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[[Image:Ahmadinejad comparison.jpg|right|thumb|300px|A hostage taker, believed to be Ahmadinejad, photographed at the time, and Ahmadinejad in 2006 (right)]]  

[[Image:Ahmadinejad comparison.jpg|right|thumb|300px|A hostage taker, believed to be Ahmadinejad, photographed at the time, and Ahmadinejad in 2006 (right)]]  

'''Mahmoud Ahmadinejad''' is the current president of the [[Iran|Islamic Republic of Iran]], and the former mayor of [[Tehran]]. Since coming to power, on a campaign based on stamping out corruption, in 2005, he has pursued an agenda defined by support of [[Islamic]] fundamentalism, strong anti-Americanism, and anti-Zionism. Under Ahmadinejad's rule Iran has put a large amount of effort into [[Nuclear program of Iran|producing nuclear technology]], possibly for nuclear weapons, although Iran has not yet been successful in this endeavor. His politics are mixed as best, as he retains a strong, conservative view towards homosexuality, infamously stating that there are no homosexuals in Iran. However, he has also eliminated some rights such as freedom of speech and the press.

'''Mahmoud Ahmadinejad''' is the current president of the [[Iran|Islamic Republic of Iran]], and the former mayor of [[Tehran]]. Since coming to power, on a campaign based on stamping out corruption, in 2005, he has pursued an agenda defined by support of [[Islamic]] fundamentalism, strong [[anti-Americanism]], and anti-Zionism. Under Ahmadinejad's rule Iran has put a large amount of effort into [[Nuclear program of Iran|producing nuclear technology]], possibly for nuclear weapons, although Iran has not yet been successful in this endeavor. His politics are mixed as best, as he retains a strong, conservative view towards homosexuality, infamously stating that there are no homosexuals in Iran. However, he has also eliminated some rights such as freedom of speech and the press.

Photographs appear to implicate Ahmadinejad in the 1979 [[Iran Hostage Crisis]] as someone involved with the hostage taking. Five former American hostages have stated that Ahmadinejad was one of their captors. A former US intelligence officer, said  "I recognized him right off. … I remember so much his hatred of Americans. It just emanated from every pore of his body." [[BBC]] [[journalist|correspondent]] John Simpson recalled seeing Ahmadinejad on the embassy grounds. Abholhassan Bani-Sadr, a former president of Iran long living in exile, asserted that Ahmadinejad "wasn't among the decision-makers but he was among those inside the Embassy."<ref>'''Pipes, Daniel''' ''Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the 1979-1981 U.S. Embassy Takeover'' (2006) [http://capmag.com/article.asp?ID=4844 Capitalism Magazine] Accessed 7 February 2008</ref> However, some former hostages dispute this claim. <ref>http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/014049.php</ref>  Additionally, a number of terrorists who were actually involved in the hostage taking have denied Ahmedinejad's involvement.<ref>http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_1-7-2005_pg4_16</ref> <ref>http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0506/30/ldt.01.html</ref>  A CIA report was commissioned to determine whether or not Ahmedinejad was involved in the hostage taking, and that report determined that the evidence was at best inconclusive.  <ref>http://www.nysun.com/article/19982?page_no=2</ref> <ref>http://www.cfr.org/publication/8831/takeyh.html</ref>

Photographs appear to implicate Ahmadinejad in the 1979 [[Iran Hostage Crisis]] as someone involved with the hostage taking. Five former American hostages have stated that Ahmadinejad was one of their captors. A former US intelligence officer, said  "I recognized him right off. … I remember so much his hatred of Americans. It just emanated from every pore of his body." [[BBC]] [[journalist|correspondent]] John Simpson recalled seeing Ahmadinejad on the embassy grounds. Abholhassan Bani-Sadr, a former president of Iran long living in exile, asserted that Ahmadinejad "wasn't among the decision-makers but he was among those inside the Embassy."<ref>'''Pipes, Daniel''' ''Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the 1979-1981 U.S. Embassy Takeover'' (2006) [http://capmag.com/article.asp?ID=4844 Capitalism Magazine] Accessed 7 February 2008</ref> However, some former hostages dispute this claim. <ref>http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/014049.php</ref>  Additionally, a number of terrorists who were actually involved in the hostage taking have denied Ahmedinejad's involvement.<ref>http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_1-7-2005_pg4_16</ref> <ref>http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0506/30/ldt.01.html</ref>  A CIA report was commissioned to determine whether or not Ahmedinejad was involved in the hostage taking, and that report determined that the evidence was at best inconclusive.  <ref>http://www.nysun.com/article/19982?page_no=2</ref> <ref>http://www.cfr.org/publication/8831/takeyh.html</ref>