Posted on 08/29/2006 10:46:54 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - Despite intense disagreement over suspected nuclear weapons and terrorism, the Bush administration decided Tuesday to allow former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami to visit the United States.
A visa was granted Tuesday to Khatami and several Iranians who will accompany him on the visit early next month, said State Department spokesman Tom Casey.
There will be no restrictions on his travel.
Khatami plans to attend a U.N. conference Sept. 5-6, and speak at the Washington National Cathedral on Sept. 7.
No meetings with U.S. officials are anticipated, Casey told reporters at a briefing.
Khatami would be the most senior Iranian official to visit Washington since Islamic fundamentalists seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and held Americans there hostage for 444 days.
The Iranian Embassy in Washington closed in April 1980. There have been no formal relations between the two countries since then, although U.S. and Iranian diplomats have participated in multinational meetings, such as on Afghanistan.
A growing number of former U.S. diplomats and members of Congress have urged the administration to talk to Iran about their disagreements.
Currently, the Bush administration is locked in a fierce dispute with Iran over what Casey on Tuesday said was the country's defiance of U.N. Security Council demands that it suspend enrichment of uranium.
The spokesman reaffirmed U.S. intentions to seek U.N. sanctions against Iran if it does not comply by Thursday's deadline.
The administration also regards Iran as a sponsor of terrorism.
CAIR to Host Dinner for Former President of Iran; Mohammad Khatami to speak at National Cathedral ^
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1689316/posts
Posted by NormsRevenge
On News/Activism ^ 08/24/2006 9:46:34 AM PDT · 20 replies · 364+ views
UNBELIEVEABLE
ping
The fact that this jerk@ff even was considered for a visa just goes to show how bad things really are at the State Defartment. Josef Goebbels would be proud.
Wish I could be there to wave my "Sun & Lion" in his face.
This is exactly what the regime wants.
I swear, the White House is being advised by people sympathetic to the regime, or people too ignorant to know the difference.
Thanks for the head's up.
Khatami and CAIR, eh? That pretty much removes any kind of lingering doubt there have been about CAIR's priorities. Not there was any doubts in my mind that CAIR is the terrorists Sean Finn, or wants to be.
As fast as the FBI can arrest the terror supporters in CAIR they're replaced with two more. When is our govt. going to wake up and ban this group as direct terrorist supporters, propagandists, and apologists?
CAIR DOES NOT CARE about non-muslims or the US Constitution/Bill of Rights, make no mistake. They'll see us all murdered in the streets and not bat an eye.
Somebody fetch me a rope!
I wish someone in law enforcement would wave an arrest warrant in his face for the crimes committed against countless Iranians during his presidency
Another article mentioned a trip to Chicago, too.
I really hope our President has nothing to do with this but ultimately his approval has to be given. I'm looking for an explanation.
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