Fars: "Presidential Office Condemns Western Media for Fabricating Ahmadinejad's Comments on Syria"

A few days ago, a New York Times headline proclaimed "In Shift, Iran’s President Calls for End to Syrian Crackdown." This supposed clarification of what he said lacks detail, uses the word "stances" alot, and doesn't appear to ringingly endorse Assad:

The Iranian presidential office in a statement on Monday condemned certain foreign media outlets for fabricating President Ahmadinejad's remarks and stances on Syria, underlining that the Iranian president strongly condemns foreign intervention in Syria's domestic affairs.

The statement said certain media outlets affiliated to the world arrogance and international Zionism in a concerted and hostile move have fabricated President Ahmadinejad's comments and added certain phrases to the principled and revolutionary stances and remarks made by the Iranian president during a meeting with a visiting delegation of media people from Kuwait on Thursday.

"As always, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad underlined the revolutionary and principled stances of the Iranian nation during this meeting, and condemned foreign interference in the internal affairs of the regional countries, including Syria, and stressed the necessity for resolving the issues of that country on the basis of understanding and dialogue," the statement added.

During the meeting, President Ahmadinejad noted the developments in Syria and said, "The first thing to do is that differences should not be allowed to be intensified. Unfortunately some countries are sending arms to (certain elements) inside Syria and this action will certainly not help settle the problems and will only pour oil to the flame of differences."

"The people and government of Syria are Muslims and Islamic countries should enter the issues of this country through an overall consensus and help to the settlement of the differences and carrying out of reforms," Ahmadinejad added according to the statement.

The Iranian president further noted that he is fully informed that the US and its allies have devised extensive plans for the regional countries and intend to destabilize the region.

"They even have plans for those countries which are sendihttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifng weapons to (certain elements inside) Syria and they want to materialize their goals in Syria through these states and will then come and deal with the very same countries," he added.

He further expressed Iran's readiness to host a meeting for the Muslim states to rush to Syria's aid after reaching an overall consensus, and added that "Islamic countries should reach an agreement over their help to the settlement of the problems of Syria away from the aliens because the same thing might happen in another Arab country in future and such an experience (of collective cooperation) will be needed then".

"States of the region should seek to secure the rights of their peoples without the intervention of the Westerners and they should view such a move as an exalted goal and principle because if the westerners enter the region again, they won't withdraw easily and they will rescue the Zionists and suppress the Palestinians and other Islamic countries, harshly," he added.

Speaking of Ahmadinejad, MSNBC has an extremely puffy, fluffy, and gushy current interview with him. At the end of the video we are promised a part two, featuring questions about some of the things that make A-jad "controversial." I'm not holding my breath.