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Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami at the Council for American Islamic Relations (CAIR) dinner on Friday in Arlington, Va. (AP)
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Last update - 00:00 10/09/2006
WSJ: Bush personally signed off on Khatami visit to U.S.
By Reuters

U.S. President George W. Bush personally signed off on a visa allowing former Iranian president Mohammed Khatami to visit the United States because he wanted to hear his views, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.

Khatami, Iran's president from 1997 to 2005, is the most prominent Iranian in decades to visit the United States, outside of the United Nations' New York headquarters.

His five-city speaking tour is controversial given U.S. accusations that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, sponsors terrorism and arms Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.
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"I was interested to hear what he had to say," Bush told the Wall Street Journal in an interview. "I'm interested in learning more about the Iranian government, how they think, what people think within the government."

Khatami, viewed as a reformist, ceded power last year to current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a conservative who has called for Israel to be "wiped off the map" and has been an outspoken critic of U.S. policies.

"My hope is that diplomacy will work in convincing the Iranians to give up their nuclear weapons ambitions. And in order for diplomacy to work, it's important to hear voices other than Ahmadinejad's," Bush added.

Khatami has stressed themes of dialogue and coexistence during his U.S. tour, which includes a speech he gave at the Washington National Cathedral on Thursday and an appearance Sunday at Harvard University.
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  1.   WOW! FOR GEORGE BUSH, THIS IS PROGRESS 05:37  |  Smadar 10/09/06
  2.   If the US government really want to hear 06:26  |  George 10/09/06
  3.   THE REAL PROBLEM WITH IRAN`S NUKES QUESTION 06:33  |  Lebanese 10/09/06
  4.   Lebanese Mmmm? 07:24  |  Sam The Sham 10/09/06
  5.   Bush and Khatami 07:46  |  RIB 10/09/06
  6.   #3 re: Double Standards on Nukes 07:48  |  hmpierson 10/09/06
  7.   Nice Move Bush , X him Down 07:54  |  Joseph E . 10/09/06
  8.   To Lebanese 07:56  |  Bob 10/09/06
  9.   I was starting to get seriously worried 08:14  |  Colin Wright 10/09/06
  10.   IRAN NUKES AND ISRAEL 08:14  |  Lebanese 10/09/06
  11.   to Bob 09:54  |  kal 10/09/06
  12.   For HMPierson, a believer in double standards 10:34  |  Clickfool 10/09/06
  13.   Poor old George is worried 10:42  |  Clickfool 10/09/06
  14.   Clickfool: We Don`t Buy Their Oil! 11:48  |  Sam The Sham 10/09/06
  15.   Iran is kicking its people in the head again 12:05  |  Klaudia 10/09/06
  16.   Dialogue is good 22:44  |  Danny 10/09/06
  17.   Bust signed off on Khatami visit 14:06  |  B.J. Levitch 11/09/06
  18.   that`s why you are a clickfool, and I am not 23:09  |  hmpierson 24/10/06
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