Reply #55: Bush says wants answers on Iran leader's past

[Tinoire]

Bush says wants answers on Iran leader's past

Caren Bohan
1 hour, 54 minutes ago



WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush said on Thursday he wanted answers on whether Iranian President-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was a leader in the 1979 U.S. Embassy siege as some former hostages have said.

Several of the Americans who were held said they recognized the ultraconservative Tehran mayor -- who was elected president in a landslide on Friday -- as a ringleader in the hostage-taking.

However, two leading figures in the embassy seizure said he did not take part.

"I have no information," Bush told reporters during a briefing on the upcoming G8 summit in Scotland. "But obviously his involvement raises many questions, and knowing how active people are at finding answers to questions, I'm confident they will be found."

Bush also issued a warning to Ahmadinejad, 48, that he and European leaders would send a "strong message" to him about their concerns over Iran's nuclear ambitions.

(snip)

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&e=4&u=/nm/20050630/ts_nm/iran_usa_ahmadinejad_dc