Political Skullduggery

The full text of yesterday's 18-page letter from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to President Bush is not easy for Americans to find on websites of U.S. media outlets. The U.S. media briefly described some of the contents, but left some revealing passages unreported.

I was able to find a United Nations' translation of the full text of the letter on the Hong Kong-based Asia Times Online.

Ahmadinejad begins by questioning Bush's actions in light of his oft-stated belief in Christianity. Mentioning things like starting wars that kill innocents, and holding prisoners without trial.

He brings up U.S. support for Israel, asks why that regime is being supported.

Then points out U.S. opposition of democratically elected governments in Latin America, and mentions the looting of natural resources from Africa.

The Iranian leader gives Bush a list of complaints about U.S. treatment of Iran itself:

The brave and faithful people of Iran too have many questions and grievances, including: the coup d'etat of 1953 and the subsequent toppling of the legal government of the day, opposition to the Islamic revolution [of 1979], transformation of an embassy into a headquarters supporting the activities of those opposing the Islamic Republic (many thousands of pages of documents corroborates this claim), support for Saddam in the war waged against Iran, the shooting down of the Iranian passenger plane, freezing the assets of the Iranian nation, increasing threats, anger and displeasure vis-a-vis the scientific and nuclear progress of the Iranian nation (just when all Iranians are jubilant and collaborating with their country's progress), and many other grievances that I will not refer to in this letter.

Then the Iranian leader gets to the part which I find very intriguing. He condemns the 9-11 attacks, then adds:

All governments have a duty to protect the lives, property and good standing of their citizens. Reportedly your government employs extensive security, protection and intelligence systems - and even hunts its opponents abroad. September 11 was not a simple operation. Could it be planned and executed without coordination with intelligence and security services--or their extensive infiltration? Of course this is just an educated guess. Why have the various aspects of the attacks been kept secret? Why are we not told who botched their responsibilities? And, why aren't those responsible and the guilty parties identified and put on trial?

Ahmadinejad is clearly referring to the key to the 9-11 attacks--how the hijackers were able to know ahead of time that the U.S. military was to be conducting hijacking exercises, the perfect cover for real hijackings--on the morning of Sept 11, 2001. The proof that inside help was given to the hijack plotters is the simultaneity of the hijack exercises and the real hijackings. Although this does not point to the specific malefactors, circumstantial evidence of lesser quality has been used to successfully identify countless people suspected of crimes.

The Iranian president accurately points to the information operations since 9-11 that have swayed the American people to support the most questionable foreign policy objectives in decades:

All governments have a duty to provide security and peace of mind for their citizens. For some years now, the people of your country and neighbors of world trouble spots do not have peace of mind. After 9-11, instead of healing and tending to the emotional wounds of the survivors and the American people--who had been immensely traumatized by the attacks--some Western media only intensified the climates of fear and insecurity--some constantly talked about the possibility of new terror attacks and kept the people in fear. Is that service to the American people? Is it possible to calculate the damages incurred from fear and panic?

American citizens lived in constant fear of fresh attacks that could come at any moment and in any place. They felt insecure in the streets, in their place of work and at home. Who would be happy with this situation? Why was the media, instead of conveying a feeling of security and providing peace of mind, giving rise to a feeling of insecurity?

Some believe that the hype paved the way--and was the justification--for an attack on Afghanistan. Again I need to refer to the role of media. In media charters, correct dissemination of information and honest reporting of a story are established tenets. I express my deep regret about the disregard shown by certain Western media for these principles. The main pretext for an attack on Iraq was the existence of WMDs. This was repeated incessantly - for the public to, finally, believe - and the ground set for an attack on Iraq.

Will the truth not be lost in a contrive and deceptive climate? Again, if the truth is allowed to be lost, how can that be reconciled with the earlier mentioned values?

Ahmadinejad is clearly aware of, and is objecting to the current anti-Iran info-op which we have been covering here for many months. He knows the goals of the campaign and is issuing his protestation before the bombs start dropping.

The Iranian leader ends his letter to President Bush by trying to stress the commonality of Christian and Islamic prophets and teachings, and tries to reach a common ground between the two men.

Do you not think that if all of us come to believe in and abide by these principles, that is, monotheism, worship of God, justice, respect for the dignity of man, belief in the Last Day, we can overcome the present problems of the world--that are the result of disobedience to the Almighty and the teachings of prophets--and improve our performance?

Ahmadinejad's approach might curry some favor with a truly religious man. Unfortunately, Bush's actions mark him as far from a believer in the teachings of his avowed saviour. That's why the Iranian president's effort to reach out to the American president will fall on deaf ears.

The U.S. media's reluctance to fully report on the letter--understandable in light of the allegations made by Ahmadinejad about media propagandizing--is the reason most Americans won't learn of the full details of this communication between leaders.