Opinion
What drives Ahmadinejad?
Jonathan Halevi and Ashley Perry
Published: 17.06.08, 00:43
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1. With all due respect to the authors.
Robby ,   San Jose, USA   (06.17.08)
With all due respect to the authors, the guy is nothing more then an empty-suit politician with the gift-of-gab. He plays the persona of a common citizen that lives a humble life. The west, especially Israel, is a diversion from the fact that he is unable to solve Iran's economic problems with runaway unemployment and inflation. The real problem is the Iranian people are pretty much stuck with him or someone else of his ilk because of a system that allows a sitting council of 12, of which half are Muslim clerics, to veto any bill or parliamentary candidate.
2. Forward Immediately To Barack Obama
Wisconsin Marshall ,   USA   (06.17.08)
This should concentrate his sharp mind. If elected president, does he have the ability to confront and wrestle with this monster?
3. To Robby #1
Concerned Israeli   (06.17.08)
I think you missed something in translation. The real problem is not the Iranian political system or its economic shortcommings. These are just symptoms of the real problem which is twofold: the Islamic fundamentalist regime in control of the government and the lack of Western will to stop them before it's too late. Open your eyes and face reality. Ahmadinejad wants you and me dead, and if Iran starts producing nuclear weapons, the world will be a much more dangerous place. He may be an empty-suit politician with the gift of gab, but the worst tyrants in history, those that have murdered millions, were not too different.
4. the worst is yet to come
tom ,   toronto, canada   (06.17.08)
this article fails to mention some worrisome aspects of the prophesy driving iran and ahmadinejad: it says that the shiites will only triumph after a disastrous war that the shiites will lose and which nearly destroys the world. it is the mahdi who will conquer the world. the implications of this are that iran and ahmadinejad are not constrained by normal rules of self-preservation - they want to sacrifice themselves (and millions of others) to bring about the return of the mahdi. therefore sanctions and threats will not work, and iran will just continue to escalate the crisis. this explains the confrontation with israel and america, which only seems intended to provoke a (nuclear) war which iran cannot win. no amount of bravado can change the odds, which are more than 10,000 to zero against iran: iran has yet to build a single working nuclear device with which to challenge the 10,000+ operational warheads deployed by the united states. this would make for a very short and one-sided war. the only way to put a stop to this craziness, which is intended to (literally) destroy the world, is to target the leadership of the iranian regime, and provide them, but only them, with the "martyr's death" that they want so badly.
5. ahmadenijad
angelina ,   holon   (06.17.08)
he is another hitler in the making. must be stopped before it is too late. His own people are helpless and the whole world will suffer.
6. Ahmadinejad and nuclear power.
Robert Bernier ,   Tel Aviv   (06.17.08)
To understand why Ahmadinejad has chosen his dangerous path, one must understand his origins. In his youth, the Iranian president was a member of the basij, a radical paramilitary movement built by Khomeini at the onset of the Revolution. Literally translated as “Mobilized Resistance Force,” the basij became a zealous arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) where devotion and sacrifice were the basis of “human wave” surges during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), leading to hundreds of thousands of senseless deaths. Khomeini taught that survival of the fighters was irrelevant; they were participating in a battle for Allah, which was to provide ultimate fulfillment and gratification. Thus, when Ahmadinejad entered public life, first as the mayor of Tehran and then as head of state, he injected basiji irrationality into politics. In the name of revolution, Ahmadinejad seeks to achieve Iranian grandeur via nuclearization, and to fearlessly spread anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial, even if leads to war as explained at : http://xrl.us/bizzs
7. To Robby #1 and others
Jake ,   London, UK   (06.17.08)
You didn't actually address a single issue in the article. You basically just stated that you don't believe it and made your own conclusions. All of the issues raised by the authors are verifiable facts. We are not dealing with the Soviet Union or even some of the dictators in the Arab world. This is a person who really believes what he says and that it is divinely ordanied. To learn more about this and other similar issues, I suggest you got their website, Middle east Strategic Information www.mesi.org.uk Check out the map on the right hand column, it is very disturbing to realise that we are all in the Iranian sites!
8. Ahmadinejad wants a Muslim Crescent Caliphate
Rivkah   (06.17.08)
to attack the West and then to force Islam on the world. He thinks he is a Muslim Elijah, ushering in the 12th Iman Mahdi that Osama bin Laden claims to be. What a joy it will be to see them defeated in the wars to come and to see a Jewish Messiah on the throne in Jerusalem ruling the world.
9. 2 WMUSA: Barak Obama is part of this monster...
Rivkah   (06.17.08)
He is a liar and said he did not go to a Muslim Wahabi school in Indonesia and was never a Muslim, but the school records for Barry Soetoro show he was registered as a Muslim in a Roman Catholic school AND a Wahabi Muslim school in Indonesia until the age of 12. Obama has members of the Nation of Islam on his payroll. In case you are not familiar with the Nation of Islam, a radical Muslim sect in America, read the book, "The Religion that is Raping America." I believe his agenda that is hidden is sharia law and death to infidels (non-Muslims). His wife had to insist he go to a Black Liberation Theology church and pretend to be a Christian to get elected to public office. They both hate America and listened to preachers at the radical church preach overthrow America sermons for twenty years and pretended not to notice there was anything subversive about that. My personal opinion is that Blacks who hate Whites and America should move back to Africa. You notice the Hispanics are NOT voting for Obama. They see the danger since Blacks hate Hispanics, too, for stealing jobs from them in their opinion from a Black Liberation Theology perspective. Obama's mother did not live in the USA for five of the ten years following her 16th birthday to make her son an US citizen. Obama is therefore a Kenyan or an Indonesian and should be sent back there where he belongs. For the democrats to be putting such a liar into such prominence is prompting people to put the bumper sticker on their vehicles: "SOMEBODY ELSE FOR PRESIDENT". Hopefully, Bob Barr will run as a Libertarian as he has indicated he would.
10. He needs a psychiatrist!
Enzo ,   london,uk   (06.17.08)
I would forcibly section him under the Mental Act and put him on medication in a secured ward for a very long time.
11. This Article
Abdullahi ,   Somalia   (06.17.08)
The men who wrote this article are cowards who have anxiety and obsession with Iran and Ahmed najad and To Islam In General. It is for sure the World will be lead and governed by Moslems (Shiite or Sunnis)
12. Nukes in the hands of religious fanatics.
Terry ,   Eilat, Israel   (06.17.08)
How's that for a sure-fire recipe for disaster? I think the authors accurately described the motivations of these Islamic crazies - it pretty much agrees with much that I've read on the subject. This is why diplomacy & sanctions will not work. With this kind of underlying motivation, the only option is regime change & the destruction of the nuclear installations. Those that either see dialogue as an answer or worse, accepting Iran as a nuclear power that can be "managed" are fooling themselves big-time. This is no different than the insane ideology of the Nazis - appeasement didn't work then & it won't work now.
13. He is a very intelligent fool...
Daniel ,   Israel   (06.17.08)
Such people are dangerous to his own people. Running behind mirage, He will bring disaster to his own country.
14. To all believers in their holy books
Said ,   London, UK   (06.17.08)
Please spare us the hyperbole. All three religions think that ONLY THEIR RELIGION can save the world and that THEIR Messiah is the right one. All are equally as ridiculous as they sound, all are equally as false as they sound!
15. What drives him? What drives any monkey...Bananas!
Yonatan ,   USA   (06.17.08)
16. While the West/Russia/China refuse to see...
Flavio ,   Sao Paulo, Brazil   (06.17.08)
...Ahmadinejad is preparing himself for what he believes to be the final showdown, a Shiite Apocalypse. One cannot help remembering that this kind of concept has deep roots in Zoroastrianism beliefs in a battle between good and evil, light and darkness. Every major politician and decision maker, in Washington, Brussels, Paris, London, Moscow and Beijing must pay attention to the most important fact of the issue, namely, that Ahmadinejad et caterva operates within a completely diferent set of logical, religious and moral guidelines. He will not be persuaded by any classical appeasing move, neither by sanctions of any kind. Mutual deterrence will not work. He and is cohorts are pure fanatics, set in a holy mission against evil (jews, christians) and aimed at restoring Islamic purity and peace in the world. I am deeply afraid that time is getting short, those who count must realize the imminent danger and take whatever measures necessary to stop it!!!!! Before it is too late!!!!
17. just another religious nutter
Simon ,   TA the free city   (06.17.08)
all these religious nutters are the same they start beliving their own nonsense and really think they can play God. What they really are is a bunch of lunatics that use religion as a platform to justify the hunger for power and money , just take Ovadia Yosef from Shas for example , same cause different religion. And dont you just love it when they start quoting religious text at you, as if it is a means to justify their hatred.
18. #11, please look in the mirror...
Ted ,   UK   (06.17.08)
Where you got the "cowards" title from? The real cowards in this world are the moslims fanatics, like yourself, who are dominated by backward regimes who contrinutes nothing but hatred and misery to their own people, and then blame the west for this! open your eyes and start to worship lyfe instead of death!
19. #14, to said
Ted ,   UK   (06.17.08)
Sorry to say that only one of them, the nuslim is preaching no tolerance, and dominating others by force.
20.  A matter of "when"- not "if"
R. Alkalai ,   USA   (06.17.08)
This will be stopped. The question is "when". It requires taking out the people at the top of the chain of command- the Imams, Ahmadinejad, and head of military. Everyone is now realizing sanctions are fruitless. No matter how fast Iran achieves a nuclear warhead, Israel has many hundreds more (along with many other things). Because of the numerous, spaced out areas that Iran has placed weaponry and facilities. It will result in several, massive strikes all at once. All of Iran will be blown off the map. Lethal environmental contamination, massive fire storms, and irradiated debris will spread and engulf Iran's neighbors, which would end all life in the region, The ME would become totally uninhabitable in hours. There would be no people for the mahdi to lead. That is where the story loses credibility. It fails to take into account Israel's overwhelming ability to totally destroy the ME, if they are threatened this way. Obviously, it will shut off world's oil supply, as well. So, it is in everybody's interest to see all of Iran' s leaders dead. Some of Iran's neighbors have already agreed to allow Israel the fly-overs. It really is a matter of when, not if.
21. Everybody knows that it's the Ever ready bunny that keeps
a-jad going!!! ,   Rueben, Israel   (06.17.08)
22. To #1 Robby: Your words remind me of the attitude to Hitler!
David ,   Karmiel, Israel   (06.17.08)
Yes, they all thought he was a all wind and nothing else. A world war, millions dead and 6 million Jews exterminated is a lot to say for a wind bag! Maybe Uncle Sam will do some heavy driving there one day or he might leave it for us to do a little driving there!
23. Nervous Syphillis can induce Megalomanical Halucinations!
The Doc ,   Haifa, Israel   (06.17.08)
...and the end of every false Messiah is to burn in the Hell he himeslf built! Sorr for the religious-sounding rant but it seems that this is the only language these racit murderers understand.
24. Any religion or cult taken to extremism is BAD for everybody
The Doc ,   Haifa, Israel   (06.17.08)
... for the "believers" and the "non-believers" and prevents progress, development and peace.
25. # 14 That's Not True at All
Thomas   (06.17.08)
For Jews, Judaism is the true religion for the Jewish people and that's it. We don't do missionary works as the Christians do and we don't force people at gunpoint as the Muslims will. Nowhere in the Hebrew Bible does it say God hates those that don't believe in him.
26. Ahamadi nejad is religious fanatics
sam ,   tehran,iran   (06.17.08)
He can not resolve our economic problem so he is trying to abuse religious belief Believe me if some one appear then first he/she will wipe Ahamdinejad from the world …!!! Really we are tired about him; I hope his duration finish soon I believe that just Secularism can relief our country so Iranian should understand it that religious system can not guaranty their future also I should add it that ahamidnejad is suffering from mentality problem then certainly he is not qualify to take important job
27. what drives ahmad?
debbie ,   israel   (06.17.08)
To No. 14, Said in London Your talkback is purely ignorant and ridiculous. Whether or not Jews believe the "Jewish God" is the only one and can save the world, is a useless argument. Jews don't use this idea to abduct and murder innocent people throughout the world, nor do they terrorize and hold the entire world at gunpoint. It's the moslems who do this. I didnt see any Jews involved in blowing up the WTC, and slaughtering over 3,000 innocents in the most unspeakable way. Only moslems. Very weak argument, Said.
28. #26. Youve made the fundamental point
Cy ,   Reading, Berks   (06.17.08)
Yes Ahmadinejad might be driven by a messianic belief in a Shia Supremacy but thats not the issue. The issue is Sam as you describe and has been continuously suggested to me from fairly reliable reports from Teheran that Ahmadinejad is mentally unstable, prone to violent tantrums, fits of weeping, talking in his sleep, sexually disturbed and worst of of completely unpredictable. And worse still as the pressures mount in Iran against him so his moods, his behaviour is changing for the worse and he comes out with ever more extreme rhetoric thats putting the world quite apart from Iran at risk Its almost the behaviour of a megalomaniac. But many in Iran are trying to find an explanation or reason. The latest is that Ahmadinejad might even have some Jewish blood on his mothers side going back six generations. So my Jewish friends does that make Ahmadinejad Jewish?
29. You have the right to choose.
Persian CAT   (06.17.08)
I wonder if the "stories" are true. According to the Ahmadinejad types and the Born-again evangelicals both Jesus and the Hidden Emam will be killing the Jews if don't convert. The problem is whether the Jews have to convert to Christianity or Islam, or BOTH to be saved! One big difference is that the evangelicals are sending millions of dollars to Israel to "pave the way" so to speak. Not a bad deal for the Jews at the moment.
30. Ahmadinejad Does NOT Know ALLAH.
Maansingh ,   The Netherlands   (06.17.08)
Quote :”Ahmadinejad said ‘Iran must .. develop a strong society ‘. There has never been so many drug-addicts in Iran -- more then 5 million drug addicts. Is this the kind of strong society that Ayatollah M.T.M. Yazdi and his disciple Ahmadinejad are yearning for -- a State filled with 5 million drug addicts ?? Ahmad, is this the State you want to offer to the Mahdi -- filled with 5 million drug addicts ? Quote :”Ahmadinejad is depicted as being .. guided directly by Allah, ..”. Ahmadinejad is NOT being guided by Allah ! WHY NOT ? Because Ahmadinejad does NOT know Allah. That’s why. (To Ahmadinejad : Allah is NOT an imagination. So, stop dreaming !! BTW Allah is NOT cheap. Allah can NOT be captured by a dishonest person. You must be careful of Allah’s wrath upon you !!)
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