VOA Panel Discussion
Grant Smith, IRmep: I think their response was almost inevitable. We can see in the letter that Ahmadinejad at first tries to show some commonalties, and nexus between religions. However, a little later in the letter there is one existential confrontation after another. For example when he is talking about the actions of Bush in Iraq, the prisoners in Guantanamo,
Pedro Rodriguez Diario ABC de Espa�a: 9/11 conspiracies….
Grant Smith, IRmep: yes..all topics that aren’t really on the negotiating table, as stated by Secretary of State Rice. And once more, Ahmadinejad talks about Israel, and whether it was really correct to locate it in the Middle East after WWII. For the Bush Administration, Israel is a matter of faith, and non-negotiable. The letter could actually be underscoring and supporting the analysis of the Bush administration that there is an existential confrontation with Iran. The letter almost serves as evidence of this [for Bush].
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