U.S. invites Iranian athletes to train here

DENVER (AP) -- The United States has invited potential Olympic athletes from Iran to train in America, though a U.S. regulation requiring foreign visitors to be fingerprinted could scuttle the plan.
The U.S. Olympic Committee and the State Department have joined the national governing bodies of wrestling, weightlifting and canoe and kayaking in welcoming the Iranian athletes to visit and work out at national facilities.
The Iranian government has not yet accepted the invitations because of U.S. regulations, passed in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, that require many foreigners to be fingerprinted in order to enter the country.
"Iran's Physical Education Organization has agreed to dispatch Iranian teams to the American camps and competitions if the Iranian athletes are not fingerprinted while entering the country," Iranian Olympic Committee secretary general Ali Kaffashian said, according to the Iranian state news agency, IRNA.
The fingerprint issue is a not a new one. It has made it more difficult for the United States to host international events since the new regulations went into effect, and could be a factor in Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Olympics.
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