Ahmadinejad: How Is WTC Visit Insulting?
60 Minutes Exclusive: Iranian President On Failed Request To Pay Tribute At Ground Zero
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Play CBS Video Video Paying His Respects
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has been accused of having links to al Qaeda, tells Scott Pelley that he would like to pay his respects to the American people by visiting ground zero.
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Video Ahmadinejad Not Welcome
When Ahmadinejad arrives in New York City to address the U.N.'s General Assembly, the Iranian leader has requested to lay a wreath at ground zero, sparking outrage. Michelle Miller reports.
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Photo
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, speaking with 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley in Tehran, on Sept. 20, 2007. (CBS)
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The Iranian leader says he's skeptical that most Americans view his visit there as insulting as his intention was only to show respect. The interview will be broadcast Sunday, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
His request to lay a wreath at the World Trade Center site in New York City next week was turned down by police Thursday and blasted by U.S. diplomats as an attempt to turn ground zero into a "photo op."
Ahmadinejad, who is to arrive Sunday to address the U.N.'s General Assembly, asked the city and the U.S. Secret Service earlier this month for permission to visit the site of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
The request to enter the fenced-in site was rejected because of ongoing construction there and due to security concerns, police spokesman Paul Browne said Wednesday.
Asked if he intends to press his request to visit the site, Ahmadinejad tells Pelley, "Well, it was included in my program. If we have the time and the conditions are conducive, I will try to do that."
"But the New York Police Department and others do not appear to want you there. Do you intend to go there anyway?" Pelley asks.
"Well, over there, local officials need to make the necessary coordinations. If they can't do that, I won't insist," the president replies.
"Sir, what were you thinking? The World Trade Center site is the most sensitive place in the American heart, and you must have known that visiting there would be insulting to many, many Americans," Pelley says.
"Why should it be insulting?" Ahmadinejad asks.
"Well, sir, you're the head of government of an Islamist state that the United States government says is a major exporter of terrorism around the world," Pelley replies.
Ahmadinejad says: "Well, I wouldn't say that what American government says is a-- is the prerequisite here. Something happened there which led to other events. Many innocent people were killed there. Some of those people were American citizens obviously. We obviously are very much against any terrorist action and any killing. And also we are very much against any plots to sow the seeds of discord among nations. Usually you go to these sites to pay your respects. And-- also to perhaps to air your views about the root causes of such incidents. I think that when I do that, I will be paying, as I said earlier, my respect to the American nation."
"But the American people, sir, believe that your country is a terrorist nation, exporting terrorism in the world," Pelley says. "You must have known that visiting the World Trade Center site would infuriate many Americans."
"Well, I'm amazed. How can you speak for the whole of the American nation?" Ahmadinejad says. "You are representing a media and you're a reporter. The American nation is made up of 300 million people. There are different points of view over there."
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

| An earlier version of this story stated that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was "amazed" that most Americans view his visiting ground zero as insulting. Ahmadinejad's quote was in fact in reference to the reporter's point of view as a member of the media. CBS News regrets the error. |



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See all 886 CommentsRe: "But the American people, sir, believe that your country is a terrorist nation, exporting terrorism in the world," Pelley says"
Can this yellow-pseudo-journalist, Scott Pelley provide any subsatantiation for this wild claim?
This is certainly not my opinion.
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I would like to mark this article as exhibit ''K'' in the case of CBS News complicity in the fomentation of an illegal and unjustifiable war of aggression against Iran.
amedinajad knows that the majority of americas do not hate iran or want war with them, its just a few dikheads like bush and cheney.
When a young girl is coerced into a relationship with an older man she is sentenced to hang from a crane in public. If you are gay and caught you are sentenced to death. If a woman is raped by a man she is the one is charged with a crime and sentenced. Where political dissent is meet with a bullet to the head.
But I''m sure all that can be forgiven as long as he maintains the destroy the west agenda. BTW-I''m no fan of Bush, so don''t even try to apply the lable.
not one single terrorist in afghanistan or that was involved in 911 was from iran. they all came from bandar bushs favorite oil kingdoms and dictatorships.
"His request to lay a wreath at the World Trade Center site in New York City next week was turned down by police Thursday and blasted by U.S diplomats as an attempt to turn ground zero into a photo op." you mean like tough guy Ghoulianni did?
Guess Ahmadinejad just discovered it''s a dog-eat-dog planet...
OK OK We got it. Jeeeez. It''s like listening to the downtown mental case that walks back & forth petting his imaginary kitty and mumbling that same thing over & over.
,in this world there has to be some give and take. if he is genuine, great. it not, it will come back to haunt him.
GODblessUSA3,
Re: "havent you heard the man he say how he wants all JEWS dead"
Nope. And there is no indication that he ever said anything like this. You sound like a deluded Zionist.
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foranc,
Re: "We should bomb his stinking country until it resembles a sheet of glass ..."
Why would you think that anyone would be interested in the opinion of someone who is calling for such a cowardly terrorist act?
The time for an angry torch-bearing mob draws nearer!
www.zeitgeistmovie.com
Let%u2019s compare:
President Ahmadinejad of Iran, on ABC''s "Good Morning America."-
"We shy away from any kind of conflict, any kind of bloodshed. As we have said repeatedly, we think that the world problems can be solved through dialogue, through the use of logic and a sense of friendship. There is no need for the use of force."
Resident Bush (the lesser)-
%u201CSmoke em out%u2026git em runnin%u2026dead or alive!%u201D
Vice-Resident Cheney on the Senate floor-
%u201CGo f#ck yourself!!!%u201D
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www.zeitgeistmovie.com
"But the American people, sir, believe that your country is a terrorist nation, exporting terrorism in the world," Pelley says. "You must have known that visiting the World Trade Center site would infuriate many Americans."
"Well, I''m amazed. How can you speak for the whole of the American nation?" Ahmadinejad says. "You are representing a media and you''re a reporter. The American nation is made up of 300 million people. There are different points of view over there."
Whatever one thinks of Ahmadinejad he did make a good point, instead of asking questions the stupid reporter resorts to generalizations and heaping his own opinion on Ahmadinejad as if that fool reporter speaks for 300 million people. Only the Bush bots lap up that kind of journalism. Saudi Arabia exports as much global terrorism as any nation in the world but if one of those Saudi Sheiks were to attempt to lay a wreath at ground zero not only would they be welcome by the Bush Admin, Bush or Cheney would probably escort them.
Posted by josie7876
Pay respect to whom? Oh, his fellow terrorists, the ones who flew themselves into our buildings? WHAT ARE YOU ON?!
You''''ve been warned.
Posted by singinrick at 05:28 PM : Sep 20, 2007,,,
FeelFree1 you are guilty as charged sad to say! If it quacks like a duck!
Coward. Go back to Iran with your buddy, we don''t want you here.
Attention:
Please do not help "singinrick" to derail the discussion into and irrelevant one about religion.
This poster is determined to distract posters from the topic at hand, and towards irrelevant nonsense.
It is best ignored.
Come on singin d i c k, your right wing killum all mentality is really growing cold you%u2019re out of touch with the peaceful side of Christ. You should call yourself hate preacher for Satan. LOL
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