Not surprising from a guy who once joked "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran." He obviously considers them sub-human.
"Iran’s president volunteers for space" by Ali Akbar Dareini | Associated Press, February 05, 2013
TEHRAN — Anousheh Ansari was the first Iranian to make a journey into space aboard a Soyuz TMA-9 capsule from Baikonur, Kazakhastan, in September 2006. The 40-year-old telecommunications entrepreneur paid a reported $20 million for a visit to the International Space Station. Her journey as a space tourist became an inspiration to women in male-dominated Iran.
Is she a monkey, Senator?
Iran sent a monkey into space last Monday....
The monkey named ‘‘Pishgam,’’ which means pioneer in Farsi, safely returned to earth.
Ahmadinejad’s statement came as Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, issued a facetious Twitter message comparing Ahmadinejad to a monkey. The comment was criticized as racist by fellow GOP lawmaker, Representative Justin Amash of Michigan.
On Monday, McCain wrote, ‘‘So Ahmadinejad wants to be first Iranian in space — wasn’t he just there last week?’’ He then linked to a news story about Iran launching a monkey into space.
Faced with criticism, McCain said in another tweet, ‘‘lighten up folks, can’t everyone take a joke.’’
That didn’t satisfy Amash, who replied, ‘‘Maybe you should wisen up & not make racist jokes.’’
Especially when Iran has a space program and we do not.
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Other than that a racist elder statesman doesn't raise much of a ruckus. Now imagine the reaction if he'd said it about a Jew.
What else was found in that space capsule:
"Iran says it sent monkey into space" Associated Press, January 29, 2013
TEHRAN — The United States and its allies worry that technology from the space program could also be used to develop long-range missiles that could be armed with nuclear warheads.
They are really ramping up the fear these days. Iran not even making a bomb, never mind one that will fit on a missile.
Separately, Monday, Iranian state-run media said security forces have arrested journalists from at least four Iranian newspapers and one news agency and accused them of consorting with hostile foreign media. Iranian rights advocates said the arrests were part of a campaign of intimidation to forestall political unrest ahead of presidential elections in June.
Translation: they are spies.
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