Israel Matzav

Quid pro quo for Ahmadenijad speech?

CNS News is reporting this morning via Michelle Malkin that a Columbia alumnus may have been released from an Iranian prison in return for Ahmadinejad being invited to speak at Columbia.

The president of Columbia University is expressing relief that a Columbia alumnus was released from an Iranian prison — just days before the Iranian president is scheduled to speak at Columbia University.

Dr. Kian Tajbakhsh, who works for George Soros’s Open Society Institute, was one of several Iranian-Americans detained by Iran for allegedly conspiring against Iran’s national security.

Tajbakhsh was freed on bail last Thursday. Iranian President Mahmoud Amadinejad is speaking at Columbia on Monday, and the invitation for him to appear on campus has drawn widespread condemnation from politicians and ordinary Americans, who view Amadinejad as an enemy of the United States and Israel.

Maybe these people shouldn't be in Iran in the first place?

I'm serious about that by the way. The US doesn't allow its citizens to go to North Korea or Cuba (I have a friend who went to Cuba via Canada. The Cubans 'accidentally' stamped his passport, and now he gets strip-searched every time he leaves or enters the US). Why do they allow them to go to Iran? The last thing the US needs is Iran holding a bunch of American hostages.

Michelle also quotes Hugh Hewitt, who has a spot-on take on Ahmadinejad's appearance at Columbia:

While the dean’s candor on what Ahmadinejad represents is welcome, the idea that “prestige or legitimacy” is not inherent in the invitation is just absurd. It is the “World Leaders Forum” at one of the world’s great universities –of course Columbia is not merely “lending” the fanatic “prestige” and “legitimacy,” it is wholesaling both to him and all he represents.

For as long as we recall that Iran has been killing American soldiers and Marines, we will also recall that when Ahmadinejad came to the United States, it was Columbia that welcomed him and gave him a stage, a microphone, a vast audience and all the “prestige” and “legitimacy” Columbia can confer.

She has a couple of great graphics and lots of updates too. Read it all.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:33 PM