Saturday, April 19, 2014

Obama signs into law 'terrorist' UN envoy visa ban

On Friday, President Obama signed a law that would bar entry to any UN ambassador whom the US says has engaged in terrorist activity. This law came into response  due to Iran's pick of a UN envoy linked to militants who overran the US embassy in Tehran in 1979.

The US denied Hamid Aboutalebi a visa because of his involvement in 1979. While Iran has filed a complaint with the UN, Aboutalebi has said that he was a translator a few times for hostage-takers. Since then Aboutalebi has served as a senior political adviser to President Rouhani and previously served as the Iranian ambassador to Italy, Belgium, and Australia. Because of his track record, the US will not budge, with the law passing both chambers of Congress with ease.

The problem becomes that the UN Headquarters are in New York City and the 1947 Headquarters Agreement says the US is required to grant visas to person invited to NYC. Iran will be discussing the new law with the UN Committee of Relations with the Host Country saying that it violates its legal obligations under the international law.

For more information, visit the link below.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-27080244

-Mike Prosia

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