President Ahmadinejad of Iran is now saying he will not insist on visiting ground zero during his upcoming trip to New York, following an outcry by New Yorkers and national leaders.

Meanwhile, at an afternoon news conference yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg reiterated the police department’s position that the Iranian leader “is not going to the World Trade Center site” for “logistical and security reasons.”

“I find his views abhorrent, I think it would be an outrage if he were to go, and we do not expect him to go. Couldn’t be more clear about it,” the mayor said.

As of early yesterday afternoon, Commissioner Raymond Kelly said the Iranian government was not in agreement with the NYPD’s recommendation that Mr. Ahmadinejad avoid the site of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks for his own safety.
But in an interview with “60 Minutes,” Mr. Ahmadinejad said that while he was interested in visiting the site, he would bow to the NYPD’s recommendation.

Mr. Ahmadinejad arrives on Sunday, and is scheduled to address the U.N. during his two-day visit as the Security Council considers whether to increase sanctions for Iran’s uranium enrichment program. The police commissioner disclosed Wednesday that the Iranian leader had made a request on September 6 to lay a wreath at ground zero.

Iran has been labeled a sponsor of terrorism by the State Department, and news of Mr. Ahmadinejad’s desire to visit ground zero immediately set off an uproar among New Yorkers and the families of ground zero victims, who said it would dishonor the memory of the thousands that died there.

According to the American host agreement with the U.N., even unpopular foreign leaders such as Mr. Ahmadinejad, who has called the Holocaust a “myth,” are allowed to travel wherever they like within New York City with NYPD and Secret Service protection.

The Secret Service said this week in response to questions about Mr. Ahmadinejad’s intentions to visit ground zero that U.S. security agencies, including the NYPD, have no direct control over the itineraries of visiting leaders while they are here except to give them advice about security concerns.

The White House and State Department had said it was up to the Bloomberg administration to decide what to do about the ground zero request.

“My thoughts are that the local police will make the proper decision and that if they decide for him not to go — like it looks like they have — I can understand why they would not want somebody who is running a country who is a state sponsor of terror down there at the site,” Mr. Bush said.

Mr. Kelly had already denied Mr. Ahmadinejad’s request to visit the pit at ground zero earlier in the month. But he admitted yesterday that denying a foreign leader access to public areas, such as the viewing area near ground zero, might have been unprecedented. “I’m concerned about President Ahmadinejad’s safety, and the safety of others who may be attracted down there, and maybe issues that arise from his visit that would cause significant public safety concerns,” Mr. Kelly said. “I believe they will adhere to our direction,” he said.
The Iranian leader’s upcoming visit caused waves on the presidential campaign trail yesterday as some candidates weighed in on how they would have handled Mr. Ahmadinejad’s request. A former senator who is running for the Republican nomination, Fred Thompson, suggested Mr. Ahmadinejad should be banned from the country, while Senator McCain suggested the president “be physically restrained if necessary.”