[The Technical]

By Parisa Hafezi

TEHRAN (Reuters) - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad voiced defiance on Tuesday as a deadline neared for Iran to halt work the West fears is a step toward building nuclear bombs, and challenged President Bush to a televised debate.

"Peaceful nuclear energy is the right of the Iranian nation. The Iranian nation has chosen that based upon international regulations, it wants to use it and no one can stop it," he told a news conference.

The U.N. Security Council has given Iran until Thursday to suspend uranium enrichment -- a process which can produce fuel for civilian reactors or explosive material for warheads -- and has threatened sanctions unless it does so.

Ahmadinejad said Iran had laid out a framework for talks in its reply to an offer by six world powers of incentives in exchange for a suspension of enrichment. That framework provided an "exceptional opportunity" to solve the nuclear dispute.

Asked specifically if Iran would halt enrichment, even for a short period, he replied: "In that (Iran's response to the six-nation offer) we announced that any kind of dialogue should be based upon the certain rights of the Iranian nation."

He did not elaborate.

Ahmadinejad condemned the U.S. and British roles in the world since World War Two.

"We think the special privileges that America and Britain are taking advantage of today are the origin of all disturbances in the world," he said.

"Isn't it time that international relations are founded on democracy and equal rights of the nations?"

"I suggest holding a live TV debate with Mr. George W. Bush to talk about world affairs and the ways to solve those issues," he said.

"The debate should be go uncensored in order for the American people to be able to listen to what we say and they should not restrict the American people from hearing the truth."

He brushed off calls by the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., John Bolton, for sanctions if Tehran ignores the deadline.

"Bolton is free to say whatever he wants ... our nation is a strong nation. A nation that has been able to attain the nuclear fuel cycle with its bare hands can solve any other problems."

MAJOR POWERS DIVIDED

Washington has called for a swift response if Iran does not meet the deadline. But analysts say divisions at the

United Nations about how to handle Iran's file could delay such a move.

Iran has shown no sign it will halt enrichment. The world's fourth largest oil exporter has shrugged off the threat of sanctions and said such a move would simply push oil prices up to intolerable levels for industrialized economies.

"If the Western countries have the intention to have comprehensive, long-term cooperation with Iran then they should not pursue imposing sanctions on Iran," Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said on state TV late on Monday.

Before Ahmadinejad spoke on Tuesday, oil was holding above $70 a barrel as worries about Iran helped to brake a steep sell-off.

Larijani said Iran's effort to master the nuclear fuel cycle was "irreversible" -- echoing earlier comments by the president and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has said it is ready for immediate talks on its atomic plans but has refused to suspend enrichment before negotiations start, which was proposed in the package of incentives offered by the United States, China, Russia, France, Britain and Germany.

Russia and China, big trading partners of Iran who have veto powers in the U.N. Security Council, may oppose sanctions moves.

Washington, which already imposes unilateral sanctions on Iran, has suggested it could consider action outside the Security Council with other like-minded countries.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060829/...uclear_iran_dc

This is would be great for CNN's ratings, lol. Two fundamentalist idiots turning a foreign affairs debate into religious ranting. Perfect, just perfect...

[butcher103]

ahmadinejad is nutts, but he's a lot smarter than GWB, i like the way he's playin, he is aggressive but pictures himself as someone who likes to debate such issues

republicans = 0wn3d

[butcher103]

Double post keekee

[Mens Rea]

Well we all know what happened to Saddam the day after he challenged Bush to a debate: we bombed the hotel where we thought he was staying the very next day. The USAF pilots who dropped this delivered were awarded medals.

That's how we debate, bitches!

[icantstandit]

The sad part, during this whole confrontation with Iran, Ahmadinejad has appeared to be the more rational and sane guy compared to Bush.

Ahmadinejad says let's debate, and Bush says "we'll bomb you." Who is the madman?

Scary...

[Ultrashogun]

The debate would be exactly like most topics in the WR.

[Mens Rea]

Any of you read mahmud's blog?
http://www.ahmadinejad.ir/
It has been hacked...
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/1,7...291380,00.html

Luckily, I saved some of it...

Originally Posted by Mahmud

In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate

Oh Almighty God, please, we beg you to send us our Guardian- who You have promised us- soon and appoint us as His close companions.

During the era that nobility was a prestige and living in a city was perfection, I was born in a poor family in a remote village of Garmsar-approximately 90 kilometer east of Tehran. I was born fifteen years after Iran was invaded by foreign forces- in August of 1940- and the time that another puppet, named mohammad Reza – the son of Reza Mirpange- was set as a monarch in Iran. Since the extinct shah -Mohammad Reza- was supposed to take and enter Iran into western civilization slavishly, so many schemes were implemented that Iran becomes another market for the western ceremonial goods without any progress in the scientific field. Our Islamic culture would not allow such an infestation, and this was an impediment in front of shah and his foreign masters’ way. Thus, they decided to make this noble and tenacious culture weak gradually that Iran be attached strongly to the west as far as its economy, politics, and culture was concern. After the implementation of this policy and the unreal and outward of upswing, the villagers began to rush to the cities. Upon the enforcement of the land reform, the status of the villages became worst than the past and villagers for earning some breadcrumbs, they were deceived by the dazzling look and the misleading features of the cities and became suburban and lived in ghettos.

My family was also suffered in the village as others. After my birth -the fourth one in the family- my family was under more pressures ...

[Centaur]

Originally Posted by Mens Rea

Well we all know what happened to Saddam the day after he challenged Bush to a debate: we bombed the hotel where we thought he was staying the very next day. The USAF pilots who dropped this delivered were awarded medals.

That's how we debate, bitches!

Seriously? I did not know that.

It's almost funny.

"Hey lets talk, see if we can work this out."

"Talk? Live? Un-censored? Fuck that. Boys, get 'em!!"

[Mens Rea]

Originally Posted by redrum

Seriously? I did not know that.

It's almost funny.

"Hey lets talk, see if we can work this out."

"Talk? Live? Un-censored? Fuck that. Boys, get 'em!!"

Yes. These were the first bombs dropped of the conflict. Saddam challenged Bush to a debate on international television via satallite.

Saddam challenges Bush to debate Monday, February 24, 2003
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/...ate/index.html

First bombs dropped march 19th. The ground invasion began on March 20th.
Okay okay, so it wasn't the very next day...
http://www.answers.com/topic/2003

Originally Posted by butcher103

ahmadinejad is nutts, but he's a lot smarter than GWB, i like the way he's playin, he is aggressive but pictures himself as someone who likes to debate such issues

republicans = 0wn3d

Are you kidding? Ahmadinejad is the stupidist motherfucker alive right now. You'll find out why pretty soon if he continues his shit.

Ahmadinejad reminds me when of a little kid who pesters older people who pay him no mind.
Then they get a little tired of it and pull out a very big belt to teach the kid some manners.