Hamid Abutalebi is Iran’s Announced Choice to be Ambassador to the United Nations; Abutalebi Was Part of the Hostage Takers Who Held Americans for 444 Days in 1979
WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–April 3, 2014. U.S. Senators Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), along with 27 of their Senate colleagues, sent a letter to President Obama today requesting the denial of a pending U.S. visa application submitted by Hamid Abutalebi, Iran’s announced choice to be its Ambassador to the United Nations. By his own admission, Abutalebi was part of the group that took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days.
“The United States should not be granting entry to an individual who publicly admitted to participating in an act of terror against the United States and its citizens,” the Senators wrote. “We respectfully request that Hamid Abutalebi promptly be denied a US visa and that you instruct Ambassador Power to work closely with the UN Secretary General to ensure that he is never accepted as a representative to the United Nations.”
The full text of the letter is below:
April 3, 2014
Dear Mr. President:
We write to ask that your administration deny a pending United States visa application for Hamid Abutalebi, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s announced choice to be their Ambassador to the United Nations (UN).
According to media reports, Hamid Abutalebi was part of the Muslim Student Followers of the Imam’s Line, the group that took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in November 1979 and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. Mr. Abutalebi himself admitted serving as an interpreter during the hostage crisis.
As you know, some of the American hostages have publicly expressed outrage that one of their captors might be allowed into the United States. Mr. Barry Rosen, who served as a press attaché at the US Embassy in Tehran, said it would be “an outrage” and “a disgrace” if the US granted a visa to Abutalebi.
We could not agree more. The United States should not be granting entry to an individual who publicly admitted to participating in an act of terror against the United States and its citizens. Coming just weeks after Ayatollah Khamenei once again questioned the “certainty” of the Holocaust, the regime’s appointment of Abutalebi is just another sign that Iran has yet to change its dangerous policies.
Therefore, we respectfully request that Hamid Abutalebi promptly be denied a US visa and that you instruct Ambassador Power to work closely with the UN Secretary General to ensure that he is never accepted as a representative to the United Nations.
Sincerely,
Source: kirk.senate.gov
