That's a really well-reasoned argument...not. Ahmadinejad is holding all the cards and these weak arguments won't make a shred of difference. All you can think of now is bombing and sanctions - just like Iraq. How backward.

Alfonso parelli, London, UK

I don't care much for the Iranian leader.
But he raises a valid point which everybody knows including the media, but they chose to ignore and talk little about. What did the Palestinians have to do with the second world war?

If Germany where the culprits and the war was successfully won, surely they should of been given land in Germany and protected by America in the same way as they are now. Its not a question of anti Israeli more a realistic observation, that the 'Holocaust' regardless of whether 10 or 10million Jews suffered can never justify the treatment of the Palestinians.

And why when everybody knows Israel has nuclear weapons are they not pursued by the UN with sanctions, and why do America keep supplying them with free arms?

Surely that is justification enough for an arms race in the region. We also know that as deplorable as nuclear weapons are they act as more of a defense, because countries like the US are less likely to attack when u also have them.

Den, London, UK

If a women in England or America walked down the street bare chested she would be stopped for indecent exposure. I haven't seen that happen to many men.

That would never happen in an African tribe would it?

does this show that women here don't have freedom or eqaul rights, or that those societies are more advanced than our own?

or would you put that down to cultural differences?

no no... we just call them primitive and uncivilized. typical hypocrisy.

Den, london, uk

to Michael/John from London, UK. (Maybe u r Mohamed)

The land of Israel belongs to the Jews and to them Only because God himself decided Granted it to them.
Now, if you have any problem with that you better complain to the one who made that decision.

Susan English, Cardiff, Walles

Dr Ballard,

The US has professional security for foreign dignitaries.

Iran has a government run by terrorists who at one point kidnapped all of our embassy staff.

We have manners. I'd like you to point out a foreign leader that was assassinated while visiting the US on diplomatic business

I can't imagine it happening the other way either, but not for the reasons you are espousing.

Tom Harris, Texas, USA

michael london,

maybe isreal should not be their in the first place?

maybe a chunk of Germany (or a anywhere in Europe) should of been given to them instead they are the ones who masacred the jews aren't they?

or was it the Palestinians and Arabs who had nothing to do with it.

I think you would feel hostile and rightly so if you had to sit out side and watch some1 live in your home.

Its no wonder European countries support them so much bcos they sure as hell don't want them massing on their land. and its always useful for America to have friends in foreign places.

john, london, uk

who knows the israel dont attack with nuclear weapons to other countries if there is ban it must be for all not only for some countries.although i think today no country can say that i havnt nuclear weapon

Samuel, tokyo, japan

the question is can anyone name a country where citzens are free to do what they want.

trevor brand, bristol, united kngdom

Interesing how everyone always points a finger at Israel for having nuclear weapons (or not) as the case may be. Which other nation on earth is not recognised by it's neighbours, has been threatened with elimination since before it's inception and is still subject to threats and questions of it's legitimate right to exist. Smacks of something nasty to me. Maybe Israel would be less inclined to keep it's nuclear weapons if it was not subject to this.

Michael, London,

wow, no mention of sulphur smell...

In all fairness to Mr. Ahmadinejad: Just another demagogue sociopath.

etz3l, Never Rains, CA

We need to tidy up the entire nuclear-weapon shambles. Iran needs them because Pakistan has them, because India has them . . .

The answer is not a fudge that allows Iran to join the atomically-armed fraternity, it is to destroy the rationale for this hugely expensive folly. Nuclear weapons must be banned, denied to Iran but also to its neighbours and, critically, to Israel, and the ban enforced the only way that will work, the hard way.

Noel Falconer, COUIZA, France

While Mr Ahmadinejad may well be a throwback to the 9th century, you do have to admire his guts in visiting a hostile country that has a long tradition of political assassinations.

I cannot imagine Mr Bush paying a reciprocal visit to Tehran.

Dr Mat Ballard, Melbourne, Australia

This article goes way beyond the case of Mr. Ahmadinejad and lays out important and timely principles: that lying destroys relationships within and without society, that true democracy is based on a free,open, and honest dialogue. It would be interesting to get inside of Mr Ahmadinejad's mind and his justification for his lies. Is this coming from his ideological Islam that sometimes justifies lying (Al-taquiyya) to "unbelievers"?

Michael O'Connor, Minneapolis, Minnesota

I hope the students at Columbia can understand what you are saying. (From some interviews I read from students in the audience, I doubt it.) Westerners have a hard time getting their mines around the concept that there are truly evil people in this world who would use lies and deceptions to promote their cause.

Chuck Lype, Charleston,

"Iran has no compelling economic need for civilian nuclear reactors." and yet "Iran would need 70 GW of electricity generating capacity by 2021, compared to 31 GW now, a 126 percent increase." While I may not agree or believe everything AhmedNejad said the blatant scaremongering and misrepresentation of the country's energy problems and their attempts to address these very real concerns with nuclear power is more disturbing.

Farrukh, Woking, UK