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Iranian Presient Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. (Reuters)
Last update - 04:29 21/09/2007
Iran's Ahmadinejad denied visit to site of September 11 attacks
By Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Israel, UN, Ahmadinejad, Iran

New York police on Wednesday said that the Iranian president has been denied a request to visit "Ground Zero" in lower Manhattan, the site of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who regularly accuses the United States of arrogance in his speeches, had asked to visit the site in order to lay a wreath while in New York for the United Nations General Assembly this month.

"The site is closed to visitors because of construction there," police spokesman Paul Browne said in a statement.
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"Requests for the Iranian president to visit the immediate area would also be opposed by the NYPD on security grounds."

Police said they were unsure why Ahmadinejad wanted to visit.

The mere notion of Ahmadinejad visiting drew fire from White House hopefuls on both sides of the political divide. Washington has long accused Iran of sponsoring terrorism.

"It is unacceptable for Iranian President Ahmadinejad, who refuses to renounce and end his own country's support of terrorism, to visit the site of the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil in our nation's history," Democratic U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton said in a statement.

Former Republican New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani also opposed any such visit.

"This is a man who has made threats against America and Israel, is harboring Bin Laden's son and other al Qaeda leaders, is shipping arms to Iraqi insurgents and is pursuing the development of nuclear weapons," he said.

"Assisting Ahmadinejad in touring Ground Zero - hallowed ground for all Americans - is outrageous."

Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, agreed with the police decision and accused Iran of supporting violent groups in Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Iran can demonstrate its seriousness about concern with regard to terrorism by taking concrete actions, such as dropping support for Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and suspending their uranium enrichment program," Khalilzad said.

"We do not support that the tragedy that happened on a site where so many people lost their lives be used as a photo op," Khalilzad told reporters.

After the September 11 attacks, some Iranians held impromptu vigils in Tehran.

In 2002 U.S. President George W. Bush famously labeled Iran as part of an "axis of evil" that also included Iraq and North Korea. Since then Iran has defied western pressure to suspend its nuclear program.

Mohammad Mir Ali Mohammadi, spokesman for the Iranian mission to the UN, said he was not notified offically that Ahmadinejad would not be allowed at the site, but said it was unfortunate.

"President Ahmadinejad intended to lay a wreath at the site of ground zero in order to pay tribute to the victims of the terrorists attack of September 11, 2001. We are hopeful that we can still work something out with the police department," he said.

White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said a visit to ground zero is a matter for the city of New York, but it seems more than odd that the president of a country that is a state sponsor of terror would visit ground zero.


Israeli UN ambassador implores U.S. prevent Ahmadinejad's UN visit
UN Ambassador Dan Gillerman has urged the U.S. administration to deny the participation of Ahmadinejad in the opening session of the United Nations 62nd General Assembly next week in New York City.

"It is the obligation of the American legal authorities to prevent his entrance into the United States and if he does enter, to arrest him and try him for incitement to genocide and aiding and abetting terrorists who kill American soldiers in Iraq," Gillerman told Haaretz
Wednesday.

Gillerman also protested to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon over Ahmadinejad's plan to attend the session.

The Iranian president is to address the General Assembly on September 25, the first day of the general debate, which is to be opened by President George W. Bush.

Gillerman says he is aware of the American obligation as the UN host-country to allow any member of the organization to enter the US, "but there is also a limit to honoring agreements," he said.

"This is the head of a country that has called for the destruction of a fellow-member of the UN," Gillerman said. "Since Ahmadinejad's appearence at the General Assembly last year, proof has gathered that Iran is assisting extremists in Iraq to kill American soldiers."

The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations is planning a protest against Ahmadinejad in front of UN headquarters. Conference Vice Chairman Malcolm Honlein called Ahmadinejad's appearence "a negative message to the world.

The U.S. also has denied a visa to Iran's United Nations ambassador in Geneva to attend next week's General Assembly meeting because he was involved in the 1979 U.S. hostage crisis, a UN official said Wednesday.

It was not clear what role Ali Reza Moaiyeri, Iran's U.N. ambassador in Geneva, played in the 1979 hostage crisis. The UN official who said his visa was denied spoke on condition of anonymity because there has been no public announcement.

Richard Grenell, spokesman for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, said, "although we don't comment about specific visa cases we certainly would not allow a person into the United States who has taken Americans as hostages.
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  1.   Gillerman a liar ! 04:18  |  David James Vickery 20/09/07
  2.   Gillerman is right 04:24  |  Gordon 20/09/07
  3.   gillermann is out of his mind 04:29  |  zac 20/09/07
  4.   What a wonderful opportunity! 04:33  |  Murray of Montreal 20/09/07
  5.   prevent visit 04:45  |  Shmuelshachor 20/09/07
  6.   Ahmadinejad named US Embassy Hostage Taker 05:03  |  Yaacob 20/09/07
  7.   Iran`s just wants fadder for the fire. 05:12  |  Kent 20/09/07
  8.   I agree with Shnuelshachor 05:12  |  Moshe Benz 20/09/07
  9.   To: Shmuelshachor (Prevent visit) 05:13  |  Gurmit Singh 20/09/07
  10.   david james vickery 05:14  |  Connie 20/09/07
  11.   zac 05:21  |  Connie 20/09/07
  12.   To: Gordon 05:22  |  Gurmit Singh 20/09/07
  13.   To: Murray of Montreal 05:24  |  Gurmit 20/09/07
  14.   #1 05:27  |  Dr.J 20/09/07
  15.   limiting behavior 05:29  |  Ben Dan 20/09/07
  16.   Arrest Gillerman 05:32  |  steve 20/09/07
  17.   terrorist scum 05:33  |  Greg 20/09/07
  18.   #4 05:35  |  Dr.J 20/09/07
  19.   Defending Ahmediniwaad 05:47  |  Robbie 20/09/07
  20.   Let him come. 05:47  |  Omran 20/09/07
  21.   to the wicked vickery on # 1 05:52  |  Shmuelshachor 20/09/07
  22.   Ahmadinejad 05:53  |  M. Delphia Block 20/09/07
  23.   Israel so good at honouring agreements 05:58  |  L A 20/09/07
  24.   Steve 05:59  |  Connie 20/09/07
  25.   Ahmadinejad should not be allowed into the US 05:59  |  Shepherd 20/09/07
  26.   since when does 05:59  |  Kris 20/09/07
  27.   Robbie--No. 14 05:59  |  steve 20/09/07
  28.   david vickery 06:02  |  Connie 20/09/07
  29.   Gillerman Plays the Clown 06:05  |  Natallie Durson 20/09/07
  30.   Be nice to this criminal 06:56  |  Mansour 20/09/07
  31.   Let him in 06:57  |  Rob 20/09/07
  32.   Ahmadinejad 07:02  |  Jon von 20/09/07
  33.   Gillerman is no clown NatallieDurson # 29 07:32  |  Jack 20/09/07
  34.   #29, Durson 07:36  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 20/09/07
  35.   Gillerman 07:43  |  Robin 20/09/07
  36.   #1 07:44  |  Commonsense 20/09/07
  37.   #1 07:47  |  gefilte ishman 20/09/07
  38.   #29 07:47  |  Commonsense 20/09/07
  39.   POLICE VS POLITICIAN ON AHMADINEJAD VISIT 07:53  |  indrajaya 20/09/07
  40.   US - let Ahmadinejad say what he wants 07:59  |  Moises 20/09/07
  41.   M. Delphia - there`s one big difference though 08:11  |  Moises 20/09/07
  42.   One sided story 08:25  |  Amjad 20/09/07
  43.   AhMADinejad`s fake sorrow over the 9/11 attacks 08:31  |  Aaron 20/09/07
  44.   Ahmadinejad is guilty on all counts but has diplomatic immunity 08:31  |  Efox 20/09/07
  45.   Those who want to murder six million Jews throw accusations at Us 08:34  |  Efox 20/09/07
  46.   Vickery #1 08:44  |  sue 20/09/07
  47.   Natalie Durson - SHAME ON YOU! 08:50  |  Avi 20/09/07
  48.   Indrajaya.. Politics aside... 08:57  |  Avi 20/09/07
  49.   GILLERMAN FOR PRIME MINISTER!! 09:03  |  Lucy 20/09/07
  50.   Iran was the first and the loudest to denounce 9/11 attack 09:07  |  Pablo B 20/09/07
  51.   THE MULLAH charm offensive in the "Great Satan".Worried Mullahs 09:14  |  PETER S.M. 20/09/07
  52.   Gillerman`s gaffe, New York`s folly, diplomacy`s demise 09:14  |  Ivar 20/09/07
  53.   PABLO B.Where did Netanyahu say "how good for Israel" 09:30  |  PETER S .M. 20/09/07
  54.   9/11 victims 09:46  |  Seeker 20/09/07
  55.   Time for Americans to move on from 9/11 09:52  |  Michael 20/09/07
  56.   ahmedinejad wants to come to the twin towers 09:53  |  harzion 20/09/07
  57.   Another Chance For Dialogue Up In Smoke 09:55  |  Clickfool 20/09/07
  58.   natallie durson is an embittered palestinian 09:56  |  benzion 20/09/07
  59.   Hilary and Gillerman 10:00  |  Adel 20/09/07
  60.   correct decision. period. 10:13  |  saul a. readner 20/09/07
  61.   What about Auschwitz 1st? 10:15  |  Stumpwhistle 20/09/07
  62.   Insane from Minneapolis 10:15  |  george 20/09/07
  63.   # 34 Kohn 10:18  |  Natallie Durson 20/09/07
  64.   Ahmadinejad`s visit 10:22  |  Benjamin 20/09/07
  65.   WORLD TRADE CENTER 11:04  |  citizen of world 20/09/07
  66.   Following America`s pathetic invasion of Iraq... 11:06  |  Maureen Ann 20/09/07
  67.   To pathetic warmonger Efox 11:26  |  Mark B. 20/09/07
  68.   #62, Durson 11:29  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 20/09/07
  69.   What would Ahmad want to do at ground zero? 11:32  |  Esther 20/09/07
  70.   # 50 Pable 11:43  |