In Bush's words, the letter did not answer the question, "When will you get rid of your nuclear program?"
The letter's existence emerged on May 8 in what is believed to be the first presidential contact between the two countries in 27 years.
The letter focused on the failure of democratic governments and criticized Bush's foreign policy.
(AP, dpa, Reuters)
Ahmadinejad's Letter To Bush
PRESIDENT TO PRESIDENT: On May 8, the Iranian government announced that President Mahmud Ahmadinejad had sent a letter to U.S. President George W. Bush. The letter was the first direct communication between leaders of the two countries since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. RFE/RL has posted the English version of Ahmadinejad's letter that was posted on the Iranian president's website.
"The people will scrutinize our presidencies," AHMADINEJAD wrote. "Did we manage to bring peace, security, and prosperity to our people or insecurity and unemployment? Did we intend to establish justice, or just support special-interest groups and -- by forcing many people to live in poverty and hardship -- make a few people rich and powerful, -- thus trading the approval of the people and the Almighty for [that of those few]? Did we bring the world peace and security or did we raise the specter of intimidation and threats?"...(more)
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