Posted on 09/19/2007 4:52:09 PM PDT by mdittmar
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."
Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, agreed with the police decision and accused Iran of supporting violent groups in Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan.
"We do not support that the tragedy that happened on a site where so many people lost their lives be used as a photo op," Khalilzad told reporters.
After the September 11 attacks, some Iranians held impromptu vigils in Tehran.
In 2002 U.S. President George W. Bush famously labeled Iran as part of an "axis of evil" that also included Iraq and North Korea. Since then Iran has defied western pressure to suspend its nuclear program.
Officials at the Iran mission to the United Nations were not immediately available for comment.
(Additional reporting by Evelyn Leopold)
How about we let him into the pit, and let whomever throw rocks?
This sonofabitch is part and parcel to the killing of our brave young men and women in Iraq.
What a f#@$$ed up country we live in....he should be captured and executed.
But at the very least, why is he allowed here?
of course if Rudy had been in charge, we wouldn’t have had this pathetic display of NYC officials passing the hot potato. he would have handled it exactly like the Arafat Lincoln Center affair. NYPD says Ahmadinejad can’t go to Ground Zero because of safety considerations????? that’s beyond spineless. i’m really disappointed in NYPD - i expected Bloomberg to waffle.
Something about that large rectangular pustule occupying otherwise incredibly valuable real estate along Manhattan’s East River I think near about 45th Street.
Okay, boys and girls...all together now...
GET U.S. OUT OF THE U.N. !!!
Don’t insult the animals.
He wants to visit Ground Zero so he can exude in his speeches how great it felt to stand in the exact spot of the deaths of so many people of all religions (speech fodder). That’s just my opinion of it. Hatred walking on hallowed ground. I think not. Security nightmare for starters even if the other things weren’t a consideration. -
It would be like the Emperor visiting Pearl Harbor during WWII.
Maybe he wants to celebrate their Anniversary at our Memorial.
Would be suprized if he wanted to take a whiz while there.
Guys got a whole lot of nerve.
If the can’t go to GZ ... maybe GZ can come to him?
Yeah and then over to CNN to have tea with Christine Ammapourwretch.
Good Concise Post.
Yeah was that verified to be him in those pics back then?
Why is he not held accountable if true.
Well he should have wired Hillary $911,200.1 as a contribution and he would have his Photo op.
Funnel the funds through Rosie O’ Donnel
This would be like Emperor Hirohito of Japan during World War II laying a victory wreath on the site of the Pearl Harbor attack. It would make a nice photo op for Al Jazeera.
We should reconsider his visit...I, myself, am curious as to how “Don’t taze me, bro!” sounds in Farsi.
He asked so he could “pay respects to those that died there”.
Did he mean the citizens or the hijackers?
Because the left has so neutered our country with political correctness that we can't even say who the enemy is, even when he has blatantly stated that he seeks our demise and the means to do so.
Who was ultimately responsible for denying him access?
That person deserves kudos (even though it was a no brainer).
I too was hoping for an equipment malfunction, a runaway crane, or an attack by an angry, rioting mob of 9-11 victims’ families as I believe this man is an islamofascist just like OBL.
I’d prefer to see him pelted with WTC debris by New Yorkers, until he was dead.
Or it's the price we pay for wanting to host the UN.
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