Iran's letter to George W. Bush

[javaprogrammer]

Full text of the letter in English is available at Iranian President's web site:
http://www.president.ir/eng/ahmadine...index-e.htm#b3

The original PDF image is here for those interested:
http://hosted.ap.org/specials/intera...inejad0509.pdf

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from Wikinews:
(added May 10, 2006)

On May 8, 2006, Ahmadinejad sent a direct secret letter to United States President George Bush to propose "new ways" to end Iran's nuclear dispute. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley both had reviewed the letter and considered it to be a broad, historical look at the U.S.-Iranian relationship. That was the first direct contact between both goverments since April 9, 1980.

The letter has achieved more positive press coverage than President Ahmadinejad has ever gotten. With Western powers unable to reach agreement about a United Nations Security Council resolution on Iran's nuclear program, online commentators says Ahmadinejad's 18-page letter (originally in Persian) promotes the idea that Iran is open to compromise at a time when the rest of the world is divided.

The letter, the first written communication between the leaders of the two countries in 27 years, criticizes Bush for the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, detainee abuse in U.S.-run facilities in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison, and for his support of Israel.

The letter received various reactions. "Regardless of the content of Ahmadinejad's letter ... such a communication could lead the two sides to direct talks," the centrist Shargh newspaper said somewhat optimistically. "Whatever its content, the letter crosses the red line of non-negotiation. If Ahmadinejad's letter gets a positive response, a new chapter could open and then we could say it is possible to talk and get results in the shadow of war," it said.

Some analysts, compared the letter with the historical letter by Ayatollah Khomeini to Gorbachev, where he predicted the collapse of communist regime.

[corrupt123]

tl;dr

anyone want to sum it up?

[Crotchety Old Man]

Know that's civilized. Too bad Bush doesn't know how to write.

[ElChico]

It kinda lists everything the USA has done wrong in the last 6 years. All in 18 single spaced pages

[Ojam]

It kinda lists everything the USA has done wrong in the last 6 years. All in 18 single spaced pages

they can fit that on 18 single spaced pages?! Must be size 8 font... ZING!

[xKagex]

"Can one be a follower of Jesus Christ, the great messenger of God, feel obliged to respect human rights, present liberalism as a civilization model, announce one's opposition to the proliferation of nuclear weapons and WMDs, make "War on Terror" his slogan, and finally, work towards the establishment of a unified international community - a community in which Christ and the virtuous of the Earth will one day govern, but at the same time, have countries attacked. The lives, reputations and possessions of people destroyed and on the slight chance of the presence of a few criminals in a village, city, or convoy for example, the entire village, city, or convoy set ablaze. Or because of the possibility of the existence of WMDs in one country, it is occupied, around one hundred thousand people killed, its water sources, agriculture and industry destroyed, close to 180,000 foreign troops put on the ground, sanctity of private homes of citizens broken, and the country pushed back perhaps fifty years. At what price? Hundreds of billions of dollars spent from the treasury of one country and certain other countries and tens of thousands of young men and women - as occupation troops - put in harms way, taken away from family and loved ones, their hands stained with the blood of others, subjected to so much psychological pressure that everyday some commit suicide and those returning home suffer depression, become sickly and grapple with all sorts of ailments; while some are killed and their bodies handed back to their families."

[FastFokker]

This leader of Iran doesn't sound too bad... maybe Harper took a queue from him and relabelled it "Stand Up For Canada."

[asim99]

http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,...-769886,0.html

[xKagex]

ah thanks, typing that out was tiring

[xKagex]

"Why is it that any technological and scientific achievement reached in the Middle East regions is translated into and portrayed as a threat to the Zionist regime? Is not scientific R&D one of the basic rights of nations.

You are familiar with history. Aside from the Middle Ages, in what other point in history has scientific and technical progress been a crime? Can the possibility of scientific achievements being utilised for military purposes be reason enough to oppose science and technology altogether? If such a supposition is true, then all scientific disciplines, including physics, chemistry, mathematics, medicine, engineering, etc. must be opposed."

[Mr._Hankey]

3rd paragraph from the end - Liberalism has failed - I think he's right about that one.

[xKagex]

Considering that the US constitution was founded upon Liberalism, and functioned quite well until about 40 years ago when the country turned towards a military industrial complex (despite Eisenhower's warning), I wouldn't necessarily agree with that argument.

The last part of the letter, when he basically suggests we all go back to Mosaic Law and fundamentals of monotheistic religions, has some merits, but in reality would cause more problems than it would solve.

The rest of the letter is great, and speaks to everything I believe but can't properly articulate. It boils down to either a society based on Fear or a society based on Love.

[FastFokker]

It boils down to either a society based on Fear or a society based on Love.

Oh jeez, easy choice for the Bush regime then!

"I'll take Fear for $3 billion, Alex!"

[poedua]

Considering that the US constitution was founded upon Liberalism, and functioned quite well until about 40 years ago when the country turned towards a military industrial complex (despite Eisenhower's warning), I wouldn't necessarily agree with that argument.

The last part of the letter, when he basically suggests we all go back to Mosaic Law and fundamentals of monotheistic religions, has some merits, but in reality would cause more problems than it would solve.

The rest of the letter is great, and speaks to everything I believe but can't properly articulate. It boils down to either a society based on Fear or a society based on Love.

How would describe the current status of Iranian society - in your view?

.......a society " based on Fear or a society based on Love ".........or something else altogether ?

[charger]

I was expecting something quite different.

That was a pretty thought out letter.

Kinda scary near the end, but quite interesting.