Ahmadinejad Asks Americans To Reject Bushism, Zionism

UNITED NATIONS — Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is using press outlets based here to appeal to "the American people," urging them to change regimes and rid themselves of "Zionist" impositions on the Bush administration.

Coming at the same time that the Bush administration is being urged by many in Washington to open up new diplomatic channels to Tehran, the letter from Mr. Ahmadinejad is laced with Old World anti-Semitism. It pushes hot-button issues like anger over Hurricane Katrina, warns newly elected Democrats to change Washington, and calls on Americans to reject President Bush and withdraw from Iraq.

The letter also came amid a deadlock in talks among leading members of the U.N. Security Council on how to respond to Iran's defiance of the resolution that called for a freeze on uranium enrichment. European diplomats were proposing to ease the pressure on Tehran in order to coax Russia to agree to an already weak resolution.

As the diplomatic pressure on Iran waned, new ideas of refocusing on the Arab-Israeli front and increasing the pressure on Israel gathered steam. Qatar, scheduled to assume the rotating presidency of the Security Council next month, plans to convene the 15 foreign ministers represented on the council on December 7 for a summit on the Israeli-Arab dispute.

While the five-page letter from the Iranian president plays a lot on America's Iraq-related anxieties, the first issue it tackles — after invoking solidarity with "god-fearing, truth-loving, and justice-seeking" Americans — is what Mr. Ahmadinejad terms "persistent aggressions by the Zionists" against the "rightful owners of the land of Palestine."

"No people wants to side with or support any oppressors," the Iranian leader, who has called to wipe Israel off the map, writes. "But regrettably, the U.S. administration disregards even its own public opinion and remains in the forefront of supporting the trampling of the rights of the Palestinian people."

Describing the reasons for Washington to back Israel, Mr. Ahmadinejad draws on European anti-Semites that in past centuries often accused Jews of controlling monetary and press institutions in order to advance their own nefarious goals.

"What have the Zionists done for the American people that the U.S. administration considers itself obliged to blindly support these infamous aggressors?" he writes. "Is it not because they have imposed themselves on a substantial portion of the banking, financial, cultural and media sectors?"

Repeating reports about abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, as well as wiretapping and other allegations of civila rights violations, Mr. Ahmadinejad appeals to "mothers and relatives" of troops serving in Iraq.

"Would it not be more beneficial to bring the U.S. officers and soldiers home, and to spend the astronomical U.S. military expenditures in Iraq for the welfare and prosperity of the American people?" he writes. "As you know very well, many victims of Katrina continue to suffer, and countless Americans continue to live in poverty and homelessness."

And appealing to the masses to replace their elected government and change its policies, he adds, "Is there not a better approach to governance?" He also tells Democrats, "now that you control an important branch of the U.S. Government, you will also be held to account by the people and by history."

The letter, titled "Message of H.E. Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, To the American People," was distributed yesterday to Turtle Bay reporters by Iran's only representative in America, its U.N. ambassador.

"This American person hasn't seen it yet," said America's U.N. ambassador, John Bolton. "I know you in the press have it, so maybe that's who he's really addressing the letter to." He added that unlike Mr. Ahmadinejad's previous letter, sent recently to Mr. Bush, at least this one was not 18 pages long, "so that's a step ahead."

Similarly, a State Department spokesman, Tom Casey, said the letter was "a public relation stunt." More important than the letter's content, he said, is Tehran's "relations to its own people," and "how it relates to the rest of the world."

Britain, France, and Germany recently offered new concession to Russia, drafting a new resolution proposal and dropping some meaningful sanctions that had been intended to punish Tehran for its refusal to end enrichment by an August 2006 deadline.

"Everybody is trying to get the Russians on board," a European diplomat told The New York Sun yesterday. "The aim of the new drafting is to bring the Russians in," another European diplomat added.

Mr. Bolton stressed that the talks are held away from Turtle Bay, by officials of the foreign ministries. "It's in the hands of the political directors," he said. "There's been no action on it in New York here for quite some time."