Iranian security council leader endorses Bush

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

Bush Receives Endorsement From Iran

 

28 minutes ago 

 

By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer

 

TEHRAN, Iran - The head of Iran's security council said on Tuesday the re-election of President Bush was in Tehran's best interests, despite the administration's axis of evil label, accusations that Iran harbors al-Qaida terrorists and threats of sanctions over the country's nuclear ambitions.

 

Historically, Democrats have harmed Iran more than Republicans, said Hasan Rowhani, head of the Supreme National Security Council, Iran's top security decision-making body.

 

"We haven't seen anything good from Democrats," Rowhani told state-run television in remarks that, for the first time in recent decades, saw Iran openly supporting one U.S. presidential candidate over another.

 

"We should not forget that most sanctions and economic pressures were imposed on Iran during the time of Clinton," Rowhani said of the former Democratic president. "And we should not forget that during Bush's era — despite his hard-line and baseless rhetoric against Iran — he didn't take, in practical terms, any dangerous action against Iran."

 

Though Iran generally does not publicly wade into U.S. presidential politics, it has a history of preferring Republicans over Democrats, who tend to press human rights issues.

 

"We do not desire to see Democrats take over," Rowhani said when asked if Iran was supporting Kerry against Bush.

 

The United States severed diplomatic relations with Iran after militants stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. Iranian clerics were crucial in determining the fate of the 1980 U.S. election when Republican Ronald Reagan won in part because Democratic incumbent Jimmy Carter was unable to secure the hostages' release.

 

The hostages were freed as Reagan was inaugurated.

 

The United States supported Iraq in the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, but by the late 1990s, U.S.-Iranian relations were somewhat better. They plummeted again after Bush accused Iran of being part of the "axis of evil" with North Korea and prewar Iraq.

 

The Bush administration also accuses Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons and sheltering operatives of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terror network. Still, Iran was happy to see Bush destroy two big regional enemies — the Taliban in Afghanistan and Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

 

Iranian political analyst Mohsen Mofidi said ousting the Taliban and Saddam was the "biggest service any administration could have done for Iran."

 

And Bush, he said, has learned from his mistakes.

 

"The experience of two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the responsibility Bush had, will make it a very remote possibility for him to risk attacking a much bigger and more powerful country like Iran," he said.

 

Mofidi added that "Democrats usually insist on human rights and they will have more excuses to pressure Iran."

 

Republican and Democratic presidents have issued executive orders against Iran, with Reagan in 1987 barring Iranian crude oil and other imports, and Clinton in 1995 banning U.S. trade and investment in Iran.

 

Bush has been reluctant to offer Iran any incentives for better U.S.-Iranian relations, but in recent days there have been signs Washington will back European economic incentives if Iran stops uranium enrichment activities.

 

Gholamreza Aghazadeh, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, was quoted by state-run television Tuesday as saying Iran is interested in buying nuclear fuel from the West, but will not concede its right to the technology.

 

The nuclear issue has been most sensitive, and the Bush administration is threatening to press for sanctions against Iran over it. Washington accuses Tehran of trying to build bombs. Tehran says its nuclear ambitions are peaceful, for energy purposes.

 

Kerry, who says halting nuclear proliferation will be a priority if he becomes president, believes Bush should have done more diplomatically to curb Iran's alleged nuclear weapons ambitions. He says Iran should be offered nuclear fuel for peaceful purposes, but spent fuel should be taken back so it cannot be used to develop nuclear weapons.

 

Kavoos Emami, another Iranian political analyst, praised Kerry for mentioning the need for dialogue with Iran, and said the Democrat would be better for Iran.

 

"Bush has insulted Iran more than any other U.S. administration. If Kerry is elected, a U.S. military attack against Iran will never happen or will be a very remote possibility," he said.

 

Hmmm...

 

it appears there's somebody who values social issues over foreign policy. (or they're still Oliver North fans)

 

Has the Iron Sheik endorsed a candidate yet?

[Renegade 0]

From somebody who's been there, the Iranian goverment is the biggest joke I've ever seen.

[Guest MikeSC]

Nice (non-existant) link. I suppose it came from dailykos or something.

 

And if you REALLY want to get into a who wants who match here, Arafat supports Kerry. Ditto the former virulently anti-Semitic PM of Malaysia.

 

And, didn't you just make snide comments about me posting a, you know, ACTUALLY true story?

-=Mike

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

You're really one to critique others for lacking sources.

 

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/...itics-headlines

 

http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=2451563

 

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentSe...ol=968705899037

 

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2...19/174311.shtml

 

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/presid...ment_from_iran/

 

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...an_us_elections

[Guest MikeSC]

It, bluntly, reeks of a story written by the DNC.

-=Mike

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

that's an interesting theory. It just lacks any proof.

[Guest MikeSC]

that's an interesting theory. It just lacks any proof.

Didn't say there was any proof.

 

Just that the story reeks of a story that was written by the DNC.

 

"Democrats care more about human rights" is just laughable --- and not something Iran would give two shits about.

-=Mike

...Can YOU name a country that openly admits it violates human rights? I cannot...

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

It's possible to state concern about something and not admit being at fault. Sorta like how Southern states were against those who were for civil rights, but they didn't admit that they were depriving African-Americans of civil rights

 

If it makes you feel any better, Bush's campaign declined the endorsement.

 

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=8&id=316095

The Bush campaign said no thanks. "It's not an endorsement we'll be accepting anytime soon," Bush campaign spokesman Scott Stanzel said. "Iran should stop its pursuit of nuclear weapons and if they continue in the direction they are going, then we will have to look at what additional action may need to be taken including looking to the U.N. Security Council."

 

file that under "Duh"

[Guest BDC]

Just like other leaders endorsing Kerry...

 

I don't give a damn.

[Guest MikeSC]

BTW, in a REAL shocker, there is, of course, more to the story.

 

Namely, the Iranian gov't didn't endorse a soul.

 

 

Kerry or Bush, makes no difference to us: Iran

AFP: 10/19/2004

 

TEHRAN, Oct 19 (AFP) - It makes no real difference to Iran whether US President George W. Bush or Democrat contender John Kerry wins the presidential elections, a senior Iranian official said Tuesday.

 

"It makes no difference for us which of the two parties wins the elections," Iran's top national security official Hassan Rowhani said in an interview on state television.

 

"We have not seen any good coming from the Democrats, so we won't be happy if the Democrats win," he said.

 

"Also we should not forget that most sanctions and economic pressures were imposed on Iran during Clinton's administration," Rowhani added, referring to former president Bill Clinton.

 

The official said a victory in next month's elections for Bush and the Republicans would also not have much impact on the Islamic republic, arch-foe of the United States.

 

"We are not afraid of the US even if the Republicans win since, at least in the region, they had found out that aggression and bullying will only result in their interests being threatened," he added.

 

Bush seeks to take Iran to the UN Security Council over charges that Tehran is seeking nuclear technology for military purposes, while Kerry has proposed supplying Iran with fuel in exchange for an end to its own nuclear fuel cycle work.

AFP- 840

http://www.turkishpress.com/turkishpress/news.asp?ID=31107

 

Gee, the AP spinning a story to match their agenda. Gee, they NEVER do that.

 

Well, provided one ignores their work over the last year.

-=Mike