Ahmadinejad to Obama: Let's Debate

Has North Korea's nuclear test emboldened Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? The Iranian president has challenged President Obama to debate face-to-face on "global issues as well as world peace and security" at the UN, if he's re-elected next month. According to the Associated Press, Ahmadinejad also made it clear that the nuclear issue "is closed." The talk about nuclear technology and the debate may be simple campaign posturing, but as the Associated Press put it, "it does put Ahmadinejad on record as supporting a potentially groundbreaking encounter following Obama's offer for dialogue." Ahmadinejad has also been under fire this week as reformists have accused his supporters inside the regime of blocking Facebook, an important tool for mobilizing the youth vote, as well as blogs and websites critical of the incumbent regime.