by Molly Mishler and Katie Thielen
In an interview with a Maine television station WMTW on Monday September 24, 2007, Rudy Giuliani said of Iranian President Ahmadinejad:
“He’s the leader of one of the governments that’s one of the biggest supporters of terrorism in the world. He denied the Holocaust; he’s threatened the future survival of Israel. I believe he’s even threatened at various times American interests and he keeps threatening to develop nuclear capacity.”The subject was brought about after Ahmadinejad was invited by Columbia University to speak to the college. Many Americans (and their leaders) were outraged that the university would invite such a controversial figure to campus to openly promote his views. In his speech, Ahmadinejad defended his controversial remarks over Holocaust and Israel, saying he’s an academic who just posed questions.
Are Giuliani’s claims about Ahmadinejad “on target”?
“He’s the leader of one of the governments that’s one of the biggest supporters of terrorism in the world.”
In a testimony before the U.S.-Israeli Joint Parliamentary Committee, Paula A. DeSutter, Assistant Secretary for Verification and Compliance for the U.S. State Department testified,
“Iran is the most active state sponsor of terrorism. Its Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and Ministry of Intelligence and Security continue to be involved in the planning and support of terrorist acts and continue to support a variety of groups that use terrorism to pursue their goals. Iran's support includes funding, providing safe haven, training, and weapons to a wide variety of terrorist groups including Lebanese Hizballah, HAMAS, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Liberation Front for Palestine-General Command. Its support of HAMAS and Palestinian Islamic Jihad is of particular concern, as both groups continue their deliberate policies of attacking Israeli citizens with suicide bombings.”“He’s threatened the future survival of Israel.”
In a recent speech discussing Israel’s possible attack on Lebanon, Ahmadinejad said,
“If this year you repeat the same mistake of the last year, the ocean of nations of the region will get angry and will cut the root of the Zionist regime from its stem.”Ahmadinejad warned Israel that “60 years of invasion and assassination is enough. If you do not cease invasion and massacre, soon the hand of power of the nations of the region will rub you criminals with earth.”
Ahmadinejad’s views are part of his extreme religious and ideological beliefs. He evidently believes that his government must prepare for the Imam’s imminent return and that it is his duty to trigger a period of chaos, war, and bloodshed that will lead to the coming of the Mahdi.
“I believe he’s even threatened at various times American interests.”
In an article in the New York Daily Times, staff writer, Adam Nichols, stated:
“On the eve of his trip to New York City, Iranian President Ahmadinejad stood before a banner blaring ‘Death to America,’ showed off his military might and declared his extremist regime will not bow to Western pressure.”In addition, Deputy State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said of Iran in a recent interview:
"We view Iran's efforts to further develop its missile capabilities as a threat to the region and to the United States' interests."Ereli made the remarks after Iran announced on Tuesday that it has the power to launch a missile with a 2,000 km range.
Lesson: The claim by Rudy Giuliani about Amhadinejad is well within the realm of factual information, based on statements by Amhadinejad and intelligence sources.
