HOSTAGE TELLS HIM: SHUT UP!

New York Sun ^ | September 23, 2007 | BARRY ROSEN

[3AngelaD]

Barry Rosen, executive director of public and external affairs at Borough of Manhattan Community College, was a hostage in Iran from 1979 to 1981. He studied Iranian culture at Columbia University.

I wonder what the Founding Fathers would think of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech at Columbia University tomorrow.

They instilled the belief in all of us: Everyone has the right of free speech. But I believe they'd be in a quandary about this one. I'd certainly like to talk to James Madison, who drafted our Bill of Rights, and ask him whether Ahmadinejad deserves that right.

Ahmadinejad is a reprehensible leader who violates free speech in his own country and cracks down on those Iranians who attempt to open up his repressive regime. He uses speech to spread age-old anti-Semitic stereotypes in the Middle East, denying the existence of Israel, and denies that the Holocaust ever happened.

Ahmadinejad was one of those outrageous Iranians who took me and more than 50 other Americans hostage for 444 days, violating international law and making us suffer indescribable moments of terror. There is simply no reason to give him a platform to spew his venom.

No matter how hard-hitting Columbia's president questions Ahmadinejad, the Iranian leader is a winner. Every word he utters is meant for his radical constituents at home and legitimizes his standing among other dictators...

It's only when Ahmadinejad permits his own people to march and speak freely, that I believe Columbia President Lee Bollinger would be justified in giving the Iranian president an open forum. Not before then.

[3AngelaD]

Reread. Barry Rosen agrees with you.

[70th Division]

It would be neat to see one of the X hostages serve Ahmadinejad with a subpoena for unlawful kidnap while he is speaking.

[kabar]

"There is simply no reason to give him a platform to spew his venom."

This is what Barry wrote. Did you even bother to read the article? I know Barry Rosen and worked with him in Iran.

[3AngelaD]

Barry Rosen didn’t say that. Please reread the article and SEE WHAT HE ACTUALLY SAID. He OPPOSES giving the whack job a platform at Columbia.

[angcat]

Thx :0)

[mewzilla]

I still wonder if Columbia’s part of some facetime-for-hostages deal.

[3AngelaD]

Barry Rosen wrote: "There is simply no reason to give him a platform to spew his venom."

So, obviously, one person at Columbia doesn't believe in facetime for hostages.

[TChris]

This guy should be arrested for kidnapping and should be in jail, instead, he slept peacefully in NYC last night and I am sickened by this.

No, he should be held in Gitmo, or worse. Jail is for criminals, not foreign enemy combatants.

Mr. Ahmadangnutjob committed an act of war against the USA with his participation in the taking of US hostages. He is guilty of providing our enemies in Iraq with weapons and support. He should be taken prisoner and held in Guantanamo, IMHO.

[jackieaxe]

Posted by TChris to jackieaxe On News/Activism 09/24/2007 7:32:12 AM PDT · 28 of 28 This guy should be arrested for kidnapping and should be in jail, instead, he slept peacefully in NYC last night and I am sickened by this. No, he should be held in Gitmo, or worse. Jail is for criminals, not foreign enemy combatants. Mr. Ahmadangnutjob committed an act of war against the USA with his participation in the taking of US hostages. He is guilty of providing our enemies in Iraq with weapons and support. He should be taken prisoner and held in Guantanamo, IMHO.

We are splitting hairs here, but I said jail because the US Embassy is considered American soil and Ahmadghutjobterrorist, trespassed and committed kidnapping which should yield life in a super max.

[Smokin' Joe]

...even genocide has two sides and we welcome the dialog

There is no dialog if one side is dead.

[Quix]

This guy should be arrested for kidnapping and should be in jail, instead, he slept peacefully in NYC last night and I am sickened by this.

= = =

INDEED.

And Columbia’s President needs to be hung out to dry . . . so dry we never hear of him in public life again . . . a la some Native American ritual method sounds about right . . . he’s so gah-gah over multi-culturalism and all . . .

/sar

[Karliner]

I wonder, has this pic been debunked?

[PGalt]

I know Barry Rosen and worked with him in Iran.

Thanks for your work, for being here.

[3AngelaD]

There have been arguments over that photograph, but several of the former hostages have personally identified the nut job. I don’t think is there any longer any doubt about what he did.

[Karliner]

I still wonder if Columbia’s part of some facetime-for-hostages deal. Just imagine the President of Colombia U getting his feet washed:

[mewzilla]

Snort :) Well, Bollinger's getting something outta this. I'd like to know what it is.

[oh8eleven]

Separated at birth?

[3AngelaD]

The fathead is getting another crack at his 15 minutes. But I don’t think history will show it was worth it.

[Karliner]

Yes, agreed on the pic, but of course I just read an old siclaimer by the CIA stating it’s not him. Of course subterfuge is their game. The features are too similar for it not to be him.

[Eagle74]

Every Iranian in the US with Diplomatic Immunity, should be arrested and sent to Gitmo for 444 days.