By David Bauder
AP Television Writer
Wednesday, October 9, 2002; 3:02 PM
NEW YORK –– CNN international correspondent Christiane Amanpour has been banned from two countries that fought a nearly decade-long war in the 1980s – Iraq and Iran.
On Wednesday, Iran barred Amanpour from accompanying British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who is visiting the region. She had to get off the plane in Kuwait.
The Iranian-born Amanpour is also one of three CNN reporters, along with Wolf Blitzer and Richard Roth, who are currently refused entry to Iraq, the network said.
Iran Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said Amanpour was banned in retaliation for U.S. treatment of Iranians who want to visit the United States.
"Some Iranian journalists and artists, including film director Abbas Kiarostami, were either denied U.S. visas or left waiting for months for a decision. We, of course, take this into account," Kharrazi told reporters.
