Posted on 06/30/2005 2:37:13 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
The US says it is examining reports that Iranian President-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took part in the 1979 hostage-taking at Tehran's US embassy. Some of the former US hostages have said they recognise Mr Ahmadinejad as one of their captors.
But three Iranians involved in the action, as well as Mr Ahmadinejad's own staff, have denied that he took part. Mohsen Mirdamadi, the hostage-takers' leader, told the BBC that the new president had not been there.
Another top student leader, Abbas Abdi, also denied the allegations as did Hamid Reza Jalaiepour, a third hostage-taker.
The BBC's Frances Harrison in Tehran says the three former students are now reformists who oppose hardliners like Mr Ahmadinejad, and would have no reason to hide his involvement now. Questions raised Photographs have appeared on the internet showing a young bearded man leading a blindfolded American hostage - alleging that this was Mr Ahmadinejad a quarter of a century ago.
But the man in the photograph appears much taller than Mr Ahmadinejad, and looks nothing like other pictures of him as a student which can be found on his website, Frances Harrison says. White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the allegations should be taken seriously.
"I think the news reports and statements from several former American hostages raise many questions about his past," he said. "We take them very seriously and we are looking into them to better understand the facts." One former hostage said he was sure the man was Mr Ahmadinejad. "This is the guy," retired army colonel Chuck Scott told AP news agency. "There's no question about it. You could make him a blond and shave his whiskers, put him in a zoot suit and I'd still spot him." Four other former hostages agreed with Mr Scott, but at least one disagrees. A total of 52 US citizens were taken hostage after a group of young activists climbed over the embassy wall during the Islamic Revolution, which overthrew the Shah and brought Ayatollah Khomeini to power.
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Is he a muslim?
Can we nuke Iran first and find this out later ?
I read that in this thread. Is the press stupid or disingenuous? Or both!
The incomplete beard is the same.
The hairline is the same.
The only difference is that he's squinting at the sun in the picture next to the hostage whereas his face is relaxed in the ID photo.
Looks like the same guy to me.
Here is all the pictures Yahoo has up of him:
http://news.search.yahoo.com/news/search?p=Mahmoud+Ahmadinejad+&ei=UTF-8&xargs=0&pstart=1&c=images&b=51
You know, DJ, if you and I and the rest of the people on this thread can FIND and FIGURE this out, I'm thinking it's GOT to be disingenuous.
And if I did acknowledge that, I'd have to think about why -- and I just don't want to "go there" tonight. :-)
Someone call Jimmah Carter, we'll do a police lineup. Never mind, he would screw that up too.
Pardon my French, but I am just so mad I could spit...
Race, all the stories I have seen tonight are NOT looking at the guy we're looking at!
They are looking at the one nuffsenuff "redded" out>
I hear ya!
It's him.
YOU know it.
I KNOW it.
The question is:
Does W KNOW it?
and does he care enough to kick Iran's ass?
I hope to God he does and he cares enough to end the second biggest terror supporting threat on the face of the planet.
Iran.
S.A. is still first on my list.
Syria is third.
China is supporting and cheering all of them on...
Fry him.
He would HUG him.
GRRRR.
I'm right there spitting with you!
The nights I sat up and watched those people are etched in my mind.
That was my first real "terror" thing.......and it so confused my sheltered little world, I just couldn't get enough.
It's days like today that I think we may be losing.
I want to know why five guys in this country can look at pictures on the TV or the internet and KNOW it's him and the CIA didn't know this.
Or did they?
This is freaking me out.
I have received a private e-mail from a Iranian man who had to flee for his ife when the revolution came.
He was very prominant in the Iranian Government in 1979 and earlier.
He is certainly interested in the man I have been pointing out, not totally convinced, but interested enough to send out his own spam with these pics asking others to look.
The rest of the media will catch on soon enough.
I saw it immediately, but I was away working, and didnt have access to my pics to update my website!
Well, it WOULD make a lovely parking lot, don't cha think?
You know one of the first things this guy wants to do shut down the internet, right?
It's unreal.
The guy is right there in the picture and they keep looking at the wrong dude.
Are they BLIND!
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