Diplomats at the United Nations were sent into disarray yesterday when President Ahmadinejad of Iran declared that he intended to attend the General Assembly of the world body on September 19 and to debate his country's nuclear program with President Bush, who is due to address the Assembly that day.

 

However, it was far from clear whether the Iranian president was serious in his suggestion or whether he was merely tweaking the nose of his American opponents. His intention to visit New York was reported by the Islamic Republic News Agency, which quoted the Presidential Office Media Department reporting him as saying, "We are ready for a debate with the Americans at the U.N. General Assembly" and that "the American side can even take part in the debate side by side with his advisors, and as a full team, if they wish so." Mr. Ahmadinejad last visited the United Nations last year.

 

The speculation, however, was enough to prompt sharp questions from reporters to the press spokesman of Secretary-General Annan about whether a precedent existed for America denying a visa to a president visiting the General Assembly. The spokesman replied that he knew of no such precedent.

 

The prospect of Mr. Ahmadinejad striding the world stage and voicing his well-known anti-Semitic views and his belief that Israel should be destroyed in the General Assembly was enough to cause a member of the Israeli parliament, M.K. Dan Naveh, to ask the Israeli government to demand that Mr. Ahmadinejad be prevented from attending the Assembly.

http://www.nysun.com/article/39231

last time i checked...anyone in this country legally, which he is, has the same baisc rights as any american citizen...lets see what the man has to say...its his right...and really...only good could come out of a debate...maybe...just maybe it would be enough to convince bush against invasion of iran

The Economist did a great cartoon about his debate proposal.

 

It has Ahmadinejad calling "for a fair give and take debate"...

 

"I give him torture, and he has to take it".

 

The UN needs to grow up and not allow this to happen. Don't let him use this as a grandstand for an absurd propaganda move.

last time i checked...anyone in this country legally, which he is, has the same baisc rights as any american citizen...lets see what the man has to say...its his right...and really...only good could come out of a debate...maybe...just maybe it would be enough to convince bush against invasion of iran

Haha. Since when is the UN under American rights?

 

 

Last time I checked it was international. And only bad could come out of a debate with a man who intentionally is here to inflame the opinions of the world.

This should be mildly entertaining, until it's realized he's serious.

Ahmadinejad actually is a very good public speaker and does not seem insane or ridiculous at all. Instead when he speaks he seems very grounded and intelligent. Not to say he isnt a sociopath necessarily but this sort of thing would def not be entertaining.

 

Furthermore to jimmy, allowing him to make this speech falls entirely on the UN and their interpretation of charter laws, and has little to do w the US, so the UN can bar him from speaking w/o violating the 1st amendment of the american const, bc it is irrelavant in this issue.

 

Now the US immigration laws do come into effect in this case, so lets see if we bar him from obtaining a visa.

I believe he has diplomatic freedom to come here as a foreign dignitary.

 

Personally, words are only hurtful for the ignorant. Of course the speaker in this case is the ignorant one.