That's Not What We Meant

Iran, Then:

TEHRAN, Iran - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared Wednesday that Israel is a "disgraceful blot" that should be "wiped off the map" - fiery words that Washington said underscores its concern over Iran's nuclear program.

Iran, Now:

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called in a speech last month or Israel to be "wiped off the map", sparking international condemnation and Israeli calls for Iran to be thrown out of the United Nations.

Iranian officials have said his remarks were merely a re-statement of the Islamic state's pro-Palestinian policy and did not represent an actual threat of violence against Israel.

The Ghost of Iran Future?

Iranian officials have backed off of the President's latest statements, explaining that his call to "destroy Israel, using our long-range Shahab missiles armed with 70-kiloton nuclear warheads targeted on Haifa and Tel Aviv" did not represent a specific aim of the Islamic Republic.