Iran's New President - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

"We did not have a revolution in order to have democracy."
--Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, 2005


Tehran,Iran (AHN) - An Associated Press photo has been uncovered by Big News Network news agency "Iran Focus" showing newly elected Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the 1979 hostage taking of Americans in Iran.

President Ahmadinejad can be clearly seen holding the arm of an American hostage outside of the Tehran University of Science.

Ahmadinejad was a member of the the central council of the Office for Strengthening of Unity Between Universities and Theological Seminaries, a major pro-Khomeini student union.

OSU sources say Ahmadinejad headed the security force for the hostage takers during the crisis.
(All Headline News)

Apparently, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's newly elected president, has a questionable past. Is he a terrorist? AP reports that the White House is checking into the charges that the new Iranian president was one of the captors of U.S. hostages twenty-five years ago. Al Bawaba writes:

Iranian veterans of the 1979 seizure of hostages at the American embassy in Tehran on Thursday denied claims that President-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had part in the siege.

This came after at least five US hostages, who were held for over a year by student followers of revolutionary leader Ayatullah Khomeini said they were sure Ahmadinejad was a key player in the abduction.

"Mr Ahmadinejad was never one of students following the path of the imam that took the spy den. He was never there," said Mohsen Mirdamadi, a former hostage-taker who went on to become a member of parliament.

"Those who say he was one of the students are making a mistake. Even last night I was shown a picture but the person in the picture had little resemblance to him"

Abbas Abdi, who like Mirdamadi is regarded as one of the instigators of the embassy seizure, also denied that Ahmadinejad had anything to do with the operation, AFP reported.

Oak Creek, Wisconsin native Kevin Hermening has a different opinion. He was the youngest of the 52 hostages who were held for 444 days. At the time, he was a 20-year old Marine assigned to guard the Tehran embassy. Since his release in 1981, Hermening became politically active in Wisconsin, serving on a school board and twice running unsuccessfully for U.S. Congress as a Republican.

During a 620 WTMJ radio interview this morning, he weighed in on Iran's new president.

He said, "I believe that he was one of three or four folks who was intimately involved with interrogations during the first days" of the seige.

Hermening described the frightening Russian Roulette interrogation methods that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad participated in to torture the hostages. He said it was one of a few times when he truly feared for his life while he was held captive.

He also relayed how Chuck Scott had three teeth broken off during those first days of interrogations in 1979. He received no medical or dental care until after his release in 1981.

Hermening was asked if he believed he received better treatment in captivity and was held under better conditions than the detainees at Guantanamo. His response was an adamant, "NO!"

He was held in a 5 X 10 room. It had no mattress. He didn't dine on rice pilaf and glazed chicken. The Gitmo detainees are living at a country club compared to what Hermening endured. The only thing he had was a Bible. Hermening said American citizens sent them to the hostages in mass quantities, and the Iranian captors did pass them out. Hermening noted that his treatment was much better than that received by some other hostages.

What does Hermening think of President Bush's reaction to the new Iranian president?

He fully supports Bush's response of taking a "wait and see" attitude. Hermening said that "President Bush is very insightful, and he's talking about how time will tell whether the United States and its allies are going to be able to work with this fellow."

When asked his opinion of the President's speech on Tuesday, he called Bush "such a visionary." Hermening said, "It is clear to me the President is in his position in this day and age because he needs to be there."

Hermening said there's a reason Bush included Iran as part of the "Axis of Evil."

He should know better than anyone.