Chilly reception for Ahmadinejad in NY

NEW YORK: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was due to arrive in New York on Sunday amid a storm of controversy and facing angry protests over his appearances at the United Nations and a top university.

The outspoken Iranian leader, who has openly called for the destruction of Israel and questioned the existence of the Holocaust, is due to speak at Columbia University tomorrow, a day before addressing the United Nations General Assembly.

“The General Assembly of the United Nations is a good opportunity to present the solutions of the Iranian people to solve the problems of the world,” the president told reporters before leaving Tehran on Sunday , according to the Fars news agency. “The US has had influence in international relations since World War II, but the American people have suffered in diverse ways and have been deprived of access to accurate information,” he added.

The visit has sparked bitter controversy in the US, where he is considered an ally of Islamic militants and Iraqi insurgents blamed for the deaths of thousands of US troops deployed there.

What angered many New Yorkers more than anything was the Iranian president’s plan to lay a wreath at Ground Zero- the site of the September 11 attacks of 2001.

New York City officials denied permission for the visit last week on security grounds.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/