13 Comments

Wow! Wow! Take it easy Dr. Ledeen! I think it was like yesterday that you and the AEI invited grandson of Islamic Rep. of Iran—Khomenie—to come and educate you smart people at the AEI! What do you say to that? And now all of sudden inviting someone like Ahmadinejad, who is just few degrees worse than the grandson becomes sin!

Still I cannot understand HOW such an individual with such OLD and WELL connected relationship to his grandfather and being part of the establishment end up being a guest at AEI!!!!

Yet, he then goes back to Iran WITHOUT ANYTHING happens to him!!! BUT people like Haleh Esfandiari and alike are thrown in jail!! Could you please explain this STRANGE relationship?

I mean, if Esfandiari was connected to you or AEI and then she had the trip to Iran, she would have been dead by now. But how come the grandson of Khomenie comes to AEI and has a nice talk to you guys and leave for Iran and NOTHING happens to him?

I heard what president of Columbia said in setting rigid rules and conditions in regard to questioning and engaging the public with Ahmadinejad.

To me, your challenge to this is like disallowing CDC not being allowed to have the most deadly viruses being examined and tested in controlled lab environment.

Ahmadinejad going to Columbia and having this exchange is no different than CDC running tests on Ebola or Anthrax. We must allow as many people who oppose him to raise questions about him and the entire Islamic Republic dictatorship and lack of FREE ELECTION not only for those who are part of this dictatorship but also those who are not.

ML:

Khomeini’s grandson advocated American support for the overthrow of the regime, alireza.

Michael Ledeen said:

This is part of an old pattern, to which I’ve called attention in the past: there is a certain kind of intellectual who likes to talk to tyrants, flattering himself in believing that his brilliance will have an effect, and secretly hoping he will thereby acquire real political power.

I agree completely — such is the blindness of the arrogant, egocentric fantacists. The best and the brightest have failed for decades, but I can make it happen!

Alireza wrote:

To me, your challenge to this is like disallowing CDC not being allowed to have the most deadly viruses being examined and tested in controlled lab environment.

I suppose Columbia has the right to invite Mr. Achmadinehad to speak.

But your CDC analogy does not apply.

How exactly, do you propose to control Mr. Ahmadinejad’s use of our institutions to further his own tyrannical interests through propaganda?

If I were him, I’d use his visit to bolster his credentials as a Holocaust denier. I’d claim that though others might disagree, Holocaust denial is nevertheless a legitimate point of view, one worthy of respect, one recognized as such by the president of Columbia.

Which is why he was invited in the first place — to debate controversial issues, not to debate incontrovertable facts. Right?

He and his oppressive government will not be weakened by the celebrity status Columbia is according him.

Yeah . . . Columbia has the right to invite him . . .

“…which hosted Italian fascists in the twenties while closing its stages to the anti-fascists.’

Whoa, you got my attention. Can you recommend a book or two on this matter?

“to ‘conflict resolution experts’ from universities..”

The leftist elites believe that just about every conflict can be resolved by lessons learned in Negotiations 101. Sadly, somebody forgot to tell them that they are of value only when both sides are seeking a win/win solution. Totalitarian ideologues are only interested in complete victory—and our unquestioned defeat.

ML:

It’s been online today and yesterday, the stuff about the twenties, shouldn’t be hard to find…

Dr. Ledeen said:

“Khomeini’s grandson advocated American support for the overthrow of the regime”

And do you believe that, Dr. Ledeen?

You did not go into fine detail of political analysis, as to explaining how he came and go freely as he wishes vs. Haleh Esfandiari who does ask for dialog and communication—unlike AEI that is asking for clean cut regime change– ends up in jail.

It bothers me when I read the very people who believe in democracy and all the good stuff; end up crucifying a university president who is doing the right thing to promote exchange of ideas.

If Ahmadinejad was given the same speech in Tehran with COMPLETE freedom and safety for people to ask him and criticize him for his ideas and policies, at least 100K or more would have shown up.

Now when Americans and Iranians have this opportunity to do such a thing with no fear of Evin prison and punishment, WHY this should not be seen as a great opportunity? WHY? Please: when you respond to this “WHY”, please don’t write nonsense response that may sounds good, but means NOTHING to help free people from bondage. PLEASE! At least try it once!

What would be REAL help for helping Iranian people is that Dr. Ledeen attends his speech, and then makes sure that he is given the opportunity to ask questions and follow up questions and then let things fall where they may.

I call this real fight. To me, this is the real way to stand up to mini dictators like Ahmadinejad.

Dr. Ledeen, you must make lemonade when you are given a bitter lemon like Ahmadinejad. Freezing funding for University does not help anything. It sounds good but doesn’t help.

As a matter of fact, I challenge you to contact the Columbia U. president and ask him for accommodation.

And another thing . . . I’m sick and tired of listening to some people justify Columbia’s decision to invite Ahmadinejad “on second amendment grounds.”

They may have the right to invite him, but the second amendment does not obligate them to do so. There is a profound difference between “we can” and “we should.”

I find the whole sordid business grotesque and downright obscene.

“his brilliance will have an effect’

So true….

Oriana Fallaci, was a courageous woman to the end. How come we don’t have Fallaci’s in America? who is Oriana Fallaci of the today?

It’s disgusting!

Fallaci was not part of the university elite. She was a principled leftist.

Negotiation is all part of the Baker-Hamilton, which is also to say the current State Department, handbook. We are back to the status quo in world politics. Iy you are talking, you have progress.

David Thompson makes a valid point regarding negotiation 101 (the major problem with the current philosophy of negotiation), negotiators from the West make the assumption that everyone is negotiating from the same playbook.

ML:

And they have all forgotten Machiavelli’s first line: “Man is more inclined to do evil than to do good.”

Michael:
Fallaci was “unique”"unica”.
Frieda has rigth.
I never forgot she as journalist and courageous woman.

Well, Having Ahmadinejad in Columbia university is in the same line to have Komienis grandson speak at AEI, at least from a Iranian standpoint. In that sense I agree with Alireza.
There are different measurements taken by the regime and these tactics- such as presenting Khomeynis grandson as a opponent or having ahmadinejad present in US- are well planed by the intelligence ministery.

It is important to identify these moves and act accordangly in the future. Everyone can make a mistake,even Dr.Ledeen and AEI.

Pepper at The Tighten Up Report, http://www.tightenupreport.com, has published the text of the letter from Columbia President Lee Bollinger in the comments of Becca’s latest post.

I hope the students and people who cheered Ahmadinejad’s reassurance that nuclear bombs are bad, and that we need to have diplomatic relations, are pleased with themselves.

I guess providing some propaganda to the Islamic Republic is a small price to pay for the opportunity to applaud all the things you want to hear coming out of his mouth.

“Oriana Fallaci’s fabulous exchange with the Ayatollah Khomeini is one of the finest examples of real intellectual integrity, but I do not see anyone with her courage on the current scene.”

Fallaci had a fiery integrity and intelligence that university administrators lack.

I think the role of a University administrator is (largely) playing politics. Oriana would never have been a player in that game.

As for Khomeini’s grandson, I believed him when he was in the states a few years back.

Interesting comments here.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/06/18/wiran18.xml

He seems to be keeping a low profile in Iran these days.

Wonder why (ha)