Jan. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad allowed Time Warner Inc.'s CNN International to resume activities in the country a day after it was banned for misquoting the president on nuclear policy during a Jan. 14 news conference.
Ahmadinejad asked the Culture and Islamic Guidance Ministry, which issued the ban, to lift it, the state-run news agency IRNA reported, citing government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham.
``Taking into account CNN's apology, we are asking that the channel be allowed to resume its activities, although we maintain the view that the news it broadcast was contrary to professional ethics of journalism which requires truthful dissemination of news in the interest of all,'' the president said in his letter.
Because of a translation error, CNN quoted Ahmadinejad as saying Iran had a right to build nuclear weapons, when he actually said it has the right to nuclear power and doesn't need atomic weapons, the network said yesterday in an e-mailed statement. CNN employs one freelance reporter in Tehran and CNN journalists from the U.S., including Iranian-born Christiane Amanpour, regularly visit Iran.
Cable News Network will be banned ``until further consideration,'' the Culture Ministry said yesterday in a statement.
CNN apologized on all its platforms that included the translation error, including CNN International, CNNUSA and CNN.com, and expressed its regrets to the Iranian government and the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations.
Germany, France and the U.K. on Jan. 12 called for the UN International Atomic Energy Agency to hold an emergency meeting to vote on Iran's referral to the UN Security Council following its decision to resume research on the nuclear fuel cycle. The U.S. endorsed the call.
Iran has faced UN action since September, when the IAEA found the Islamic Republic in ``non-compliance'' with its nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty obligations.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000085&sid=a6ZtHm_lztA8
Ahmadinejad asked the Culture and Islamic Guidance Ministry, which issued the ban, to lift it, the state-run news agency IRNA reported, citing government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham.
``Taking into account CNN's apology, we are asking that the channel be allowed to resume its activities, although we maintain the view that the news it broadcast was contrary to professional ethics of journalism which requires truthful dissemination of news in the interest of all,'' the president said in his letter.
Because of a translation error, CNN quoted Ahmadinejad as saying Iran had a right to build nuclear weapons, when he actually said it has the right to nuclear power and doesn't need atomic weapons, the network said yesterday in an e-mailed statement. CNN employs one freelance reporter in Tehran and CNN journalists from the U.S., including Iranian-born Christiane Amanpour, regularly visit Iran.
Cable News Network will be banned ``until further consideration,'' the Culture Ministry said yesterday in a statement.
CNN apologized on all its platforms that included the translation error, including CNN International, CNNUSA and CNN.com, and expressed its regrets to the Iranian government and the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations.
Germany, France and the U.K. on Jan. 12 called for the UN International Atomic Energy Agency to hold an emergency meeting to vote on Iran's referral to the UN Security Council following its decision to resume research on the nuclear fuel cycle. The U.S. endorsed the call.
Iran has faced UN action since September, when the IAEA found the Islamic Republic in ``non-compliance'' with its nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty obligations.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000085&sid=a6ZtHm_lztA8
