'Iran's President has written two rather philosophical letters to America. In his first letter, he pointed out that "History shows us that oppressive and cruel governments do not survive". With this statement, Ahmadinejad has also projected the outcome of his own backwards regime, which will likewise "vanish from the page of time."'
This article carefully explains several aspects of the controversy, including the original birth of the mistranslation (IRNA, not Western media), how the mistranslation was corrected by IRNA but not Western media and was further distorted by Western media and Western politicians in the service of an agenda of confrontation, and Ahmadinejad's repeated failure to disavow the mistranslation when challenged by Western reporters.
[The article leaves out a piece of the story that Juan Cole has emphasized in his blog: subsequent statements by Ahmadinejad and Khamenei that Iran is not a threat to any country, including Israel. See: Juan Cole, "Ahmadinejad: We are Not a Threat to Any Country, Including Israel," Sunday, August 27, 2006, http://www.juancole.com/2006/08/ahmadinejad-we-are-not-threat-to-any.html]
Of course, it could be argued that after the Holocaust denial conference, attempting to establish the truth in this matter is a fool's errand. But you never know when the truth is going to matter, so it's good to know what it is, just in case.
"WIPED OFF THE MAP" - The Rumor of the Century http://democracyrising.us/content/view/736/164/ Thursday, 18 January 2007