If You'll Be My Bodyguard, I Can Be Your Long-Lost Pal...

And you can call me Al.

Or Mohammed.

The former president of Iran is visiting the United States, causing quite a ruckus. A lot of people don't want him around. But the United States government is keeping close tabs on him. Very close.

Our State Department reporter, Charles Wolfson, sent up this tidbit yesterday, from the daily briefing:

While former Iranian President Khatami is in the U.S. for a five city tour (Chicago, Washington, Charlottesville, New York and Boston), he'll have a security detail provided, courtesy of the United States government. Yup. The same U.S. government which refuses to have any contact with the regime in Tehran is providing security for one of its former Presidents.

The security detail comes from the State Department's Diplomatic Security Bureau, the same folks who protect Secretary Rice when she travels abroad. DS agents are also posted at U.S. embassies abroad.