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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. (AP)
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Last update - 17:27 23/09/2007
Local officials, civic leaders plan to protest Ahmadinejad's Columbia speech
By Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz Correspondent, and The Associated Press

NEW YORK - Elected local officials and civic leaders plan to demonstrate Sunday outside Columbia University, where Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was scheduled to speak at a forum on Monday.

More protests were to follow Monday near Columbia and the United Nations, where the Ahmadinejad was to address the General Assembly on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Columbia University's heads are resisting pressure to cancel a scheduled on-campus appearance by Ahmadinejad, who has made statements questioning the Holocaust and calling for Israel to be "wiped off the map."

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Columbia University President Lee Bollinger on Friday defended the initiative to invite Ahmadinejad to speak by saying that the university had extended the invitation only after the president agreed to give equal time for questions. Bollinger said he planned on presenting Ahmadinejad with a number of pointed and challenging questions.

While some public officials have called for Columbia to change its mind about the visit, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has said that the visit is an internal matter.

A Columbia professor who is an Iran expert and was among those behind the initiative told the media on Friday that he believed it was important to invite Ahmadinejad to speak, since he was the head of a state with which the U.S. might find itself at war.

However, the real headache for the New York City police is likely to be the Iranian leader's attempt to visit Ground Zero.

Israel's United Nations envoy Dan Gillerman told the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organization that a visit by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Ground Zero would be similar to a visit by a resurrected Hitler to Auschwitz.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly had prohibited Ahmadinejad's visit to the scene of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the Twin Towers, but according to an interview he gave to "60 minutes," to be broadcast tonight, the Iranian president has not abandoned his plan to visit the site. However, when asked his opinion as to Kelly's refusal to allow the visit, Ahmadinejad said it would have to be coordinated with the local authorities, and if they did not agree, he would not insist.

When asked whether he did not consider his visit to the site of the Twin Towers attack as an insult to the American people, he asked why it should be considered as such.

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  1.   ENOUGH Of Liars/Opportunists! Iran Did NOT Do 9/11, Al Qaeda Did. 05:26  |  Proud Pal Defender 23/09/07
  2.   Ridiculous comment... 05:38  |  Silvienne 23/09/07
  3.   rationalising the irrational 05:41  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/09/07
  4.   Gillerman the Drama Queen 05:51  |  Natallie Durson 23/09/07
  5.   Iran and Ground Zero 06:09  |  vet74 23/09/07
  6.   Rationalizing the irrational- Indeed! 06:10  |  Eric from USA 23/09/07
  7.   Who cares anyway 06:12  |  sal 23/09/07
  8.   Silvienne 06:16  |  Connie 23/09/07
  9.   Why is Columbia not being billed full costs of police escort? 06:21  |  Dr. L. Brnd 23/09/07
  10.   clever move 06:25  |  zac 23/09/07
  11.   #2, Silvienne 06:44  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/09/07
  12.   Cipora # 3 06:45  |  Philippe 23/09/07
  13.   Don`t Criminals Always Revisit... 06:51  |  Yosemite 23/09/07
  14.   CUT THE PC CRAP PLEASE! 07:03  |  david 23/09/07
  15.   #6, Eric 07:13  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/09/07
  16.   #10, zac 07:15  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/09/07
  17.   bring ground zero to iran 07:17  |  vik 23/09/07
  18.   What kind of interesting speech this Ayat Allah can give? 07:18  |  e.m 23/09/07
  19.   #12, Philippe 07:34  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/09/07
  20.   MANIPULATIVE & QUESTIONABLE Are The Pushes To Forego Dissent! 07:52  |  Proud Pal Defender 23/09/07
  21.   Columbia anti american policy to be investigated ! 07:52  |  Castor Troy 23/09/07
  22.   #8, Connie... 07:53  |  Silvienne 23/09/07
  23.   #11, Cipora J. Kohn 07:57  |  Silvienne 23/09/07
  24.   Dr. L. Brnd # 9 07:59  |  Philippe 23/09/07
  25.   Phillippe: What a lie 09:31  |  Tupac 23/09/07
  26.   Did he ever support Al Qaieda? 09:38  |  Palestinian Brit 23/09/07
  27.   Natalie Durson vs victims of 9/11 09:43  |  British academic 23/09/07
  28.   Why is this so difficult to understand...? 09:53  |  Flying Dutchman 23/09/07
  29.   Fine. Now 9/11 belongs to the Israelis and the rest of the world 09:59  |  Andreas 23/09/07
  30.   EVEN MY DOG WOULD LAUGH 10:05  |  indrajaya 23/09/07
  31.   CJK - Exactly what "terror" did Ahmadinejad support? 10:11  |  spyguy 23/09/07
  32.   Iran 10:21  |  Tina 23/09/07
  33.   #2 Shouldn`t there be an israeli point of view available too? 10:27  |  Kris 23/09/07
  34.   You make it sound like it`s Sharon that is coming... 10:50  |  Jens 23/09/07
  35.   Is this for real! 10:50  |  Paulo 23/09/07
  36.   Gillerman further destroying Israeli credibility 11:19  |  Michael 23/09/07
  37.   The Real Hedache... 11:24  |  Avi 23/09/07
  38.   #14 Michael of UK 11:35  |  Yonatan 23/09/07
  39.   Silly comment,Mr.A. had nothing to do with 9/11,as for the tired 11:36  |  lakshmi 23/09/07
  40.   Devaluing the Holocaust! 11:39  |  Sammy 23/09/07
  41.   big lies 11:58  |  Nima 23/09/07
  42.   No to Ahmadinejad 12:08  |  Proud Israeli defend 23/09/07
  43.   The void 12:17  |  Clickfool 23/09/07
  44.   Ahaminijan in US 12:27  |  Hilda 23/09/07
  45.   Bummer, that, isn`t it Dr L.Brnd? # 9 12:31  |  Clickfool 23/09/07
  46.   Something happening Israel doesn`t like 12:52  |  Chris Linthwaite 23/09/07
  47.   Gillerman is flogging a dead horse 13:09  |  AM 23/09/07
  48.   #3 Regarding "Rationalizing The Irrational & Stopping Discussion. 13:13  |  Proud Pal Defender 23/09/07
  49.   BRITISH ACADEMIC. 13:21  |  DANNY. 23/09/07
  50.   Proud PAL defender 13:45  |  Judah N. Wenkel 23/09/07
  51.   Eric from U.S.A. 14:02  |  Judah N. Wenkel 23/09/07
  52.   how about Netanyahu 14:06  |  jackie 23/09/07
  53.   ahmadinejad 14:11  |  jg 23/09/07
  54.   #51 Judah N Wenkel 14:27  |  Chris Linthwaite 23/09/07
  55.   Danny 14:37  |  Palestinian Brit 23/09/07
  56.   Jackie 14:43  |  Palestinian Brit 23/09/07
  57.   Don`t be silly Yonatan 38 15:14  |  Michael 23/09/07
  58.   Columbia, yes. Ground Zero, NO! 15:20  |  akiva 23/09/07
  59.   Comparison is Unfounded 15:29  |  JJ 23/09/07
  60.   wipe off 15:33  |  markfrank 23/09/07
  61.   I`m an American 15:37  |  Kevin 23/09/07
  62.   HAHAHA... HILARIOUS title... 15:38  |  23/09/07
  63.   Will Ahmadinejad pass on candy in the Ground-Zero? 15:52  |  Just Wondering 23/09/07
  64.   Ahmadinajad 15:53  |  JordanisPalestine 23/09/07
  65.   Kevin I guess we all imagined .. 15:54  |  British academic 23/09/07
  66.   Will Ahmadenijad argue for "wipe of Israel" in Columbia? 15:56  |  Just Wondering 23/09/07
  67.   Jens #34 15:59  |  roland 23/09/07
  68.   Palestinian Brit...and I guess the muslims werent joining in 16:12  |  British academic 23/09/07
  69.   Would Ahmadinejad Still Want To Visit Ground Zero ... 16:27  |  Lavi 23/09/07
  70.   # 65 "British Academic" 16:29  |  Kevin 23/09/07
  71.   #61 Kevin a "dumb" American...Ahmad did say that 16:35  |  The Equalizer 23/09/07
  72.   tourist attractions for ahmadi 16:36  |  scanadu 23/09/07
  73.   Eric 16:43  |  Jasmine Murphy 23/09/07
  74.   Question 16:58  |  Claudio 23/09/07
  75.   # 65 "British Academic" Part 2 17:05  |  Kevin 23/09/07
  76.   #57 Michael - For you, too many; for me, not enough 17:08  |  Yonatan 23/09/07
  77.   Ahmadinejad the anti-Semite Hitler 17:08  |  Stacie 23/09/07
  78.   # 65 "British Academic" Part 3 17:09  |  Kevin 23/09/07
  79.   #57 Michael - For you, too many; for me, not enough 17:14  |  Yonatan 23/09/07
  80.   Chris Linthwaite 17:17  |  Judah N. Wenkel 23/09/07
  81.   Y do we respond to Clickfool? 17:18  |  Avi (from Poland)