Iran Nuclear Watch: Ahmadinejad Cancels United Nations Appearance

Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks upon his arrival at the Khartoum airport, in this February 28, 2007 file photo. Ahmadinejad has canceled his visit to New York to address the U.N. Security Council because of delays in granting visas to his entourage, Tehran’s U.N. ambassador said on March 23, 2007. Ahmadinejad had wanted to address the council before it votes on imposing new sanctions on Iran for its nuclear program. The meeting is expected to be held on Saturday, although it has not been officially scheduled yet.

Iran’s President Cancels U.N. Appearance

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has canceled his trip to New York to address the U.N. Security Council before a vote on whether to impose further sanctions against his country for refusing to stop enriching uranium, the Foreign Ministry spokesman said Friday.

Mohammed Ali Hosseini, the spokesman, told Iranian state television that the trip was scrapped because of “America’s obstruction in issuing visas” to the Iranian delegation that was to travel to New York.

A diplomat on the Security Council said Ahmadinejad would instead send his deputy foreign minister Saturday to address the Security Council before the vote. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because there had not been an official announcement.

Mohammad Mir Ali Mohammadi, press secretary of Iran’s mission at the U.N., told The Associated Press the U.S. did not deliver a visa to the U.S. Embassy in Bern, Switzerland, in time for the Iranian president to pick it up before for the council session Saturday.

This is an EXCUSE.

Is the REAL reason this?

Perhaps.

Anyone want to bet that the feckless United Nations Security Council cancels its meeting until Monday or Tuesday so that Mahmoud can attend?

Stay tuned……..