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Page added on April 10, 2014
White House moves to block Iran’s UN ambassador nominee
The Obama administration said on Tuesday that the nomination of a new Iranian ambassador to the UN who was involved in the 1979 hostage crisis was “not viable”, intensifying a dispute that could have an impact on nuclear negotiations.
Jay Carney, White House spokesman, said that the nomination of Hamid Aboutalebi to be Iran’s ambassador to the UN was “extremely troubling”.
He was speaking hours after the senate voted unanimously in favour of a bill that would prevent Mr Aboutalebi from taking up his post by denying him a visa. The measure is expected to pass the House of Representatives.
The dispute over the Iranian nominee comes as a fresh round of negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme opened in Vienna on Tuesday.
Iran defended the nomination of Mr Aboutalebi on Tuesday. “Iran has selected a veteran diplomat with a clear and successful [diplomatic] record as its ambassador to the United Nations,” Marzieh Afkham, Iran foreign ministry spokeswoman, told AFP. “Iran considers him to be suitable for this job.”
Although the US, as home country of the UN, is obliged to give visas to diplomats from all countries, it has claimed the right to certain exceptions, including for individuals involved in the 1979 seizure of the US embassy in Tehran.
Mr Aboutalebi has acknowledged that he at times was a translator for the student revolutionaries at the embassy, but has insisted that he was not part of the core group who held 52 Americans as hostages for 444 days.
The issue of his nomination has been simmering for some time, with the US state department saying last week that it had raised “serious concerns” with Iran over Mr Aboutalebi.
However, the political furore in Washington gathered pace this week when Ted Cruz, the conservative Republican senator, introduced legislation calling for Mr Aboutalebi, who the senator labelled a “terrorist”, to be barred from getting a visa.
Although the White House has not said if President Barack Obama will sign the bill if it passes the House as well, Mr Carney staked out a strong position against Mr Aboutalebi. “We’ve informed the government of Iran that this potential selection is not viable,” he said on Tuesday.
Ahead of the next round in the nuclear talks in Vienna, both western and Iranian officials sounded an optimistic note, suggesting that negotiators might begin working on a final text next month.
However, John Kerry, US secretary of state, on Tuesday issued a warning about the stakes involved, and said that Iran could produce the fissile material needed for a weapon within two months.
“I think it’s public knowledge today that we’re operating with a time period for a so-called ‘breakout’ of about two months. That’s been in the public domain,” Mr Kerry told a senate hearing.
7 Comments on "White House moves to block Iran’s UN ambassador nominee"
andya on Thu, 10th Apr 2014 4:16 am
Ah the blowback from minding other countries business has secondary explosions that continue for decades through generations. Some people never learn. Those who don’t learn from history are condemned to repeat it.
DC on Thu, 10th Apr 2014 6:42 am
Another inexcusable violation of Iran’s sovereignty by the u$ of war of terror. Using amerikas own criteria on itself, would null and void the appointment of probably 99% of past and present amerikan mouthpieces for the corporate war machine on the international scene.
Like lets start with that lying, 2 faced R2P witch Samantha Powers, the international community(the real one-not the fake one the uS prattle on about), doesn’t care for her and shes hardly acceptable in her role either-so lets get rid of her.
Q/Although the US, as home country of the UN, is obliged to give visas to diplomats from all countries, it has claimed the right to certain exceptions, including for individuals involved in the 1979 seizure of the US embassy in Tehran.
No lack of evidence the empire considers itself a law unto itself. The real question is-how much longer can this world be held hostage to the uS’s illegal demands and actions? Not that the UN doesnt have plenty of detractors, NOW-things like this do nothing to improve its already tarnished image.
Boat on Thu, 10th Apr 2014 2:44 pm
I don’t think the US is concerned what other people think when it is dealing with an enemy. Iran supports groups that kill our allies We support groups that kill theirs. This isn’t about flowers and rainbows and let’s all get along. It’s more like, you mess with the US and we will not allow you to sell oil and trade. If Iran sends the wrong signals we are capable of doing that. Obama is the only thing that stands in the way of war and is continually gets hammered for being soft. Iran will push the US over to the hardliners if they keep it up. Same with Russia.
noobtube on Thu, 10th Apr 2014 3:50 pm
So, if the government in Washington DC says Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, or whoever… are claimed to be the enemy… then they are suddenly the enemy, no questions asked.
After all, Americans are mere subordinates to the government in Washington DC, and MUST and are REQUIRED to do as they are told under penalty of violent assault by the government in Washington DC.
So, USA USA USA, all day and everyday… right or wrong.
GregT on Thu, 10th Apr 2014 7:20 pm
So 313 million people in the US, have 78 million enemies in Iran, and 78 million people in Iran have 313 million enemies in the US.
O.K.
It’s no wonder our planet is so effed up, when so many people can still be brainwashed by their own corporate/ government propaganda.
Iran isn’t messing with the US, it is the US that is messing with Iran.
Makati1 on Fri, 11th Apr 2014 1:38 am
GregT, The US is messing with everyone else. This is not new. It started in earnest after WW2 and the US war machine realized that peace meant low or no profits. Ever since, the US has been causing trouble and small wars everywhere to sell weapons and put the fear into the populace at home so they could bring back the Nazi Police State. Democracy was putting to many roadblock in the way of Empire so it had to go anywhere it was proving to not bend to the will of the Us.
The world has now seen behind the curtain, thanks to the internet and the blatantly stupid moves of the ‘powers that be’. The empire is dying and any dying animal is dangerous.
Change Iran Now on Fri, 11th Apr 2014 11:10 pm
For those still trying to pedal the line that Iran is becoming a beacon of moderation in the region under President Rouhani, it must be deflating to learn that Iran is to appoint one of the 1979 U.S. embassy hostage takers as its new ambassador to the United Nations. Of course this is really just one more reason to question either the judgment or the integrity of those who continue to insist that Rouhani’s Iran is a state that the West can do business with.