Iran denies entry to Sen. Kerry

[babylonsister]

Iran denies entry to Sen. Kerry
By Bridget Johnson - 01/03/10 01:48 PM ET


Iranian legislators on Sunday decided to not allow a visit from Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.), Iranian media reported.

"Members of the Iranian parliament's Foreign Relations Committee (a subcommittee of the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission) voiced opposition to the request after studying the issue," Hassan Ebrahimi, head of the committee, told the semi-official Fars News Agency.

Several Iranian news outlets reported last week that Kerry had submitted an official request to visit Tehran in an emissary role.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast said at the time that "legislative officials are studying the case and they are in charge for providing a response."

On Saturday, Iranian legislators stepped up the rhetoric against the news that Kerry was considering traveling to Tehran, with the blessing of the White House.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has no plans to negotiate with any American official, unless the country (the U.S.) changes its policies," member of the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Zohreh Elahian said, according to Fars News Agency.

more...

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/74113-iran-denies-entry-to-sen-kerry

[eleny]

1. I wonder if this could whip up the protests even more

[PatrynXX]

18. Possibly but they didn't want Kerry there

would have been a major mistake. Iran Govt woulda used Kerry like a pinball.

[enid602]

2. Iran

I would wonder if they´re even letting in Americans of Iranian descent. There are a lot of Iranian-Americans in Los Angeles.

Not to change the subject, but I read here a few days ago that their leader was in a jet awaiting permission to takeoff in order to seek asylum in Moscow. What ever happened with that?

[DrToast]

13. Rumors

I heard that they had a jet on standby in case the situation got out of hand, but that was unconfirmed.

[janx]

3. Beware of any information coming from the Iranian government.

"Several Iranian news outlets reported last week that Kerry had submitted an official request to visit Tehran in an emissary role."


"Kerry spokesman Frederick Jones told the Wall Street Journal before Christmas, though, that no trip had been scheduled. 'Is he planning now on going to Iran? The answer is no,' said Jones.



_______________________________________________________

Kerry never requested to go to Iran. The Iranian government put out that misinformation last week.

[karynnj]

4. That seems to be the case - and the right wing has decided to believe Iran over Jones

Last fall, the Boston Globe reported that Kerry would have a second hip replacement surgery. It seems unlikely that Kerry could both do that and take a trip of that sort.

[janx]

7. Yep, they jump all over that stuff!

:hi:

[babylonsister]

5. Good point. And I don't know how accurate this is...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4197221

Kerry Floats Plan to Visit Tehran

[janx]

6. I always try to find the ultimate sources of information.

They seem to be lacking in many cases. Journalism has become so sloppy, with news outlets picking up and parroting information to the extent that nobody can find an original source anywhere...But when this first came up at DU, I found a Fox News article claiming that Kerry had requested a visit to Iran. Their source? The Iranian government. :shrug:

So what I think might have happened is that the government put out a false story of a visit from Senator Kerry and has just now put out another one declaring that he will be denied entry. Of course a lazy right-wing source would jump on that...? :shrug:

What do you think?

[karynnj]

8. I think they took advantage of a week the Senate was out of session

and ignored the various denials from Kerry spokesmen. (Here is one article - Politico(!) which quotes 4 of them.

I suspect that the original story started because Kerry was backing Obama in going slow on the imposition of sanctions. The original story had no direct quote and it was a non-specific report that Kerry might visit Iran representing the SFRC with WH approval. There was some suggestion that there was WH encouragement as it would be "less official" than someone from the Obama administration. This was before the protests ramped up.

All the sources in the last week pushing the story are right wing and they are ignoring Kerry's spokespeople.

I suspect that if there was any request, it was for the future, not January. The BG last fall had Kerry quoted as saying he would have a second hip replacement surgery. Teresa Heinz Kerry is also scheduled, per her op-ed, to get radiation therapy. This would not be that compatible with making this trip and the riots make it completely the wrong time. (THK's op-ed - http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09358/1023263-109.stm )

[karynnj]

9. I suspect you are right - it is possible that Kerry and the WH put out feelers

but I am skeptical as Fox News and the Wall Street Journal had the first reports - others sited them. Now, I seriously doubt that if either Kerry or the WH wanted to float the idea they would leak it to either of these Murdoch sources. One of the first denial was around Christmas in the Boston Globe.

Note how the Globe has a lead paragraph with the WSJ story and then the denial by Jones, but then returns to giving more details from the WSJ.

Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts is considering travel plans to Tehran, which would make him the first high-level emissary to visit Iran since the 1979 hostage crisis soured relations between the two countries, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday.

But Frederick Jones, Kerry’s spokesman, said, “John Kerry has no plan to travel to Iran.’’

Kerry, as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, has been a high-profile representative of President Obama, who is talking tough to Iran on what the United States believes is a nuclear weapons program, while still offering dialogue.
<snip>
But the Journal also said that the Obama administration hasn’t decided whether to make Kerry its official representative to Iran, and it’s not clear whether the Iranian regime would welcome him. It said Iranian officials have been dismissive of the possible trip.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/12/25/spokesman_for_kerry_denies_plan_to_visit_iran/

The title and the second paragraph are in contradiction of the rest of article. This is an incredibly poorly written article. The lead paragraph and the title are 180 degrees out of sync. (The entire article reads as if the writer was ignoring Jones' comment, but the editor wrote the headline correctly taking the only well sourced information.

[janx]

10. Yes, that's exactly the kind of thing I can't stand.

It makes my head spin! :crazy: I don't think enough people know how to read critically in order to figure this out.

[struggle4progress]

11. ... Kerry .. is considering travel .. to Tehran, .. the Wall Street Journal reported ... But ..

Kerry’s spokesman, said, “John Kerry has no plan to travel to Iran’’ ...
Political Notebook
Spokesman for Kerry denies plan to visit Iran
December 25, 2009
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/12/25/spokesman_for_kerry_denies_plan_to_visit_iran/

Faux, the Moonie UPI, and Murdock's WSJ sure love to repeat the story, though

[Clio the Leo]

12. But apparently John McCain is going to Afghanistan...

.... at least according to Megan's Twitter ...

"my Dad is going to Afghanistan Monday..." (via @McCainBlogette) "
about 16 hours ago from http://twitter.com/senatus

(She's since removed the original Tweet)

[Parker CA]

14. Hahahahaa. The twit had to remove her tweet.

[Clio the Leo]

15. The ONE thing I regret from McCain NOT winning the election...

.... is that we would have had SO much fun with Meghan! lol

The Bush twins never Tweeted.

[JI7]

16. who would Freepers side with on this ?

[karynnj]

17. Ha ha - sad that they would have to think about it

I doubt they are covering the denial as frequently as the purported trip - even as his office denied it.

[JI7]

20. remember when they accused JK of meeting with terrorists when he met with Khatami

[karynnj]

21. Yeah - the odd think is that Khatomi was more moderate

than Mousavi, who is their current hero. They cheered on Romney when he was Governor of MA and refused to protect Khatomi when he appeared in Boston.

[JI7]

23. if Romney runs again this should be brought up

like McCain they will try to claim to speak for the Iranian opposition when they were attacking it before.

[karynnj]

26. Good point

Here is the BG on that. Romney was WORSE than I remembered, repeating RW attempts to demonize Khatomi. (In fact, this should be thrown back at the entire right. While Kerry and other Democrats reached out to most moderate powers in Iran, the right acted to deny their credibility. It was Bush who told people not to vote in the election that resulted in Ahamadinijad because it was not free and open. )

Here's the BG - http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/09/09/romneys_accusation_on_khatami_disputed/

I remember this because my husband and I were in Boston to attend an incredible speech on National Security by Senator Kerry on September 9, 2006.

[Quantess]

19. I bet they side with Iran, against John Kerry.

Just a guess.

[burning rain]

22. The jackasses are largely saying they wished Iran would take him & keep him...

or that when he goes, the US should refuse him reentry. Or maybe pack him off to France. They're showing all the taste and maturity one would expect of them.

[wisteria]

25. Jackass is a good word to describe these childlike creatures called Republicans. n/t

[wisteria]

24. Frankly, I don't believe anything associated with this story.

Frist, Kerry's office denies it. The White House has been mum on it. And, the only nose is coming from RW blogs and Iran. Oh, and the gossip news from The Hill.

[karynnj]

27. Not to mention today's news is that he is in the hosipital getting his hip replaced

A long planned event. This was as you say a rumour, fostered by the right wing and reacted to by Iran. The only place I saw it early that was not bonivide RW was FP. (But FP included Dick Cheney and Farhad (sp?) Zakaria in their 100 top foreign policy thinkers - and not the head of the SFRC. It included Obama and both the Clintons in the top 10 - but not Biden (you know the VP chosen for his 30 years of foreign policy experience) or Kerry. Looked like neo con and neo liberal bias to me.)

[wisteria]

29. FP is not to be believed if they do not include Biden or Kerry in the top 100.

Their list seems suspect with a list that mostly includes the popular and well known-except for Chaney who they probably included out of fear. I want to know where the names of people with real experience are. And, the Clinton's? I can see listing SOS Clinton, but our former President Clinton should not be involved now in our foreign policy in any large way.

[Name removed]

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