Iran Special: Covering Ahmadinejad's Speech at the United Nations

James Miller of Dissected News joins EA WorldView today, travelling to New York to take in the atmosphere at the United Nations as President Ahmadinejad addresses the General Assembly. We'll be alongside, providing updates on the President's speech:

2055 GMT: A quick response from the US delegation to the UN: "Rather than representing the aspirations and goodwill of the Iranian people, Mr. Ahmadinejad has yet again chosen to spout vile conspiracy theories and anti-Semitic slurs that are as abhorrent and delusional as they are predictable." [Scott Lucas]

2014 GMT: And this time, that is it.

2013 GMT: OK, once more. God has promised the world to the pure and righteous: "all those seeking justice and all the free spirits have been awaiting this moment". True believers of Islam and of Jesus Christ anticipate this justice and "the truth of humanity".

2011 GMT: Ahmadinejad moves to general invocations of the divine, of purity, and of love.

That seems a nice point to end on, but no, he's still going, back to the not-so-nice "domineering" and injustices. I really feel like I'm being taken in circles now.

2009 GMT: More attacks on "domineering" powers and calls for free debate in General Assembly.

Ahmadinejad, promising a "conclusion", renews his call for reform of the UN to deal with these problems.

2006 GMT: Jumping over to Iran's nuclear programme, holding up the Tehran Declaration with Brazil and Turkey --- proposing talks on uranium enrichment --- as the way forward, and then attacking the "pressures", "intimidations", and "sanctions" put on Iran: "They are destroying the credibility of the Security Council."

2004 GMT: Ahmadinejad is racing through his checklist (the speech obviously has a time limit), returning to criticism of "occupation" and then moving to Asia and Africa as counter-examples with beneficial "development models".

2002 GMT: But it's back to the denunciation of capitalism and US-led systems, criticising the United Nations for being captive to "one of the members of the Security Council".

Ahmadinejad calls for the veto in the Security Council to be revoked, with the Secretary General established as the most powerful official, supported by the General Assembly. Ahmadinejad calls for a special session within a year for these reforms.

2000 GMT: Ahmadinejad now denouncing Koran burning.

The President holds up the Qu'ran and Bible and says Iran respects both.

1959 GMT: Ahmadinejad proposes 2011 as "Year of Nuclear Disarmament" but says he recognises the United Nations has been ineffective in taking any effective action.

1957 GMT: Ahmadinejad now discussing nuclear energy and nuclear weapons. He denounces the bomb and directs his criticism at those upgrading nuclear arsenals, specifically the US.

1955 GMT: Ahmadinejad now moves to the issue of Palestine and denunciation of "the Zionists" and their "most horrible crimes".

1954 GMT: Ahmadinejad calls for the UN to hold an independent enquiry into who caused 9-11 and says Tehran will hold a conference next year on international terrorism.

1953 GMT: Press TV shows the empty chairs of the US delegation.

1952 GMT: Now Ahmadinejad is going through his theories of who was really responsible for 9-11, indicating there was US Government involvement.

Many delegates are walking out.

1950 GMT: Next problem --- "the failure of global management".

Ahmadinejad suddenly invokes 11 September 2001, with all world leading condemning the incident. But then a "huge propaganda machine" claimed the "War on Terror" to occupy Afghanistan and Iraq, killing hundreds of thousands.

1949 GMT: A list of evils under this capitalism, colonialism, and "slavemasters" from World Wars to the intervention in Afghanistan to drugs.

1945 GMT: More on how man's quest for purity is reduced to being "a creature in a materialistic world".

Ah, here we go. "Capitalism" and "lust for domination" led to a few states imposing colonialism and slavery, plundering the lands of indigenous peoples.

1940 GMT: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is now speaking before the General Assembly. General platitudes to begin, although the Iranian President promises to show several reasons for global problems.

Much invocation of religious rhetoric leading to the "last messenger of God" promising "an all-inclusive religion".

Really not sure where this is going.... [Scott Lucas]

1830 GMT: An EA source writes, "Just walked through the UN protest. MEK [Mujahedin-e-Khalq] and monarchists arguing as usual. Next to it all some Falun Gong. Not very impressive and almost no Greens. I wore green and felt freaked out by all the Rajavi stuff."

James Miller reacts:

Totally accurate. Very little Green.

Small [Green] gathering now, few dozen on sidewalk, MEK/monarchist rallies marching around. There were 2 or 3 thousand Rajavi folk earlier. [Scott Lucas]

1729 GMT: I spent about a half-hour speaking with activist Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi.

Her main concern is that many in the West are attempting to push their own agenda for Iran, instead of simply reporting the news and bringing attention to the human rights abuses. Specifically, she had issues with the pro-Rajavi organizations, the pro-monarchist movements, and several others.  She repeatedly that her only loyalties are to a free, democratic, and secular Iran: not to the right, the left, or any other agenda.  

Looking around the morning rally, it wasn't hard to see why she was this concerned.  It was immediately obvious that some of the political organizations outside of Iran had a very loud voice. In fact, based on the extensive sound system the pro-Rajavi rally was packing, it was almost impossible to hear the other voices at the rally, literally and figuratively.

It was encouraging, however, to see how many turned out to protest Ahmadinejad.  The 2 p.m. (1800 GMT) protest, TO which I am going soon, is being held at Ahmadinejad's hotel, the Hilton on 42nd St. and 2nd Avenue.  There are more rallies planned throughout the day near the Hilton, though it is unclear how welcome these rallies will be with the security presence in the area, which is quite extensive, even for New York City.

1649 GMT: The People's Mojahedin of Iran/Mujahedin-e-Khalq presence is impressive, a sign of their organizational strength and the devotion (and financial contribution) of their supporters.

I've spent much of the last hour speaking with the iran180.org group and several organizations that follow foreign companies which invest in Iran. The consensus is that sanctions, combined with international condemnation of the regime's human rights violations, are combining to discourge investment in Iran. These groups believe that sanctions are working.

There is another rally in about an hour, and I am headed there now.

1545 GMT: The Islamic Republic News Agency confirms that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's non-appearance at the opening session of the UN General Assembly was a deliberate boycott of President Obama's speech. [Scott Lucas]

515 GMT: I'm sitting in an area of New York on 47th Street, between 1st and 2nd Avenue, near the UN and in one of the official rallies.

There are currently two rallies, a smaller one near the sidewalk run by iran180.org, where they have had several speakers, including Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi [daughter of an imprisoned Iranian journalist ], as well as a mock trial for Ahmadinejad. While their slogan is "human rights, not nuclear rights", they seemed to use human rights violations as the reason why Iran should not have a nuclear arms program.

The much larger rally  is being run by supporters of Maryam Rajavi, the head of the People's Mojahedin of Iran and "the voice of change for a new Iran". There are several thousand Ravaji and PMOI supporters among them. This is a high-budget protest, with several teleprompters and a very professional sound system. Most of the start of the rally was in Persian, though several English-speaking organizers have now made statements.

1320 GMT: Near the UN on 47th Street and 2nd Avenue:

1306 GMT (0906 in New York): My opening thought for the day...

I received an e-mail overnight from a contact inside Iran. She wished me luck and solidarity in protesting this "ruthless dictator". The irony that an Iranian who faces prison or death by protesting would thank an American, who faces nothing, is not lost on me.

I'm hitting the rally a bit early, which would be impossible in Tehran where there is only safety in numbers. I'm wearing a green protest shirt. No sign of police or Basij anywhere.