Why did US president refuse an offer of a live TV debate with the Iranian president?

Question

Is he chicken? Surely this would be an excellent way to see who has the better case.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/d55d66c4-377e-11db-bc01-0000779e2340.html

I'm not convinced by arguments that we should not talk to "terrorists".

Why does the UK and US talk to Israel then? Menachem Begin, the former Israeli prime minister was a wanted "terrorist". He was the leader of a gang who dressed up as arabs and blew up the King David Hotel (killing 91 people) and for stringing up two british soldiers.

Answer 1

If world leaders really could sort out their differences through an open debate the world would be a safer place. However the truth is that humanity has a track record of sorting out it's differences through physical force. Diplomacy has tended to be used to paper over the cracks and maintain the status quo. From the days of Imperial conquest (white) Western Governments have interfered both militarily and through shady meddling, bribery and espionage to maintain their grip on world trade and resources.

Many people here have been taught that the Iranians are dangerous and evil - just the same way that many Iranians are being taught that the West and the USA especially is in league with the devil.

Let's not forget however that politics in the Middle East as a whole are a product of Western interference on a grand scale. The Shah of Iran was a monster to his own people and was backed to the hilt by the West - who got a nasty shock, when despite all their chicanery the Shah was ousted by a middle class revolution that led to the regime we have today. The West has done nothing to help the ordinary citizens of Iran (most of whom, just like the Iraqis, just like me and you - want nothing more than a decent standard of living and peace).

What we call our democracy is little more than a facade. The people who are really in charge would squash us in a moment if we tried to upset the precarious house of cards they have constructed in order to keep the wheels of business turning for the big corporations. It is they who really rule the roost and the whole charade of world politics, all the rhetoric about bringing freedom and democracy to the world etc etc is a cover for the exploitation of millions of people around ythe globe. President Bush can't sort out the poverty and inequality in his own country. If ordinary people across the globe were allowed to sort out their own lives then maybe some sensible reasonable dialogue could occur. But the levels of education, the dumbing down of culture and expectations make this unlikely even if our glorious leaders did suddenly decide to become honest brokers. In short Bush is a puppet - a pretty second rate one at that at - whose strings are being pulled by people we never hear about, sat in boardrooms we will never be invited to, but who are doing very nicely thankyou. So don't imagine they would ever want to sit down and talk about the rights of the Iranian people, they just want to keep em down. keep a lid on the region and keep the oil flowing.

Answer 2

Don't forget Pakistan! They are a terrorist nation, as well as a dictatorship - but we still talk to them. And, they support many bombings in India. Not outright, but people and money hide there.

As far as debate...

Come on. The guy couldn't stump Kerry! Kerry squashed him in the Presidential debates...I'm sure he doesn't know the first thing about Iran and he would like like an international dumb ar.se.

And, I agree also with militarymudmarine guy. The Iranian president is a whack job. To set him up as a viable figure to debate the president of the USA would give him more legitamcy than he should ever have!!! The guy really needs his Prozac.

Honestly, these terrorists really are too stupid to talk with. Have you read the letter he sent to the president? As far as I'm concerned with a letter like that I want a president who will protect my religious freedom (or, my will to be free from religion totally).

I may disagree with the president on a lot of things. But, this is one place where I stand behind him!

Answer 3

It amazes me how people can turn on Bush and take the side of a madman. No matter what you think of Bush, you can't take the side of a rhetoric speaking Isalm extremist. Rumsfled made a good point about appeasment, although the invasion of Iraq was wrong, although I do still think they had WMD's somewhere it's a big country, these people are fanatics who want you to live Islam, or die. They can not be appeased. I think the people who are so Bush hating should really study how these extremists govern their people. The terrorists are all connected by these Islam regimes. If not firectly, they at least give moral support. Did any Islamic countries come out and denounce 9/11? The school hostage taking in Russia? The Madrid train bombing, London, Bali, it goes on and on. Islam is just an excuse for power, remember that.

Answer 4

What for? Everyone here that has answered, so far, has already made up their mind. Iran is actually a friendly country, right? Many of us must have had it wrong when we thought he (Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad ) was a former active terrorist that now simply wants nuclear power as an alternative source of energy for his country. I'm willing to bet most of you that answered are actually against nuclear power, right? Probably also against nuclear weapons. Yet you hate Bush SO MUCH that you will actually side with a guy that more than likely hates YOU. Please see this for what it is people, another distraction by a guy that doesn't want face the world concerning the REAL issues at hand.

Answer 5

The United States hasn't had diplomatic relations with Iran since the hostage crisis in the late '70s, and to meet with Iran's madman president now would only give a sense of legitimacy to the Iranian leader. That's one thing the U.S. is not going to do while Ahmadinejad is in charge in Iran. Granted, George W. hasn't necessarily been the brightest bulb in the chandelier when it comes to foreign policy, but this is one time he's got it right. Granting legitimacy to the Iranian president will do nothing to solve any problems and will only create more, especially with Iran thumbing its nose at the U.N. over its apparent nuke program. The U.S. understands that the stakes are high with Iran, and the only way Iran is going to be reined in is by isolation and deprivation, not by engagement on a public stage before the world.

Answer 6

First you could understand that Ahmadinejad has no power. he's in ordinary words a figure head. The Presidency of Iran is a fashion for Khomeini to have his will enacted yet with out risking his own neck. once you have ever watched an interview with Ahmadinejad you'll understand that he purely avoids answering any and all questions and continuously adjustments the concern to perceived injustices hostile to Muslims.

Answer 7

There is no good reason why the USA should acknowledge Iran.The hostage taking during the Carter Administration is still an open sore and nothing has happened between the two countries to absolve that event.

Iran refuses to observe the requirements set up by the UN concerning nuclear developments. Meeting with Iran on a TV extravaganza would be the wrong thing to do.

Answer 8

The Iranian merits no response from someone at the level of the US President. Further, as a fool or puppet the Iranian is not in a position to be taken seriously. Any response would be dignifying the offer beyond its worth.

Answer 9

The Iranian president speaks better English.

Answer 10

Who dresses you in the morning? This is obvious. It would be stupid to meet that Iranian maniac in debate. Do you think that guy could get into a civilized debate? He would just sit there and insult our president and our way of life.

There isn't even a debate there. Amedadictator has publicly stated that he wants to annihilate a country that just wants to exist without the constant threat of harm to its citizens, he despises women and all ethnic groups but his own, he wants to build nuclear weapons so that he can bully around other nations, he runs one of the nastiest, most repressive regimes in the world, and he spits on the very idea of individual rights. Think you're better off over there? Go ahead and give it a shot.