Tehran will begin fingerprinting arriving U.S. journalists

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran will fingerprint U.S. journalists arriving in Iran in response to American officials imposing similar requirements on Iranian visitors, state-run radio said Monday.

Tehran radio quoted Gen. Hossein Abadi as calling the decision "a reciprocal move." He said the order did not apply to journalists from other countries.

Certain American journalists could be excluded from the restrictions, according to a statement faxed to The Associated Press on Monday. It did not elaborate.

Reformist legislator Rajabali Mazrouei criticized the decision, saying Iran should not copy America's "mistakes," the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

The U.S. National Security Entry Exit Registration System created after the Sept. 11 attacks authorizes American border officials to fingerprint and photograph people who were born in or are citizens of five countries accused by the U.S. government of having terrorism links. Those countries are Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan and Syria.

An Iranian journalist said he was fingerprinted, photographed and handcuffed after arriving in the United States several weeks ago. Iranian officials condemned the treatment as "insulting and uncivilized."

The United States and Iran have held no diplomatic relations since militants took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979.

Relations thawed with the 1997 election of President Mohammad Khatami. But President Bush's declaration in January that Iran was part of an "axis of evil" with Iraq and North Korea renewed animosity.