Posted on 06/30/2005 10:28:21 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -
0630dv-hostage-reax Iran's new president was a member of the hard-line Islamic student group that seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979, but he opposed the takeover - preferring instead to target the Soviet Embassy, friends and former hostage-takers said Thursday.
The former students who carried out the seizure and held the Americans for 444 days said Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had no role in taking the embassy or guarding the hostages.
In the turbulent early days of Iran's Islamic Revolution, Ahmadinejad was more concerned with putting down leftists and communists at universities than striking at Americans, they said. During the long standoff, he was writing and speaking against leftist students, they said.
Six former U.S. hostages who saw the president-elect in photos or on television said they believe Ahmadinejad was among the hostage-takers. One said he was interrogated by Ahmadinejad.
The White House said Thursday it was taking their statements seriously. President Bush said "many questions" were raised by the allegations.
The flap could add another layer of mistrust between the United States and the former Tehran mayor, who was elected president last week with the backing of some of the most hard-core members of the Islamic regime.
Leaders of the radical Islamic student group that carried out the Nov. 4, 1979, takeover of the embassy, said Ahmadinejad was not among the hostage-takers.
"He was not part of us. He played no role in the seizure," Abbas Abdi, one of six leaders of the group, told The Associated Press. Mohsen Mirdamadi, leader of the students who swept into the embassy, also said Ahmadinejad was not involved.
Abdi and Mirdamadi are now leading proponents of reform that would support democratic changes and are at loggerheads with Ahmadinejad.
Mohammad Ali Sayed Nejad, a friend of the president-elect, said he and Ahmadinejad unsuccessfully argued in favor of seizing the Soviet Embassy at the time, and Ahmadinejad told colleagues in a recent meeting he opposed targeting the American mission because it would bring international condemnation down on Iran.
"I believed that if we did that, the world would swallow us," he said, according to his aide Meisan Rowhani.
Ahmadinejad dropped his opposition to the U.S. Embassy takeover after the revolution's leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, expressed support for it, but he never participated, said Rowhani.
Rasool Nafisi, a Middle East analyst who studies conservative groups in Iran, said Ahmadinejad may have frequented the embassy as one of the thousands of the students who camped out or were involved in protests there.
Former American hostage David Roeder and others told AP that after seeing Ahmadinejad on television, they were certain he was one of the hostage-takers.
"I can absolutely guarantee you he was not only one of the hostage-takers, he was present at my personal interrogation," Roeder said, though he added, "It's sort of more mannerisms."
William J. Daugherty and Don A. Sharer, two other hostages, said they believe Ahmadinejad is shown in two AP photos taken a few days after the embassy was seized.
Abdi and several other former hostage-takers were shown the same photos and said they did not believe the man was Ahmadinejad.
Members of Ahmadinejad's office refused to look at the photos or comment on the allegations.
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fyi
Whoever can report that with a straight face gets a prize--"No, America, he wasn't a hostage taker--in fact, he wanted to attack America's then-enemies!"
The software they use to try to guess what a kidnapped child looks like X years later was developed back in the 1980's I believe.
Unless the beard &c hides too much of the face, I'd bet my last dollar that somebody in the NSA or CIA already has put the software to use and now has a 99% certainty whether it's the same guy or not.
1. They lie.
2. They are stupid enough to think people will believe their lies.
Anyone believe this new spin?
No.
SAVAK got its reputation from dealing with these folks (gangs of fundamentalists working for the mullahs) as ruthlessly as was necessary.
Then came Jimmy Carter.
I don't get it. What difference does it make if this new leader was one of the hostage takers? Whether he is or not, he's dangerously nuts. Arafat was a terrorist and murderer, who, in fact, continued to support and fund terrorism, violence, and the murder of innocents, and we simply gave him more money.
I hadn't seen that he actually traveled overseas,. I did see he was in charge of taken care of out of country dissidents, like Salomon Rushie.(sp?)... Any links would be appreciated.
Check out this one!
I saw two side-by-side photos of two similar appearing guys I believe on Foxnews Thursday, did not catch all the dialogue, but the were talking about this subject. The two guys looked almost identical, but they also looked to be the same age, mid/late 30's, with no apparent difference. And we're talking about 1979. If one photo was the terrorist, and the other photo an OLD photo of the Pres, then it sure looked like the same guy.
BBC: Iran victor 'kidnap role' probe ~~ The US says it is examining reports....
You're right. It doesn't make any difference at all in relations between the U.S and Iran in 2005. We have to deal with the guy, and he has to deal with us.
Fits the libs!! ;)
b-cough-ullsh!t-cough.
I think it does make a difference that the leader of Iran is literally a terrorist and it will impact how we will deal with them going forward. He has to answer some tough questions.
Can't remember which morning show it was this morning, but they had a guy on comparing photos of the new Iranian leader and the hostage taker the hostages say is him. I'm sorry, but from what I saw, they are not the same person. There were some major and distinct differenes in facial features. From eye seperation, nose shape, ear lob shape, and other features.
And so he should...answer tough questions. But we've been playing patty cake with this gang for twenty five years, and I fear we're not going to stop now. Since Arafat was able to stride the world stage as the 'saviour of his people', when the entire world knew he was a lying thief and mass murderer, we'll have no problem overlooking this Iranian's past indiscretions. Feeling terribly cynical and depressed, sorry.
I saw something of that, comparison of photos, yesterday, too, and it looked as if only experts could say definitively whether he's the same person or not.
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