November 4, 1979, 52 American diplomats and civilians were taken hostage in the American Embassy in Iran by a group of radicalized Islamic students who were supporting the Iranian Revolution. Now, one of those former students seeks to enter the United States as an Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) from Iran. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has filed legislation to stop such visits on diplomatic business.
Speaking from the floor of the U.S. Senate, Senator Cruz told his colleagues, “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 for the status of our diplomats when they were stationed in his country.”
The Iranian government led by President Hassan Rouhani selected Hamid Aboutalebi to be its next ambassador to the UN, according to a report from the International Business Times. Aboutalebi was a member of the Muslim Students Following the Imam’s Line, a group tied to the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who seized the Americans hostage in the embassy and held them until the expiration of the Carter Administration and the swearing in of President Ronald Reagan.
Senate Bill, S. 2195 was introduced by Sen. Cruz on April 1 to prevent known terrorists from obtaining a visa to enter the United States as an Ambassador to the UN.
In the floor speech video, Cruz informs his fellow senators of an extraordinarily dangerous situation.
“Iranian President Hasan Rouhani recently named Hamid Aboutalebi as the nation’s new ambassador to the U.N.,” Cruz explained “which is headquartered in Manhattan. A visa application to allow him to enter the United States has been duly filed.”
“Mr. Aboutalebi is a special case,” Cruz stated after explaining the normal process for visa applications for ambassadors. “He was a member of the Muslim Students following the Imam’s Line. The group that held 52 Americans hostage in Tehran for 444 days from 1979 to 1981.”
While Aboutalebi claims limited involvement in the hostage crisis, Cruz revealed, “…he was sufficiently involved for the ‘Muslim Students Organization’, which is still active, to feature to this day, his photo on their official website celebrating that historic outrage against the United States of America.”
“And now,” Cruz continued, “the Obama Administration is considering granting this person a visa to come to the United States.”
Quoting General Stansfield Turner, Cruz said, “You don’t have a better bad idea than this?”
See the rest of Senator Cruz’ remarks in the video below:
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