Iran's approves bill to fingerprint Americans

Under the bill, the government would inspect and fingerprint all U.S. nationals upon arrival to Iran. The measure still needs approval from the country's constitutional watchdog, the Guardian Council, before it can become law.

Ahmadinejad last month said he was against the bill because his administration had no opposition toward ordinary Americans.

The bill was drafted by conservatives seeking retaliation to the U.S. requirement that Iranian visitors be fingerprinted. The U.S. measure, which also applies to nationals of some other countries, was implemented after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.

"The United States will become more daring if we withdraw," said legislator Morteza Tammadon, who voted for the bill.

But Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki also opposed the bill. He said U.S. George W. Bush's Republican party's defeat during midterm elections earlier this month was proof its policy to fingerprint visiting Iranians had failed.

The Republicans lost control of the U.S. Congress to Democrats during the elections.

The Bush administration "wanted to humiliate the Iranian nation, but American people during the U.S. midterm elections opposed the administration's policy by their votes," Mottaki said.

It was not clear if the Guardian Council was likely to approve the bill. The watchdog usually approves most bills sent by parliament but has rejected others if the council determines the bill violates the constitution. The Associated Press

/The International Herald Tribune/