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Ahmadinejad Request To Visit Ground Zero Denied

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Sep 19, 2007 10:55 pm US/Eastern

Ahmadinejad Request To Visit Ground Zero Denied

But What If He Just Decides To Go As Any Old Tourist?

NEW YORK (CBS) ― It may be a free country, but for some the president of Iran's request to go down to ground zero is being called a "tasteless trip."

Ground zero is off limits to the president of Iran. That was the word Wednesday night from the NYPD after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad asked to visit the World Trade Center site.

September 11 family members recoiled at the mere suggestion that Ahmadinejad would be allowed to visit the site where 2,750 people were murdered.
 
"He wants to use ground zero as a platform," Charles Wolf said.

"Why would we let a terrorist like Ahmadinejad stand in front of ... shall we say ... the success story of another terrorist?  He's working side-by-side with al Qaeda against us in Iraq. Why in the world we would we let him stand in front of their success in America?"

The controversy began when NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly told reporters the president of Iran was in talks with the city to place a wreath at the World Trade Center site.

"We're engaging in conversation with him right now with that possibility," Kelly said. "If that does happen he would not be able to go down into the site."

New York's presidential candidates immediately denounced the visit. Sen. Hillary Clinton called it "unacceptable" while former Mayor Rudy Giuliani labeled the idea "outrageous."

Then the NYPD press office said the commissioner misspoke, insisting Ahmadinejad's request to visit ground zero had already been denied, "The site is closed to visitors because of construction there. That was the only request. Requests for the Iranian president to visit the immediate area would also be opposed by the NYPD on security grounds."

One way or the other, Ahmadinejad is coming to New York. He's been invited by the United Nations to address the Security Council. He's even been invited to speak at Columbia University on Sept. 24. The real question now: if Iran's president decides to march down here to this hallowed ground like any other tourist, can the NYPD stop him?

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.