Amanpour interviews Iran’s Ahmadinejad

Good evening everyone! It's certainly been a tense day on the Columbia University campus in New York City. Students, teachers, administrators and just about anyone on the streets of NYC had an opinion about Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech at the prestigious Ivy League university. Quite frankly, I believe that we live in the land of free speech and that any head of state should be able to speak at Columbia University but apparently mine is not a popular opinion. And in light of the sound bites we've heard tonight on Out In The Open and AC360, Ahmadinejad was his own worst enemy.

Today, CNN announced that Christiane Amanpour will sit down with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday. Here is an excerpt from the press release from Turner Pressroom (click title for full text):

CNN’s Christiane Amanpour Secures Interview with Iran’s Ahmadinejad
Network to Air Full Interview on Anderson Cooper 360° on Wednesday, Sept. 26, at 10 p.m. (ET)

CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour conducts an extensive interview with Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday, Sept. 26, after the embattled leader finishes a tour of New York City that includes an address to the U.N. General Assembly, a videoconference with the National Press Club and an event before 600 students and faculty at Columbia University.

Parts of the interview will air throughout the day on both CNN/U.S. and CNN International with the full interview airing that evening during Anderson Cooper 360° at 10 p.m. (ET) Amanpour will provide live reports and analysis throughout the day.

Amanpour’s interview with Ahmadinejad marks her second with the Iranian president. She first interviewed him in September 2005 just hours before he addressed delegates at the U.N. General Assembly claiming Iran has a right to pursue nuclear power.

As the network’s chief international correspondent, Amanpour has not only reported on most crises from many of the world’s hotspots, including Afghanistan, the Balkans, Iran, Iraq, the Middle East, Pakistan and Somalia but has interviewed many of the world’s most important leaders. Such assignments have included exclusive interviews with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Pakistan’s Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Jordan’s King Abdullah and King Hussein, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Russia’s Mikhail Gorbachev.

Ms. Amanpour is my idol so I will definitely be looking forward to that interview!

Jeffrey Toobin has been making the talk-show rounds publicising his much-praised new book, The Nine which is on my short list of must-reads! I came across a radio interview Jeffrey did on Friday, September 21st with Leonard Lopate on NPR. You can listen to the interview here:




And last but not least, now that I'm up early to put my little girl on the bus for Kindergarten, I get a chance to catch a bit of American Morning with John Roberts and Kiran Chetry. I have to tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed watching John Roberts squirm during Elizabeth Cohen's Who's Hot To You segment at the end of the program. I'm not sure exactly how to describe the following clip but it's simply priceless! Poor JR! You can't really see his face but I'm sure he's three shades of red! Way to go, ladies! And I'd like to thank Cyn for the clip!



Well, that's all I have for now! I hope you have a wonderful day. ~Sheryn