I guess Osama had a prior engagement...

[StrykerFSU]

Iranian President Invited to Speak at CU

http://media.www.columbiaspectator.com/media/storage/paper865/news/2006/09/21/News/Iranian.President.Invited.To.Speak.At.Cu-2288980.shtml?sourcedomain=www.columbiaspectator.com&MIIHost=media.collegepublisher.com

My favorite part is that the President of Columbia was unaware of the invitation...The Prez of OU has the time to decry the injustice of a football game and the Prez at Columbia does not know that an anti-Semitic racist might be coming to campus. Does providing a public forum to the Iranian President constitute aiding and comforting the enemy?

[Riss]

Since we are not techincally at war with Iran and other media has interviewed him, legally speaking no.

It does bring up an interesting question, should we give this guy a forum? should we engage him in debate? I found his two interviews to be worthless cause he always avoids the question. Additionally his comments are half-truths and exaggerations at best to totally ludcrious and quite scarey thinking at worst.

A compromise with Iran is the ultimate goal, however. So at some point we do need to engage him...

[StrykerFSU]

A compromise with Iran is the ultimate goal, however. So at some point we do need to engage him...

Absolutely, I just don't think giving him an open platform at Columbia Univ. is the right time or place.

[Riss]

Agreed. Usually a university chooses a speaker who is at least somewhat indicative of their values. I would be suprised if Colombia U would call him such a person.

[LandonMLudlow]

We absolutely need to engage him, at 1000 yards with a Hi-powered rifle.

This guy is the #1 path for nuclear weapons into the hands of terrorists. Think those guys are scary now? wait until they have the power to eradicate downtown LA with the push of a button.

It's unfortunate Bush used his political capital ousting the evil-but-relatively-harmless Saddam, I would be much more happy with the state of world affairs if we had bombed Iran into the 70's about 9 months ago

[sohotrightnow]

I agree. The world will finally be at peace and the war on terror will finally be over.

[LaxRef]

I agree. The world will finally be at peace and the war on terror will finally be over.

Smell that? That's sarcasm. Anyway. . . .

[Hackalicious]

We absolutely need to engage him, at 1000 yards with a Hi-powered rifle.

This guy is the #1 path for nuclear weapons into the hands of terrorists. Think those guys are scary now? wait until they have the power to eradicate downtown LA with the push of a button.

It's unfortunate Bush used his political capital ousting the evil-but-relatively-harmless Saddam, I would be much more happy with the state of world affairs if we had bombed Iran into the 70's about 9 months ago

Your first instinct is to kill him and bomb innocent civilians?

I'm sure you'll be on the front lines, right Rambo?

Are you going to kill Pervez Musharraf and bomb Pakistan into the stone age too? Because they already have nukes, created the Taliban, fought several wars with nuclear-armed India and China, and are harboring Osama bin Laden.

Oops. I forgot. They're an ally in the war on terror. Let's sell them F-16s.

[Hugh Nunn]

We absolutely need to engage him, at 1000 yards with a Hi-powered rifle.

This guy is the #1 path for nuclear weapons into the hands of terrorists. Think those guys are scary now? wait until they have the power to eradicate downtown LA with the push of a button.

It's unfortunate Bush used his political capital ousting the evil-but-relatively-harmless Saddam, I would be much more happy with the state of world affairs if we had bombed Iran into the 70's about 9 months ago

Your first instinct is to kill him and bomb innocent civilians?

I'm sure you'll be on the front lines, right Rambo?

Are you going to kill Pervez Musharraf and bomb Pakistan into the stone age too? Because they already have nukes, created the Taliban, fought several wars with nuclear-armed India and China, and are harboring Osama bin Laden.

Oops. I forgot. They're an ally in the war on terror. Let's sell them F-16s.

The difference here is that the India/Pakistan nuclear detente is just that... Deterrent. It's not a good thing that that any of those nations have a nuclear capability, but a situation where even a patchwork detente is reached is vastly preferrable to a rogue nation who just wants to join the club. I dont fear as much the man who wants many nukes as much as I fear the man who only wants a couple.

But dont get me started about Pakistan being an "ally"...with friends like that, who needs enemas? It's a good thing Osama probably hasnt been told about the regions we are not allowed into so that the tribal leaders can be dealt with ...He might think it was a good place to hide.

[sohotrightnow]

We are all in for a nice treat come Sunday. Pervez Musharraf will be on 60 Minutes and apparently he will reveal that Richard Armitage gave him a friendly phone call a few days after 9/11 and informed him that if Pakistan did not cooperate with the US, his country would be blown to smithereens much like Afghanistan. I guess we shall see.

[StrykerFSU]

WARNING! WARNING! The following is meant in jest, do not take seriously...it's Friday after all WARNING! WARNING!

Maybe all the university folks up at Columbia can sit him down and talk to him about his feelings. Maybe they can help him understand that it's not nice to run around threatening genocide but that they, as liberals, understand the trauma he must be feeling what with all of the infidels making life so hard for a poor Shi'a just trying to get by. I mean, it's really just another example of the white Republican man trying to keep a brother down isn't it? The faculty could tell him not to worry because Bill Clinton will be Secretary-General of the UN soon and then not only will Iran get to be on the Security Council but he might even be able to get them some US nuclear secrets if the price is right...ask the Chinese for a referral. Shoot, I say Tehran to host the next summer Olympics. "Come to Tehran for the Games, stay for the Hezbollah fundraiser." Getting around the whole no women allowed in sports stadiums might be tough but hey, we got time baby!

Thank you for your patience and have a safe and happy weekend.