Dar Al Hayat commentary: 'The Great Satan's Gift'

...Ahmedinejad laughs. If Iran had planted a president in the White House, he would not have been able to serve it the way George Bush did. George Bush rendered the Islamic Revolution priceless services, unmatched even by the services of the Revolutionary Guard generals. Ironically, this happened while George Bush raised the slogan of enmity to the Iranian regime, which he had positioned in the Axis of Evil.

Ahmedinejad drowns in his memories. In 1980, Saddam Hussein's army penetrated the Iranian hinterland. His planes bombed Iran, while his rockets showered its cities. He cannot forget a press conference held by the grand leading president who entered wearing his military suit and smile, with arrogance flowing out with his responses. A reporter asked him about the future of Iran as the Iraqi troops were stationed on its territories. Smiling, he responded, "This is a matter that depends on the decision of the Iranian peoples." It was evident that Saddam was flirting with the dream of dismembering Iran and settling historic scores with it.

Ahmedinejad reminisces. He joined the Revolutionary Guards; his dream was to punish Saddam Hussein's army with victory and revenge. However, he never even dared to dream of toppling that regime. He certainly never dreamt of becoming the president of Iran. He did not dream of landing in Baghdad shortly before the fifth anniversary celebrations, to address the Iraqis, the Arabs and the world from Al-Rasheed's capital, while Saddam Hussein's corpse lay in his hometown of Tikrit...

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