UPDATE: I’m told by one commentator that there will be protests at Columbia, regardless. I certainly hope so. It would be nice if Mahmoud was shown the same courtesy that our fellow countrymen, the Minutemen, were shown.

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UPDATE: Drudge reports:

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will not press his plan Ð just denied by New York City Police for security reasons — to visit Ground Zero in New York City, he tells 60 MINUTES’ Scott Pelley in an exclusive interview conducted today in Iran. The Iranian leader says he’s “amazed” and skeptical that most Americans view his visit there as insulting as his intention was only to show respect. The interview will be broadcast on 60 MINUTES, Sunday Sept. 23 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS television Network.

PELLEY: Mr. President, do you intend to press your request to visit the World Trade Center site?

AHMADINEJAD: Well, it was included in my program. If we have the time and the conditions are conducive, I will try to do that.

PELLEY: But the New York Police Department and others do not appear to want you there. Do you intend to go there anyway?

AHMADINEJAD: Well, over there, local officials need to make the necessary coordinations. If they can’t do that, I won’t insist.

PELLEY: Sir, what were you thinking? The World Trade Center site is the most sensitive place in the American heart, and you must have known that visiting there would be insulting to many, many Americans.

AHMADINEJAD: Why should it be insulting?

PELLEY: But the American people, sir, believe that your country is a terrorist nation, exporting terrorism in the world. You must have known that visiting the World Trade Center site would infuriate many Americans.

AHMADINEJAD: Well, I’m amazed. How can you speak for the whole of the American nation?

PELLEY: Well, the American nation–

AHMADINEJAD: You are representing a media and you’re a reporter. The American nation is made up of 300 million people. There are different points of view over there.

How ironic. He acknowledges the differences in opinion here, as well as the fact that our media doesn’t speak for the country. He uses that to his advantage. Yet, the media over there is state-run and speaks on behalf of the state. Really, he uses state-run media to spread his propaganda, while using the fact that other countries have freedoms, to his advantage.

(Edited)

Across on Drudge:

IRANIAN PRESIDENT SAYS HE WILL NOT PUSH TO VISIT GROUND ZERO; WAS ONLY THINKING OF PAYING RESPECT

Yuh huh. And Israel was only stopping by in Syria for tea and crumpets. He’s also told CBS 60 Minutes that he is shocked (Shocked I tell you) that Americans would be offended by the fact that an American troop-killing, terrorist supporting, Holocaust-denying, pro-destruction of Israel, “Death to America” chanting, POS was going to visit Ground Zero.