Ahmadinejad: Bush 'Most Hated' In World

Iranian President Keeps Up Tirades Against West Despite Losses In Local Elections

(AP)  President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called President Bush "the most hated person" in the world on Thursday, keeping up his tirades against the West despite elections that showed Iranians want him to focus on the country's domestic problems.

In final results announced Thursday from local elections last week, moderate conservatives opposed to Ahmadinejad won a majority of seats. They were followed by reformists, making a comeback after being driven out of local councils, parliament and the presidency over the past five years.

In the capital Tehran, where Ahmadinejad was mayor before becoming president 16 months ago, his allies grabbed only three of the 15 council seats, while moderate conservatives won seven. Reformists won four, and an independent one. Though the Dec. 15 elections were local, they were the first time the public has weighed in on Ahmadinejad's stormy presidency.

But Ahmadinejad appeared unbowed. He toured cities in western Iran, telling the crowds that Iran will not be intimidated by Western demands to dismantle its nuclear program, and scolding Mr. Bush.

"Oh, the respectful gentleman, get out of the glassy palace and know that you are the most hated person in the eyes of the world's nations and you can't harm the Iranian nation," Ahmadinejad said, according to the official Iranian Republic News Agency.

He said Iran would continue uranium enrichment even under threat of U.N. sanctions. "A nation that has resisted until today will resist until the last step and will defend its rights," he said.

The United States and its allies believe Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons. Iran denies the allegation, saying its nuclear goal is only to generate electricity.

Ahmadinejad did not comment on the election results. But his hard-line foreign policy, in the absence of a strong domestic agenda or economic program, is believed to have divided the conservative base that voted him into the presidency last year.

The president has sharply escalated Iran's standoff with the United States and its allies over several issues. Besides uranium enrichment, he has sparked international outrage for his calls to eliminate Israel and for casting doubt on the Nazi Holocaust.

Election results outside Tehran also showed a heavy defeat for Ahmadinejad supporters. None of his candidates won seats on the councils in the cities of Shiraz, Bandar Abbas, Sari, Zanjan, Rasht, Ilam, Sanandaj and Kerman, and many councils in other cities were divided like Tehran's.

Similar anti-Ahmadinejad sentiment appeared in final results of a parallel election for the Assembly of Experts, the body of 86 senior clerics that monitors Iran's supreme Islamic leader and chooses his successor.

A big boost for moderates within the ruling Islamic establishment was visible in the large number of votes for former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, who lost to Ahmadinejad in the 2005 presidential election runoff.

Rafsanjani, who supports dialogue with the United States, got the most votes of any candidate from Tehran to win re-election to the assembly.

Opposition candidates demanded that Ahmadinejad pay more attention to unemployment, now estimated at 11 percent, and other economic problems. He has failed to carry through on several domestic campaign promises, including a pledge to send a share of the country's oil revenues to every family and to implement an anti-poverty program.

The moderate daily newspaper Etemad-e-Melli, or National Confidence, urged Ahmadinejad to change his policies if he has any respect for the vote.

"The result of the elections, if there is any ear to listen or any eye to see, demands reconsideration in policies," the paper said in an editorial Thursday.

Conservative lawmaker Emad Afroogh also called on Ahmadinejad to learn a lesson from the vote. "The people's vote means they don't like Ahmadinejad's populist methods," Afroogh told The Associated Press.

Reformist Saeed Shariati also said the results of the election were a "big no" to Ahmadinejad and his allies, who he accused of harming Iran's interests with their hard line.

"We consider this government's policy to be against Iran's national interests and security. It is simply acting against Iran's interests," said Shariati, a leader of the Islamic Iran Participation Front, Iran's largest reformist party. His party seeks democratic changes within the ruling Islamic establishment and supports relations with the United States.

[borealis3]

I'm commenting the UN Security Council's sanctions and the way the U.S. news put it out. This is NBC:
"Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reiterated on Tuesday that possible Security Council sanctions would not stop Iran from pursuing uranium enrichment, a technology that can be used to produce nuclear fuel for civilian purposes or fuel for a nuclear bomb."

See how cleverly CBS put the last sentence to President's mouth, he said nothing about nuclear bombs, this is boo boo journalism at it's worst.

European news also published one important thing, the Iranians rightfully asked today why the UN is not worried about Israeli Nuclear Warheads. Nothing about that here.

[firststate]

There are more parallels between the two clueless leaders than either will admit. They both were handed recent election reality checks, but both continue to ignore reality. They are likely both sociopaths, but our sociopath has the greatest military on the planet under his control. The idea of putting the two on a small island might work. Neither has shown interest in actually fighting themselves. Both prefer to risk the life and limb of anyone else, not their's. The island idea could work, they might rant and rave each other to death, more likely try to stab one another in the back. Additionally both are world-class arogant AS-SES.

Democratic elections don%u2019t mean friendly leaders. Ahmadinejad was even more democratically elected than Dumbya, they have no anachronistic electoral college. Chavez was elected and Hammas won the last Palestinian elections. The actions of our arrogant neocon foreign policy have made unfriendly regimes more likely.

It%u2019s not altruism, but Chavez has done something to help the poor in the Northeast US get more affordable heating oil. I haven%u2019t heard of similar efforts by US or other oil companies to match the 40% off the price of the heating oil they produce. Oil co execs believe charity begins at home, their warm, comfortable homes. If poor people freeze to death, there%u2019ll be fewer poor people and clueless leader can claim to have reduced poverty.

[on_alert247]

Ceekuei,

By your line of thinking I believe that would make Clinton, Nixon, Johnson and Kennedy war criminals too. I guess the good ol' USA is nothing but a terrorist government that should be cleansed by fire like Ahmadinejad said; but then its just all talk like someone posted earlier. You know conventional wisdom about barking dogs not biting. Now where is that Mein Kampf.

[valendug]

"Trigger finger" Cheney is a real close second.

[ceekuei]

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's remark is an understatement of a fact. Bush concocts up reasons for thousands to die so that he can have a "legacy" deserves the remark. When I see the face of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld etc, I see the faces of war criminals who are getting away with crimes against humanity and war crimes.

[bragova]

Whatever you may think of Ahmadinejad, calling Bush the most hated person in the world is just a simple fact, not a tirade.

[scouser691]

Not blue, I stand by my statement. Venezuelans had a choice between 2 candidates, they voted overwhelmingly for Chavez. Even Chavez's opponent said the elections were fair. I'm sorry that democracy that produces the wrong result offends you.

[tomar0317]

I think the Iranian people will get rid of their fearless leader in his next election. They appear to be much smarter than he, and are proving it. Like America, the electors will have their way.

[grazinggoat]

This is posted on Aljazeera.net

Iraq al-Qaeda 'offers US safe exit'
Iraq al-Qaeda 'offers US safe exit'

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/5BAF9AB5-AF21-485D-8432-96E64745C600.htm

Are we really losing in IRAQ? This is quite disturbing...

[sevenveils]

Ohhh,Agnim,
With such a wise reply as yours, I can clearly see you a true master of debate. There is no reason to even try to match wits with you. Yes, you are a master debater.

[agnim]

"Agnim,
You change the topic so quickly! Silly person, you must be confusing yourself.....

CBS: Armed Monks Clash Over Vatican Ties.
Posted by Sevenveils at 02:33 PM : Dec 22, 2006"

LOL
**** you. LOL

It was the other guy who wisely introduced the topic here; because CBS with its christian fundamentalist axe to grind don't want us to go off on the crazy christians who are behaving much like the barbaric s.hittes and sunnis.

[sevenveils]

Hate is a such a strong word. Yet it is a word Mahmoud Ahmadinejad uses as an adjective with any noun he uses associated with the western world or democracy.

The world has no love lost for George Bush. But world has shown by popular vote in the United Nations it dislikes Mahmoud Ahmadinejad even more.

[sevenveils]

Agnim,
You change the topic so quickly! Silly person, you must be confusing yourself.
Your remarks I was referring to was your post in this thread regarding in which you titled:
CBS: Armed Monks Clash Over Vatican Ties.

[agnim]

"The story was reported - therefore you and I are not ignorant of the facts reported. America and the rest of the free world formed our own opinion about it.

Posted by Sevenveils at 01:54 PM : Dec 22, 2006"

I think you mean 'the propaganda was reported'!

What Ahmadinejad stated was common and popular truth and knowledge LONG BEFORE THE IRANIAN ELECTION RESULTS!
That is the fact that Americans would need to know if the mainstream media was intent on informing Americans and not just securing their narrow dollar base for their BUSINESSES!

Americans should know well how hated we have become around the world on account of our asinine actions. In this way, Americans could take corrective measures to improve our image in the market place of the world.

Instead we are just staying the course towards the abyss and worrying about RELATIVELY INSIGNIFICANT IRAN!

[rharrin1]

But he lies often like he likes the American people but he doesn't mean it as he uses the term infidel far to often. But he is right about bush.

[sevenveils]

Agnim,
"They are only intent on steering American thinking to the straight and narrow path to ever-increasing American ignorance.
In this way ignorant Americans will do the bidding of the greedy money grubbers who just want to maintain the sickening status quo."

You continue to display an ignorance as deep as your hatred of everything democratic. The story was reported - therefore you and I are not ignorant of the facts reported. America and the rest of the free world formed our own opinion about it. Perhaps you had to check with your local cleric to see what your opinion was on the subject?

Just because you could not spout your flames associated to that article only saved the rest of us from your usual venomous diatribe. Are you Ahmadinejad's daughter by chance?

btw: if you have any manners, you'd keep your comments associated only to this article's thread and not to your own agenda.

[mjv2944]

After the recent elections, his *** might not be very strong, and besides that he is a NUT CASE!!!!

[notblue]

scouser691, when Sadam was in power he got 100% of the vote. Anyone who thinks Chavez is a humanitarian and Ahmadinejad is only talk needs to take a closer look at there history. Going back to the hostage stuation in Iran and the military takeover made by general Chavez.

[cathaleen]

This man is crazy. The reason he is making so much noise is to take peoples attention off the problems in his own country. Extremely high unemployment, and very bad heroin addiction among the male population. Heroin is very cheap and accessible in Iran and most of the middle east.
It's a way to keep people down. So this man is very dangerous - mostly to his own people.

[jjreding-2009]

Ahmedinijad is a dangerous man, no doubt about it - but only where rhetoric and principle is concerned. Bush is a dangerous man in action. Conventional wisdom says the barking dog doesn't bite. Bush does more than bark. In the meantime, here we are offering nuclear technology to China and India, who BOTH have The Bomb, but denying the same to Iran because of ideological differences. And now Bush has sent a second aircraft carrier to the waters off Iran to rattle the sabres even more. This whole thing is nothing but doubletalk and more imperialism.