posted on September 21, 2007 09:30:27 AM new
N.Y. nixes Ground Zero visit by Iran's leader
By Charisse Jones and Barbara Slavin, USA TODAY
NEW YORK — A request by aides to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that the controversial leader be allowed to visit Ground Zero next week when he attends the United Nations' General Assembly meeting was rejected, a police spokesman said Wednesday.
Ahmadinejad is one of hundreds of world leaders who will visit the city next week for the annual U.N. meeting. His request to visit the site where more than 2,700 people were killed when the World Trade Center was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001, enraged politicians and officials who consider Iran a potential nuclear threat that harbors terrorists.
Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, New York City's mayor during 9/11, denounced the Iranian's request, as did Republican rival Mitt Romney and Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton. Calls and e-mails to the Iranian mission to the United Nations were not answered.
The request for Ahmadinejad to visit Ground Zero, which surfaced publicly Wednesday, came during a meeting earlier this month with the New York Police Department, the Secret Service and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said. Construction is underway at the site and no visitors are allowed because of safety concerns.
"He wanted to go into the pit and lay a wreath," Browne said. Even if Ahmadinejad had asked to visit the area near Ground Zero, that "would also be opposed by NYPD on security grounds," he said.
Ahmadinejad, elected president two years ago, has prompted international outrage by questioning whether six million Jews died at the hands of the Nazis and calling for the state of Israel to be "wiped off the map." He has vehemently defended Iran's right to nuclear power while denying that it seeks to develop nuclear weapons.
His request to visit Ground Zero drew a sharp response from the State Department. "It is appalling to think that President Ahmadinejad, one of the world's leading sponsors of terrorism, would find it appropriate to visit this hallowed ground," said Tom Casey, State Department deputy spokesman.
Suzanne Maloney, a former U.S. diplomat and Iran expert now at the Brookings Institution in Washington, said Ahmadinejad might be genuinely trying to show respect for the victims of 9/11, which included several Iranians.
"He has a very odd sense of political showmanship on how to reach out to the American political elite and the American public," Maloney said. "He's someone with a particularly tin ear."
Slavin reported from Washington
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I'm not sure how to feel about this. There are obvious arguements on both sides for and against him going there. I know it is quite emotional for those who were directly affected by 9/11. For the most part, all I've heard on the news is the arguement against him visiting nothing about anyone in favor... so for the sake of debate here is what I could come up with...
1) Ahmadinejad was not President of Iran during 9/11 and had nothing to do with 9/11.
2) Many Iranians died at 9/11 and his desire to pay his respects may be genuine.
3) Iranian soldiers stood up with American soldiers against the Taliban and Al Qaeda when we went into Afghanistan.
4) Ahmadinejad may, in his own odd way be attempting to extend an olive branch towards the US.
5) Would we feel the same if our President visited Iran and they refused to allow our President to pay their respects at a Holy Mosque if Americans died there?
Again, this is one of those touchy subjects that has two faces. If I had Ahmadinejad's ear, I would probably suggest not to do it, but to work towards a peaceful solution with the problems facing Iran and the UN and USA first. If his actions are genuine, then perhaps he pays his respects down the road.
One thing that has not been mentioned is his personal security which is obviously an important factor for the US. The last thing we would want is an assasination attempt on him to trigger instant war with Iran.
posted on September 21, 2007 12:24:25 PM new
"One thing that has not been mentioned is his personal security which is obviously an important factor for the US. The last thing we would want is an assasination attempt on him to trigger instant war with Iran."
You're kidding, right?
I wish I could say that he comes here at his own risk but apparently not ~ he will be using US Secret Service to protect him.
and I pay taxes for THAT????
Great, now I'm making sure terrorists don't get assassinated on US soil.
IMHO, his "personal security" is NOT "an important factor".
[ edited by zoomin on Sep 21, 2007 12:25 PM ]
posted on September 21, 2007 12:31:00 PM new
""You're kidding, right?
I wish I could say that he comes here at his own risk but apparently not ~ he will be using US Secret Service to protect him.
and I pay taxes for THAT????
Great, now I'm making sure terrorists don't get assassinated on US soil.
IMHO, his "personal security" is NOT "an important factor". """
That's rather short-sighted.
Your taxes are being used to prevent very ugly incidents that could have big and long lasting results.
What? You think if he was killed here the rest of the world would just shrug and look the other way ?????? You think terrorism would end with his death?????????????!!!!!!
posted on September 21, 2007 07:53:03 PM new
I think he should stay away from the US or pay for his own security ~ that would help to prevent the 'ugly incidents with long lasting results' without using the taxpayers money.
He does not need to bring his hate here ~ if he wishes to make a physical appearance it should be at his risk and mandate that Iran pay the expense for any approopriate security measures. Why should Americans foot the bill when we ALL have enough technology that he can interact without travelling to US soil.
posted on September 21, 2007 08:15:56 PM new
I can see your point but U.S. taxes have been used, and will continue to be used, to support terrorism in different ways all over the world.
posted on September 22, 2007 07:36:45 AM new
First off, he won't be the first person who has planted his feet on American soil that is possibly responsible for numerous deaths. There have been many leaders who have been to America that we have great dissent towards... Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Manuel Noriega, many in the Saudi Royal Family, and so on... So what makes this guy different from the rest? Nothing really. Iran is working towards going nuclear, whether it is power or weapons nobody is certain... but Castro has missiles pointed directly at us.
I think most of the story behind Ahmadinejad wanting to visit ground zero is a political stunt on both sides. I have no idea what is real motivations are, but at the same time I wouldn't doubt for a second that both governments are spinning this much further beyond the realities and the news took it even further.
