U.S. May Escort Ahmadinejad to Ground Zero

[Matt Molnar]

Iranian president requests to visit Ground Zero

(New York - WABC, September 19, 2007) - Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad requested to visit Ground Zero during his trip to New York next week, NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Wednesday morning.

The Iranian mission to the United Nations made the request to the NYPD and the Secret Service, who will jointly oversee security during the president's two-day visit.

Ahmadinejad is scheduled to arrive September 24 to speak to the U.N. General Assembly, as the Security Council decides whether to increase sanctions against Iran for its uranium enrichment program.

Kelly said the NYPD and Secret Service were in discussions with the Iranian mission about the logistics for the possible visit, and whether it will take place at all.

"There has been some interest expressed in his visiting the area," Kelly said. "It's something that we are prepared to handle if in fact it does happen."

Amadinejad would not be allowed to descend into the pit for safety reasons related to ongoing construction there.

Kelly said that Ahmadinejad had not indicated why he wants to visit the site of the terrorist attacks of September 11th.

[Matt Molnar]

I can't imagine that he will have anything positive to say during this visit, and almost definitely will use it as a dramatic backdrop to spew anti-American and anti-Israel propaganda.

It would be a real shame if one of the cranes down there "accidentally" dropped an I-beam on him.

[flyboy 28]

It would be a real shame if one of the cranes down there "accidentally" dropped an I-beam on him.

LOL I needed that laugh.

[cancidas]

let the man visit... though they should have made it an "at your own risk" venture.

[Matt Molnar]

UPDATE: NYPD, Secret Service and Port Authority have decided to reject the request.

http://www.wnbc.com/news/14152775/detai ... dlineclick

[Gerard]

[quote="GothamSpotter"]UPDATE: NYPD, Secret Service and Port Authority have decided to reject the request.

Reportedly the PA never received a request while the USSS and NYPD turned it down because of security concerns.
These guys will probably be hanging out at "Scores" instead.

[Tom_Turner]

I can't imagine that he will have anything positive to say during this visit, and almost definitely will use it as a dramatic backdrop to spew anti-American and anti-Israel propaganda.

It would be a real shame if one of the cranes down there "accidentally" dropped an I-beam on him.

I suspect he is smarter (or at least more clever) than that.

He was going to lay a wreath apparently. He'd get plenty of mileage out of that.

He's won round one already anyway - he can't visit the site to lay a wreath in a "free society". He'll make something out of that. All the officials not having their stories lined up as to why he can't go, makes it an obvious political issue... (not that Ahmadinejad wasn't playing politics to begin with...).

Tom

[Matt Molnar]

UPDATE: Iranian Mission says he will go Monday morning despite NYPD objections.

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?secti ... id=5665164

[mirrodie]

He's won round one already anyway - he can't visit the site to lay a wreath in a "free society". He'll make something out of that. All the officials not having their stories lined up as to why he can't go, makes it an obvious political issue... (not that Ahmadinejad wasn't playing politics to begin with...).

Tom

Thanks Tom. Makes you think what kind of 'free society' we really live in. Instead of opening doors, we're so quick to close them.

We've NOTHING to lose by letting him go. More to lose by the actions taken thus far.

[RDU-JFK]

Wait a sec...they just do 't want to give him an NYPD escort to the site or take him to areas cornered off. No one is saying he can't walk down Church Street by the PATH station. They are saying he shouldn't have an escort to take him there, or access the construction site.

[mirrodie]

Here's the thing. It's called goodwill.

There was a time when the WORLD thought that America was better than the rest of the world.
And millions flocked to us subsequently.

And while millions still do (while jumping past the border), right now the world does not look as favorable upon our nation.

So why don't we do one better? Why can't we show the world our tolerance?
Show a bit more goodwill toward another head of state. More to gain than to lose.

Sorry, I don't usually speak on on politics, but that is how I see it.

[Tom_Turner]

I agree entirely with Mario on this.

We let the Saudis go there immediately. There is no one that should be denied after that.

I have no doubt leaders have gone there out of obligation that did not have an actual interest in going.

This is going to play to poorly - Much of the Iranian populace is said to have good feelings toward the US and for better or worse, this head of state is representing them here.

I can still remember images of the Iranian populace expressing regret and sadness in the immediate wake of 911 and (from what I could see in the media) it was one of the few places "over there" that seemed sincere.

Tom

[PhilDernerJr]

Not long ago I read Bernie Goldberg saying how this is very different from old school Khomeini. Iran is now run by someone who, better than Bin Laden, knows how to work the media and play the PR role. Scary.

[Tom_Turner]

He's not the only one that can play this game... a great PR shell game has been done on the American Public as to who is who and what is what.... just one little example below...

http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0609,r ... 286,2.html

Here is one report, sourced to the 9-11 Commission, appearing in Paul Thompson's 9-11 timeline:

"February 1999: Bin Laden Missile Strike Called Off for Fear of Hitting Persian Gulf Royalty. Intelligence reports foresee the presence of bin Laden at a desert hunting camp in Afghanistan for about a week. Information on his presence appears reliable, so preparations are made to target his location with cruise missiles. However, intelligence also puts an official aircraft of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and members of the royal family from that country in the same location. Bin Laden is hunting with the Emirati royals, as he did with leaders from the UAE and Saudi Arabia on other occasions (see 1995-2001). Policy makers are concerned that a strike might kill a prince or other senior officials, so the strike never happens. A top UAE official at the time denies that high-level officials are there, but evidence subsequently confirms their presence. (9-11 Commission Report, 3/24/04 (B))"