Thread: Iraq/Dinar News. 09/05 to 01/14/07

TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent a lengthy letter to the American people Wednesday, addressing "Noble Americans" and urging unity with Iran in spite of what the U.S. government says and does.

The letter was released in New York on Wednesday and seems to be an attempt by the controversial Iranian president to circumvent the Bush administration to directly reach Americans.

Click here to read Iranian President Ahmadinejad's letter to the American people. (pdf)

"Noble Americans ... we have common concerns, face similar challenges, and are pained by the sufferings and afflictions in the world," Ahmadinejad writes.

"Both our nations are God-fearing, truth-loving and justice-seeking, and both seek dignity, respect and perfection. What a liar

"Both greatly value and readily embrace the promotion of human ideals such as compassion, empathy, respect for the rights of human beings, securing justice and equity and defending the innocent and the weak against oppressors and bullies." give me a break

Iran first reported on the existence of the letter in bold type on the front page of a state-run newspaper, saying "the five-page letter to the American people will be released by Iran's representative at the United Nations today."
For more news, go to FOXNews.com's Iran Center.

Ahmadinejad wrote a rambling, 18-page letter to U.S. President George W. Bush in May, which Washington criticized for not addressing Iran's nuclear program — where the United States is leading the drive to impose U.N. sanctions on Tehran for its refusal to stop enriching uranium.

Iranians in the street were disappointed by the cold response to the May letter because, while it did not make clear proposals, it was the first official communication between the two countries' presidents since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

Earlier this month, Ahmadinejad said he was planning to write a letter to Americans.

"Many American people asked me to talk to them in order to explain the views of the Iranian people," Ahmadinejad told reporters, referring to his visit to New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly session in September.

Ahmadinejad has alienated many Americans by calling for Israel's destruction and repeatedly dismissing the Nazi Holocaust as a myth. He also strongly supports the Palestinian militant group Hamas and the Lebanese faction Hezbollah, which the U.S. State Department list as terrorist organizations.

"Governments are there to serve their own people," the Iranian president writes in his letter to Americans. "But regrettably, the U.S. administration disregards even its own public opinion and remains in the forefront of supporting the trampling of the rights of the Palestinian people."

Ahmadinejad also addresses the situation in Iraq, condemning the U.S.-led war there.

Since the United States' presence in Iraq began, "hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have been killed, maimed or displaced. Terrorism in Iraq has grown exponentially. ... Although Saddam was overthrown and people are happy about his departure, the pain and suffering of the Iraqi people has persisted and has even been aggravated. By there fueling insurgency

"About one hundred and fifty-thousand American soldiers, separated from their families and loved ones, are operating under the command of the current U.S. administration. A substantial number of them have been killed or wounded and their presence in Iraq has tarnished the image of the American people and government."

Ahmadinejad suggests a "better approach to governance," and recommends that "the right of Palestinians to live in their own homeland should be recognized." He also advises that American troops be brought home from Iraq.

"I am confident that you, the American people, will play an instrumental role in the establishment of justice and spirituality throughout the world," Ahmadinejad writes.

Twice this year Iran has proposed talks with the United States over Iraq, but Ahmadinejad has said that for such negotiations to take place, Washington must change its behavior. On Sunday he said Iran was ready to help the United States get out of the "Iraqi quagmire if the U.S. changes its bullying policy toward Iran."

Iran and the United States have had no diplomatic relations since 1979 when, after the revolution, militants seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and kept 52 people hostage for 444 days.

For more news, go to FOXNews.com's Iran Center.

WOW Great news items today!! My goose bumbs have goose bumps!!!

Cheers!
DayDream

So, come on then who thinks what will be the outcome of the next day or 2??????

Originally Posted by Adster

So, come on then who thinks what will be the outcome of the next day or 2??????

I'm with Charmed on this one!!! The next two days are

BIG !!

nothing will happen in the next day or two maybe next month before the 15!!

Bush Summit With Iraqi Prime Minister Delayed
White House Memo Raised Doubts About al-Maliki Leadership
By DEB RIECHMANN, AP

AMMAN, Jordan (Nov. 29) - President Bush's high-stakes summit with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was put off Wednesday after public disclosure of U.S. doubts about his capacity to control sectarian warfare. The White House said the two leaders would meet on Thursday

The postponement was announced shortly after Bush arrived here for talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II and al-Maliki. Bush's meeting with the king was to proceed on schedule.

White House counselor Dan Bartlett denied that the move was a snub by al-Maliki or was related to the leak of a White House memo questioning the prime minister's capacity for controlling violence in Iraq.

"Absolutely not," Bartlett said." He said the king and the prime minister had met before Bush arrived from a NATO summit in Latvia. "It negated the purpose for a meeting of the three of them," Bartlett said.

Bartlett said that Wednesday night's three-way meeting had always been planned as "more of a social meeting" and that Bush and Maliki on Thursday would have a "robust" meeting on their own.

The president was expected to ask the embattled Iraqi prime minister how best to train Iraqi forces faster so they can shoulder more responsibility for halting the sectarian violence and, specifically, mending a gaping Sunni-Shiite divide.

Bush arrived here amid disclosure of a memo by a top White House adviser that raised doubts about al-Maliki's ability to halt escalating sectarian violence in Iraq, where U.S. involvement now exceeds the length of America's participation in World War II.

We will discuss the situation on the ground in his country, our ongoing efforts to transfer more responsibility to the Iraqi security forces, and the responsibility of other nations in the region to support the security and stability of Iraq," Bush said Tuesday at the NATO summit.

"We'll continue to be flexible, and we'll make the changes necessary to succeed. But there's one thing I'm not going to do: I'm not going to pull our troops off the battlefield before the mission is complete," he said.

Meanwhile, Iraqi lawmakers and cabinet ministers loyal to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr suspended their participation in the parliament and government in protest over al-Maliki's summit with Bush. In Syria, President Bashar Assad said his country will continue to challenge U.S. efforts to exert control over the Middle East.

The White House has avoided saying that Bush will be pressuring al-Maliki at the meeting to do more to stop the bloodshed. National security adviser Stephen Hadley says the Iraqi prime minister pushes himself - and that Bush will be listening to al-Maliki's ideas, not imposing plans on him.

But in a classified Nov. 8 memo following his Oct. 30 trip to Baghdad, Hadley expressed serious doubts about whether al-Maliki had the capacity to control the sectarian violence in Iraq, and recommended steps to strengthen the Iraqi leader's position, The New York Times reported in Wednesday editions.

"The reality on the streets of Baghdad suggests Maliki is either ignorant of what is going on, misrepresenting his intentions, or that his capabilities are not yet sufficient to turn his good intentions into action," the memo said.

The White House did not dispute the accuracy of the memo, but a senior administration official said the document, taken as a whole, it is an expression of support for al-Maliki. "You have a constant reiteration of the importance of strengthening the Maliki government, the need to work with him, to augment his capabilities," the official said.

He added that Bush and Maliki have a "personal relationship" that allows them to "talk candidly about the challenges."

Another official, also speaking anonymously because of the classified nature of the memo, said it was not "a slap in the face, but it's, 'How do we grow his capability.' "

The president has confidence in Prime Minister Maliki, and also the administration is working with the prime minister to improve his capabilities," Press Secretary Tony Snow told reporters, adding that Maliki "has been very aggressive in recent weeks in taking on some of the key challenges."

Abdullah has warned that unless bold steps are taken posthaste, the new year could dawn with three civil wars in the Mideast - in Lebanon, between the Palestinians and Israelis and in Iraq. He says the fighting in Iraq amounts to a civil war between the Sunnis and Shiites, but Bush chooses to characterize it differently.

"No question it's tough," Bush said. "There's a lot of sectarian violence taking place, fomented, in my opinion, because of these attacks by al-Qaida, causing people to seek reprisal."

His meeting with al-Maliki is part of a new flurry of diplomacy the administration has undertaken across the Middle East. Hadley's memo suggests that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice hold a meeting for Iraq and its neighbors in the region early next month.

After the Bush-al-Maliki summit, Rice is staying behind in the region for talks with Palestinian, and possibly, Israeli leaders, who agreed last weekend on a cease-fire to end five months of fighting in the Gaza Strip.

Hadley suggested in his memo the United States could step up efforts to get Saudi Arabia to take a leadership role in supporting Iraq. Hadley said Saudi Arabia could use its influence to move Sunni populations in Iraq out of violence and into politics, cut off any public or private funding provided to the insurgents or death squads from the region and lean on Syria to terminate its support for Baathists and insurgent leaders.

Bush is regaining his footing on the world stage after the November election when Democrats seized the reins of both the House and Senate. The election was largely viewed as a referendum on the war, and the day after, Bush announced that Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld was stepping down from his post.


11/29/2006 13:30:36 EST

Fox News said that Hadly, after meeting with Maliki, said Maliki is "either unaware of what is going on on the ground, giving misinformation, or unable to deal with the problem"

Originally Posted by Adster

So, come on then who thinks what will be the outcome of the next day or 2??????

I would enjoy having my breakfast at Tiffany's this Friday ....ladies, anyone care to join??

Originally Posted by Pegasus

I thought that HSBC was already in partnership with some bank in Iraq. Does anyone know anything about this?

Yes, they(HSBC) have a 80% share in Dar es Salaam Bank. I have been trying to open an account with them and I have had NO luck!! Any one have a connection for Dar es Salaam in Iraq?

H-Silverlinning

Quote:
Originally Posted by Adster
So, come on then who thinks what will be the outcome of the next day or 2??????

I guess tomorrow will be the day we have been waiting for.
If not, then definitely by mid December.
Thanks to all for great wisdom & knowledge.
lucky12

Originally Posted by Hslvrl9g

Yes, they(HSBC) have a 80% share in Dar es Salaam Bank. I have been trying to open an account with them and I have had NO luck!! Any one have a connection for Dar es Salaam in Iraq?

H-Silverlinning

I heard that the minimum balance to open an account with them is a 100K USD!