Islamic Middle East Blog

•Ahmadinejad: ‘American empire’ nearing its end           

•Article Summary

Place: Iran, New York City

Key People: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President Bush, Jews, Larry King

Vocabulary: United Nations General Assembly, Zionist, Anti-Defamation League, International Atomic Energy Agency

Main Ideas: At a recent UN General Assembly meeting in New York City, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran attacked the US as a “bullying power”, blamed them for “creating the world’s problems” and asserted that the “American empire in the world is reaching the end of its road.”  Though a correspondent reported that Ahmadinejad’s remarks were relatively appeasing, he still managed to criticize the US for what he perceives as six years of oppressing Iraq.  Turning his attention to the Israel issue, he expressed his firmly rooted anti-Semitism and hinted at his desire for Zionists in Israel to be brought to justice, which in his mind means having Israel “politically wiped off the map”.  Despite his fierce objection to American foreign policies, Ahmadinejad participated in an interview with Larry King and offered to meet with McCain and Obama to discuss future plans.  Ideally, he would like US troops to be removed from Iraq, for he believes their presence spurred more terrorism.  Concerning Iran-American relations, Ahmadinejad upholds that “the hostility has not been from our end…. we have always been interested in having friendly relations.”

•Your Response to Article

What struck me about this article was that Ahmadinejad’s words don’t match his actions.  He places all blame squarely on the shoulders of the United States, yet he simultaneously seems to have some interest in reevaluating his relations with us, leading me to believe that he has ulterior motives.  Also, I was confused about his claim that his country’s nuclear program is for “peaceful purposes”.  What exactly is peaceful about stockpiling nuclear weapons?  Even if Ahmadinejad has no intention of using the nuclear weapons, at best, their purpose is to threaten and intimidate.  Regarding his offer to meet with McCain and Obama on television, it appears as though Ahmadinejad has a plan to exploit the American media to spread his opinions (for example, anti-Semitism and the desire for Palestinians to regain control of present-day Israel.  Basically, I get the idea that Ahmadinejad is really only looking out for himself and his people and seeks no more than a strategic, advantageous relationship with the US.