It's Just Poetic License

A University of Michigan professor is an apologist for the Iranian regime and takes umbrage at being called out on it by Christopher Hitchens, in Slate here. (Read it all, it's not long, but is best not abridged.)

The professor claims Iranian President Ahmadinejad did not really call for Israel's destruction:

But the actual quote, which comes from an old speech of Khomeini, does not imply military action, or killing anyone at all. The second reason is that it is just an inexact translation. The phrase is almost metaphysical. He quoted Khomeini that "the occupation regime over Jerusalem should vanish from the page of time." It is in fact probably a reference to some phrase in a medieval Persian poem. It is not about tanks.

So it's not Iran the Terror State that we've been dealing with for 25 years, it's just poetic license.

UPDATE: More at RCP Blog, "Cole Gets Hitch-slapped"