Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a passionate and garrulous leader. You know that if you have heard one or more of his public utterances, like the interview with Mike Wallace on past Sunday's edition of "60 Minutes". But an unimpeded access to the bully pulpit of an entire nation and the nervous attention of much of the world may not be enough of an outlet for his thoughts and musings. Ahmadinejad has now launched his own blog ! I just logged on to it. It is in Persian and there is no Site Meter. Will it be required reading for all Iranian citizens? I bet the majority of the blog traffic will come from the Mossad and the CIA.
A useful update from Sujatha: " If you want to read the English translated page of Ahmadinejad's blog, click on the second flag to the right of the title. You get an exhaustive translation of his childhood struggles etc.etc. Wonder when the Chimperor will try to emulate him!"
TEHRAN (Reuters): Iran's president has launched a Web log, using his first entry to recount his poor upbringing and ask visitors to the site if they think the United States and Israel want to start a new world war.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose speeches are riddled with anti-U.S. rhetoric, also described how he was angered by American meddling in Iran even when he was at elementary school.
Ahmadinejad swept to a surprise victory in last year's presidential race by promising the country's poor a fairer share of Iran's oil wealth and emphasizing his own humble origins that led many to vote for him as an "outsider" to Iran's ruling elite.
"During the era that ... living in a city was perfection, I was born in a poor family in a remote village," he wrote in a blog dated Friday, after opening with Islamic greetings.
Analyst Saeed Laylaz said the site -- available in Persian, Arabic, English and French at www.ahmadinejad.ir -- may be seeking to win support from abroad.
But he admitted his opening blog, which runs to more than 2,300 words in the English version, was too long. "From now onwards, I will try to make it simpler and shorter," he wrote.
A little mwahahaha according to wonkette. A gift ( Trojan/virus) for the Mossad trying to access Ahmadijenad's blog?
Posted by: Sujatha | August 15, 2006 at 01:12 PM
How much do you want to bet that everybody who reads his blog goes on a terrorist watchlist? Extra helpings of friskings at airports and the like.
Posted by: Joe | August 16, 2006 at 02:37 AM
Joe:
Sujatha and I are hearing strange clicking noises on our phones and there are black SUVs parked at a discreet distance from our homes. :-)
No sign of black helicopters yet.
Posted by: Ruchira Paul | August 16, 2006 at 06:35 PM