Did Obama really think a video tape could change the US relations with the major sponser of Islamofacist (Persian) terrorism, Iran? Is he really that naive when it comes to International terrorism sponsors and their stated goals of eliminating Western culture and thought?
Does he know what he is talking about? Can Obama be trusted to defend the US Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic? Does he really have our best interests at heart?
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Tehran does not see any change in U.S. policy.
Saturday March 21, 2009
Associated Press
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed overtures from President Barak Obama on Saturday, saying Tehran does not see any change in U.S. policy under its new administration.
Khamenei was responding to a video message Obama released Friday in which he reached out to Iran on the occasion of Nowruz, the Persian new year, and expressed hopes for an improvement in nearly 30 years of strained relations.
Khamenei holds the last word on major policy decisions, and how Iran ultimately responds to any concrete U.S. effort to engage the country will depend largely on his say.
In his most direct assessment of Obama and prospects for better ties, Khamenei said there will be no change between the two countries unless the American president puts an end to U.S. hostility toward Iran and brings “real changes” in foreign policy.
“They chant the slogan of change but no change is seen in practice. We haven’t seen any change,” Khamenei said in a speech before a crowd of tens of thousands in the northeastern holy city of Mashhad.
In his video message, Obama said the United States wants to engage Iran, but he also warned that a right place for Iran in the international community “cannot be reached through terror or arms, but rather through peaceful actions that demonstrate the true greatness of the Iranian people and civilization.”
Khamenei asked how Obama could congratulate Iranians on the new year and accuse the country of supporting terrorism and seeking nuclear weapons in the same message.
Khamenei said there has been no change even in Obama’s language compared to that of his predecessor.
“He (Obama) insulted the Islamic Republic of Iran from the first day. If you are right that change has come, where is that change? What is the sign of that change? Make it clear for us what has changed.”
Diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Iran were cut after the U.S. Embassy hostage-taking after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which toppled the pro-U.S. shah and brought to power a government of Islamic clerics.
Obama gave Iran a video tape.
Iranians are not Arabs…they are Persians!
Iran IS the Persian Terrorist state and sponsor of Persian Terrorism. Again Iranians are Persians NOT Arabs.
September 28th, 2009 at 10:39 am
Iran gave Obama a video tape? I wanna see!
September 29th, 2009 at 8:59 am
I’m starting to believe we have another Jimmy Carter on our hands. Hopefully Obama will wake up from his “Lets give Jew-and-West-hating-terrorists a chance” peace loving psyche and see things as they are. Until then - Arabs worldwide will continue laughing at America’s futile attempts to grovel before the Iranian leaders.
A year or so ago the Iranian leader Ahmadinejad stated that Israel is nearing the end of its road and that the American empire is approaching its collapse. It’s a shame Obama gives Ahmadinejad the pleasure of appearing to be right, seeing as in Arab culture, expressions of compromise and peace-seeking is normally a sign of weakness. An example would be Israel withdrawing from Gaza in 2005, taking the first step to promote peace, and the Palestinians taking it as “we forced Israel out, it’s weak now” and thus increasing their rocket attacks on Israel.
Btw, Iran isn’t so much a sponsor of Persian terrorism as Palestinian or generally anti-Israeli and anti-American terrorism, namely Hamas and Hezbollah.
Edit: I’m well aware of Iranians being Persian. What I was refering to above was that the vast majority of Iran’s support to terrorism is by providing funds, arms and training to the Hamas and Hezbollah organizations, who are of Arab descent for the most part. It’s them who would be celebrating the aforementioned things, rather than the Iranian population, most of whom hardly care about it.
September 30th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
I guess he thinks the Iranian people will fall in love with him after his speech like so many Americans did.
October 3rd, 2009 at 10:11 pm
It seems that most who are answering believe that there should be no communication as happened during the last 8 years. I want to know how we can be in the same world and NOT communicate. There would never be any hope of understanding and living peacefully without communication. At least Obama is trying. It cost nothing to try!
October 6th, 2009 at 2:21 am
I smell a rant.
October 8th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
No, you thought that he thought. The GOP is already the party in exile, stop making it worse.