I did read it, did you? The Iranian commenting on the Cole’s translation called it a distortion of the meaning just as did Hitchens (“He distorts, you decide”).

I suppose if Cole translated the English term “I’m in a real pickle” to mean “I am currently wearing a dilled cucumber for a suit” you would call that an “accurate” translation as well.

“I am not a translatior, but I can tell you that here is a clear note in that sentence that Israel must be made to wanish from the face of time.
Maybe this is not a theat, as it was not directed to Israel, but to his followers, but it clearly is an decleration of intent. The intent is to make Israel cease to exist.

The word map is not litterarly in there”

So Cole was right it seems.

Finally, I direct you to this analysis by another native Farsi speaker who calls Cole’s exegesis of Ahmedinejad’s speech “insane and ignorant”.

As for the rest of it, rather than a point by point rebuttal, I direct you here.

Finally, weldon, I knew what you would say about the email issue before I posted my message. Still, I think it’s best to expect that even your most private conversations are likely to be revealed. That’s a great way to help you to temper your remarks or, better yet, to be more circumspect. I think that if I lived in a country that did not respect individual freedom to speak and write, I would be much more cautious about what I say even in private because sooner or later someone who hears what you say or reads what you write will blurt it out. Anyway, that’s my story and I’m still sticking to it.