The two little men with the mouths that roared met up again, embracing and celebrating their special friendship.
crazy lovebirds EPA/HAROLD ESCALONA
Iranian President Ahmadinejad, fresh off his "there are no homosexuals in Iran" New York leg of his tour, met with Hugo Chavez, who just met with a gay Hollywood actor.
“In Iran, we don’t have this phenomenon," he informed his stunned Columbia University audience, suggesting that the gay lifestyle simply never caught on in his homeland unlike, say, the Pet Rocks or home hair waxing kits.
Ahmadinejad claims Chavez has kept mum on the subject - considering his friendship with the rumored-to-be-extremely-gay Raoul Castro who has a penchant for uniforms with snappy oversized Chanel sunglasses and shiny manicures is so strong.
The dictatorial leaders of Iran and Venezuela cemented another public display of affection in a new alliance aimed at throwing poison darts at the United States, while the Iranian president reached out to a new ally in Bolivia and declared that together, "no one can defeat us."
After being laughed at then vilified during his Columbia University and U.N. visit this week, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad traveled on to more receptive crowds on Thursday, first stopping in Bolivia where he pledged $1 billion in investment and then visiting Venezuela to meet President Hugo Chavez.
"Together we are surely growing stronger, and in truth no one can defeat us," the Iranian leader said through an interpreter. Apparently referring to the U.S., he said, "Imperialism has no other option: Respect the peoples (of the world) or accept defeat."
Chavez greeted the Iranian leader warmly on a red carpet in front of the presidential palace, where they both stood before microphones and let loose with rhetoric challenging Washington.
"We will continue resisting to the end in the face of imperialism," Ahmadinejad said. "And the age of imperialism has ended."
Chavez embraced the Iranian leader, calling him "one of the greatest anti-imperialist fighters" and "one of the great fighters for true peace."
In his defiant speech to the U.N. General Assembly this week, Ahmadinejad rebuked "arrogant powers" seeking to curb Iran's nuclear program.
Chavez also strongly defends Iran's nuclear research, insisting it is for peaceful energy uses despite U.S. charges it is aimed at making nuclear weapons. The Venezuelan leader also says his country plans to eventually develop a nuclear energy program.
Chavez said he was proud of Ahmadinejad's courage while under hostile questioning at New York's Columbia University. "An imperial spokesman (Columbia's President) tried to disrespect you, calling you a cruel little tyrant. You responded with the greatness of a revolutionary."
This was yet another comment on Ahmadinejad's follow-up comments at Columbia that didn't really help his foot-in-mouth problem.
Ahmadinejad had said: "I think the politicians who are after atomic bombs, or testing them, making them, politically they are backward, retarded."
According to Reuters: “The crowd seemed uncertain how to react. Some applauded that pacifist sentiment, others seemed befuddled by the insensitive use of the word retarded.”
One very clever writer on the Internets noted that what Reuters failed to include in their report was the unedited transcript of the ensuing comments that followed:
President Ahmadinejad (clearly miffed): "Seriously. That joke killed in Yemen."
President Ahmadinejad, shifting nervously, consults his notes and then: “I see Britney in the news again. But her underwear I do not.”
Another awkward silence. Someone in the audience coughs.
President Ahmadinejad quickly: “What is the deal with doorknobs anyway? Some of them are not even knobs!”
Audience member: “You suck!”
A whistled catcall from another.
Another audience member: "Get off the stage!"
President Ahmadinejad, refolding and pocketing his notes, is overheard grousing to his aide: “When I get back to Tehran, remind me to execute my joke writer.”
USA
Your Talkback on this Story