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US may deny visa for Iran leader's UN
address
5.8.2005
By Guy Dinmore in Washington
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The Bush administration
is considering taking the unprecedented step of
preventing a visting head of state from addressing
the United Nations in New York by denying a visa to
Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, Iran's new elected
conservative president.
Officials said a decision rested on investigations
into whether Mr Ahmadi-Nejad was involved in the
1979 US embassy hostage crisis and the killing of an
Iranian-Kurdish dissident leader in Vienna in 1989.
Iran denies his involvement in either event.
A top Iranian official confirmed Thursday that Mr
Ahmadi-Nejad, who took office on Wednesday, planned
to address the UN Millennium Summit and its annual
General Assembly next month. His US visa application
is expected to be submitted on Friday.
The trip would be “mutually beneficial to the US and
Iran”, the official added. The State Department
said: “It is premature to comment until a request
for a visa has been made.”
An official said agencies were examining whether
there was sufficient evidence to deny a visa and how
this would be justified under international law.
Stephane Dujarric, UN spokesman, said: “The host
country agreement calls on the US not to impose any
impediment to the travel to the UN of any
representative of a member state on official
business.”
Yasser Arafat, Palestine Liberation Organisation
chairman, was denied entry in 1988. He addressed the
UN in Geneva. Mohammad Khatami, Iran's previous
president, spoke at the UN several times, most
notably just weeks after the September 2001 attacks,
which he condemned.
Former US diplomats allege they recognise Mr
Ahmadi-Nejad as one of their captors, but the
Central Intelligence Agency has found no
confirmation of this.
www.ft.com
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