There wasyesterday that YouTube has removed the video clip showing a group of Iranians participating at a September dinner held by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in New York. Today the news was confirmed by another source on Balatarin. The reason YouTube has provided for removing the video has been cited as “terms of use violation.” From what I remember from the video clip, it was a news report by Islamic Republic’s television, IRIB. A group of men and women who adhered to the Islamic dress code were having dinner at what looked like a hotel banquet room. The participants willingly answered questions and expressed their love for Iran or for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as their reasons for being at that function. The film was shown in part or in its entirety on Iranian television, IRIB, so why couldn’t an excerpt of it stay on YouTube? It was a public function, the film has already been broadcast to 70 million people, and it is safe to assume that the whole idea behind the function was to generate publicity about the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has supporters amongst upstanding Iranian Americans. Naturally, it didn’t have any profanity or foul language in it. Why should it be removed? Which “terms of use” have been violated? Does anybody know what this is all about?
