad accused the United Nations of being "one-sided, stacked against the world of Islam."[31] He has openly opposed the veto power given to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. In the same interview, he stated, "It is not just for a few states to sit and veto global approvals. Should such a privilege continue to exist, the Muslim world with a population of nearly 1.5 billion should be extended the same privilege." In addition, he has defended Iran's nuclear program and has accused "a few arrogant powers" of attempting to limit Iran's industrial and technological development in this and other fields.
After his election he proclaimed, "Thanks to the blood of the martyrs, a new Islamic revolution has arisen and the Islamic revolution of 1384 [the current Iranian year] will, if God wills, cut off the roots of injustice in the world." He said, that "the wave of the Islamic revolution" would soon "reach the entire world."[32]
During his campaign for the second round, he said, "We didn't participate in the revolution for turn-by-turn government.…This revolution tries to reach a world-wide government." Also he has mentioned that he has an extended program on fighting terrorism in order to improve foreign relations and has called for greater ties with Iran's neighbours and ending visa requirements between states in the region, saying that "people should visit anywhere they wish freely. People should have freedom in their pilgrimages and tours."[33] Since his election to the presidency he has taken a tough stand on a number of foreign policy matters, in line with his hard-line background.
As confirmed by Ahmadinejad, Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi, a senior cleric from Qom, is President Ahmadinejad's ideological mentor and spiritual guide. Mesbah is the founder of Haghani School of thought in Iran. He and his team strongly supported Ahmadinejad's campaign during presidential election in 2005.[34]
Election
Main article: Iranian presidential election, 2005
Ahmadinejad became the President of Iran on August 6, 2005, after winning 62% of the vote in the run-off poll, nearly twice that of ex-President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.[35] He received the presidential authorization from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei on August 3, 2005.[36] During the authorization ceremony he kissed Khamenei's hand in demonstration of his loyalty to him.[37][38] Journalist Amir Taheri claims that Khamenei's eldest son Mujtaba acted as Ahmadinejad's campaign manager during the election.[39]
Cabinet
Ahmadinejad was required to introduce his suggested ministers to Majlis for a vote of approval in fifteen days, after which Majlis would have one week to decide about the ministers. It was mentioned by Masoud Zaribafan, Ahmadinejad's campaign manager, that Ahmadinejad would probably introduce his cabinet on the same day of his vow, which did not happen, but the list was finally sent to the Majlis on August 14. The Majlis were set to vote on the suggested ministers by August 21.
The parliament had held a private meeting on August 5, when Ahmadinejad presented a shortlist of three or four candidates for each ministry, to know the opinion of Majlis about his candidates. The final list was officially sent to the Majlis on August 14, 2005.
After a few days of heavy discussions in Majlis, which started on August 21, 2005, Ahmadinejad's cabinet was voted for on August 24, 2005, and became the first cabinet since the Iranian revolution in not winning a complete vote of approval.[citation needed] Four candidates, for the ministries of Cooperatives, Education, Petroleum, and Welfare and Social Security, all previous colleagues of Ahmadinejad in the Municipality of Tehran, were voted down, with the other candidates becoming ministers.[citation needed]
The list of suggested ministers and their votes went:[40]
Ministry Candidate minister Approvals Denials Abstentions
Agricultural Mohammad Reza Eskandari (Persian bio) 214 45 24
Commerce Seyyed Masoud Mirkazemi 169 85 25
Communication and Information Technology Mohammad Soleimani 220 43 16
Cooperatives Alireza Ali-Ahmadi 105 134 34
Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Hossein Saffar Harandi 181 78 20
Defense and Logistics Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar 205 55 17
Economy and Financial Affairs Davoud Danesh-Jafari (Persian bio) 216 47 19
Education Ali Akbar Ash'ari (Persian bio) 73 175 31
Energy Parviz Fattah (Persian bio) 194 56 23
Foreign Affairs Manouchehr Mottaki (Persian bio) 220 47 16
Health and Medical Education Kamran Bagheri Lankarani (Persian bio) 169 86 27
Housing and Urban Development Mohammad Saeedikia 222 31 25
Industries and Mines Alireza Tahmasbi 182 58 30
Intelligence Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejehei (Persian bio) 217 51 13
Interior Mostafa Pourmohammadi (Persian bio) 153 90 31
Justice Jamal Karimi-Rad (Persian bio) 191 59 24
Labour and Social Affairs Mohammad Jahromi 197 59 20
Petroleum Ali Saeedlou 101 133 38
Petroleum Mohsen Tasalloti 77 139 38
Petroleum Kazem Vaziri Hamane 172 53 34
Roads and Transportation Mohammad Rahmati (Persian bio) 214 43 21
Science, Research, and Technology Mohammad Mehdi Zahedi (Persian bio) 144 101 35
Welfare and Social Security Mehdi Hashemi 131 108 36
The new board of ministers held its first meeting on August 25 in Mashhad, promising to keep frequent meetings to cities other than the capital, Tehran. Temporary supervisors for two of the four ministries without new ministers were appointed by Ahmadinejad on August 27, Mohammad Nazemi Ardakani for the Ministry of Cooperatives and Davoud Madadi for the Ministry of Welfare and Social Security.[citation needed]
Domestic policy
Economy
See also: Economy of Iran
Ahmadinejad submitted his first annual budget, covering April 2006–March 2007, to Iran’s parliament on January 15, 2006. The draft budget called for 1,956 trillion Rials (US$217.4 billion) in total spending, 27% more than in the fiscal 2005–06 budget. The oil-revenue projections, a significant portion of fiscal revenues, were based on a US$39.70/barrel price forecast for oil exports. The plan called on state-owned banks to allocate a larger portion of their resources to consumer loans for low-income families and small enterprises in underdeveloped regions. It also called for a visible increase in housing subsidies for low-income families, accounting for roughly US$1 billion in construction costs for the worse off.[41]
Ahmadinejad is said to have devoted approximately 35 billion Rials (roughly US$3.5 million) to an NGO associated with Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, an increase of almost tenfold.[42]
In June 2006, 50 Iranian economists wrote a letter to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, criticising price interventions to stabilize prices of goods, cement, and government services, as well as a decree issued by the High Labor Council and the Ministry of Labor proposing an increase of workers' salaries by 40%. Ahmadinejad publicly responded harshly to the letter and denounced the accusations.[43][44]
On January 25, 2007, The president called high petrol consumption as the main problem facing national economy.[45]
“So far, this year (started March 21, 2006) the Oil Ministry has spent billions of dollars for importing petrol”, he noted. The government is trying to control the high petrol consumption, but it has no plan to sell the petrol at the market price, he stated. He also refused a gradual increase of petrol prices, saying after making necessary preparations such as a development of public transportation system the government will free up petrol prices after five years.[46]
Family planning and population policy
See also: Family planning in Iran
In October 2006, President Ahmadinejad opposed encouraging families to limit themselves to just two children, stating that Iran could cope with 50 million more people than the current 70 million.[47]
In remarks that have drawn criticism, he told MPs he wanted to scrap existing birth control policies which discouraged Iranian couples from having more than two children. [48]
Critics reacted with alarm and said the president’s call was ill-judged at a time when Iran was struggling with surging inflation and rising unemployment, unofficially estimated at around 25%. Mr Ahmadinejad’s call for a higher birth rate[49] echoes a similar demand by the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini after the triumph of Iran’s Islamic revolution in 1979. The policy led to a population explosion but was later reversed because of the strain on the economy. As a result, population growth dropped from an all-time high of 3.2% in 1986 to around 1.2% today, similar to that of the United States.
Housing
The first legislation to emerge from his newly formed government was a 12 trillion Rial (US$1.3 billion) fund called "Reza's Compassion Fund"[50] which was named after one of Shi'a Islam's Imams, Ali al-Rida. By tapping into Iran's oil revenues, Ahmadinejad's government claims that this fund will be used to help young people to get jobs and to afford marriage, as well to assist in purchasing their own homes. The fund also sought charitable donations, and includes a boards of trustees in each of Iran's 30 provinces. The new plan is subject to the approval of the conservative-held Majlis, but is seen as unlikely to encounter strong opposition, given that deputies in the Majles have also shown an eagerness to focus on resolving economic problems. The legislation was in response to the costly housing in urban centres which is pushing up the national average marital age (currently around 25 years for women and 28 years for men). In 2006 the Iranian parliament rejected the fund. However, Ahmadinejad allegedly put his proposal into practice by ordering the administrative council to execute the plan.[51]
Women's rights and hijab
On 24 April 2006, Ahmadinejad announced that a ruling which prevented women from watching men playing sports in stadiums would soon be reversed.[52] A state television announcer reported that Ahmadinejad "ordered the head of the sports organization to provide facilities in the stadiums to watch national matches." Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying: "The best stands should be allocated to women and families in the stadiums in which national and important matches are being held." Two days earlier, Ahmadinejad had objected to punishment of women appearing in stadiums without proper hijab. His remarks angered some supporters.[53] Soon after his remarks, several of the highest-ranking clerics and marjas including, Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi and Grand Ayatollahs Nouri Hamedani, Safi Golpaygani, Makarem Shirazi, Fazel Lankarani and Tabrizi announced their objection to his decision, urgently calling for cancellation of the order. In Qom, many clerics demonstrated against the president's letter.[54]Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei reversed the decision[55] and at least 60,000 mullahs in sharia courts, ranging from grassroots levels to the national level, expressed concerns. A Shi'ite news agency quoted one of Ahmadinejad's advisors saying that the President's statement about the attendance of women in stadium was a political measure to defend the government against a US-led conspiracy. According to these reports, Ahmadinejad's government believed that the attendance of women in stadiums was against Sharia and therefore had to be banned, contrary to the earlier letter.[56] Conservatives in Iran have been angered by a perceived deterioration in obedience to the republic's female Islamic dress code. Conservative MP Rafat Bayat has blamed Ahmadinejad for this, saying that observance of the required hijab has declined because Ahmadinejad is "not that strict on this issue".[57]
Universities
In 2006, the Ahmadinejad government reportedly forced numerous Iranian scientists and University professors to resign or to retire. It has been referred to as "second cultural revolution" after the Islamic Cultural Revolution earlier.[58][59] The policy has been said to replace current professors with younger ones.[60] Many University professors received letters indicating their early retirement unexpectedly.[61] In November 2006, 53 University Professors were forced to retire at Iran University of Science and Technology, according to Advar News agency.[62]
In 2006, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government applied a 50% quota for male students and 50% for female students in the University entrance exam for Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy. The plan was supposed to stop the growing presence of female students in the Universities. In a response to critics, Iranian minister of health and medical education, Kamran Bagheri Lankarani argued that there is not enough facilities such as dormitories for female students. Masoud Salehi, president of Zahedan University said that presence of women generates some problems with transportation. Also Ebrahim Mekaniki, president of Babol University of Medical Sciences stated that an increase in the presence of women will make it difficult to distribute facilities in a suitable manner. Bagher Larijani, the president of Tehran University of Medical Sciences made similar remarks. According to Rooz Online, the quotas lack a legal foundation and are justified as support for "family" and "religion."[63]
Nuclear program
See also: Nuclear program of Iran
Ahmadinejad has been a vocal supporter of Iran's nuclear program. On January 11, 2006, Ahmadinejad announced that Iran would have peaceful nuclear technology very soon. He also emphasized that building a nuclear bomb is not the policy of his government. He has said that there was no such policy and that such a policy was "illegal and against our religion."[64][verification needed]
He also added at a January 2006 conference in Tehran that a nation that had "culture, logic and civilisation" would not need nuclear weapons, but that countries which sought nuclear weapons were those which wanted to solve all problems by the use of force.[65]
In April 2006, Ahmadinejad announced that Iran had successfully refined uranium to a stage suitable for the nuclear fuel cycle. In a speech to students and academics in Mashad, he was quoted saying that Iran's conditions had changed completely as it became a nuclear state and could talk to other states from that stand.[66]
On April 13, 2006, Iranian news agency IRNA quoted Ahmadinejad as saying that the peaceful Iranian nuclear technology would not pose a threat to any party because "we want peace and stability and we will not cause injustice to anyone and at the same time we will not submit to injustice."[67]
However, the office of the Iranian President is not responsible for nuclear policy. It is instead set by the Supreme National Security Council. The council includes representatives appointed by the Supreme Leader, military officials and members of the executive, judicial and legislative branches of government (see eg. Ali Larijani), and reports directly to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who issued a fatwa against nuclear weapons in 2005.[68]
On November 15, 2006 the Iranian President announced that "Today the Iranian nation possesses the full nuclear fuel cycle."[69]
Domestic criticism of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
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Some critics have alleged that President Ahmadinejad is becoming increasingly unpopular at home for spending too much time criticizing the United States and not enough time reforming the nation's stagnant economy.[70]
At one point in the past year, the prices for vegetables tripled in December 2006, housing prices have doubled since summer 2006 — and as costs have gone up, so has some Iranians‘ discontent with hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his focus on confrontation with the West. He is being challenged not only by reformers but by some conservatives who paved the way for his stunning victory in 2005 presidential elections. Ahmadinejad‘s government "has been strong on populist slogans but weak on achievement," said Mohammad Khoshchehreh, who campaigned for Ahmadinejad during the election.[71]
It is claimed that Iran's increasing economic and diplomatic isolation, have pushed conservatives inside Iran to distance themselves from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. More than 50 parliamentary members signed a letter in January 2007, calling on Ahmadinejad to appear before parliament to explain himself.[72] Iranian sources say that Ahmadinejad may be vulnerable as Khamenei is said to have voiced his displeasure with him and due to the fact that the latter has the authority to dismiss the president. Khamenei himself usually refrains from speaking in public but in what is claimed to be his privately owned newspaper, he is supposed to have criticized the president's "personalization" of the nuclear issue.[73][74] However, sources close to the President have said the article comes from Rafsanjani.[75] Ahmadinejad’s team lost the 2006 City council elections and his spiritual mentor, Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi was only ranked sixth on the country's Assembly of Experts.[76] Later, a source denied any rift between the nation's top politician and Ahmadinejad.[77]
While the campaign to summon Ahmadinejad to appear in the Majlis is gathering momentum, some Majlis deputies have threatened to impeach the ministers of interior and education. According to reports published by various news agencies, the bills to impeach Mostafa Pourmohammadi (Minister of the Interior) and Mahmoud Farshidi (Minister of Education) will be introduced in Majlis on 24 Jan 2006.[78]
In January 2007, Hossein Ali Montazeri harshly criticized Ahmadinejad and accused him of harming the country. Montazeri, 85, is the most senior theologian of the Shiite Muslim faith. Also Mohammad Moussavian, a former senior nuclear negotiator accused Ahmadinejad of lying to the people about the grave consequences of the penalties voted for by the Security Council. "Our advice to the president is to speak about the nuclear issue only during important national occasions, stop provoking aggressive powers like the United States and concentrate more on the daily needs of the people, those who voted for you on your promises," wrote the Islamic Republic, a newspaper owned by Khamenei.[79]
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who is a capitalist, has invoked the supreme leader, suggesting the leader was pained by the very slow pace of privatisation under Mr Ahmadinejad's government.[80]
An organization numbering 12,000 students led by student leader Abbas Fakhr-Avar, living in exile in the United States, opposes Ahmadinejad and hopes to topple his government.[81]
December 2006 Student protest
On December 11, 2006, students disrupted a speech by Ahmadinejad at the Amirkabir University of Technology in Tehran. According to the Iranian Student News Agency, students set fire to photographs of Ahmadinejad and threw firecrackers. The protesters also chanted "death to the dictator". It was the first major public protest against Ahmadinejad since his election. In a statement carried on the students' Web site[citation needed], they announced that they had been protesting the growing political pressure under Ahmadinejad, also accusing him of corruption, mismanagement, and discrimination. "The students showed that despite vast propaganda, the president has not been able to deceive academia", the statement added. It was also reported that some students were angry about the International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust.[citation needed]
In response to the students slogans, the president said: "We have been standing up to dictatorship so that no one will dare to establish dictatorship in a millennium even in the name of freedom. Given the scars inflicted on the Iranian nation by agents of the US and British dictatorship, no one will ever dare to initiate the rise of a dictator".[82] Iranian media reported even though the protesters broke the TV cameras, and threw hand-made bombs at Ahmadinejad [17], the president asked the officials not to question or disturb the protesters.[83] In his blog, Ahmadinejad described his reaction to the incident as "a feeling of joy."[84]
1,000 students also protested the day before to denounce the increasing pressure on the reformist groups at the university, newspapers reported. In the week prior, more than 2,000 students protested at Tehran University on the country's annual student day [18], with speakers saying there had been a crackdown on dissent at universities since Ahmadinejad was elected.[85][86]
2006 Councils and Assembly of Experts election
Main article: Iranian councils election, 2006
Main article: Iranian Assembly of Experts election, 2006
In the first nationwide election since Ahmadinejad took office in 2005, allies of the Iranian President failed to dominate election returns for the Assembly of Experts and local councils. Turnout of about 60 percent was reported, with the results suggesting a voter shift toward more moderate policies. "The results show that voters have learned from the past and concluded that we need to support . . . moderate figures", the independent daily newspaper Kargozaran said in an editorial. "This is a blow for Ahmadinejad and Mesbah-Yazdi's list", an Iranian political analyst was quoted as saying.[87]
Parliamentary Opposition and vetoes by the Supreme Leader
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has had a number of struggles first of all on winning the Presidential election to get his nominations for official positions through parliament and to pass his legislation.
He was vetoed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei when he attempted to change the law to permit women to attend sporting events,[88] and has been considered "not strict" on the issue of enforcement of Islamic dress codes.[89]
His criticism of the West has been controversial in the Iranian Parliament, leading to attempts to compel him to go to the parliament to answer questions, although impeachment is unlikely.[90]
Foreign policy
Iran-United States relations
Main article: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's letter to George W. Bush
See also: United States-Iran relations
See also: Controversies surrounding Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's letter to George W. Bush in May 2006Wikisource has original text related to this article:
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's 2006 letter to the American peopleOn May 8, 2006, Ahmadinejad sent a personal letter to United States President George Bush to propose "new ways" to end Iran's nuclear dispute.[91] U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley both reviewed the letter and dismissed it as a negotiating ploy and publicity stunt that did not address U.S. concerns about Iran's nuclear program.[92] A few days later at a meeting in Jakarta, Ahmadinejad said, "the letter was an invitation to monotheism and justice, which are common to all divine prophets."[93]
On August 8, 2006, he gave a television interview to Mike Wallace, a correspondent for 60 Minutes.[9]
In mid 2006, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad invited President George W.Bush to a debate at the United Nation General Assembly which was to take place on the 19th of September 2006. The debate was to be about Iran's right to enrich uranium. The invitation was promptly rejected by the a White House spokesman Tony Snow who said "There's not going to be a steel-cage grudge match between the President and Ahmadinejad."[94]
On November 29, 2006, Ahmadinejad wrote an open letter to the American people, representing some of his anxieties and concerns. He stated that there is an urgency to have a dialog because of the activities of the US administration in the Middle East, and their concealing the truth about current realities. The letter criticized many policies of the US administration, and claimed that the American people "showed their discontent in the recent elections."[95] In the letter, he also states that Iran condemns all terrorism. The current U.S. administration considers Iran to be the world's leading state supporter of terrorism and Iran has been on the United States' state sponsors of terrorism list since 1984.[96][97][98]
Iran-Russia relations
See also: Iran-Russia relations
Ahmadinejad has moved to strengthen relations with Russia, setting up an office expressly dedicated to the purpose in October 2005. He has worked with Vladimir Putin on the nuclear issue, and both Putin and Ahmadinejad have expressed a desire for more mutual cooperation on issues involving the Caspian Sea.[99] However, Western intelligence officials recently accused Ahmadinejad of sanctioning the training and funding of Chechen rebels, who are fighting against Russia, inside Iran.[100]
Anti-Israel statements
Main article: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Israel
See also: Iran-Israel relations
Demonstrators outside the ex-US embassy in Tehran hold a poster of Ahmadinejad, saying "Isreal [sic] must be wiped out the world", November 2, 2005On October 26, 2005 Ahmadinejad gave a speech at a conference in Tehran entitled "World Without Zionism". According to widely published translations, he agreed with a statement he attributed to Ayatollah Khomeini that the "occupying regime" had to be removed, and referred to it as a "disgraceful stain [on] the Islamic world" that must be "wiped off the map".[8]
Ahmadinejad's comments were condemned by major Western governments, the European Union, Russia, the United Nations Security Council and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.[101] Egyptian, Turkish and Palestinian leaders also expressed displeasure over Ahmadinejad's remark.[102] Canada's then Prime Minister Paul Martin said, “this threat to Israel's existence, this call for genocide coupled with Iran's obvious nuclear ambitions is a matter that the world cannot ignore.”[103]
The translation of his statement has been disputed. Some experts claim that the phrase in question is more accurately translated as "eliminated" or "wiped off" or "wiped away" from "the page of time" or "the pages of history", rather than "wiped off the map".[104] Reviewing the controversy over the translation, New York Times deputy foreign editor Ethan Bronner observed that "all official translations" of the comments, including the foreign ministry and president's office, "refer to wiping Israel away".[105]
Ahmadinejad has compared Israel's actions in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict to Adolf Hitler's actions during World War II saying that "Just like Hitler, the Zionist regime is just looking for a pretext for launching military attacks" and "is now acting just like him."[106]
On August 8, 2006, he gave a television interview to Mike Wallace, a correspondent for 60 Minutes, in which he questioned American support of Israel's "murderous regime" and the moral grounds for Israel's invasion of Lebanon.[9]
On December 2, 2006, Ahmadinejad met with Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyah in Doha, Qatar. At that meeting, he said that Israel "was created to establish dominion of arrogant states over the region and to enable the enemy to penetrate the heart Muslim land." He called Israel a "threat" and said it was created to create tensions in and impose US and UK policies upon the region.[107]
On December 12, 2006, Ahmadinejad addressed the International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust, and made comments about the future of Israel. He said, "Israel is about to crash. This is God's promise and the wish of all the world's nations." He continued, "Everyone must know that just as the U.S.S.R. disappeared, this will also be the fate of the Zionist regime, and humanity will be free."[108]
Holocaust denial and accusations of antisemitism
Main article: Controversies surrounding Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
See also: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Israel
In December 2005 Ahmadinejad made several controversial statements about the Holocaust, calling it "a myth", and criticizing European laws against Holocaust denial.[109] In a May 30, 2006 interview with Der Spiegel Ahmadinejad again questioned the Holocaust several times, insisting there were "two opinions" on it. When asked if the Holocaust was a myth, he responded "I will only accept something as truth if I am actually convinced of it".[110]
In response to these statements and actions, a variety of sources, including the U.S. Senate,[111] have accused Ahmadinejad of antisemitism. Ahmadinejad has recently insisted that he is not an antisemite, saying "Some people think if they accuse me of being anti-Jew they can solve the problem. No, I am not Anti-Jew. I respect them very much."[112]
On December 11, 2006 the "International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust" opened, to widespread condemnation.[113] The conference, called for by and held at the behest of Ahmadinejad,[114] was widely described as a "Holocaust denial conference" or a "meeting of Holocaust deniers",[115] though Iran maintained that it is not a Holocaust denial conference.[116]
Human rights
Main article: Human rights in Islamic Republic of Iran
Major human rights organizations and many Western governments say the current human rights situation in Iran under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is poor; for example, the Canadian government listed Iran as one of the thirteen worst abusers of human rights in 2006.[117] According to Amnesty International, dissidents who oppose the government non-violently face harassment, torture and execution and the election of Ahmadinejad signaled the defeat of "pro-reform" supporters [19]. According to Human Rights Watch, "[r]espect for basic human rights in Iran, especially freedom of expression and assembly, deteriorated in 2006. The government routinely tortures and mistreats detained dissidents, including through prolonged solitary confinement."
Human Rights Watch described the source of human rights violations in contemporary Iran as coming from on the one hand the Judiciary, accountable to Ali Khamenei, and on the other to members directly appointed by Ahmadinejad. Again according to Human Rights Watch, "[s]ince President Ahmadinejad came to power, treatment of detainees has worsened in Evin prison as well as in detention centers operated clandestinely by the Judiciary, the Ministry of Information, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps." [20]
Tolerance of public protest varies under Ahmadinejad. Human Rights Watch writes that "[t]he Ahmadinejad government, in a pronounced shift from the policy under former president Mohammed Khatami, has shown no tolerance for peaceful protests and gatherings."
In January 2006 security forces attacked striking bus drivers in Tehran and detained hundreds. The government refused to recognize the drivers’ independent union or engage in collective bargaining with them. In February government forces attacked a peaceful gathering of Sufi devotees in front of their religious building in Qum to prevent its destruction by the authorities, using tear gas and water cannons to disperse them. In March police and plainclothes agents charged a peaceful assembly of women’s rights activists in Tehran and beat hundreds of women and men who had gathered to commemorate International Women’s Day. In June as women’s rights defenders assembled again in Tehran, security forces beat them with batons, sprayed them with pepper gas, marked the demonstrators with sprayed dye, and took 70 people into custody. [21]
Responses to dissent vary. In December 2006, Ahmadinejad advised officials not to disturb students who engaged in a rowdy protest during a speech of his at the Amirkabir University of Technology in Tehran.[118], although speakers at other protests have included among their complaints that there had been a crackdown on dissent at universities since Ahmadinejad was elected.[119][120]
See also
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
Mahmoud AhmadinejadPolitics of Iran
Haghani Circle
Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi
2006 Iranian sumptuary law controversy
References
^ IPA: [mæhˈmud æhmædineˈʒɒd]. His name transliterates into Persian as محمود احمدینژاد Maḥmūd Aḥmadīnezhād, and can be transcribed into English as Mahmud or Mahmood, Ahmadinezhad, Ahmadi-Nejad, Ahmadi Nejad, or Ahmady Nejad.
^ http://www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org/index/Iran2006.html
^ SalamIran - IRI's Constitution - see Article 113.
^ Chomsky, Noam (March 9, 2007). A Predator Becomes More Dangerous When Wounded. Comment Is Free. The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2007-03-20. Retrieved on 2007 March 28. “It is also necessary to demonise the leadership. In the west, any wild statement by President Ahmadinejad is circulated in headlines, dubiously translated. But Ahmadinejad has no control over foreign policy, which is in the hands of his superior, the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The US media tend to ignore Khamenei's statements, especially if they are conciliatory. It's widely reported when Ahmadinejad says Israel shouldn't exist - but there is silence when Khamenei says that Iran supports the Arab League position on Israel-Palestine, calling for normalisation of relations with Israel if it accepts the international consensus of a two-state settlement.”
^ http://www.worldpress.org/Mideast/1185.cfm
^ "Iran president 'ready for talks'", BBC News, February 12, 2007.
^ a b c
“International condemnation has greeted comments by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that the Nazi Holocaust was ‘a myth’.” "Holocaust comments spark outrage", BBC News, December 14, 2005.
Iranians visit Israel's Holocaust Web site. Reuters (January 30, 2007). Retrieved on 2007 January 31. “Jews are alarmed by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who since coming to power in 2005 has drawn international condemnation by describing the Holocaust as "a myth" and calling for Israel to be "wiped off the map."”
Iranians say Israel spat is really about nukes. MSNBC (October 30, 2005). Retrieved on 2006 October 18. “President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s remark on Wednesday that Israel should be ‘wiped off the map’ sparked international condemnation, including a rebuke from the U.N. Security Council.”
"The European Union and Russia have joined condemnation of the Iranian president's public call for Israel to be 'wiped off the map'." "Iran leader's comments attacked", BBC News, October 27, 2005.
"Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad -- who in October called for Israel to be 'wiped off the map' -- has now questioned the extent of the Holocaust and suggested that the Jewish state be moved to Europe. Ahmadinejad's comments, made on the sidelines of a summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), have again sparked international condemnation." Golnaz Esfandiari. "Iran: President's Latest Comments About Israel Spark Further Condemnation", Radio Free Europe, December 9, 2005.
^ a b
Fathi, Nazila (October 30, 2005). Text of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Speech. Week in Review. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2006 October 17.
Iran vote seen as referendum on Ahmadinejad. The Boston Globe (December 15, 2006). Retrieved on 2006 December 27. “To the outside world, Ahmadinejad (pronounced ah-MAHDI-ne-JAD) is best known for spurring confrontation with the West -- restarting the uranium enrichment program that the United States believes is aimed at making a nuclear bomb; denying the Holocaust and calling for Israel to be "wiped off the map"; and declaring that Iranian influence should replace American sway in the Middle East.”
Ahmadinejad: Why so sensitive about Israel?. CNN (September 21, 2006). Retrieved on 2006 October 18. “Ahmadinejad has said in the past that Israel should be wiped off the map.”
^ a b c "When Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks out candidly — as is his habit — he scares a lot of people. He has said more than once that Israel should be wiped off the map, and that the Holocaust is an overblown fairytale.…‘Israel, you have said time and again, Israel must be wiped off the map. Please explain why. And what is Iran doing about that?’ Wallace asked.…Then Wallace tried to get the president back to his most inflammatory statement regarding Israel. ‘You are very good at filibustering,’ Wallace remarked. ‘You still have not answered the question. You still have not answered the question. Israel must be wiped off the map. Why?’
‘Well, don't be hasty sir,’ the president said. ‘I'm going to get to that. I think that the Israeli government is a fabricated government.’" "Iranian Leader Opens Up:Ahmadinejad Speaks Candidly With Mike Wallace About Israel, Nukes, Bush", 60 Minutes, CBS News, August 13, 2006. Accessed 2006-10-18
^
"Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, has again caused international outcry by repeating his view that the Holocaust was a myth. In a speech broadcast live on state television on Wednesday, Ahmadinejad told a crowd in the southern city of Zahedan: 'They have fabricated a legend under the name Massacre of the Jews, and they hold it higher than God himself, religion itself and the prophets themselves. If somebody in their country questions God, nobody says anything, but if somebody denies the myth of the massacre of Jews, the Zionist loudspeakers and the governments in the pay of Zionism will start to scream." "Ahmadinejad: Holocaust a myth", Al Jazeera, December 15, 2005.
"'They have invented a myth that Jews were massacred and place this above God, religions and the prophets,' Ahmadinejad said in a speech to thousands of people in the Iranian city of Zahedan, according to a report on Wednesday from Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. 'The West has given more significance to the myth of the genocide of the Jews, even more significant than God, religion, and the prophets,' he said. '(It) deals very severely with those who deny this myth but does not do anything to those who deny God, religion, and the prophet.'". "Iranian leader: Holocaust a 'myth'", CNN, December 14, 2005.
^
"Iran's Football team will be met with a series of protests across Germany during their World Cup campaign as anger mounts against the country's viciously anti-semitic President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad." "Iran team face mass protest", The Guardian, June 11, 2006.
"The current president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is a bit of a loose cannon, spouting anti-Semitic and anti-Israel vitriol and vehemently denying that the Holocaust ever occurred." Keeble Mcfarlane. "Is the Bush League gearing up for war with Iran?", The Jamaica Observer, February 17, 2007.
"Each time the White House issues threats against Iran, it strengthens the crude, anti-semitic prime minister Mahmoud Ahmadinejad". Gary Younge. "Once George Bush has got hold of a bad idea he just can't let it go", The Guardian, February 19, 2007.
"Ahmadinejad's recent anti-Semitic statements have added to fears in Israel that Iran's nuclear program is intended to produce weapons that could be used against that country." The Associated Press. "Eurovision may ban Israeli entry due to lyrics on nuclear war", Haaretz, 02/03/2007.
"Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's recent anti-Semitic remarks may have dealt a fatal blow to the already fragile negotiation process due to restart next week over Iran's nuclear program, German experts have said." Stefan Nicola. "German Experts Worried By Iranian Nukes", United Press International, December 16, 2005.
"Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's remarks calling the Holocaust into question have disappointed Muslims in Germany, who do not share his anti-Semitic views." "Iran's Rhetoric on Holocaust Anger German Muslims", Deutsche Welle, February 18, 2006.
"Of course Ahmadinejad is an anti-Semite, and anyone who doubts it is either a knave or a fool." Bret Stephens. "Anti-Anti-Semitism defended", The New Republic', February 12, 2007.
"Ahmadinejad is an easy target — a simplistic, rambling, blustering anti-Semite — in pop culture terms, he's "Borat" with a mandate and political clout." "We won't be fooled again", The News Leader, February 15, 2007.
"Mr. Ahmadinejad's anti Semitism is a true face of the Iranian government." Ghassem Namazi. "We should be sorry", Iranian.com, February 1, 2006.
^ Iranian leader 'not anti-Semite'. BBC (September 21, 2006). Retrieved on 2007 April 8. “'Some people think if they accuse me of being anti-Jew they can solve the problem. No, I am not anti-Jew,' he said. 'I respect them very much.'”
^ Iran's president launches weblog. BBC (August 14, 2006). Retrieved on 2006 August 31.
^ http://www.president.ir/eng/ahmadinejad/bio/
^ http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/review/pe...service_id=8893
^ http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid...rticle/ShowFull
^ http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2...11/164728.shtml
^ “Details of the plan for the takeover of American Embassy in Tehran were revealed for the first time. The names of the “nucleus” students who are the followers of Imam’s Line”, 14 Feb 1999, Aria, as reported and translated on Making Sense of Jihad
^ MSNBC, July 2, 2005, "Ex-agent: Iranian leader wasn’t a hostage-taker".
^ Secor, Laura. "Whose Iran?", New York Times, 28 January 2007. Retrieved on [[28 January 2007]].
^ Al Jazeera Biography of Ahmadinejad says "Ahmadinejad attended planning meetings for the US Embassy takeover and at these meetings lobbied for a simultaneous takeover of the Soviet Embassy."
^ http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200510/iran...ent-ahmadinejad
^ MSNBC, July 2, 2005, "Ex-agent: Iranian leader wasn’t a hostage-taker".
^ Ex-Hostages Demand CIA Release Its Report on Iranian President
^ Council on Foreign Relations - Takeyh: Iranian-U.S. Relations at New Low Point (interview).
^ Ahamd Bozorgian (MP): "The Separation of men and women's elevators is an advantageous policy. It would help to grow." ((Persian)). Entekhab News (2005). Retrieved on 2006 August 31.
^ vom Hove, Tann (2005). More than 87,000 took part in the World Mayor 2005 project. World Mayor Award. Retrieved on 2006 May 12.
^ The 2005 World Mayor finalists
^ "Hard Line Figure in Iran Runoff".
^ "Iran and the art of crisis management".
^ Brea, Jennifer. Profile: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran. About.com. Retrieved on 2006 August 31.
^ Navai, Ramita. "President invokes new Islamic wave", The Times (UK) Online, 30 June 2005. Retrieved on 2006-05-12.
^ "Profile of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Friend or foe?".
^ "Iran Symposium: 'Divide and empower'".
^ Iran hardliner hails poll victory. BBC (June 25, 2005). Retrieved on 2006 December 6.
^ Iran hardliner becomes president. BBC (August 3, 2005). Retrieved on 2006 December 6.
^ Behind Ahmadinejad, a Powerful Cleric. New York Times (September 9, 2006). Retrieved on 2006 December 6.
^ http://tofoiran.packdeal.com/clips/DrIman/...man-CNN-225.asx
^ Winners and Losers Turn the Fate of Iran. Gulf News (June 29, 2005). Retrieved on 2006 December 6.
^ Ahmadinejad’s cabinet declared. ((Persian)). Presidency of The Islamic Republic of Iran. Retrieved on 2006 October 18.
^ Habibi, Nader (2006). Iran's 2006–07 Budget Puts More Emphasis on Economic Justice. Perspectives. GLOBAL INSIGHT. Retrieved on 2006 August 31.
^ 3.5 billion toman (about 3.7 million us dolor) assign to the Ayatollah Mesbah Yadi's institute in the yearly budget. ((Persian)). Entekhab News (2005). Retrieved on 2006 August 31.
^ Daily Star - Iranian economists lash out at Ahmadinejad's policies.
^ USA TODAY - Geopolitics casts pall on hobbled Iranian economy.
^ Times, Tehran (January 25, 2007). Iran trying to prevent another UN resolution: president. Tehran Times. Retrieved on 2007 January 25.
^ Dr. Bakhtiar, Abbas (January 25, 2007). Ahmadinejad's Achilles Heel. Payvand. Retrieved on 2007 January 25.
^ Reuters (October 22, 2006). Ahmadinejad urges Iranians to have more kids. MSNBC. Retrieved on 2007 February 1. “Iran’s president on Sunday opposed encouraging families to have just two children and said his country could cope with 50 million more people than the 70 million it has now, the student news agency ISNA reported.”
^ Gaurdian (October 23, 2006). Ahmadinejad urges Iranian baby boom to challenge west. Gaurdian. “"In remarks that have drawn criticism, he told MPs he wanted to scrap existing birth control policies which discouraged Iranian couples from having more than two children."”
^ Gaurdian (October 23, 2006). Ahmadinejad urges Iranian baby boom to challenge west. Gaurdian. “"Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has called for a baby boom to almost double the country’s population to 120 million and enable it to threaten the west."”
^ "Reza's Compassion Fund" project archived. ((Persian)). Rooz. Retrieved on 2006 October 17.
^ Reza's Compassion Fund; a political fund with 530 billion budget. ((Persian)). Rooz. Retrieved on 2006 October 17.
^
Reuters (April 24, 2006). Iran president says let women into sports stadiums. Yahoo!. Retrieved on 2006 October 17. “Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday women should be allowed into sports stadiums for the first time, reversing the Islamic Republic's code preventing them watching men playing sports in big venues”
An unexpected order. ((Persian)). Rooz. Retrieved on 2006 October 17.
Iran split over female soccer fans CNN
^ The problem of Women and the pressures of religious groups on Ahmadinejad. ((Persian)). BBC Persian. Retrieved on 2006 October 17.
^
Religious leaders protest with the presence of women in the football stadiums. ((Persian)). BBC Persian. Retrieved on 2006 October 17.
Ayatollah Noori Hamedani: "The attendance of women in the men's sport clubs are against the islamic laws". ILNA ((Persian)). Gooya. Retrieved on 2006 October 17.
Clergies and religious students of Howze Elmie Qom gather in Feyzie school in protest with Ahmadinejad's order on women’s liberty to go to staduims. ILNA ((Persian)). Gooya. Retrieved on 2006 October 17.
Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi: "What is the importance of women's presence at the insecure atmosphere of the stadiums?" ISNA ((Persian)). Gooya. Retrieved on 2006 October 17.
Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi protests harshly against Ahmadinejad’s order on giving liberty to woman to attend stadiums. ISNA ((Persian)). Gooya. Retrieved on 2006 October 17.
^ Iran to keep stadium ban on women
^ The clerical councilor of the president explains about Ahmadinejad's order on women's attendance to the stadiums. ((Persian)). Baztab. Retrieved on 2006 October 17.
^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6213854.stm
^ Protest against the second cultural revolution. ((Persian)). Rooz. Retrieved on 2006 October 18.
^ Irani, Hamed (June 23, 2006). Cleansing in the Name of Retirement. Rooz. Retrieved on 2006 October 18.
^ Khoshchehreh (MP) protests against the unwanted retirement of university professors. ((Persian)). Aftab news. Retrieved on 2006 October 18.
^ Different aspects of the unwanted retirement of university professors. ((Persian)). Aftab news. Retrieved on 2006 October 18.
^ [1]
^ [2]
^ Ahamadinejad: "We will reach the nuclear energy in near future." ((Persian)). BBC Persian. Retrieved on 2006 October 29.
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^ Ahmadinejad: Iran can now talk to world from vantage point of a nuclear state. Arabicnews.com (April 13, 2006). Retrieved on 2006 October 29.
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^ Recknagel, Charles (June 27, 2005). Iran: Election Of Ahmadinejad Unlikely To Affect Nuclear Negotiations. Radio Free Europe. Retrieved on 2006 October 29.
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^ [10]
^ [11]
^ Iranian student leader: Ayatollahs will run if Iran attacked
^ [12]
^ [13] [14]
^ Ahmadinejad's English Blog - see post entitled Freedom and Liberty.
^ Nazila Fathi. "Students disrupt speech by Iran chief", New York Times News Service, December 12, 2006.
^ MICHAEL THEODOULOU. "Protesters condemn Holocaust conference", The Scotsman, December 12, 2006.
^ Edmund Blair. "Results in Iranian Vote Seen as Setback for Ahmadinejad", Reuters, December 18, 2006.
^ Iran women sports ruling vetoed BBC News, 8 May 2006
^ Iran police move into fashion business BBC News, 02 January 2007
^ Growing pressure on Ahmadinejad BBC News, 16 January 2007
^ Timeline: US-Iran ties. BBC News (May 31, 2006). Retrieved on 2006 October 29.
^ Vick, Karl; Colum Lynch (May 9, 2006). No Proposals in Iranian's Letter to Bush, U.S. Says A18. The Washington Post. Retrieved on 2006 October 29.
^ President says his letter to President Bush was invitation to Islam. Islamic Republic News Agency (May 11, 2006). Retrieved on 2006 October 29. “Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said here Thursday that his letter to President George W. Bush did not concern the nuclear dossier, but rather was an invitation to Islam and the prophets culture. "We act according to our laws and our activities are quite clear. We are rather intent on solving more fundamental global matters. The letter was an invitation to monotheism and justice, which are common to all divine prophets. If the call is responded positively, there will be no more problems to be solved", added the president.”
^ No 'steel-cage, grudge match' between Bush, Ahmadinejad. CNN (Thursday, September 07, 2006). Retrieved on 2007 January 10.
^ Message of H.E. Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad President of the Republic of Iran to the American People. Foxnews (November 29, 2006). Retrieved on 2006 November 29.
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^ "Ahmadinejad: Special Hq to be formed for Tehran-Moscow cooperation", Islamic Republic News Agency, October 26, 2005. Retrieved on 2006-04-14.
^ "Teheran 'secretly trains' Chechens to fight in Russia", The Telegraph, November 27, 2005. Retrieved on 2006-04-14.
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