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Sep 26, 2007 12:12 pm US/Mountain
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Ahmadinejad's Rhetoric Toned Down In U.S.
Iranian President Gets Reality Check
by Raj Chohan
NEW YORK (CBS4) ―
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to the United States sounding more like a diplomat than the fiery radical leader most Americans see him as.
Ahmadinejad focused less on religion and more on Marxist ramblings against capitalism. He didn't call the U.S. the great Satan and never mentioned the destruction of Israel, though its clear he blames the U.S. for most of the world's problems.
Ahmadinejad: "some powers sacrifice all human values for the advancement of their goals."
The spin of course is that he's famous for saying Israel needs to be wiped off the face of the earth.
Equally famous, his skepticism of the Holocaust, which he only hinted at during his speech at the United Nations.
Ahmadinejad insists Iran is not trying to develop nuclear weapons, yet his government evades international oversight.
He insists Iran is not meddling in Iraq, but U.S. military commanders are convinced Iranian explosives are killing American troops.
Ahmadinejad: "Iraq occupied under a pretext of dictatorship and weapons of mass destruction."
There is more to the story. Clearly Ahmadinejad wants to be seen as a rational actor on the world stage. He's got political problems back home. The Iranian economy is in shambles, his promises to end corruption and re-distribute wealth have gone un-fulfilled, and there's dissatisfaction among rank and file Iranians about government crackdowns on everything from dress codes to the media.
And there's something else you need to know. Ahmadinejad does not himself control the agenda in Iran.
In fact, the person who actually commands the military and wields the real power is the hard line cleric Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Ahmadinejad in many ways, serves at Khamenei's pleasure. As Iran fears possible military intervention from the west Ahmadinejad's political survival may depend on him being seen as something other than a fanatical loose canon.
If that's his case, it remains unconvincing.
Source Articles:
"Ahmadinejad In His Own Words"U.S. Focus on Ahmadinejad Puzzles IraniansAhmadinejad causes stir in New YorkIran Says American Detainee Released Ban urges Ahmadinejad to comply with UNSC demand to halt nuclear activitiesAHMADINEJAD CONTROVERSY: LET HIM SPEAKLive From New York, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Unreality ShowSarkozy says letting Iran go nuclear could cause warAhmadinejad Seeks to Soothe Critics
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