Posted on 08/31/2006 10:16:35 PM PDT by Raquel
Former U.S. President James Carter (1977-1981) is hosting a meeting with former Iranian President Mohammed Khatemi (1997-2005) during a planned visit to the U.S. in early September. Khatemi, invited by a number of private groups, is traveling with a group of twelve including family members and staff.
One of the groups inviting Khatemi is the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, to give a speech on “Ethics of Tolerance in the Age of Violence.” Khatemi will also be participating at a U.N. conference on the dialogue of civilizations, as well as other activities in the U.S.
Sounds normal enough if Khatemi was not part of a regime that wants to secure nuclear weapons in Iran. If you think that development of nuclear energy in Iran does not include weapons, you are an idiot. Nor is Khatemi any defender of diversity or tolerance, terms frequently used by American liberals while embracing true violators of the very terms they espouse.
Iran, as many will admit, is a huge threat to America’s national security. Nuclear arms in the hands of an oppressive government literally keeps me up at night. Why on earth would a man like Khatemi be coddled like some famed philosopher, is beyond me.
It would be naive to think that Khatemi is a friend to human rights, America, Israel, or Iran for that matter. As journalists accuse Mel Gibson of being an anti-Semite, real Israel haters are visiting a University near you.
Khatemi openly asserts that Washington is a puppet of Israel and has called Israel a “criminal” and "zionist" nation. But that's o.k. because as long as you're not a Christian American filmaker you will not be butchered in the press, but rather treated like a political hero.
And it's not just that Khatemi spews hatred against the Jewish commuity, but also actively supports terrorism against them. Under Khatemi's rule, thirteen Jews in Iran were convicted for supposed treason in a trial that resulted in jail terms for innocent Jews. Ethical? Tolerant? Violent? No, no and yes!
Khatemi was President of Iran in the early morning of July 9, 1999 when government militants stormed the student dormitory at Tehran University and accosted, beat, and jailed (one confirmed death) hundreds of students, because the previous day they held a peaceful protest against a popular newspaper being banned. Yet, somehow Harvard authorities want Khatemi to talk about “tolerance”.
The Washington Post opines “Talks between Carter and Khatami, if they materialize, would be politically poignant.” As if that would ever happen in a million years. It is unreal that some people actually think for one second that Khatemi wants to change the diabolical way he operates. This is no doubt a propaganda trip. Losers like Khatemi perpetuate pity, then advance a criminal objective.
I feel like I’m in bizarro land when a former U.S. President thinks Khatami gives two-shits about American ideals of freedom. But then again Carter’s ideology is not so different. Friend of the world’s despots, Carter is an embarrassment to our Nation and our troops fighting so proudly and fiercefully in Iraq.
I suppose Khatemi is free to travel where he wants, but I would pay close attention to what his group does, and in answer to my original question…I hope you got the point.
References: The Washington Post “Carter Agrees to Hold Talks With Khatami” August 30, 2006; The New York Sun “ Khatemi at Harvard” August 31, 2006; Human Rights Watch http://hrw.org/english/docs/1999/07/13/iran959.htm; John Spencer for U.S. Senate "Letter to Hillary Clinton" http://www.joinspencer.com 8/31/06.
I can only imagine the sendoff the media is going to give Carter. It will be disgusting. They will be calling him one of the Greatest US President at the very least. I imagine Castro and Chavez and all the rest will attend his funeral. It will probably end up like the Wellstone funeral with Cindy Sheehan bum rushing the stage to say Bush lied and Carter died.
A patriot stands looking over Carter's grave, drinking a beer, minding his Q's, and pee's.
Ah, yes, we need Khatemi to explain tolerance to us!
Maybe Khatami will take him hostage.
For 444 days.
We can only hope.
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