Columbia University President Lee Bollinger excoriated Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday, going through a long list of documented actions and remarks by the firebrand Iranian leader and his government.
"Mr. President, you exhibit all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator," Bollinger said to applause from many of the 600 people in the room for a speech from the Iranian leader.
He cited the Iranian government's "brutal crackdown" on dissidents, public executions, executions of minors and other actions.
And Bollinger assailed Ahmadinejad's "denying" of the Holocaust as "ridiculous" and "dangerous propaganda." He called the Iranian leader either brazenly provocative "or astonishingly uneducated."
"The truth is that the Holocaust is the most documented event in human history," he said.
He said he doubted Ahmadinejad would show the intellectual courage to answer the questions before him.
Ahmadinejad responded quickly.
"We don't think it's necessary before the speech is given to come in with some series of claims," the Iranian leader said.
He said Bollinger's comments included "insults" and false claims, and flew in the face of an environment that's supposed to let people speak their minds.