CNN: Israel's Dep.Prime Minister "[Ahmad] didn't say wipe Israel off the face of the map"

[V3n]

I was watching CNN International yesterday and noticed this interview between Christiane Amanpour and Israel's Ehud Barak.

http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1204/19/ampr.01.html

They both admit Ahmadinejad did not say what CNN has been reporting for years (as fact) and tried to use against Ron Paul in countless debates/interviews. Read on..

AMANPOUR: One of the things that people always ask me and makes them worry for Israel is about what President Ahmadinejad was said to have said a few years ago, about, quote-unquote, "wiping Israel off the face of the map."

Many Iranian officials who I've interviewed, including just now recently, have said that is not what he said, nor is it the policy of the Iranian government to have any military attack on Israel. Your own minister, Dan Meridor, said that, yes, that is not what Ahmadinejad said. He didn't say wipe Israel off the face of the map. Do you accept that? Or do you still believe that Iran has a military design on you?

BARAK: I think that we are focusing too much on the nuances of the topic, rather than --

AMANPOUR: This is really important, because everybody talks about this.

BARAK: No, no, I would tell you exactly what he said. He said, and others said in public many times, that the Zionist entity -- it's a code name for Israel -- is something unnatural in the Israeli -- in the Middle East and should be removed at this point. That's what he said.

(bold and italics added)

Interesting the things you see on CNN International that you don't see on CNN in the US.

Looks like everyone agrees, Ahmadinejad never said that.

[Republicanguy]

I remember that back in 2005 that was said. I didn't know much about politics at the time, I do remember joking to my teacher at college that jewish kids were throwing stones at his window or something.

[jmdrake]

+rep. Subscribed and facebooked.

[Lishy]

To be honest, although Ahmad doesn't want to wipe off Israel, doesn't his superior?

I honestly believe Iran is a threat to Israel. But I do not support war.

[GeorgiaAvenger]

Iran surely does want Israel wiped off the map whether the leaders stated it or not. Islamic/Jewish tensions have been going on for centuries.

I do believe Iran has rational leaders, and they rationally want to destroy Israel. If they were irrational they would strike Israel for no reason, but they do have their religious reasons.

[Lishy]

Here's the thing though. I don't believe Iran hates Israel out of racism either. They, just like other Arab nations such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Lebanon, simply wish to control the shipping route dominated by Israel. It has nothing to do with Jews or Arabs because they wish to dominate the Palestinians too.

[GeorgiaAvenger]

Here's the thing though. I don't believe Iran hates Israel out of racism either. They, just like other Arab nations such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Lebanon, simply wish to control the shipping route dominated by Israel. It has nothing to do with Jews or Arabs because they wish to dominate the Palestinians too.

Believe me, it all boils down to ethnics and religion.

Iranians(Persians) dislike Arab nations, but they especially despise Jews.

In the early days Islam was a very tolerant religion but a substantial portion became very hateful and dangerous long ago. Just as in Christianity there are Doomsdayers in Islam and unfortunately Iranians leaders are obsessed with that as well. Which is why I...and I have discussed this before...am not opposed to disarming that particular regime. Having studied nuclear weapons and strategies it is too simple and risky just to dismiss nuclear states on principle. That doesn't mean waragainst any nuclear nation, but with areas like Iran and NK you have to seriously look at removing their capabilities. Of course that doesn't make me happy, but I do not like the possible alternative of nuclear war. Any operation must be swift and immediate.

[Kluge]

To be honest, although Ahmad doesn't want to wipe off Israel, doesn't his superior?

I honestly believe Iran is a threat to Israel. But I do not support war.

When's the last time Iran invaded another country pre-emptively? When's the last time the US and/or Israel did?

[jmdrake]

Iran surely does want Israel wiped off the map whether the leaders stated it or not. Islamic/Jewish tensions have been going on for centuries.

I do believe Iran has rational leaders, and they rationally want to destroy Israel. If they were irrational they would strike Israel for no reason, but they do have their religious reasons.

Rick Santorum disagrees with you.



The rational reason the Iranians want nuclear parity is that so they don't get wiped off the map. We haven't attacked North Korea because North Korea has nukes. The Iranians put out the olive branch of peace when Bush was president but were rebuffed. Now that they see what happened in Libya (we backed Al Qaeda against Khadaffi), they probably thank Allah that we wouldn't negotiate with them for peace.

[GeorgiaAvenger]

The rational reason the Iranians want nuclear parity is that so they don't get wiped off the map. We haven't attacked North Korea because North Korea has nukes. The Iranians put out the olive branch of peace when Bush was president but were rebuffed. Now that they see what happened in Libya (we backed Al Qaeda against Khadaffi), they probably thank Allah that we wouldn't negotiate with them for peace.

That is a rational reason to get nuclear weapons, but it doesn't mean that it is Iran's rational reason.

Read the Iranian Constitution: http://www.iranonline.com/iran/iran-...itution-1.html