It must be a dog-whistle thing (tip to Instapundit):
According to CNN's translation of Mr. Rouhani's remarks, the Iranian President insisted that "whatever criminality they [the Nazis] committed against the Jews, we condemn." ...
So what did Mr. Rouhani really say? After offering a vague indictment of "the crime committed by the Nazis both against the Jews and the non-Jews," he insisted that "I am not a history scholar," and that "the aspects that you talk about, clarification of these aspects is a duty of the historians and researchers."
Fake but--oh, just fake.
Sure, the Nazis committed crimes against lots of people, in other words. But who knows if the Jews were really targeted as is said?
Of course, this is in a quieter mood. In more heated moments I'm sure Rouhani could lament that the Nazis didn't kill more Jews.
Who translated this?
It highlights a problem we had in the Iraq War when English-speaking American reporters found that they could report more easily by speaking to English-speaking Iraqis. These tended to be Arab Sunnis and could be counted on to spout anti-US or pro-insurgent views.
A related problem was hiring translators--who again tended to be Sunni Iraqis because Shias didn't have the same educational opportunities--who could do similar things with mis-translations going either way, aiding enemy information operations.
Is it any wonder I don't trust these people?
UPDATE: Krauthammer does a better job translating:
As Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator between 2003 and 2005, [Rouhani] boasted in a 2004 speech to the Supreme Cultural Revolution Council, “While we were talking with the Europeans in Tehran, we were installing equipment in parts of the [uranium conversion] facility in Isfahan. . . . In fact, by creating a calm environment, we were able to complete the work in Isfahan.”
Such is their contempt for us that they don’t even hide their strategy: Spin the centrifuges while spinning the West.
But we hear what we want to hear. Which is music to Iran's ears.
