Iranian president set for chilly reception in New York

Agence France Presse
September 23, 2007

NEW YORK (AFP) — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is set to arrive in New York on Sunday amid a storm of controversy and facing angry protests over his appearances at the United Nations and a top university.

The outspoken Iranian leader, who has openly called for the destruction of Israel and questioned the existence of the Holocaust, is due to speak at Columbia University on Monday, a day before addressing the UN General Assembly.

The visit has sparked bitter controversy in the United States, where the Iranian leader is considered an ally of Islamic militants and Iraqi insurgents blamed for the deaths of thousands of US troops deployed there...

Protesters were expected to rally outside Columbia's main gates on Sunday against the visit, while Iranian opposition exiles were to demonstrate outside the United Nations on Tuesday as Ahmadinejad addresses the world body... Read More