Is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a man the West can work with?
| 17:30 UK time, Friday, 24 September 2010
This topic was discussed on World Have Your Say on 24 September 2010. Listen to the programme.
"As abhorrent and delusional as they are predictable". The US response to claims by the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that the US government was behind the 9/11 attacks. He made the claims whilst addressing the UN General Assembly in New York. The US delegation walked out and was joined by representatives from all the EU countries, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Costa Rica.
It comes just just hours after US President Barack Obama seemed to take a softer line with Iran than often in the past. He told the United Nations General Assembly:
The US and the international community seek a resolution to our differences with Iran, and the door remains open to diplomacy should Iran choose to walk through it. But the Iranian government must demonstrate a clear and credible commitment, and confirm to the world the peaceful intent of its nuclear programme.
The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ North America Editor Mark Mardell says on his blog,
The important point was what he did not say: "or else". I have never heard Mr Obama talk about the issue of Iran's apparent plan to develop nuclear weapons without talking about sanctions, sometimes adding that "other options" were on the table.
In a few hours time President Obama will be interviewed on , the White House says the , "He'll have the opportunity to build on the same message that he's delivered repeatedly over the last 20 months, including today, which is that we seek a better relationship with the people of Iran,"
As long as timings of the interview don't slip, we'll be talking about this on today's show and discussing the issues that arise. What do you want to hear from President Obama? Should he take a softer line towards President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Iran? Is now the time to scrap sanctions in order to put out a hand of friendship to the Iranian people? Or is the possibility of a nuclear armed Iran too much of a gamble?
