ROMNEY DENOUNCES KHATAMI VISIT TO HARVARD

www.Mass gov ^ | September 5, 2006

[nuconvert]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Department State House Boston, MA 02133 (617) 725-4000

MITT ROMNEY
GOVERNOR

KERRY HEALEY
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 5, 2006

CONTACT: Eric Fehrnstrom (617) 725-4025

ROMNEY DENOUNCES KHATAMI VISIT TO HARVARD
Declines to provide escort, or offer state support for trip

Governor Mitt Romney today ordered all Massachusetts state government agencies to decline support, if asked, for former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami’s September 10 visit to the Boston area, where he is scheduled to speak at Harvard University.

“State taxpayers should not be providing special treatment to an individual who supports violent jihad and the destruction of Israel,” said Romney.

Romney’s action means that Khatami will be denied an official police escort and other VIP treatment when he is in town.  The federal government provides security through the U.S. State Department.

Romney criticized Harvard for honoring Khatami by inviting him to speak, calling it “a disgrace to the memory of all Americans who have lost their lives at the hands of extremists, especially on the eve of the five-year anniversary of 9/11.”

Said Romney: “The U.S. State Department listed Khatami’s Iran as the number one state sponsor of terrorism.  Within his own country, Khatami oversaw the torture and murder of dissidents who spoke out for freedom and democracy.  For him to lecture Americans about tolerance and violence is propaganda, pure and simple.”

Romney cited a litany of hateful actions by Khatami, including his support for violent jihadist activities:

• During the period of time he was in office, from 1997 to 2005, Khatami presided over Iran’s secret nuclear program.  Currently, the Iranian Government under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is snubbing the international community’s request to cease nuclear weapons production.
  
• In the recent conflict along the Israel-Lebanon border, Khatami described the terrorist group Hezbollah as a “shining sun that illuminates and warms the hearts of all Muslims and supporters of freedom in the world.”
  
• Khatami has endorsed Ahmadinejad’s call for the annihilation of Israel.
  
• During Khatami’s presidency, Iran refused to hand over the Iranian intelligence officials who were responsible for the attack on the Khobar Towers that killed 19 U.S. military personnel.
  
• In his own country, Khatami oversaw the torture and murder of Iranian students, journalists, and others who spoke out for freedom and democracy.  Khatami relaxed freedom of speech laws giving democracy reformers a false sense of security only to engage in one of the largest crackdowns in the country’s history.
  
• In Khatami’s Iran, there was no religious tolerance.  According to the U.S. Office of International Religious Freedom, Iran was one of the worst offenders of religious persecutions.  Minorities, such as Evangelicals, Jews, Catholics and others, have suffered.

“Khatami pretends to be a moderate, but he is not.  My hope is that the United States will find and work with real voices of moderation inside Iran.  But we will never make progress in the region if we deal with wolves in sheep’s clothing,” said Romney.

[Beckwith]

Nicholas Burns, Undersecretary of State



Every time I see this guy, my gaydar goes off!

[MaDeuce]

"Once he leaves his post as warden of the insane asylum known as Massachussets, you will see his Second Amendment credentials burnished and on display. You have nothing to fear from him in this respect, on a national level."

BULL-BLEEP!!!!!, he gladly signed the extension of the so-called Assault Weapon Ban in Mass. If you believe we have nothing to fear from this A-Hole as far as the Second Amendment is concerned your living in dream land!. He is like Guliani ... another Country Club Blue blood gun-grabber.

[bitt]

'But Romney said some figures should not be granted an audience. ``There are some people who we can all imagine who by virtue of their acts would not be welcome at a campus, and this is one of them," he said.

``The development of nuclear technology, the jailing of students, and religious oppression . . . suggest that his lecture on tolerance would be a farce."

Romney said that if the State Department was worried about Khatami's security in Massachusetts, ``they could consider canceling his visit."'

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/09/06/romney_bars_state_security_for_iranians_harvard_visit/?page=2
'

[sageb1]

“Khatami pretends to be a moderate"

As so many do.

[doug from upland]

Harvard blocked a Reagan visit.

[nuconvert]

I don't remember that, but I now they're blocked several visits of conservatives.

The incredible hypocrisy, is Harvard's attitude about their former President's remarks about women, which eventually led to his resignation, and the fact that they're opening their arms to Khatami, who was president while women were stoned, hung and tortured in prison; a country where women are told what they can wear, how to act, and have to ask permission from their husbands to travel alone.
Apparently, that's all fine, just don't say anything about the differences between men and women in math and science.

[AliVeritas]

Mitt Romney up on Sean Hannity
http://www.hannity.com/index/listenlive
http://www.wabcradio.com