The president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent an open letter to the American people today, urging Americans to disregard their government and to support unity with Iran. The letter, distributed by the Iranian mission to the U.N., addressed “Noble Americans” and criticized President Bush for his support Israel, his policy in Iraq, and his terrorist detention policies.

The text of Mr. Ahmadinejad’s letter follows:

Message of H.E. Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
To the American People

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

O, Almighty God, bestow upon humanity the perfect human being promised to
all by You, and make us among his followers.

Noble Americans,

Were we not faced with the activities of the US administration in this part
of the world and the negative ramifications of those activities on the daily
lives of our peoples, coupled with the many wars and calamities caused by
the US administration as well as the tragic consequences of US interference
in other countries;

Were the American people not God-fearing, truth-loving, and justice-seeking,
while the US administration actively conceals the truth and impedes any
objective portrayal of current realities;

And if we did not share a common responsibility to promote and protect
freedom and human dignity and integrity;

Then, there would have been little urgency to have a dialogue with you.


While Divine providence has placed Iran and the United States geographically
far apart, we should be cognizant that human values and our common human
spirit, which proclaim the dignity and exalted worth of all human beings,
have brought our two great nations of Iran and the United States closer
together.

Both our nations are God-fearing, truth-loving and justice-seeking, and both
seek dignity, respect and perfection.

Both greatly value and readily embrace the promotion of human ideals such as
compassion, empathy, respect for the rights of human beings, securing
justice and equity, and defending the innocent and the weak against
oppressors and bullies.

We are all inclined towards the good, and towards extending a helping hand
to one another, particularly to those in need.

We all deplore injustice, the trampling of peoples’ rights and the
intimidation and humiliation of human beings.

We all detest darkness, deceit, lies and distortion, and seek and admire
salvation, enlightenment, sincerity and honesty.

The pure human essence of the two great nations of Iran and the United
States testify to the veracity of these statements.

Noble Americans,

Our nation has always extended its hand of friendship to all other nations
of the world.

Hundreds of thousands of my Iranian compatriots are living amongst you in
friendship and peace, and are contributing positively to your society. Our
people have been in contact with you over the past many years and have
maintained these contacts despite the unnecessary restrictions of US
authorities.

As mentioned, we have common concerns, face similar challenges, and are
pained by the sufferings and afflictions in the world.

We, like you, are aggrieved by the ever-worsening pain and misery of the
Palestinian people. Persistent aggressions by the Zionists are making life

more and more difficult for the rightful owners of the land of Palestine.
In broad day-light, in front of cameras and before the eyes of the world,
they are bombarding innocent defenseless civilians, bulldozing houses,
firing machine guns at students in the streets and alleys, and subjecting
their families to endless grief.

No day goes by without a new crime.

Palestinian mothers, just like Iranian and American mothers, love their
children, and are painfully bereaved by the imprisonment, wounding and
murder of their children. What mother wouldn’t?

For 60 years, the Zionist regime has driven millions of the inhabitants of
Palestine out of their homes. Many of these refugees have died in the
Diaspora and in refugee camps. Their children have spent their youth in
these camps and are aging while still in the hope of returning to homeland.

You know well that the US administration has persistently provided blind and
blanket support to the Zionist regime, has emboldened it to continue its
crimes, and has prevented the UN Security Council from condemning it.

Who can deny such broken promises and grave injustices towards humanity by
the US administration?

Governments are there to serve their own people. No people wants to side
with or support any oppressors. But regrettably, the US administration
disregards even its own public opinion and remains in the forefront of
supporting the trampling of the rights of the Palestinian people.

Let’s take a look at Iraq. Since the commencement of the US military
presence in Iraq, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have been killed, maimed
or displaced. Terrorism in Iraq has grown exponentially. With the presence
of the US military in Iraq, nothing has been done to rebuild the ruins, to
restore the infrastructure or to alleviate poverty. The US Government used

the pretext of the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but
later it became clear that that was just a lie and a deception.

Although Saddam was overthrown and people are happy about his departure, the
pain and suffering of the Iraqi people has persisted and has even been
aggravated.

In Iraq, about one hundred and fifty thousand American soldiers, separated
from their families and loved ones, are operating under the command of the
current US administration. A substantial number of them have been killed or
wounded and their presence in Iraq has tarnished the image of the American
people and government.

Their mothers and relatives have, on numerous occasions, displayed their
discontent with the presence of their sons and daughters in a land thousands
of miles away from US shores. American soldiers often wonder why they have
been sent to Iraq.

I consider it extremely unlikely that you, the American people, consent to
the billions of dollars of annual expenditure from your treasury for this
military misadventure.

Noble Americans,

You have heard that the US administration is kidnapping its presumed
opponents from across the globe and arbitrarily holding them without trial
or any international supervision in horrendous prisons that it has
established in various parts of the world. God knows who these detainees
actually are, and what terrible fate awaits them.

You have certainly heard the sad stories of the Guantanamo and Abu-Ghraib
prisons. The US administration attempts to justify them through its
proclaimed “war on terror.” But every one knows that such behavior, in
fact, offends global public opinion, exacerbates resentment and thereby
spreads terrorism, and tarnishes the US image and its credibility among
nations.

The US administration’s illegal and immoral behavior is not even confined to

outside its borders. You are witnessing daily that under the pretext of
“the war on terror,” civil liberties in the United States are being
increasingly curtailed. Even the privacy of individuals is fast losing its
meaning. Judicial due process and fundamental rights are trampled upon.
Private phones are tapped, suspects are arbitrarily arrested, sometimes
beaten in the streets, or even shot to death.

I have no doubt that the American people do not approve of this behavior and
indeed deplore it.

The US administration does not accept accountability before any
organization, institution or council. The US administration has undermined
the credibility of international organizations, particularly the United
Nations and its Security Council. But, I do not intend to address all the
challenges and calamities in this message.

The legitimacy, power and influence of a government do not emanate from its
arsenals of tanks, fighter aircrafts, missiles or nuclear weapons.
Legitimacy and influence reside in sound logic, quest for justice and
compassion and empathy for all humanity. The global position of the United
States is in all probability weakened because the administration has
continued to resort to force, to conceal the truth, and to mislead the
American people about its policies and practices.

Undoubtedly, the American people are not satisfied with this behavior and
they showed their discontent in the recent elections. I hope that in the
wake of the mid-term elections, the administration of President Bush will
have heard and will heed the message of the American people.

My questions are the following:

Is there not a better approach to governance?

Is it not possible to put wealth and power in the service of peace,
stability, prosperity and the happiness of all peoples through a commitment
to justice and respect for the rights of all nations, instead of aggression

and war?

We all condemn terrorism, because its victims are the innocent.

But, can terrorism be contained and eradicated through war, destruction and
the killing of hundreds of thousands of innocents?

If that were possible, then why has the problem not been resolved?

The sad experience of invading Iraq is before us all.

What has blind support for the Zionists by the US administration brought for
the American people? It is regrettable that for the US administration, the
interests of these occupiers supersedes the interests of the American people
and of the other nations of the world.

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

I recommend that in a demonstration of respect for the American people and
for humanity, the right of Palestinians to live in their own homeland should
be recognized so that millions of Palestinian refugees can return to their
homes and the future of all of Palestine and its form of government be
determined in a referendum. This will benefit everyone.

Now that Iraq has a Constitution and an independent Assembly and Government,
would it not be more beneficial to bring the US officers and soldiers home,
and to spend the astronomical US military expenditures in Iraq for the
welfare and prosperity of the American people? As you know very well, many
victims of Katrina continue to suffer, and countless Americans continue to
live in poverty and homelessness.

I’d also like to say a word to the winners of the recent elections in the
US:

The United States has had many administrations; some who have left a
positive legacy, and others that are neither remembered fondly by the

American people nor by other nations.

Now that you control an important branch of the US Government, you will also
be held to account by the people and by history.

If the US Government meets the current domestic and external challenges with
an approach based on truth and Justice, it can remedy some of the past
afflictions and alleviate some of the global resentment and hatred of
America. But if the approach remains the same, it would not be unexpected
that the American people would similarly reject the new electoral winners,
although the recent elections, rather than reflecting a victory, in reality
point to the failure of the current administration’s policies. These
issues had been extensively dealt with in my letter to President Bush
earlier this year.

To sum up:

It is possible to govern based on an approach that is distinctly different
from one of coercion, force and injustice.

It is possible to sincerely serve and promote common human values, and
honesty and compassion.

It is possible to provide welfare and prosperity without tension, threats,
imposition or war.

It is possible to lead the world towards the aspired perfection by adhering
to unity, monotheism, morality and spirituality and drawing upon the
teachings of the Divine Prophets.

Then, the American people, who are God-fearing and followers of Divine
religions, will overcome every difficulty.

What I stated represents some of my anxieties and concerns.

I am confident that you, the American people, will play an instrumental role
in the establishment of justice and spirituality throughout the world. The
promises of the Almighty and His prophets will certainly be realized;
Justice and Truth will prevail and all nations will live a true life in a
climate replete with love, compassion and fraternity.

The US governing establishment, the authorities and the powerful should not

choose irreversible paths. As all prophets have taught us, injustice and
transgression will eventually bring about decline and demise. Today, the
path of return to faith and spirituality is open and unimpeded.

We should all heed the Divine Word of the Holy Qur’an:

“But those who repent, have faith and do good may receive Salvation. Your
Lord, alone, creates and chooses as He will, and others have no part in His
choice; Glorified is God and Exalted above any partners they ascribe to
Him.” (28:67-68)

I pray to the Almighty to bless the Iranian and American nations and indeed
all nations of the world with dignity and success.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
29 November 2006