Right. Let’s get the facts in the order they have been reported.
October 2005 – Ahmadinejad: Wipe Israel off the map
Iran’s Ahmadinejad says Israel will be wiped off the earth
“In his crusade against the World Arrogance, our dear Imam targeted the central and command base of the enemy, namely the occupying regime in Jerusalem. I have no doubt that the new wave [of attacks"> which has started in dear Palestine and which we witness today all over the Islamic world will soon wipe this scourge of shame from the Islamic world. This is doable”.
August 2006 – Ahmadinejad reiterates his provocative position
Ahmadinejad: Destroy Israel, End Crisis
"Today the Americans are after the greater Middle East," he said. "The Zionist regime is used to reach this objective. The sole existence of this regime is for invasion and attack."
March 2008 - Ahmadinejad’s mentor and leader Ayatollah Khamenh’i stirs up unrest in the Middle East
"It is with the support of that oppressive government (the U.S.) that the Zionists (Israel) are committing these unforgivable sins with impudence," a statement read out on state television quoted Khamenei as saying.
"The Islamic (people) must rise and the Islamic leaders must hit the occupying regime (Israel) in the face with their nations' anger," the statement said.
April 2008 – Hilary Clinton declares her position, and joins the warmongers’ club
“I want the Iranians to know that if I'm the president, we will attack Iran (if it attacks Israel)," Clinton said in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America."
In the next 10 years, during which they might foolishly consider launching an attack on Israel, we would be able to totally obliterate them," she said. "That's a terrible thing to say but those people who run Iran need to understand that because that perhaps will deter them from doing something that would be reckless, foolish and tragic".
May 2008 – The Ayatollahs’ Representative in the UN, expresses surprise for Clinton’s “unwarranted” statement.
Iran's deputy ambassador to the United Nations sent a letter to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the president of the Security Council expressing Iran's condemnation of "such a provocative, unwarranted and irresponsible statement."
“Moreover, I wish to reiterate my government's position that the Islamic Republic of Iran has no intention to attack any other nations," he said. "Nonetheless .... Iran would not hesitate to act in self-defense to respond to any attack against the Iranian nation and to take appropriate defensive measures to protect itself"
Now that we know who said what and why, I wonder if Mrs Hilary Clinton could address the following points:
1- When she says “I want the Iranians to know…” who does she really mean? The Iranian people or the Iranian regime?
2- When she says “we would be able to totally obliterate them…”, is she picturing herself as a war criminal who would obliterate a nation?
3- Assuming Mrs Clinton is aware of the outcome of Iran’s latest parliamentary election, and the fact that the election was not democratically carried out; does she still stand by her comments? I know she has only said “would be able to” and not “would”, but does she not think that using words of this nature has serious implications, and would most certainly strengthen Ahmadinejad’s warmongering position?
4- Assuming the Ayatollahs are mad enough to attack Israel (I do not think this would ever happen), and the USA is savage enough to obliterate Iran (I do not think this will ever happen, after the Hiroshima experience), can she simply point out the winner? Americans, Israelis, Jews, Muslims, Iranian people, or the terrorists?
5- Does she not agree that a non-aggressive but firm stance that hints her support for the Iranian people’s democratic wishes would define a better foreign policy?
