Garrett on Ahmadinejad

These are Representative Scott Garrett's prepared remarks for a rally today at the UN.

I thank you for being here today and appreciate the opportunity to address this matter.

Honesty.

It’s a principle that all the world’s major religions respect and in most cases demand. It’s a subject I would like to discuss with the President of Iran.

He has come to the world forum of the United Nations where he will no doubt tell everyone that the intentions of his nation are peaceful. That they are reprocessing uranium with no intention of using it in weapons. That they have no hidden nuclear facilities. That they are not funneling weapons into Iraq .

And my question for him is: “Do you have any respect for the truth?”

The Koran says: “do not mix up the truth with the falsehood, nor hide the truth while you know it.” President Ahmadinejad, you know the truth and we demand that you stop feeding the world falsehoods.

The truth is that there is no reason to reprocess uranium unless you wish to build a weapon. The truth is that you wish to see Israel and the West in flames—at any cost.

You claim that you only want to use these materials for peaceful purposes and yet you say you will give your nuclear technology to: “those who are determined to confront the bullying powers and aggressors.” A peaceful nuclear weapons program has nothing to do with confrontation.

Your own words show how dangerous it is for the free countries of the world to sit by idly as Iran develops nuclear weapons. Some say that the principle of mutually assured destruction will keep a nuclear Iran contained. But that tried and true
principle will not work with an enemy who glorifies suicide attacks.

And as Americans stand in harm’s way in the Middle East, I find it shameful that an American institution of “supposedly” higher learning would invite this man to our shores to speak. In Ahmadinejad’s world, the global war on terror in a holy war against the United State and against our ally, Israel . He should not be given the opportunity or the credibility that Columbia today affords him. We must all stand with our troops today—united against our foreign aggressors and their apologists.

We should not put faith in the words of a man who has no sense of truth. We cannot be safe with a nuclear Iran . The free nations of the world must stop buying Iran ’s lies and prevent them from acquiring and using the most fearsome weapons of war.

I thank you for being here today and appreciate the opportunity to address this matter.