Ahmadinejad Knows How To Pick A Cabinet

You have to hand it to the crazy little twerp in the sleazy leisure suits, he sure knows how to poke fingers into the eyes of the civilized world. He has now named a new defense minister who just so happens to be on an Interpol's Most Wanted Terrorist list.

C'mon Barry O, go sit down with them and talk. Have some tea and make nice with the guy. I mean aren't we always being told that we just need to open up a dialogue with them, issue a few apologies while on bended knees, and proclaim that their mass murdering actions are nothing more then a tantrum thrown by a 2 year old.

A former Revolutionary Guard commander wanted by Interpol for masterminding the worst terrorist attack in Argentina looks set to become the new Iranian Defence Minister after parliament signalled that it would confirm the provocative choice.

General Ahmad Vahidi is alleged to have planned the bombing of a Jewish centre in Buenos Aires in 1994 when he commanded the Quds force, a unit of the Revolutionary Guard responsible for foreign operations. He is one of five Iranians sought in the bombing in which 85 people died. Iran denies that it was involved.

Of course according to members of the Iranian Parliament it is all about the Joooos.

Iranian Vice Presidential Pick --- REJECTED

For those that think Iran is a country filled unicorn riding, rainbow watching, misunderstood petulant children this should remove all doubt, as if beating women in public for inappropriate dress, hanging gays and murdering protesters wasn't enough evidence.

Ahmadinnerjackets recent pick to be vice president, which involved a heavy dose of nepotism, has been rejected by the real guy in charge, Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

What did he find objectionable in this choice? This.

Mashai angered hard-liners in 2008 when he said Iranians were "friends of all people in the world - even Israelis."

That little part about Israel didn't sit too well with the hard liners who hold power in Iran and pull Ahmadinejaid's strings.

Meanwhile I am sure the Obama administration will continue to seek out a chance to sit down with these folks, since they have unclenched their fist and all.

Gitmo Problem Solved

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free. Or something like that. The world's favorite Spanish-speaking, long-winded, non-teleprompter using, Socialist dictator Hugo Chavez says he is open to taking the Gitmo prisoners.

What could possibly go wrong? Between making nice with Sean Penn's other pen pal Ahmadinejad, allowing Russian planes and naval ships access to his country, and chasing the devil out of the UN, why should this latest overture be a surprise?

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says he would be willing to accept prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay detention center, which U.S. President Barack Obama has said he will close, the Venezuelan government said Thursday.

This was reported by Al Jazeera. As for that that long-winded part, it was a 90-minute interview. If Obama went that long without a teleprompter they would have to hook him up to life support. And yes, he went on to meet with the Iranian president.

Ahmadinejad declares Iran is #1

The little dictator in the ill fitting leisure suit has declared Iran as the #1 power in the world.

"Everybody has understood that Iran is the number one power in the world," Ahmadinejad said in a speech to families who lost loved ones in the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.

"Today the name of Iran means a firm punch in the teeth of the powerful and it puts them in their place," added Ahmadinejad, who on Sunday will become the first president of the Islamic republic to visit neighbouring Iraq.

Okay little man whatever you say. Of course given his successes against the British navy and his ability to continue moving forward with his nuclear weapons program he really has effectively given a "firm punch in the teeth of the powerful".

"Today the message of your revolution is being heard in South America, East Asia, in the heart of Europe and even in the United States itself," he said.

Ahmadinejad said he talked with people everywhere he travelled in the world and "it is like I am in district 17 in Tehran", referring to the low-income area in the south of the Iranian capital where he was giving his speech.

"I have been to most parts of the world. I read the news every day. Every day I speak to different figures from different countries and have meetings with them," he commented.

The revolution he is speaking of is the revolution which overthrew the Shah in 1979, dubbed "The Islamic Revolution". All of those areas he mentioned suffer almost daily terrorist attacks and killing of their citizens by the growing Muslim minorities in their midst, whom of course conduct violence in the name of religion and then demand concessions to their "culture" to, of course grant them better ability to continue carrying out more attacks.
Tell you what Dinner Jacket, when you can brag about putting a man on the moon, curing some devastating disease, or marshaling the resources in your command to provide some widespread humanitarian relief such as the US has done in Indonesia give me a call and we will talk about this #1 ranking. By the way how is the recovery going for the earthquake stricken city of Bam?

Tiny Tyrant Remains Defiant

Do we expect anything else from Ahmadinejad?

Iran vowed on Wednesday to press on with its nuclear fuel program, ignoring a U.N. deadline to freeze uranium enrichment or face broader sanctions, but offered to guarantee it would not try to develop atomic weapons.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad remained defiant as a 60-day grace period Iran had been given on December 23 to stop enriching uranium for nuclear fuel was expiring.

"We ... will continue our work to reach our right (to nuclear technology) in the shortest possible time," student news agency ISNA quoted him as saying in the town of Siahkal.

With the deadline running out, the International Atomic Energy Agency, which has been unable to verify Iran's program is wholly peaceful after three years of investigations, was expected to report to the U.N. Security Council by Thursday that Tehran was pursuing enrichment regardless of pressure to stop.

Is there a more useless entity than the IAEA?

Iran's Obsession With the Jews

A must read from Matthias Küntzel in the Weekly Standard.

Just as Hitler sought to "liberate" humanity by murdering the Jews, so Ahmadinejad believes he can "liberate" humanity by eradicating Israel. The deniers' conference as an instrument for propagating this project is intimately linked to the nuclear program as an instrument for realizing it. Five years ago, in December 2001, former Iranian president Hashemi Rafsanjani first boasted that "the use of even one nuclear bomb inside Israel will destroy everything," whereas the damage to the Islamic world of a potential retaliatory nuclear attack could be limited: "It is not irrational to contemplate such an eventuality." While the Islamic world could sacrifice hundreds of thousands of "martyrs" in an Israeli retaliatory strike without disappearing--so goes Rafsanjani's argument--Israel would be history after the first bomb.

It is precisely this suicidal outlook that distinguishes the Iranian nuclear weapons program from those of all other countries and makes it uniquely dangerous. As long ago as 1980, Khomeini put it this way: "We do not worship Iran, we worship Allah. For patriotism is another name for paganism. I say let this land [Iran] burn. I say let this land go up in smoke, provided Islam emerges triumphant in the rest of the world."

I doubt Diane Sawyer had time to read it before her sickening interview with the monster Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Iran Nuke Scientist Whacked by Mossad?

Now this could be interesting. The first I've seen of it, but certainly it's a promising development (h/t Shiplord Kirel and So?). Still, take with a huge grain of salt. An Iranian scientist dies under unusual circumstances just as the hairy little munchkin is about to make his big announcement? It's just too easy to blame Israel and Mossad. So let's see where this goes.

A PRIZE-WINNING Iranian nuclear scientist has died in mysterious circumstances, according to Radio Farda, which is funded by the US State Department and broadcasts to Iran.

An intelligence source suggested that Ardeshire Hassanpour, 44, a nuclear physicist, had been assassinated by Mossad, the Israeli security service.

Hassanpour worked at a plant in Isfahan where uranium hexafluoride gas is produced. The gas is needed to enrich uranium in another plant at Natanz which has become the focus of concerns that Iran may be developing nuclear weapons.

According to Radio Farda, Iranian reports of Hassanpour’s death emerged on January 21 after a delay of six days, giving the cause as “gas poisoning”. The Iranian reports did not say how or where Hassanpour was poisoned but his death was said to have been announced at a conference on nuclear safety.

Rheva Bhalla of Stratfor, the US intelligence company, claimed on Friday that Hassanpour had been targeted by Mossad and that there was “very strong intelligence” to suggest that he had been assassinated by the Israelis, who have repeatedly threatened to prevent Iran acquiring the bomb.

Ahmadinejad Reaches Out to Democrats

The little man talks a big game and knows how to play the useful idiots in this country.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday he did not expect a U.S. attack on Iran because there were plenty of "wise people" in the United States who would not let it happen.

Iran and the United States are at loggerheads over Tehran's nuclear program, which Washington says is a cover for making bombs, and over Iraq, where U.S. officials say Iran is fuelling sectarian violence. Tehran denies both charges.

Washington says it wants to solve the nuclear standoff by diplomacy but has not ruled out strikes if that fails.

"They are not in a position to carry out that measure although they may like to ... because there are many wise people in America who will not let this happen," the president said in an interview on Iranian television.

By wise people, I'll assume he means Harry Reid and the Democrats.

Meanwhile, the U.S. is warning Iran to back down.

A second U.S. aircraft carrier strike group now steaming toward the Middle East is Washington's way of warning Iran to back down in its attempts to dominate the region, a top U.S. diplomat said here Tuesday.

Nicholas Burns, U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs, ruled out direct negotiations with Iran and said a rapprochement between Washington and Tehran was "not possible" until Iran halts uranium enrichment.

Further bolstering that tack is this NY Sun report linked at LGF noting the Gulf States have no choice but to quietly support the United States.

The hopelessly naive audience Ahmadinejad is attempting to reach in this county should take note of what the Iranians and Hezbollah are up to in Lebanon, as noted by Jules Crittenden. The left in this country is playing a dangerous game when it comes to dealing with the Iran problem. They should not be led to believe the struggles in Iraq negate the need for decisive action in Iran. The time may come soon.

President Bush needs to remind them tonight. Here's the speech Crittenden would like to see.

UPDATE: The rhetoric increases.

Iran Bars IAEA Inspectors

This silly dance continues. Is there a more useles entity that the IAEA?

Iran said Monday it has barred 38 members of a U.N. nuclear inspection team from entering the country, in what appeared to be retaliation for sanctions imposed last month over its contentious atomic program.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said some inspectors were admitted, but maintained that Iran could decide who should be turned away.

"The International Atomic Energy Agency submits a long list of inspectors to member countries and the countries have the right to oppose the visit by some inspectors," Mottaki told the official Islamic Republic News Agency.

This calls for more dialogue.

UPDATE: Other items of interest out of Iran: Dissident Cleric Slam Ahmadinejad and Iran Believes it Could Destroy Israel With Single Nuke.

Clock Ticking on Ahmadinejad?

Despite his popularity with some leftwing elements around the world, including the nutroots bloggers in this country, it seems Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's days could be numbered. Let's hope so.

THE BUSH administration's decision to step up pressure against Iran by going after Iranian agents inside Iraq, coupled with the Islamic Republic's increasing economic and diplomatic isolation, have pushed conservatives inside Iran to further distance themselves from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Many pragmatic and traditional conservatives, such as former President Hashemi Rafsanjani and Ayatollah Ahmad Janati, who is the secretary of the Council of Guardians, were critical of Ahmadinejad's management of Iran's economic and foreign policies before U.S. military forces recently detained members of the Revolutionary Guard and Iranian intelligence agents in Irbil, Iraq. This incident, coupled with the U.N. Security Council's imposition of sanctions on Iran because of its refusal to abandon its nuclear program, has reportedly prompted 50 parliamentary members to sign a letter calling on Ahmadinejad to appear before parliament to explain himself. There have also been reports that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has given a green light to parliament to criticize the president's performance. Coupled with the country's deteriorating economy, these developments could push Ahmadinejad's opponents to replace him with a less doctrinaire politician.

Hugo and Mahmoud

Opinion Journal asks some very basic questions of Christopher Dodd and William Delahunt today; specifically, what do they think of the thugs Chavez and Ahmadinejad. We already know Dodd has an affinity for Fidel Castro and Delahunt, along with certain Kennedys, thinks Chavez is just a great guy for providing "discount" oil to his constituents.

So, what do you say guys?

We've known for some time that Hugo Chavez is a menace to the economic well-being of his own people. But the question that seems increasingly urgent is whether he's becoming a threat to U.S. security interests--both in the Western Hemisphere and beyond.

Specifically, we'd like to know what Senator Chris Dodd and Congressman Bill Delahunt make of Mr. Chavez's weekend summit with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The Iranian President stopped by Caracas on Saturday as part of a four-day engagement with Latin America's new leftist governments. On Sunday, the Iranian communed with Nicaragua's new boss, Daniel Ortega, and then on Monday he hit the inauguration of Ecuador's new pro-Chavez President Rafael Correa.

The Caracas visit was Mr. Ahmadinejad's second in four months. "This is just a prelude of what we will do," declared Mr. Chavez, in a televised speech announcing the creation of a joint $2 billion fund to finance development and other projects. "This large and strategic fund, brother, is going to be converted into a mechanism of liberation," he added, saying their goal is to build "a network of alliances."
...
All the while, Mr. Chavez has had American enablers who excused his growing repression, or blamed it on a reaction to U.S. policy. Foremost among them has been Mr. Dodd, who has defended Mr. Chavez as "democratically elected" despite his clear trend toward authoritarianism. In 2004, the circumstances surrounding a recall referendum were so anti-democratic that the European Union refused to act as an observer. Jimmy Carter nonetheless blessed the outcome amid heavy irregularities, and the U.S. State Department endorsed the process. Other politicians, such as Mr. Delahunt, embraced and flattered Mr. Chavez for his PR stunt of offering cut-rate oil to poor Americans.

Perhaps it's time these Americans paid attention to the kind of "socialism" and "revolution" that their support is helping Mr. Chavez to build in Venezuela.

Read the rest. If you're a resident of Connecticut or Delahunt's district in Massachusetts, ask them what they think.

Previously: Mahmoud and Hugo, Perfect Together.