Liveblogging Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Today Show Interview

2:00 - Curry asks Ahmadinejad about his personal impression of Barack Obama. Ahmaninejad harps on about "peace and cooperation." But he does say that he welcomes Obama's "slogan" of "change." "I think Mr. Obama is a person if the gentleman decides to bring such a change about of course he will be met with weighty challenges but some of what he has announced, the gentleman can bring about," Ahmadinejad says. He's seen some changes in "political language," for instance, which is useful.

4:30 - Third question is about Iranian nukes. Are they off the negotiating table for Ahmadninejad - "given that this is the number one issue"? Ahmadinejad says the period of world history where one or two nations decide world issues has come to an end. "We think that the parties that are producing and do have atomic, biological, chemical weapons, they need to be disarmed, whoever they are, and those who have more bombs should be disarmed sooner." Obviously a snipe at the United States - Ahmadinejad is saying: If you have nukes, why can't we?

6:30 - Curry asks Ahmadinejad why he won't just answer the International Atomic Energy Agency's questions and be up front about his country's nuclear stockpile. Ahmadinejad deflects again, saying other countries have huge quantities of "warheads."

8:00 - "Are you launching a nuclear arms race in this most volatile region of the world?" Curry asks. Ahmadinejad says Iran is "fundamentally opposed to the arms race." He asks who started the Iraq war, or the war in Afghanistan, and who is "behind the killing of Palestinians." Who is signing arms contracts worth many billions of dollars, Ahmadinejad asks? (Maybe he's been reading the Majlis.) "We think the arms race has been started by the that handful of countries which I referred to earlier to line the pockets of capitalists," Ahmadinejad says. Well, I have to say he might be right on that count. Still, it's not as if Iran is just not buying weapons.

The U.S. needs to change its attitude about arms buying if it wants to be influential, Ahmadinejad says. A good first step for the U.S., and Britain, might be destroying their nuclear arsenals. Don't hold your breath on that count, Mahmoud.

12:00 - Curry tries hard to get Ahmadinejad to address his country's nuclear ambition, saying that the push for nuclear weapons by Iran puts its people in danger, but Ahmadinejad continues to parry her questioning by putting the burden on Western countries, particularly the U.S., to reduce their own weapons stockpiles first.

Curry abandons that line of questioning and asks about a potential Israeli strike on Iran. Though his expression doesn't change, Ahmadinejad's rhetoric gets a little more intense here. He criticizes Israel for being a "murderous, Zionist regime." He uses the words "murderous" and "Zionist" a few more times.

He says that the U.S. government will be responsible for the "atrocities" of the "Zionist regime" - that is, he'll hold America responsible for an Israeli attack. More mention of U.S. "capitalists" who are supporting Israel's actions.

14:20 - How will Iran respond to an Israeli strike? "Well our reaction will certainly be decisive and they will rue the day." Alright then.

15:00 - Ahmadinejad says nukes are the power of the past. What's important now is cultural advancement and "human logic." If nuclear weapons were important, they would've prevented the "downfall of the Soviet Union." Iran survived the Iran - Iraq War, even when the U.S. and other Western countries supported Iraq, without nuclear weapons.

But Curry wants an answer to her question: Is there a condition under which Iran would weaponize its nuclear arsenal? "We don't need nuclear weapons," Ahmadinejad says. Curry presses again, asking him if that means his answer is "No." Ahmadinejad reaches Clintonian levels of discourse here, saying, "I don't know know what you mean by 'No.'"

Curry: "Forgive me sir, may I assume that the answer to the question, 'Is there a scenario under which you Iran would weaponize,' may I understand that your answer is no? It's a yes or no question sir." Ahmadinejad: "If you are talking about the enrichment of uranium for peaceful purposes, this-" (Curry interjects "No.") "-will never be closed down in Iran. If you're talking about weapons, we don't need such a weapon, it's not a part of our programs and plans."

It's a bit of "Who Wants to Be a Nuclear Weapons Millionaire" right now; Curry says people will remark that Ahmadinejad never said "No" and asks if he wants that to be his "final answer." Ahmadinejad: "Well you can take from this whatever you want, madam."

19:00 - Curry asks if Iranian missiles can reach Europe. Ahmadinejad responds by saying that Iran can defend itself if missiles are launched in its vicinity. Another dodge.

Then a slightly humorous interlude. Ahmadinejad asks jokingly, with a superior smirk, if Curry is asking permission to visit Iranian missile sites. Curry, showing a bit of spunk, says "I would love permission, sir," with a tight, forced smile. Ahmadinejad raises his eyebrows, "Well, that's a good... wish I guess. Hopefully in the future you will have a chance to visit."

20:30 - Speaking of missiles, Curry brings up the news that Obama has decided to abandon America's missile-defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic, because the U.S. has determined that Iran's long-range missile program "has not progressed rapidly as previously estimated." Ahmadinejad says he welcomes this development as "a sign leading to change." Iran doesn't feel a threat from Europe, he says.

22:00 - On to the Iranian election. Many seasoned observers outside Iran believe that it was far from free and fair, and perhaps stolen outright by Ahmadinejad, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and their allies. Even some within Iran don't consider it legitimate. We've been covering the issue for months now. Curry gets right to the point, asking Ahmadinejad brashly: "Did you steal this election?

Ahmadinejad: "Any person can express his or her point of view and have their own opinions. The, if you will, the structures relating to elections in Iran are the strongest such foundations, and the law prevails. There are legal frameworks inside Iran [that] are very clear and if a person has an opinion to express within the confines of the law, they are free to express such opinions. I don't see any problems."

That, of course, is one of the more laughable statements given by a world leader in recent memory. The wake of the Iranian election was marked by widespread protests, violent government crackdowns, rampaging government-sponsored thugs, political imprisonment and coercion, the absence of legal due process, torture and even murder. Mir Hossein Mousavi, the leading opposition candidate, was under de facto house arrest for days. Journalists, clerics and students have been paraded before the cameras to give false confessions under duress, forced out of them through imprisonment and probably torture. The law might prevail in Iran, but it's the law of an iron-fisted regime.

Curry asks again if Ahmadinejad stole the election. Ahmadinejad asks if Barack Obama stole the American election. One candidate is supposed to win, he says, or else what are elections for? "Elections are organized so that the people decide, elections are organized so that people, parties don't think that their points of view are the only one ... and the people decide," he says. "For thirty years Iran's government has been legitimate and legal even in the time my competitors won the election."

26:00 - Curry asks how Ahmadinejad can justify the violence inflicted on Iranian people after the election, particularly by the government's own basij militia. Ahmadinejad really goes off the rails here:

"I think the behavior as shown the British government and some parts of the U.S. government with regards to our elections was heinous, what they did was heinous. They were thinking that with bad press, directing bad press against us and encouraging some people to engage in rioting, they can damage and hurt the Islamic Republic of Iran and fulfill their designs. They were totally wrong in their assumption. Law in this country has determined the fate ... the police officers in Iran were hurt much more than others, they were injured much more than anyone else."

Ahmadinejad says American and British officials "want to make amends" for inciting riots after the elections. Oh and by the way, "Our people are cohesive and are standing as one." So no worries, Westerners, everything in Iran is fine. Just ignore those Quds Day protests we're liveblogging.

30:00 - Just as I was thinking that Curry should bring out some pictures of the post-election violence to break through Ahmadinejad's senseless stonewalling, she does something along those lines. She says she wants to get Ahmadinejad's reaction to the death of Neda, the woman who "has come to symbolize the violence in the streets."

Ahmadinejad says he, like everyone, was saddened. "In a letter I asked the judiciary to look into this more seriously," he says. Then he veers off the rails, yet again, displaying the disturbing tendency among Iranian leaders to lean on conspiracy theories to support their own repressive policies. "It might interest you," he says, "to know [something] similar to this took place in Venezuela, the coup against Mr. Chavez. The exact same scenario, the same incident, and the coup ringleaders were being supported by the then-U.S. administration. We think that this incident is a suspicious death, we're treating it as a suspicious death, and we're very sorry about this. And I am sure that the truth will come to light."

32:00 - "The question has to be asked," Curry says, citing the abuse and possible rape of protesters after the election protests, "where was your compassion for your people?" Ahmadinejad raises three points in response, in increasing order of absurdity: He says everyone "regrets that some people were killed," that more police officers and "those who accompanied them" (basij?) were killed than others, and that the number of people killed by U.S. police are much higher compared to the ones killed after the election in Iran. So basically, law enforcement killings in a country on the other side of the world justify Iranian repression. Nice calculation.

Oh and don't worry, the judiciary is looking into those who may have provoked the riots, and they'll be brought to justice.

36:00 - "Does your heart really go out to the people? I don't believe that," Ahmadinejad says. Curry responds that she knows people who she believes were tortured. Who would she be talking about here? Perhaps Newsweek correspondent Maziar Bahari?

37:00 - Curry asks directly about Ahmadinejad's religiosity. He's known to pray for the hastening of the coming of the "hidden," 12th imam, the Mahdi - a tenet of a certain strain of Shi'ism - and Curry asks him what his relationship is with the 12th imam. I guess this is akin to asking George W. Bush about his relationship with God. It's a softball unless she follows it up with something more critical.

The 12th imam is the symbol of "justice and brotherly love pervading around the world," Ahmadinejad says. When he arrives, all problems will be solved, and it's an obligation to always think about brotherly love and treating others as equals, Ahmadinejad says. He compares it to the relationship Christians have with Jesus Christ. "They speak with Christ and they are sure that Christ hears them and responds." Yeah, that's probably not a great thing for a president.

Curry says Ahmadinejad has said that the Mahdi's coming will be an apocalypse. Ahmadinejad stops her, saying he's never said that. Curry backs off, asking for forgiveness

and looking frightened. She's being pushed around here, and she never follows up on the issue of Ahmadinejad's religiosity.

41:00 - Back to politics: Curry wants to know if Ahmadinejad will allow opposition leaders, like Mehdi Karroubi, to be arrested. She doesn't mention Mousavi, for some reason. "Many people here sometimes go beyond legal confines," Ahmadinejad says. "At least they say whatever they like against me." An interesting admission by Ahmadinejad; he blatantly connects criticism of himself to violations of the law. And I guess that could literally be the case in a country where the judiciary is partially controlled by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Doesn't look good for the Karroubis of Iran.

43:00 - Now they're talking about the three Americans arrested on the border between Iran and Iraqi Kurdistan. Shane Bauer, a journalist working in Iraq for Mother Jones at the time, was the most prominent among them. A friend has admitted that the three probably strayed over the border accidentally. Curry says the hikers' families want Ahmadinejad to bring them to America on the flight he will take to the U.N. General Assembly.

Ahmadinejad says he's "not happy" that they were arrested, but that they "violated our borders, they had trampled the law, and in accordance with the laws they need to be punished." Then he brings up five Iranian diplomats who were arrested by American forces in Iraq (on suspicion of planning attacks on Iraqi forces) and imprisoned for two years. He also says there are Iranians who have been arrested in the U.S. "without any evidence." Who they are, he doesn't say. Again Ahmadinejad cloaks himself in the law, to justify the hikers' detention, and deflects the issue to a Western country: Did the U.S. ever apologize for its invasion of Iraq?

Ahmadinejad does allow that Iran is open to "reciprocity," i.e., a prisoner exchange; the hikers for Iranians held in U.S. prisons. I'm guessing that he's referring to Iranian combatants who have been arrested in Iraq and elsewhere.

47:30 - Curry asks, strangely, if she has "permission" to ask Ahmadninejad for a message for Obama. Ahmadinejad criticizes the U.S. for invading Iraq, saying 650,000 have been killed as a result and millions displaced. The military policies of U.S. administrations "have failed," he says. But the Zionists lobbying "inside" the U.S. want war to continue to line their pockets (his words). If Ahmadinejad has succeeded at one thing in this interview, it's being an anti-Semite.

50:30 - People are flying into New York City "so that thousands will greet you with their discontent" when Ahmadinejad arrives at the U.N., Curry says. What's his message to them? "My message is one of humanitarian love," Ahmadinejad says. "We call on everyone to become friends and we call on them to respect the vote of the people." More blathering about peace and love and non-violence, highly unbelievable coming from the leader of a government that tortures its own people.

Ahmadinejad wraps up with a blessing for Curry from Allah. Curry thanks him for speaking, touching her chest in what I guess is a gesture of respect.

Listening to Ahmadinejad bloviate has tired me out, so I'm not going to spend a lot of time trying to give you a "so-what" conclusion for this. I think Curry did an average job, and I disagree with Thomas (in the comments) that she made a fool of herself. But on occasion, I'll admit that Curry fell short. She's a veteran newscaster, she knows that when you ask open-ended questions to savvy politicians, they will use the opportunity to spin. In an interview with a leader like Ahmadinejad, who shows no compunction about delivering non-answers and deflecting inquiries and even lying, you need to box the subject in. You need to come prepared with facts to combat their obfuscation. Curry did not do that. She let Ahmadinejad dictate the conversation and dropped subjects when she didn't make progress. When she pressed, as with the issue of nuclear weapons, she didn't reap much in the way of a real answer.

Still, I think it's Ahmadinejad who came off foolish. But that may just be because I've been paying attention to Iranian affairs in recent months. To an average Today show viewer, perhaps Ahmadinejad didn't seem as crazy. But his insistence on placing culpability on the West - the U.S. in particular - and his invocation of outright conspiracy theories just reinforce his image as a slightly unhinged zealot. At least Curry's interview served to enlighten us on that point.