October 28, 2005

Ahmadinejad is Arguably Most Dangerous, Unpredictable Tyrant

If things continue the way they have since Iran's terrorist-in-chief, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, took office in August, I'm going to have to rename this blog "Iran Watch." At the moment, Ahmadinejad is arguably the most dangerous, unpredictable tyrant in the world (with the possible exception of North Korea's depraved Kim Jong-Il). In yesterday's blog, I recounted Ahmadinejad's recent calls for Israel "to be wiped off the map." His venomous diatribe has been greeted with universal condemnation, with everyone from Tony Blair to Kofi Annan to Palestinian Authority spokesman Saeb Erekat expressing shock and revulsion.

Ahmadinejad, however, remains unrepentant. Today, at Iran's annual "Jerusalem Day" festivities--which feature calls for the destruction of Israel and the United States, and which drew one million people from across Iran--Ahmadinejad refused to back down from his comments. The following description of this Persian hate fest comes from AP:

Marching alongside the protesters, the 47-year-old former mayor of Tehran and one-time Republican Guard commander renewed his criticism of the West. "They become upset when they hear any voice of truth-seeking. They think they are the absolute rulers of the world," he said during the al-Quds — or Jerusalem — Day protest, which was among the largest since they were first held in 1979 after Shiite Muslim clerics took power in Iran. His fellow marchers carried placards reading "Death to Israel, death to America." It is not uncommon for an Iraqi president to join marches in the capital. Ahmadinejad was accompanied by five bodyguards, but otherwise security was not out of the ordinary for such an event.

Sounds like Woodstock in 69, huh? All peace, love and brotherhood.

Here's more: Some demonstrators chanted "Israel is approaching its death" and wore white shrouds in a symbolic gesture expressing readiness to die for their cause. A resolution was read at the end of the rallies backing "the position declared by the president that the Zionist regime must be wiped out." Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki defended his president's comments, saying they represented Iran's long-held policy of not recognizing Israel.

Israel has called for Iran's removal from the UN in the wake of Ahmadinejad's outburst. I pray that this recommendation gathers international support, and Iran's bloodthirsty regime is finally held accountable for 27 years of violent extremism.

EMail Erick Stakelbeck With Your Comments ...