NEW YORK (CNN) -- Columbia University President Lee Bollinger excoriated Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday, going through a long list of documented actions and remarks by the firebrand Iranian leader and his government.
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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks Monday at Columbia University in New York.
"Mr. President, you exhibit all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator," Bollinger said to applause from many of the 600 people in the room for a speech from the Iranian leader.
Bollinger cited the Iranian government's "brutal crackdown" on dissidents, public executions, executions of minors and other actions.
And he assailed Ahmadinejad's "denying" of the Holocaust as "ridiculous" and "dangerous propaganda." He called the Iranian leader either brazenly provocative "or astonishingly uneducated."
"The truth is that the Holocaust is the most documented event in human history," he said.
He said he doubted Ahmadinejad would show the intellectual courage to answer the questions before him.
Ahmadinejad responded quickly.
"We don't think it's necessary before the speech is given to come in with some series of claims," the Iranian leader said.
He said Bollinger's comments included "insults" and false claims, and flew in the face of an environment that's supposed to let people speak their minds.
On the Holocaust, Ahmadinejad asked why history can't be questioned and further researched.
"If the Holocaust is a reality of our time, a history that occurred, why is there not sufficient research that can approach the topic from different perspectives?" he asked.
The Iranian leader has made statements in the past suggesting that Israel be politically "wiped off the map," though he insists that can be accomplished without violence. [photo unavailable]
While he would not respond with a "yes" or "no" when asked Monday if he sought the destruction of Israel, he said the status of Israel should be determined by a free election.
"Let the people of Palestine freely choose what they want for their future," he said.
Asked about widely documented government abuse of women and homosexuals in his country, Ahmadinejad said, "We don't have homosexuals" in Iran. "I don't know who told you we had it," he said.
FAST THINKER, GOOD DEBATER.
HE USED SIMPLE INDIRECT ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS TO MAKE HIMSELF LOOK VERY REASONABLE.
HE DIDN'T SPEAK LONG ENOUGH TO GET PINNED DOWN ON ANYTHING..
DANCED VERY NICELY, AROUND QUESTIONS AND TRIED TO IGNORE PARTS OF QUESTIONS, LIKE THE GAY EXECUTIONS, HE REPLIED THEY HAD NO GAYS.
HE DID A GOOD JOB, HE EVEN WAITED AT THE END TILL SOMEONE CAME OVER AND SHOOK HIS HAND.
VERY SHARP AND WELL REHEARSED.
BUT WATCH HIM DO SOME CULTURAL LYING, NO GAYS, YOU CAN SEE HOW WELL HE LIES.
Bollinger the Univ. President was very unprofessional to invite him then call Ahmadinejad names. Embarrassment to the University.
g
Watch him lie:
sociopath:
....Who told you we have nuclear bomb technology, we don't have it......
Originally published at https://warintel.blogspot.com/2007/09/ahmadinejad-kicks-but.html on September 24, 2007.