Here's an extraordinary little snippet of news from today's Yahoo headlines and news stuff:

"Even before leaving Iran, though, Ahmadinejad has already caused a stir in New York. His request to lay a wreath at the World Trade Center site was denied, and protests are planned outside the UN building and at Columbia University."

That is bizarre. How can anyone be denied the gesture of laying a wreath at the 911 site???? Who will protest that?

They are denying it because they cannot bear to allow Mr Ahmandinejad to publicly do anything that would detract from his present image as the USA's official demonic bad guy and threat to the world.

In other words, it would be detrimental to present Bush administration propaganda efforts which are aimed at increasing tension between Iran and the USA, not decreasing it.

God forbid that Ahmadinejad or any other chosen "evil" enemy should ever be allowed to publicly do anything that might cause an improvement in relations...

No, he must be forever depicted as gleefully chuckling over the 3,000 American civilians who died on 911. That's what a bad guy would do, right? He certainly cannot be allowed to lay a wreath!

It wouldn't look right.