IRIB: "We can run world through logic"

You have probably already read about Ahmadinejad's Time interview, which is available at the Time site. This IRIB article presents the whole interview but none of the supporting material. The interviewer is amazingly bad. He asks blandly and predictably, for instance, if Iranian Jews were "hurt" by Ahmadinejad's Holocaust remarks. Why not anticipate that Ahmadinejad is going to link his Holocaust-denial to an image of Israel as a giveaway to European Jews and ask about all the Iranian Jews who moved to Israel to escape oppression?

TIME: What were your impressions of New York during your visit to the U.S. last year?

Ahmadinejad: Unfortunately we didn't have any contact with American people. We were not in touch with the people. But my general impression is that the people of the United States are good people. Everywhere in the world, people are good.

TIME: Did you visit the site of the World Trade Center?

Ahmadinejad: It was not necessary. It was widely covered in the media.

TIME: You recently invited President Bush to a televised debate. If he were sitting where I am sitting, what would you say, man to man?

Ahmadinejad: The issues which are of interest to us are the international issues and how to manage them. I gave some recommendations to President Bush in my personal letter, and I hope that he will take note of them. I would ask him, Are rationalism, spirituality and humanitarianism and logic?are they bad things for human beings? Why more conflict? Why should we go for hostilities? Why should we develop weapons of mass destruction? Everybody can love one another . . .

TIME: You have been quoted as saying 'Israel' should be wiped off the map. Was that merely rhetoric, or do you mean it?

Ahmadinejad: People in the world are free to think the way they wish. We do not insist they should change their views. Our position toward the Palestinian question is clear: we say that a nation has been displaced from its own land. Palestinian people are killed in their own lands, by those who are not original inhabitants, and they have come from far areas of the world and have occupied those homes. Our suggestion is that the 5 million Palestinian refugees come back to their homes, and then the entire people on those lands hold a referendum and choose their own system of government. This is a democratic and popular way. Do you have any other suggestions?

TIME: Do you believe the Jewish people have a right to their own state?

Ahmadinejad: We do not oppose it. In any country in which the people are ready to vote for the Jews to come to power, it is up to them. In our country, the Jews are living and they are represented in our Parliament. But Zionists are different from Jews.

TIME: Have you considered that Iranian Jews are hurt by your comments denying that 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust?

Ahmadinejad: As to the Holocaust, I just raised a few questions. And I didn't receive any answers to my questions. I said that during World War II, around 60 million were killed. All were human beings and had their own dignities. Why only 6 million? And if it had happened, then it is a historical event. Then why do they not allow independent research?

TIME: But massive research has been done.

Ahmadinejad: They put in prison those who try to do research. About historical events everybody should be free to conduct research. Let's assume that it has taken place. Where did it take place? So what is the fault of the Palestinian people? These questions are quite clear. We are waiting for answers.

The claim that people are "put in prison" for doing "research" is a common denier pseudo-answer when the subject of Holocaust scholarship is raised. Ahmadinejad has used this tactic numerous times. I think it reflects on the interviewer's incompetence that Ahmadinjead can just throw out this claim one more time without being forced to go beyond it. Even Mike Wallace's interview was better than this.

Tags: Iran, Ahmadinejad, Time, Israel, Palestinians, Holocaust-denial