Former Iranian President Condemns September 11 Attacks
09 September 2006
Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami has condemned the September 11, 2001 attacks against the United States, during a speech just outside Washington.
Mr. Khatami said Friday two crimes were committed on September 11 five years ago - the killing of innocent people and carrying out the attack in the name of Islam. He urged Muslims to work to counter what he called "Islamaphobia."
Mr. Khatami's speech is his latest during a tour of the United States that will also take him to the United Nations in New York and Harvard University near Boston. On Thursday, he spoke at the National Cathedral in Washington and urged people of different faiths to work together for peace.
In an interview with Time magazine, Mr. Khatami called the Holocaust an "absolute fact," but said it should not be used as an excuse for the suppression of Palestinian rights.
Current Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has cast doubt the Holocaust occurred.
Mr. Khatami is viewed by some in the West as a reformist. He is the most senior Iranian official to tour the United States since Iranian radicals seized the American Embassy in Iran in 1979. The two countries have no diplomatic relations.
The U.S. government is providing security for his trip, which a spokesman said is a common practice for visiting officials. However, he will not be meeting with any U.S. officials.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters
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