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Iran`s New President Visits U.N.

Despite initial legal objections from the Department of Homeland Security, the Bush administration granted a visa to Iran`s new president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to attend the opening last week of the U.N. General Assembly.

The Bush administration has been probing whether Ahmadinejad, a conservative elected in an upset in June, was involved in the 1979-81 seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. The student-led takeover resulted in the holding of 52 American hostages for 444 days.

Technically, Ahmadinejad was found ineligible for a visa under immigration laws that prohibit the issuance of a U.S. visa if there is "reason to believe" that the applicant has ever been involved in activity that supports or furthers terrorism, a senior State Department official said.