US outrage at Iran's pick of 'hostage-taker' envoy

[Azizam]

The Obama administration says Iran's nomination of a former hostage-taker as its ambassador to the United Nations is "extremely troubling".

US senators have also balked at Iran's pick of Hamid Aboutalebi, who was part of a Muslim student group which seized the US embassy in Tehran in 1979.

The 52 Americans were held for 444 days during the crisis.

Senator Ted Cruz says he will introduce legislation to block Iran's application for a US visa for Mr Aboutalebi.

'In your face'
Department of State spokeswoman Marie Harf said at Wednesday's daily briefing: "I will say that we think this nomination would be extremely troubling.

"We're taking a close look at the case now, and we've raised our serious concerns about this possible nomination with the government of Iran."

Mr Aboutalebi has reportedly said he had minimal involvement in the hostage-taking group, named the Muslim Students Following the Imam's Line.

Officials for Iran's Mission to the United Nations have so far declined to comment.

Mr Cruz, a Texas Republican, said on the Senate floor on Tuesday: "It is unconscionable that in the name of international diplomatic protocol, the United States would be forced to host a foreign national who showed a brutal disregard of the status of diplomats when they were stationed in his country."

"This person is an acknowledged terrorist," he added.

His legislation would require US President Barack Obama to deny a visa to any UN applicant determined to have engaged in terrorist activity.

Fellow Republican Senator John McCain called Mr Aboutalebi's appointment "a really kind of an in-your-face action by the Iranian government", the Associated Press news agency reports.

BBC News - US outrage at Iran's pick of 'hostage-taker' envoy

 

[TruthSeeker]

The US should let Hamid Aboutalebi into the US, but then take him into custody, and hold him for 444 days.

 

[gambit]

The US should let Hamid Aboutalebi into the US, but then take him into custody, and hold him for 444 days.

Am positive that was considered, but am also positive that some State bureaucrats were more worried about image than retribution.

 

[Azizam]

The US should let Hamid Aboutalebi into the US, but then take him into custody, and hold him for 444 days.

Why only 444 days? Should send him to Guantanamo bay.

 

[VCheng]

The US should let Hamid Aboutalebi into the US, but then take him into custody, and hold him for 444 days.

No. We are better than them.

 

[gambit]

No. We are better than them.

But not much better. If others want to play dirty, we should be willing as well.

 

[Azizam]

But not much better. If others want to play dirty, we should be willing as well.

I agree. Nowadays people take USA as a joke due to soft responses from US in recent times. This has humiliated US many times and it shouldn't happen anymore.

 

[Falcon29]

52 CIA agents who tried organizing a coup against the Iranian people to exploit their oil wealth were held hostage. Unfortunately, people need to take responsibility for supporting the worlds largest terrorist organization. It comes with risks.

 

[F117]

From Hamid Aboutalebi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Aboutalebi said he did not participate in the takeover of the US embassy, but was brought in to translate and negotiate following the occupation

Ebrahim Asgharzadeh, a member of the core group who organized and led the embassy takeover, told BBC Persian that Aboutalebi's involvement was peripheral. "Calling him a hostage-taker is simply wrong," Asgharzadeh said

This all smells like another manufactured drama.

 

[Falcon29]

From Hamid Aboutalebi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



This all smells like another manufactured drama.

By bribed American politicans, from Jewish lobbyists.

 

[VCheng]

But not much better. If others want to play dirty, we should be willing as well.

Actually, letting them be represented by a known terrorist might work out better for us.

 

[Falcon29]

Actually, letting them be represented by a known terrorist might work out better for us.

You're sick man, everybody you don't like is a terrorist except the nation you live in which is responsible for the most violence ever inflicted on the world in the past century. You guys go kill two thousand civilians in a couple days in Somalia and they're the terrorists, we bomb a sovereign nation with the most lethal and destructive weapons murdering over a million civilians and they remain the terrorists for defending their land. You have an odd way of thinking, of course if a nation bombed the US back to the stone age you'd only then realize how evil of a person you are. This is the problem with westerners, they haven't experienced anything near the violence and oppression they've inflicted on the other half of the world. Only when they do will they regret their arrogance.

 

[gambit]

Actually, letting them be represented by a known terrorist might work out better for us.

Come to think of that...Yeah...I like that. Iran is represented at the UN by a terrorist. How apt.

 

[VCheng]

Come to think of that...Yeah...I like that. Iran is represented at the UN by a terrorist. How apt.

Yup. You got it.

You're sick man, everybody you don't like is a terrorist except the nation you live in which is responsible for the most violence ever inflicted on the world in the past century. You guys go kill two thousand civilians in a couple days in Somalia and they're the terrorists, we bomb a sovereign nation with the most lethal and destructive weapons murdering over a million civilians and they remain the terrorists for defending their land. You have an odd way of thinking, of course if a nation bombed the US back to the stone age you'd only then realize how evil of a person you are. This is the problem with westerners, they haven't experienced anything near the violence and oppression they've inflicted on the other half of the world. Only when they do will they regret their arrogance.

Attacking my person does nothing to the credibility of what I say, which is honest and true.

 

[Falcon29]

Yup. You got it.



Attacking my person does nothing to the credibility of what I say, which is honest and true.

You can believe what you say is true all you want, you display a erroneous double standard.