LAYING GROUNDWORK FOR WAR

 

 

U.S. Congress urges UN
to charge Iranian president

 

US urges UN to charge Ahmadinejad
The Jerusalem Post Thursday, 21 June 2007

By HILARY LEILA KRIEGER

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives urged
the UN Security Council Wednesday to charge Iran's president
under genocide conventions.

The non-binding resolution, initiated by Reps. Mark Kirk (R-Illinois)
and Steve Rothman (D-New Jersey), passed by 411-2. It cites
an October 27 speech in which Mahmoud Ahmadinejad allegedly
called for Israel to be "wiped off the map."

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) attempted to have read into the
record alternate translations of Ahmadinejad's remarks that suggest
the Iranian leader was calling Israel to come to an end through
democratic means, and not through violence.

"I am unequivocal in my support for the security and survival of
Israel, and I do have serious concerns with the remarks made by
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, president of Iran," said Kucinich, a long-shot candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination. "But I object to resolutions that lay the groundwork for an offensive, unprovoked war."

One of the alternate translations was by the Middle East Media
Research Institute (MEMRI).

Two lone voices against Zionist crowd

Kucinich and Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), a long-shot contender for
the Republican presidential nomination, were the only votes against.

The sponsors of the resolution cited the UN charter to support their
argument that Ahmadinejad should be charged.

The charter — which Iran has accepted — requires all UN member
states to "refrain in their international relations from the threat or
use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence
of any state."

"When the leader of an armed nation such as Iran calls for the
destruction of a fellow member state of the United Nations, the UN
must prosecute and punish him," Rothman said.

"It is my hope that this resolution will effectively increase pressure
on the United Nations to hold Iranian President Ahmadinejad
accountable for his genocidal words and prevent Iran from obtaining
nuclear weapons."