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| Iranian President-Elect Was Leader of Hostage-Taking Group |
| Saturday, July 30, 2005 |
The White House said Thursday that Iran's incoming president was a leader of the student movement that orchestrated the capture of the U.S. Embassy in 1979, but the United States still hasn't determined whether he took hostages as alleged by some of those who were held.
Six former hostages have identified Iran's ultraconservative president-elect, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, as one of their captors during the 444 days they were held.
Bush said on June 30 that their allegation "raises many questions." The U.S. government has been investigating since then.
"I don't think it should surprise anyone given the nature of the regime in Iran that he might have been involved in these kind of activities," said White House press secretary Scott McClellan.
But he said no determination has been made.
"We know he was a leader of the student movement that organized the attack on the embassy and the taking of the American hostages," McClellan said. "However, we are still looking into whether or not he was actually one of the hostage-takers. That is something we continue to look in to." |
posted by Jay Are @ 1:11:00 AM   |
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