Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has applied for a U.S. visa, according to State Department officials.
The fiery leader plans to attend the U.N. General Assembly meetings in New York later this month. Official says that the application, which was submitted last month, is going through the normal processing procedure.
Ahmadinejad is known for his controversial rhetoric. He has called the holocaust a "myth" and has stated that Israel will one day be destroyed. Jewish organizations have already begun planning protests to take place outside the U.N. Headquarters during Ahmadinejad's visit.
Because he is visiting for the U.N. meetings in late September, the application is being processed with the "U.N. Headquarters Agreement" in consideration, which allows for visits for government officials who want to visit the U.N. in New York.
The official advises that the application will be much like the one Ahmadinejad went through last year for his visa. His application will most probably be denied based on the travel restriction as an Iranian government official, but that should be waived, and he would then be allowed to come into the U.S. for the meeting, but probably with a limited 25-mile travel radius.
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