Leading US Peace Advocates Arrive in Iran, Under Ahmadinejad's Invitation By Linda Milazzo,

In an effort to establish peaceful diplomacy with the government and people of Iran, and to model for the new Obama administration the power of cooperative good will, three highly regarded American peace makers have ventured to Iran. Codepink cofounders, Jodie Evans and Medea Benjamin, along with former Army Colonel and decorated Foreign Service Diplomat Ann Wright, are visiting Iran on visas personally granted them by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Ahmadinejad provided the visas after receiving a personal request from Codepink: Women For Peace at a September 24th meeting in New York City where Ahmadinejad had gone to speak to the United Nations. While in New York, Ahmadinejad met with approximately 60 representatives from American peace and social justice organizations, where, over the course of two hours, he took unfiltered questions from the groups. The question from Codepink, which travels extensively on missions of peace, addressed why the organization's founders were repeatedly denied visas to Iran. Ahmadinejad offered to remedy the situation. He followed through on Monday when visas to Iran were issued to Benjamin, Evans and Wright. Within 48 hours, these intrepid citizen diplomats were packed and on their way.