Indeed.
www.guardian.co.uk/world/julian-borger- ... nistration
Guardian UK wrote:President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visits to New York are usually memorable for something. Three years ago, he stunned the world with his claim there were no gays in Iran. This time, he used his time at the world's lectern to unwind the most convoluted and out-to-lunch conspiracy theory ever presented to the UN General Assembly - suggesting that 9/11 was an inside job.
The UN speech was all the more of a collective shock to the US as the visit had hitherto been billed, after a few softly-spoken interviews, as revealing the Iranian president's more thoughtful, moderate side.
The initial analysis by most Iran-watchers was that the speech was aimed at Iranians rather than Americans. On his Informed Comment blog, Juan Cole wrote:
The speech was shown on Iranian television, and he was almost certainly actually playing to the audience back home. He wanted to be on television on the world stage, poking America in the eye.
The next day, Ahmadinejad was seemingly amazed at the fuss. "Did I say anything wrong?" he asked innocently. He claimed not to see how his remarks might have any impact on the stalled talks over Iran's nuclear programme. "What does this have to do with the nuclear issue? It has no connection to it," he insisted.
Cheeky bugger. Holding himself like a true politician.
Guardian UK wrote:Barack Obama appears to have taken a surprisingly similar line in an interview with the BBC Persian Service. Obama described the 9/11 comments as "offensive" and "hateful", but then got down to business, insisting the road to a deal was still clear:
So the Iranian government itself has said we are not interested in nuclear weapons. That's their public statement. If that's the case, there should be a mechanism whereby they can assure and prove to the international community, including the IAEA, that that is in fact the case. And if they take those constructive steps in serious negotiations, then not only should there not be a threat of war but there also won't be the sanctions that are currently in place.
On the other hand, Obama did none of the usual tiptoeing around Iran's nuclear ambitions. He referred bluntly to a "covert nuclear weapons programme", as if its existence was beyond question. It will be interesting to see if this becomes the new house style in the administration.
I've got to say I like Obama's position on this. Calm and collected and letting other leaders do most of the condemnation. To be honest I think a strong US response to this would only fuel the fire of conspiracy theorists ("Oh look how violently they responded! They have something to hide..." etc.) Much better to ignore the little man and concentrate on the task at hand- monitoring and neutering any potential nuclear development.
International condemnation however, has been strong. UK and EU PMs have spoken strongly against Ahmadinejad (as you would expect), but the thing that struck me was this passioned speech from my part of the world, by Jose Ramos-Horta, the President of the tiny Pacific/Southeast Asian nation of East Timor:
www.rferl.org/content/East_Timor_Leader ... 68466.html
"Ahmadinejad is entitled to believe in, and regurgitate, whatever intellectual, philosophical, or theological concoctions his unique mind may fabricate. However, I do not agree that anyone of us should disregard basic rules and practices of conduct among leaders and utter obscenities in this August assembly," Ramos-Horta said.
"What President Ahmadinejad said in this forum in regard to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center was an obscenity. He went too far as he has done many times before in this assembly and in other fora, as when he questioned the facts of the Holocaust."
It was the strongest criticism spoken in public by a national leader so far in reaction to Ahmadinejad's comments on September 23 about the September 11, 2001, attacks.
In additional comments, Ramos-Horta said he supported Iran's right to develop peaceful nuclear technology.
Ramos-Horta won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 for his work toward an independent East Timor, which became independent in 2002.
Well done, sir.
. Perhaps the noble US members of the Tank would care to challenge Mr A's assertion. 
