WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama yesterday signed into law a bill barring US visas for UN envoys seen as a threat to American security or having engaged in “terrorist activity” — a measure aimed at Iran’s ambassador.
Obama, however, said in a statement that the measure should be taken as an “advisory,” because it could potentially interfere with his “constitutional discretion” to receive or reject ambassadors.
The United States said earlier this week that it would not issue a visa to Iran’s chosen UN envoy, Hamid Aboutalebi, because he was involved in the 1979 hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran.
