Iranian president's letter to Bush comes to light
By Christine Hauser The New York Times
TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2006
In his letter to President Bush, Iran's President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, declared that Western-style democracy had failed and that the use of secret prisons in Europe and aspects of the war in Iraq could not be reconciled with Bush's Christian values. But it did not address directly the central issue that divides the two countries: Iran's nuclear ambitions.
In his wide-ranging letter, written in Farsi with an English translation, Ahmadinejad at times challenges and concedes as he directs question after question to Bush. While American officials have dismissed the letter as a meandering screed, the Iranian president today portrayed it as a blueprint of "suggestions for resolving the many problems facing humanity," the Iranian news agency Irna reported.
The letter has been described as the first direct communication from an Iranian leader to an American president since 1979.
While Ahmadinejad said today in Iran that "Islamic courtesy" prevented him from revealing the contents of the letter and American government officials have not released a copy, an English translation provided by the Iranian government was released by the French mission at the United Nations.
Some American officials have said the letter appeared to be aimed at disrupting talks on Iran this week among top envoys of the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China.
The Iranian letter makes what could be seen as oblique references to both the threat of Security Council resolutions and the recent advances in Iran of its nuclear program, questioning why such Security Council resolutions in condemnation of Israel are vetoed, and why technological and scientific achievements in the Middle East are "translated into and portrayed as a threat to the Zionist regime."
Ahmadinejad, who has said that Israel should be wiped off the map, again questions the Holocaust and the basis upon which Israel was created, asking whether support for such a "regime" by the United States government was in line with Christian teachings.
"Again let us assume that these events are true," he wrote about the Holocaust. "Does that logically translate into the establishment of the state of Israel in the Middle East or support for such a state?"
"A regime has been established which does not show mercy even to kids, destroys houses while the occupants are still in them, announces beforehand its list and plans to assassinate Palestinian figures and keeps thousands of Palestinians in prison," the letter says.
Ahmadinejad also calls the 9/11 attacks a "horrendous incident" in which the killing of innocent people was "deplorable."
But he asks: "Why have the various aspects of the attacks been kept secret? Why are we not told who botched their responsibilities? And, why aren't those responsible and the guilty parties identified and put on trial?"
The letter provides at times a striking insight into the Iranian president's view of the double standards of American foreign policy, criticizing what he portrays as a lack of support for the elected Palestinian and Latin American governments.
He both concedes and needles. With his country once at war with Iraq under Saddam Hussein, Ahmadinejad at once applauds the overthrow of the regime while criticizing what he seems to imply as a double standard.
"Of course Saddam was a murderous dictator," he wrote. "But the war was not waged to topple him, the announced goal of the war was to find and destroy weapons of mass destruction."
He later adds: "I point out that throughout the many years of the ... war on Iran Saddam was supported by the West."
Its tone appears at times exceedingly polite, at least once referring to Bush as "Your Excellency", according to the translation. He also says it is not his intention to "distress anyone. "
But the Iranian president's style is to dissect what he sees as American logic, by posing question after question to make his point.
If billions of dollars spent on security, military campaigns and troop movement were instead spent on issues including health and aid to the poor, he wrote, "would there have been an ever increasing global hatred of the American governments?"
The Iranian president also extends to Bush an "invitation" to return to governing the United States based on the values of Jesus Christ, whose name in the letter is followed each time by the letters "PBUH", a reference that means "Peace Be Upon Him."
Frequently quoting passages from the Koran, Ahmadinejad calls for a return to a religious basis of government.
"Will you not accept this invitation?" Ahmadinejad asks Bush. "That is, a genuine return to the teachings of prophets, to monotheism and justice, to preserve human dignity and obedience to the Almighty and His prophets?" "Liberalism and Western style democracy have not been able to help realize the ideals of humanity," he wrote. "Today these two concepts have failed."
He also throws his lot in with Bush, saying that as world leaders, they will both be ultimately judged.
"The people will scrutinize our presidencies," Ahmadinejad writes.
In his letter to President Bush, Iran's President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, declared that Western-style democracy had failed and that the use of secret prisons in Europe and aspects of the war in Iraq could not be reconciled with Bush's Christian values. But it did not address directly the central issue that divides the two countries: Iran's nuclear ambitions.
In his wide-ranging letter, written in Farsi with an English translation, Ahmadinejad at times challenges and concedes as he directs question after question to Bush. While American officials have dismissed the letter as a meandering screed, the Iranian president today portrayed it as a blueprint of "suggestions for resolving the many problems facing humanity," the Iranian news agency Irna reported.
The letter has been described as the first direct communication from an Iranian leader to an American president since 1979.
While Ahmadinejad said today in Iran that "Islamic courtesy" prevented him from revealing the contents of the letter and American government officials have not released a copy, an English translation provided by the Iranian government was released by the French mission at the United Nations.
Some American officials have said the letter appeared to be aimed at disrupting talks on Iran this week among top envoys of the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China.
The Iranian letter makes what could be seen as oblique references to both the threat of Security Council resolutions and the recent advances in Iran of its nuclear program, questioning why such Security Council resolutions in condemnation of Israel are vetoed, and why technological and scientific achievements in the Middle East are "translated into and portrayed as a threat to the Zionist regime."
Ahmadinejad, who has said that Israel should be wiped off the map, again questions the Holocaust and the basis upon which Israel was created, asking whether support for such a "regime" by the United States government was in line with Christian teachings.
"Again let us assume that these events are true," he wrote about the Holocaust. "Does that logically translate into the establishment of the state of Israel in the Middle East or support for such a state?"
"A regime has been established which does not show mercy even to kids, destroys houses while the occupants are still in them, announces beforehand its list and plans to assassinate Palestinian figures and keeps thousands of Palestinians in prison," the letter says.
Ahmadinejad also calls the 9/11 attacks a "horrendous incident" in which the killing of innocent people was "deplorable."
But he asks: "Why have the various aspects of the attacks been kept secret? Why are we not told who botched their responsibilities? And, why aren't those responsible and the guilty parties identified and put on trial?"
The letter provides at times a striking insight into the Iranian president's view of the double standards of American foreign policy, criticizing what he portrays as a lack of support for the elected Palestinian and Latin American governments.
He both concedes and needles. With his country once at war with Iraq under Saddam Hussein, Ahmadinejad at once applauds the overthrow of the regime while criticizing what he seems to imply as a double standard.
"Of course Saddam was a murderous dictator," he wrote. "But the war was not waged to topple him, the announced goal of the war was to find and destroy weapons of mass destruction."
He later adds: "I point out that throughout the many years of the ... war on Iran Saddam was supported by the West."
Its tone appears at times exceedingly polite, at least once referring to Bush as "Your Excellency", according to the translation. He also says it is not his intention to "distress anyone. "
But the Iranian president's style is to dissect what he sees as American logic, by posing question after question to make his point.
If billions of dollars spent on security, military campaigns and troop movement were instead spent on issues including health and aid to the poor, he wrote, "would there have been an ever increasing global hatred of the American governments?"
The Iranian president also extends to Bush an "invitation" to return to governing the United States based on the values of Jesus Christ, whose name in the letter is followed each time by the letters "PBUH", a reference that means "Peace Be Upon Him."
Frequently quoting passages from the Koran, Ahmadinejad calls for a return to a religious basis of government.
"Will you not accept this invitation?" Ahmadinejad asks Bush. "That is, a genuine return to the teachings of prophets, to monotheism and justice, to preserve human dignity and obedience to the Almighty and His prophets?" "Liberalism and Western style democracy have not been able to help realize the ideals of humanity," he wrote. "Today these two concepts have failed."
He also throws his lot in with Bush, saying that as world leaders, they will both be ultimately judged.
"The people will scrutinize our presidencies," Ahmadinejad writes.
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