UANI Commends Jumeirah Essex House for Refusing to Host Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 7, 2011 Contact: Nathan Carleton, press@uani.com Phone: (212) 554-3296 UANI Commends Jumeirah Essex House for Refusing to Host Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad New York, NY - On Wednesday, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) commended the Jumeirah Essex House for agreeing not to house Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during the U.N. General Assembly this month in New York City. The Essex House recently informed UANI that it would not provide accommodations to Ahmadinejad, or his delegation. Said UANI President, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace: UANI commends Essex House for deciding not to host Ahmadinejad and his delegation this month. No Manhattan hotel should be providing accommodation to the leader of a murderous regime in pursuit of an illegal nuclear weapons program and in alliance with al-Qaeda. If Ahmadinejad insists on coming to New York to spout his hateful rhetoric and conspiracy theories, he can stay in diplomatic accommodations at Iran's mission to the United Nations, not a luxurious hotel. UANI calls on all Manhattan hotels to follow the Essex House's responsible decision, including the Hilton Manhattan East, Grand Hyatt New York, InterContinental The Barclay, Millennium UN Plaza, and Warwick New York. On August 16, The Daily Beast published an Op-Ed by UANI President, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, entitled "Hotels Should Ban Ahmadinejad." Given Ahmadinejad's statements denying 9/11 and the Iranian regime's covert alliance with Al Qaeda, Ambassador Wallace asked whether any Manhattan hotels could "honestly think it appropriate to provide accommodations to the leader of such a detestable government, specifically in the very city where the worst of 9/11 occurred?" On July 21, UANI first called on New York City's hotels to deny accommodation to Ahmadinejad. This is the third consecutive year that UANI is leading its Hotels Campaign. In previous years, UANI and its supporters have pressured multiple hotels to deny accommodations to Ahmadinejad and his delegation. On September 23, 2009 the Essex House cancelled a scheduled dinner for Ahmadinejad following pressure from UANI. Click here to learn more about UANI's Hotels Campaign. Click here to read the UANI Hotels Op-Ed on The Daily Beast website. ###

United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a program of the American Coalition Against Nuclear Iran, Inc., a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran should concern every American and be unacceptable to the community of nations. Since 1979 the Iranian regime, most recently under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's leadership, has demonstrated increasingly threatening behavior and rhetoric toward the US and the West. Iran continues to defy the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations in their attempts to monitor its nuclear activities. A number of Arab states have warned that Iran's development of nuclear weapons poses a threat to Middle East stability and could provoke a regional nuclear arms race. In short, the prospect of a nuclear armed Iran is a danger to world peace. United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a non-partisan, broad-based coalition that is united in a commitment to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a regional super-power possessing nuclear weapons. UANI is an issue-based coalition in which each coalition member will have its own interests as well as the collective goal of advancing an Iran free of nuclear weapons. The Objectives of United Against a Nuclear Iran Inform the public about the nature of the Iranian regime, including its desire and intent to possess nuclear weapons, as well as Iran's role as a state sponsor of global terrorism, and a major violator of human rights at home and abroad; Heighten awareness nationally and internationally about the danger that a nuclear armed Iran poses to the region and the world; Mobilize public support, utilize media outreach, and persuade our elected leaders to voice a robust and united American opposition to a nuclear Iran; Lay the groundwork for effective US policies in coordination with European and other allies; Persuade the regime in Tehran to desist from its quest for nuclear weapons, while striving not to punish the Iranian people, and; Promote efforts that focus on vigorous national and international, social, economic, political and diplomatic measures. UANI is led by an advisory board of outstanding national figures representing all sectors of our country.