The Irate Nation Est. 2001

The President of Brazil legitimising a pariah regime

clipped from www.timesonline.co.uk

By inviting Mr Ahmadinejad to make the first visit by an Iranian president to Brazil, Mr Lula da Silva also undermined Western attempts to force Iran to abandon its nuclear programme, critics said.

Mr Lula da Silva was unapologetic, arguing that it was better to engage than isolate Iran. “It’s important that someone sits down with Iran, talks with Iran, and tries to establish some balance so that the Middle East can return to a certain sense of normalcy,” he said in a radio broadcast hours before Mr Ahmadinejad’s arrival.