Iran's Dictator Talks to America About "Civil Liberties...Being Curtailed."
Michael Slackman's "Iran's President Criticizes Bush In Letter to American People" lets the anti-American dictator spell out hiscriticism of life in the United States.
"Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, told the American people on Wednesday that he was certain they detested President Bush's policies - his support for Israel, war in Iraq and curtailed civil liberties - and he offered to work with them to reverse those policies."
"'This is a transparently hypocritical and cynical letter,' Nicholas R. Burns, under secretary of state for political affairs, said in Washington about the latest letter. 'It reflects a profound lack of understanding of the United States.'
"Still, at least tactically the letter seemed to take a page from Mr. Bush himself, who, speaking to the United Nations General Assembly in September, sought to bypass the Iranian government and address the people directly. The letter also distinguished between the administration and the people."
Slackman goes into detail: "The letter reminded Americans that 'many victims of Katrina continue to suffer, and countless Americans continue to live in poverty and homelessness.'
"It also lamented: 'Civil liberties are increasingly being curtailed. Even the privacy of the individuals is fast losing its meaning.'...After referring to Abu Ghraib in Iraq and the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, he wrote: 'I have no doubt that the American people do not approve of this behavior and indeed deplore it.'"
Ahmadinejadobviously reads the Times editorial page.
