The Hindu : International : "Ahmadinejad was a key player in 1979 embassy seizure"

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 01, 2005

International

International

"Ahmadinejad was a key player in 1979 embassy seizure"

WASHINGTON: Iran's President-elect Mahmood Ahmadinejad was a key player in the 444-day takeover of the U.S. embassy in Teheran in 1979, claim former hostages of the crisis, a media report said here.

Retired Army Colonel Charles Scott (73), a former hostage told The Washington Times on Thursday, ``As soon as I saw his picture in the paper, I knew ... he was one of the top two or three leaders''.

A veteran of the Revolutionary Guards whose aides deny he has any blood on his hands, Mr. Ahmadinejad was a founding member of the Office for Strengthening Unity Between Universities and Theological Seminaries, which organised the storming of the U.S. embassy compound in Teheran, the Times claimed.

The report said Mr. Ahmadinejad's office denied he helped storm the embassy, but did not comment on whether he had other roles during the hostage crisis. — PTI

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