US stonewalling Ahmadinejad visa process

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 13:29:07 GMT
The US has failed to issue a visa to allow Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to attend the UN General Assembly in New York.  The Iranian president is scheduled to address the General Assembly on September 23.   Despite a timely application, no visa has yet been issued for the president, Fars news agency reported Saturday.   The US has an agreement with the United Nations, according to which it is obliged to allow foreign leaders to speak before the world body. The agreement requires visas for heads of states visiting the UN headquarters to be granted 'as promptly as possible'.   If President Ahmadinejad attends the summit, it will be his third trip to New York since he took office in August 2005.   Ahmadinejad experienced the same reaction from the US State Department last year.  During his last trip in September 2007, Ahmadinejad requested to lay a wreath at the World Trade Center, the site of the September 11 attacks, to pay tribute to the victims of the tragedy. His bid, however, was rejected by city authorities. He also proposed to meet and hold a live debate with US President George W. Bush. Washington officials rejected the offer, saying that the White House would only engage in direct talks after Tehran halts its nuclear program.  MD/AA, Original source at PressTV,