Left I on the News

The media are all noting "moderate" Iranian President Rouhani's talk at the U.N., and contrasting him with former "crazy" President Ahmadinejad. Here's what Rouhani said on the major topic of interest, Iran's [non-existent] nuclear weapons program:

"Nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction have no place in Iran's security and defense doctrine, and contradict our fundamental religious and ethical convictions."

And here's what Ahmadinejad said in 2008:

"Regarding the question of the bomb. We believe, as a matter of religious teaching, that we must be against any form of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons. The production and the usage of nuclear weapons is one of the most abhorrent acts to our eyes.

"In addition, we also believe that the atomic bomb has lost its use in political affairs, in fact. The time for a nuclear bomb has ended. Whoever who invests in it is going the wrong way.

"Was a nuclear bomb able to help keep the Soviet Union intact and prevent its downfall?

"Was it able to bring victory for the United States either in Afghanistan or Iraq?

"Can it be used to that end?

"Can the nuclear bomb save the Zionist regime?

"The time for bombs of that nature has ended. It is a time of thought, a time for culture and reason to prevail."

A radical change? No, a virtual word-for-word repetition, albeit with a bit more elaboration by Ahmadinejad.

But Ahmadinejad was an anti-Semite who said horrible things about Israel and its treatment of the Palestinians, right? Like this:

"In Palestine, 60 years of carnage and invasion is still ongoing at the hands of some criminal and occupying Zionists...UN resolutions that have addressed the plight of the Palestinians have been relegated to the archives unnoticed."

And here's Rouhani:

"Palestine is under occupation. The basic rights of the Palestinians are tragically violated, and they are deprived of the right of return and access to their homes, birthplace and homeland."