Visit Tehran, Get Fingerprinted

American citizens wishing to enter Iran are going to be fingerprinted on arrival. I find it very interesting that the council members are chosen directly and indirectly by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and they voted against the desires of Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who said,
“Iranians would not be happy if the dignity of legal US travellers, who are our guests, is hurt.” “My request is to reject this retaliatory bill was based on this point.” However, he termed the US government’s fingerprinting of Iranian visitors as an “insulting and outdated medieval move.”

The green light from the Guardians Council, which has the power to veto parliamentary legislation, came despite opposition from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has expressed concern the move could offend US travellers.

“The council approved an adopted bill (by parliament) to fingerprint US visitors entering the country, and thus the government is obliged to carry it out,” Guardians Council spokesman Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei was quoted as saying in Jomhuri Eslami. source

This information comes as Iran's parliament wants the next presidential elections to be held more than one year early. Maybe the heavenly light is not shining so brightly on Ahmadinijad any more.

Linked with
Dumb Ox news, Christmas Awareness 101 (bet you don't have this problem in Iran, heh)
The Coalition on the War Against the War on Christmas, (huh?) A Lost Chapter from Herodotus by C. S. Lewis (I think I need to join up.)
Happy Blogiversary SmadaNek who says "Go Navy!"
Jim Lynch's highlighted blog today, New Zealand Dog News. Pirate's Cove now has the working Blogiversary code in his sidebar and writes about " Move To Shut Down Private TV Stations"
123Beta, All About Christmas Blog (which somehow links over to Mike's Thoughts in a Delirious State of Mind.) who has a post on Santa's Butt