Iran's Ahmadinejad to Receive Visa for U.N. Visit

The Washington Post
September 16, 2007

Despite brewing 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.

Iran has submitted visa applications for more than 130 officials in the delegation.

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.

Some former hostages say he was among the captors, although other former hostages as well as a probe by U.S. intelligence concluded that he was not the man pictured with some of the captives during the takeover.