Americas

Home page

Americas

U.S. to grant visa to Iran’s president

17 September 2007 08:41 (UTC +04:00)

Despite tensions between the United States and Iran, the United States will grant a visa to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to take part in the opening of the U.N. General Assembly next week, according to the State Department.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday once again challenged US President George W Bush to a debate at next week’s United Nations General Assembly in New York.
â€œI am still ready to hold a debate with him either in front of the UN or in presence of the press, but not behind closed doors,â€ Ahmadinejad said.
â€œLet us sit together and hold civilized talks on, for example, Iraq, or how we can settle world problems and let the people decide what is right and what is wrong,â€ Ahmadinejad said. â€œWhy does (Bush) evade from such a dialogue? He can even bring his advisors.â€
The State Department had to seek a special waiver for Ahmadinejad from the Department of Homeland Security because of unresolved allegations that he was involved in the 1979-81 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, in which 52 hostages were held for 444 days./APA/