Obama's July 4 Invites To Iranian Diplomats Rescinded

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has rescinded an offer for Iranian envoys to attend U.S. embassy Fourth of July parties as the violent crackdown in Tehran continues.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday notified diplomats and other department employees overseas that her earlier invitations had been withdrawn.

"Unfortunately, circumstances have changed and participation by Iranian diplomats would not be appropriate in light of the unjust actions that the president and I have condemned," she said in her message sent overseas. "For invitations which have been extended, posts should make clear that Iranian participation is no longer appropriate in the current circumstances. For invitations which have not been extended, no further action is needed."

Clinton had authorized U.S. envoys abroad some weeks ago to invite Iranian diplomats to attend the annual celebration. Her authorization was required because Washington has no formal diplomatic relations with Iran, department spokesman Ian Kelly said.

Presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs noted earlier in the day that the invitations were withdrawn.

"Given the events of the past many days, those invitations will no longer be extended," Gibbs said.

Postelection protests and violence have rocked Iran since the contested re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The past 10 days in Iran have posed the strongest challenge to that nation's clerical rule since the system was established in the 1979 Islamic revolution.

President Barack Obama condemned the violence against protesters Tuesday and lent his strongest support yet to their accusations the hardline victory was a fraud.

No Iranian diplomat had accepted an invitation from U.S. diplomatic posts abroad to attend embassy Fourth of July parties, according to the State Department.

Comments

[lady49]

12:56 PM on 06/25/2009

First... the Bill Maher section is on the next page..scram

Second...No One forces President Obama to do or say anything he does want to.

Third...YOU DON"T LISTEN!
EVERY SINGLE IRANIAN DIPLOMAT and or Historian have CLEARLY STATED THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA's position, while very tenuous, had been EXACTLY ON THE MARK.

As President he has made the right calls.
John McCain in his own words suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder- he is not in any position to force the President to say or do anything.

You would know this if you'd turn your station away from FOX for a minute or two.

[wantthetruth]

05:11 PM on 06/25/2009

LOL...every Iranian said Obama is on the mark. What do you make of the headline on this site that doesn't agree with your statement? It says: "Ahmadinejad Lashes Out At Obama, Compares Him To Bush"

[BadgerinNJ]

11:32 AM on 06/25/2009

I'm sorry, are the Republicans back in power. First BO lets McCain force him to make a statement he wasn't planning/didn't want to make and now this. So much for the US regaining its respect in the world.

[lady49]

12:57 PM on 06/25/2009

First... the Bill Maher section is on the next page..scram

Second...No One forces President Obama to do or say anything he does want to.

Third...YOU DON"T LISTEN!
EVERY SINGLE IRANIAN DIPLOMAT and or Historian have CLEARLY STATED THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA's position, while very tenuous, had been EXACTLY ON THE MARK.

As President he has made the right calls.
John McCain in his own words suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder- he is not in any position to force the President to say or do anything.

You would know this if you'd turn your station away from FOX for a minute or two.

[yankees]

10:01 AM on 06/25/2009

I was wondering where Hilary was with everything going on in the World. I guess she has been downgraded to Parties and Hot Dogs.

[shotei]

09:37 AM on 06/25/2009

Comments here are outrageous. Most of what I read ask for "balanced" views, in other words, taking back invitations to Israel participate as well. People just forget that, first, Israel has diplomatic relations with the US, which Iran has not. Second, countries such as Saudi Arabia, China, Egypt, Russia, countries who have an extensive human rights violations record are not even mentioned. They too will participate in July 4th occasion, as will all countries who have relations with Washington.
But, according to you, Obama is only being biased by inviting Israel.
So, if you want to take back the invitation to Israel, you might as well host a party just for yourselves.
Well, I bet you will just keep your double standards.

[piul05]

08:32 AM on 06/25/2009

In an effort to be coherent, I suppose he's rescinding Israeli's invitations too?

[arvay]

08:47 AM on 06/25/2009

Obviously (sarcasm here) you haven't absorbed True American Morality, which absolves those with deep pockets and lots of high-priced lobbyists and other pressure techniques.

Those lazy Palestinians just haven't achieved enough wealth to afford our Morality.

Last time I checked, our very moral government has excellent relations with the government that killed all those pesky students in Tiananmen Square, relations firmly cemented by Bush Sr. who let the Chinese know that it wold be business as usual after we made a few preachy remarks.

(sarcasm off)

Only the most delusional Americans could think that we have the slightest shred of credibility, that our gestures and words on these kinds of topics are anything but foul-mouthed hot air. Very smart of Obama to have suppressed those additional Abu Grab photos, which the iranians could post right next to our tut-tut nonsense.

[piul05]

09:44 AM on 06/25/2009

So true.

And, don't worry, we are on the same page; I get your sarcasm even without disclaimers. :-))

[themodernleader]

08:12 AM on 06/25/2009

One of the sins of administration is to show favoritism towards individuals or specific groups at the expense of the general membership. Yet, that is exactly the overt and covert policies of Obama. The first warnings were the political advisors and campaign contributions. The selection of despicable economic team members of the last corrupt Administration revealed the plan.
The American people voted for a candidate who promised to always be in their corner, be at their side, be a leader of courage and principle and honor as they tried to be. Instead we have a leader who's actions have rewarded lavishly with borrowed money a specific group's fraud and swindle while the American people are being forgotten. Favoritism is a fatal flaw of leadership.

[zaz33]

09:24 AM on 06/25/2009

I'm watching Grit TV on Free Speech TV right now. They're talking about NAFTA and free trade. Obama promised to make changes and instead surrounded himself with the Clinton people that created the problems.

Congress may make the improvements over the Obama administrations objections.

[arvay]

07:11 AM on 06/25/2009

AIPAC cracks the whip!

Obama jumps!

Cowardice we can rely on.

[whoa20]

02:20 AM on 06/25/2009

America must never retreat, and declare defeat, as Obama has. We will never back down in the face of evil extremism!

[Tuckerndfw]

02:33 AM on 06/25/2009

Does that mean that the US is going to declare war on Israel when they refuse to dismantle the "settlements"?

[marco01]

02:36 AM on 06/25/2009

Obama has done no such thing. He has not backed down in the slightest.

Of course he hasn't outright nuked them for looking at us wrong, is that what you mean?

[robbyJ]

02:11 AM on 06/25/2009

Lets just go give the Iranians some guns. Let them solve there own problems. I mean if we really do believe in our second amendment

[CarmanK]

01:01 AM on 06/25/2009

I think we should wear green arm bands on the 4th of July, so that the people of Iran can hear from ordinary americans. I don't know if I would have the courage to do what they are doing in Iran about getting their vote counted. Look at 2000 Bush-Gore, the Supreme Court much like the mullahs robbed us of a Gore Presidency and enthroned Bush. And then look at MN. The courts have deprived the people of MN of a Senator far too long. It is time that, Norm Coleman be dismissed for what he is "a pretender" with lots of money. Al Franken should take his seat and the people of MN need to be saying so loud and clear. Even is a great democracy that is america evolving, we have our moments of voter intimidation and tyrany.

[marco01]

01:10 AM on 06/25/2009

NIce idea. We need to get it out on the internets;)

[ktdispatch]

12:24 AM on 06/25/2009

Nobody responded to Hussein's invitation in the first place.

By reelecting Ahm-A-Lookin-For-A-Jihad, Israel now has an easier path to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities in the coming year. At that point the Iranian people will have to make a decision on whether to revolt and go all the way or just keep living in an oppressive theocracy which rivals Nazi Germany. Problem is, Iranians as a society are not armed (everybody in Iraq has an AK) so they have no chance to overthrow the government without the help of their military. Nothing anyone can do about it.

[noneIn2008]

11:19 PM on 06/24/2009

Iran is another distraction in the war shell game. The people must keep our focus on getting out of Iraq and Afghanistan. Blaming Bush is an excuse for inaction. We must single mindly increase pressure to get out of Iraq and Afghanistan, NOW. We can only do this by increasing the accountability and pressure on the current administration. No more excuses, no more distractions, get us out of these wars.

[WilliamL]

11:43 PM on 06/24/2009

Everything is a distraction?

Everything?

People sd. be happy about the people of Iran doing what they are doing.

It is not a distraction, it is a very good thing.

[blimie]

12:15 AM on 06/25/2009

America should fully support the protesters and then add military force leading to war. Perhaps a couple hundred thousand Iranians would die and another million become displaced. Any casualties would be worth it because they would have democracy because the American backed politician would be elected. Then perhaps certain corporations could get control of Iran's resources like natural gas and oil and quadruple their profits. Just awesome.

[jbd]

01:21 AM on 06/25/2009

It's amazing how much the American right likes the Iranian left. Where were they when the protests were going on in Seattle and NYC in recent years? The sad thing is any country can find plenty of people willing to take orders and beat up their own people.

[whoa20]

12:22 AM on 06/25/2009

so when we have a real war on our hands, Iran has nukes, is threatening to work with North Korea, or to attack our Cold War and War on Jihad ally Israel, and the EU, you're not gonna complain? Iran must be stopped now from getting nukes. And the first thing is to re-assert world leadership. Obama hasn't done that.

[marco01]

12:32 AM on 06/25/2009

For all of W's saber rattling, what happened? NK got nukes and Iran is pursuing them.
Why? Because of all the saber rattling. They haven't acquired these nukes to use them, they've acquired them as a deterrent. They know that if they use or give them to the terrorists, they will be annihilated.

[zaz33]

12:42 AM on 06/25/2009

whoa20 -

There is no EVIDENCE that Iran has ever pursued nuclear weapons - NONE

If you're aware of any evidence, please share it with us.

[cjt1957]

11:13 PM on 06/24/2009

That will teach them. Oh none of them were coming anyway. Oh well lets double dog uninvite them....

[scat]

11:10 PM on 06/24/2009

That will show them.

[marco01]

11:53 PM on 06/24/2009

Call me crazy, but somehow I doubt this is the last move O is going to make with the Iranians.

[marganaut]

11:09 PM on 06/24/2009

The options in Iran are limited. The Bush administration embroiled us in regional conflicts in the Middle East and our hands are really tied because we are trying to untangle from the past mismanagement of the foreign affairs. I know it sounds like a cop out but we have far too many problems of our own thanks to Bush & Co. to put another one on the plate. Obama administration will do what it can but it cannot entangle the country in yet another foreign policy mandate at this time.

[FrenchWarHero]

11:27 PM on 06/24/2009

LMAO. Obama & Co. hands are clearly not tied - they have a tight grip on the wieners!