Brian Williams held an interview with Mahmoud Ahmadenijad that you’ll be able to see on NBC tonight. The following exchange will likely make the most news:
BRIAN WILLIAMS: Is Iran’s goal to have nuclear power or to be a nuclear power? Pres. AHMADINEJAD: (Through translator) We are not working to manufacture a bomb. We don’t believe in a nuclear bomb. We also think it will not effect political relations. The Zionist regime which you refer to earlier has an arsenal of hundreds of nuclear warheads. Has this arsenal helped the zionists to prevail inside the conflict inside Lebanon? No. Again, did nuclear arms help the Soviet Union from falling and disintegrating. For that matter, did a nuclear bomb help the U.S. to prevail inside Iraq or Afghanistan, for that matter. Nuclear bombs belong to the 20th century. We are living in a new century. We think that things to nuclear issue, an inappropriate measure or action was taken. Nuclear energy must not be equaled to a nuclear bomb.
Phew! For a while there, I feared that Ahmadenijad and his regime were downright belligerent. Now I see that they view nuclear weapons as just soooo 20th century. Then again, with a regime that worships the mores of the 7th century, perhaps something purportedly belonging to an era that passed a mere nine years ago still has a little shelf life left in it.
