Iran president triggers EU walkout

[oberliner]

Source: AFP

GENEVA (AFP) – European Union delegates walked out of a major United Nations anti-racism conference on Monday after Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad launched a verbal onslaught against "cruel" Israel.

The meeting which had already been boycotted by several Western countries such as the United States and Australia, as well as Israel, was plunged into further controversy as Ahmadinejad took to the stage.

Several demonstrators were ejected as the Iranian president began his speech at the conference in Geneva and soon afterwards delegates from the European Union quit the conference room in protest at some of his comments.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090420/wl_mideast_afp/unracismrightsmeet_20090420151405

[rockymountaindem]

1. Did AIPAC make them do it?

:sarcasm:

[The Stranger]

4. Was Jane Harman there?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3839644&mesg_id=3839644

[question everything]

19. What an uniformed, trollin comment

He referred to Israel as "occupied Palestine." If this is your opinion, you do not belong on DU.

[Regret My New Name]

27. I believe his comment sarcasm.. Hence the sarcasm tag...

[Captain Hilts]

2. I hope this makes more people aware of what an idiot he is. nt

[bemildred]

3. Especially in Iran. nt

[Captain Hilts]

5. They whupped his party in the last legislative elections as we did in '06. nt

[malletgirl02]

23. Iran Presidential Election

I herd that the Reformers and the moderates in Iran are forming a coalition in order to have the best chances of defeating him.

[question everything]

20. Not on DU. But one can always hope (nt)

[inwiththenew]

6. The president of Iran

Is a puppet that dances for the Supreme Leader.

[iandhr]

7. Europe shows spine

great

[RalphieD]

8. The US is cowardly

for not showing up to this conference.

[cali]

9. bullshit. The conference is an Orwellian circus

and those who wisely chose to stay out of it are being validated by the hate speech spewed today by Ahmadinejad.

[RalphieD]

10. This is what Bush would do

Obama is doing just what Bush would do.  Alienate the rest of
the world.  Wake UP!

[LeftishBrit]

11. Obama?

It's Ahmadinejad who is 'doing just what Bush would do' and 'alienating the rest of the world'.

Actually, I always did think he and Bush had things in common.

[cali]

12. lol. this is what Sweden would do. And did. And Germany and

and Poland and Italy and Canada and the Netherlands and Australia and New Zealand. Now counting the countries that left the hate speech today: Fance and England and Norway and several more.

[oberliner]

13. Delegates from 23 nations including Jordan walked out during this speech

One report (BBC?) said 30, the Ynet report says 23.

[Better Believe It]

14. And now they are returning to the UN Conference

So only Israel, the United States and a handful of white European nations are boycotting the conference.

[cali]

15. What part of they walked out in disgust, eludes you?

and actually it's now 10 countries boycotting and more threatening to leave. this is a disaster in large part because although they might not be the white devils you so clearly view these countries as, the HRC is packed with some of the worst human rights abusers on the planet and they're largely running the sick little show in Geneva.

[TerribleLarryDingle]

17. The freepers are among us

Your full of shit dude go back to your compound.

[Dorian Gray]

22. Exactly

Ahmadinejad totally proved why we were justified in not taking part.

[ChazII]

24. Agree with you 100%. n/t

[Dramarama]

28. I agree

[iandhr]

16. Iran as no right to lecture Israel about anything

They to not hang gays in Tel Aviv. They do not stone Arab women for not wearing a veil in Haifa.

[question everything]

18. Pleasantly surprised

Of course, many DUers would love to refer to Israel as "Occupied Palestine."

This confirms the wise decision by Obama to boycott this gathering.

[Dorian Gray]

21. Which

totally proves right why the US, Canada, the Netherlands, Australia and other nations didn't take place in the conference in the first place.

It's an anti-Israel hate-fest.

[ohio2007]

25. 40 EU delegates walk out (diplomats from Britain and France and other European countries )

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon met with Ahmadinejad before his speech and said he had counseled the Iranian leader to avoid dividing the conference. Ban later said he was disappointed Ahmadinejad had used his speech "to accuse, divide and even incite," directly opposing the aim of the meeting.


The United States and eight other Western countries were already boycotting the event because of concerns about its fairness.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30304767

Hope this doesn't impact Gay pride parades in Tehran ......

[MrBig]

26. And this is why the UN has no respect

It can try all it wants to gain legitimacy, but when stuff like this happens, it makes the UN look like a complete joke.

This conference is just like the Patriot Act. It tries to give itself legitimacy by naming it the "Anti-Racism" conference, and then turns out to be a racist conference. The real losers in all of this are the un-heard voices of people who are truly suffering from racism and won't get heard.

We all knew this is what the conference would turn out to be. The US was right in boycotting.

[and-justice-for-all]

29. Israel always gets a free pass...

they never do anything wrong...

[cali]

30. oh for the love of reason.

this isn't about whether or not Israel does anything wrong. It's about Ahmadinejad spewing hate and anti-semitism. It's about a conference that's supposed to be addressing worldwide racism and related discrimination being run by the worst human rights abusers on the planet. Countries such as Sudan, Zimbabwe and others. It's about those countries stonewalling issues such as Darfur and focusing almost solely on Israel. It's about those countries trying to equate criticism of religion with human rights abuse.

Try and educate yourself.

[and-justice-for-all]

31. "Try and educate yourself."

I will give your suggestion consideration, thanks..:eyes:

[ohio2007]

32. justice will be dished up in the usual manner

in all the unreported places.



http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1d6_1234539823

that alla ahkbar guy don't take no crap from anybody
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090420/D97M7UVO0.html

[JI7]

33. would he consider the way women and gays are treated in Iran to be cruel ?

fuck him.

[Andrushka]

34. Read his full speech

http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2009/04/21/full-text-of-president-ahmadinejads-remarks-at-un-conference-on-racism/

Pointing out the obvious is taboo. Silence him!

[cali]

35. Pointing out the obvious and ugly bigotry in his speech

shouldn't even be necessary. I have nothing but utter contempt for apologists for bigots like Ahmadinejad, Netanyahu or Lieberman. It sucks that anyone here falls into that catagory. And grab a clue, genius, he was hardly silenced. He had THE speaking slot at the conference due to UN protocols.

Supporting bigotry and hate should be taboo and those that engage in it here, imo, deserve a big fat pizza pie in the sky. And yeah, I read that dishonest piece earlier this morning.

[Andrushka]

36. Not quite what I meant

But you go ahead and ignore the many elements of the (apparently awkward) truth in it among the bluster and propaganda.

"Let's all eliminate racism! What's that Israel? Free pass? Carry on."

[cali]

37. and YOU put words in my mouth.

a loathsome little practice, dear. Look, you're the one that trumpeted that Ahmadinejad was speaking the truth. And you're the one that made the farcical claim that he was being silenced.

I'm sure one can find "element of the truth" in David Dukes speeches or in the the writings and speeches of many other bigoted piggies. So the fuck what? Mixing truth and lies and hate, are hardly a new tactic by the bigots, genius. And it doesn't and shouldn't mean that we grant any credibiity to them

And sorry, but I sure as fuck don't give Israel a free pass. Not on the illegal occupation, the land and water thefts, the blockade of Gaza. the assault and bombing of Gaza, etc. Sorry to dash your moronic and false claims about me.

Deal with it.