Posted on 01/03/2010 12:47:31 PM PST by Sub-Driver
Iran denies entry to Sen. Kerry By Bridget Johnson - 01/03/10 01:48 PM ET
Iranian legislators on Sunday decided to not allow a visit from Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.), according to Iranian media.
"Members of the Iranian parliament's Foreign Relations Committee (a subcommittee of the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission) voiced opposition to the request after studying the issue," Hassan Ebrahimi, head of the committee, told the semi-official Fars News Agency.
Several Iranian news outlets reported last week that Kerry had submitted an official request to visit Tehran in an emissary role.
Kerry spokesman Frederick Jones told the Wall Street Journal before Christmas, though, that no trip had been scheduled. "Is he planning now on going to Iran? The answer is no," said Jones.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast said last week that "legislative officials are studying the case and they are in charge for providing a response."
On Saturday, Iranian legislators stepped up the rhetoric against the news that Kerry was considering traveling to Tehran with the blessing of the White House.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran has no plans to negotiate with any American official, unless the country (the U.S.) changes its policies," member of the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Zohreh Elahian said, according to Fars News Agency.
"Iran-US relations are not under such conditions that could produce results through a number of non-targeted meetings and talks," rapporteur of the parliament's Nationals Security and Foreign Policy Commission Kazzem Jalali told Fars on Saturday in response to a question about Kerry wishing to visit Iran.
"Americans are more seeking to exploit the media and means of propaganda in a bid to gain an advantage," Jalali said. "...A number of the high-ranking officials in the present U.S. administration sent letters for talks with Iranian officials when they served as senators.
"The bills ratified in the US legislative bodies against Iran are examples of paradoxical behavior which we are witnessing from American statesmen towards Iran, and indicate that their policies on Iran are not honest," he added.
Now, if only our customs officials were half as smart.
Send this prick to France. We’ve got no use for him here.
Darn, I was hoping they would keep him.
I don’t care about Kerry, but the Iranian govt just has no respect for the West and the West can do no better than bend over backwards for them. Pathetic.
only wish our standards were as high!
Can’t blame them, we should be so smart.
Bummer, they should have let him visit and then have our own officials deny him return.
They probably still think he is in the military. He was in Viet Nam, ya know.
Not to worry - I’m sure the Obamaites have prepared dozens of other opportunities for the Iranians to insult and humiliate us.
WOW, that’s a shame, I was hoping they’d let him in and then hold his hostage for 444 days.
Try N. Korea. If also a no, then try Hell. Chevez will take him.
Yet another Obama plan FAILS.
Obama is America’s First Failed Black Pres-dent.....
I guess the mullahs aren’t big on “nuance”.
Iran backhands another liberal.
Good.
don’t they know who he is ?
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