Bollinger blasts Ahmadinejad

Fox News:

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad responded to a scolding by Columbia University's president Monday by objecting to the manner in which he was introduced.

After sitting through the blistering introduction by Lee Bollinger — in which he was lambasted for calling for the annihilation of Israel, denying the Holocaust and supporting the execution of children — Ahmadinejad said it was insulting to be spoken about that way.

"At the outset, I want to complain a bit about the person who read this political statement made against me," Ahmadinejad said. "In Iran, we don't think it's necessary to come in before the speech has already begun with a series of complaints ... It was an insult to me and the knowledge of the persons here."

In his scathing introduction to the much-anticipated on-campus event, Bollinger told the leader of Iran that he exhibits "all the signs of a brutal dictator."

Bollinger levied repeated criticisms against Ahmadinejad, calling on him to answer a series of challenges about his leadership, blasting his views about the "myth" of the Holocaust "absurd" and saying that he doubted he "will have the intellectual courage to answer these questions."

"Mr. President, you exhibit all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator," Bollinger said, to loud applause.

He said Ahmadinejad's denial of the Holocaust might fool the illiterate and ignorant.

"When you come to a place like this it makes you simply ridiculous," Bollinger said. "The truth is that the Holocaust is the most documented event in human history."

Ahmadinejad rose, also to applause, and after a religious invocation, said Bollinger's opening was full of "insults and claims that were incorrect, regretfully."

Ahmadinejad accused Bollinger of offering "unfriendly treatment" under the influence of the U.S. press and politicians.

Earlier Monday, the Iranian leader opened his speaking tour by again inferring the Holocaust was a myth, taking a swipe at Israel — it's "a regime based... on racism" — and defending his request to visit Ground Zero.

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There is much more on Ahmadinejad's avoidance of direct responses to direct questions. He is having a much more difficult time this year in not answering questions. While he is still not answering them, he is being called to ask for his failure. Bollinger's remarks about Ahmadinejad's lack of intellectual honesty is correct.

It should be noted that Ahmadinejad's willful ignorance on the holocaust is just another attempt to deligitimize the existence of Israel. You can tell by his weaselly suggestion that the Palestinians should not suffer because of something that happened in Europe that his holocaust denial is just a ruse. It is an excuse for his belligerence and for his desire for a second holocaust.

CNN also has a good summary of Ahmadinejad's remarks. It would be hard to say he has increased the understanding between the two countries, because his remarks suggest he still does not comprehend basic history. While he gave an invitation for students and faculty to visit universities in Iran, no one raised the point of whether they would be subjected to extensive detentions like recent visitors to Iran.