From Reuters: Iran's Ahmadinejad denied Trade Center visit.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been denied a request to visit the World Trade Center site of the September 11 attacks, New York police said on Wednesday.Ahmadinejad, who regularly accuses the United States of arrogance in his speeches, had asked to visit the site 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. "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."
From ABC News: Secret Service Will Accompany Iranian President If He Goes to Ground Zero. (via Little Green Footballs)
From Michelle Malkin: Time to organize an Ahmadinejad welcoming party?
Here's the contact information for the Iran's U.N. mission. Let them know what you think of Ahmadinejad visiting Ground Zero. This information comes from Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi, who writes:
I urge every one of you to exercise your first amendment right and share with the Mullahs and their puppet president, your opinion of them. We need to let these people know that the world does not operate according to their fascist whims.
The cartoon is based on the famous, Pulitzer Prize winning photograph by William C. Beall.
UPDATE: From FOX News: Ahmadinejad Still Wants to Visit Ground Zero, But Doubts It Will Happen.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says he still wants to visit Ground Zero next week during his visit to New York City, and he's "amazed" that Americans view his request to visit the site as insulting, according to an interview conducted with CBS News' "60 Minutes."Asked if he intends to press his request to visit the World Trade Center site, Ahmadinejad tells the news magazine, "Well, it was included in my program. If we have the time and the conditions are conducive, I will try to do that."
He adds, however, that "local officials need to make the necessary coordinations."
"If they can't do that, I won't insist," he says.
Meanwhile: Iranian Officer Arrested for Allegedly Smuggling Roadside Bombs Into Iraq.
Posted by Forkum at September 20, 2007 03:18 PM
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