In June, Iran elected Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to be its new president. Largely unknown outside Iran (reportedly, he has never even traveled outside the country), he's being called "an ultra-conservative." The White House immediately expressed its skepticism about the honesty of the election.

Spokesman Scott McClellan also relayed Washington's doubts that Britain, France and Germany would be able to succeed in dissuading Iran from its pursuit of nuclear weapons technology. Prime Minister Blair promised to continue a firm approach with Tehran.

For its part, Tehran tried to allay international concerns following Ahmadinejad's election. Who is he? Why do Western nations look on him as a hardliner?

He is a 49-year-old man of humble beginnings, the son of a blacksmith. His commitment to the Islamic cause began with his university days when he was drawn to the Khomeini revolution against the shah. He was the university student's representative in the OSU, an organization set up by Khomeini's principal confidant to organize Islamic students.

"The OSU played a major role in the seizure of the U.S. Embassy and its diplomats in Iran in November 1979," reported UPI's Claude Salhani in "Analysis: Who Is Ahmadinejad?" published June 27, 2005. The hostages were held for 444 days.

As we go to press, a story is breaking on the possibility that Ahmadinejad was one of the hostage takers, if not one of the leaders. Former hostage Charles Scott, 73, told The Washington Times, "The new president of Iran is a terrorist" (Joyce Howard Price and David R. Sands, "Iran Leader Linked to '79 Embassy Crisis," June 30, 2005).

Salhani said Ahmadinejad assisted Khomeini in cracking down on universities, purging dissident lecturers and students, many of whom were arrested and later executed. Ahmadinejad then worked in Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corp's Internal Security, where he "earned notoriety as a ruthless interrogator and torturer."

In 1986, as a senior officer in the Revolutionary Guards' headquarters in western Iran, he planned and oversaw terrorist operations in other countries. "He was, according to Iranian opposition sources, the mastermind of many assassinations in the Middle East and Europe, including the assassination of Iranian Kurdish leader Abdorrahman Qassemlou, who was shot dead by senior officers of the Revolutionary Guards in a Vienna apartment in July, 1989. This claim was confirmed to United Press International by Western intelligence sources" (Salhani).

Then he was twice appointed mayor of towns in northwestern Iran, and the minister of Islamic Culture and Guidance made him his cultural advisor. The minister had been a fellow officer in the Revolutionary Guards.

Ahmadinejad was also appointed, not elected, to his most recent responsibility as mayor of Tehran. His Islamic superiors have commended him for handling the job "efficiently."

Even if the presidential election was not manipulated by Iran's hardline clerical leaders—many believe that they did—they can still overrule any presidential or parliamentary decision.

For a detailed report of Iran's tangled web of bureaucracy, see "Keep Your Eyes on Iran" in our July 2004 issue (www.ucg.org/wnp/wnp0407/eyesoniran.htm).

The prospects are indeed dim for an agreement on the nuclear issue that would be satisfactory to the international community. Tehran appears to be resolutely committed to developing nuclear weapons.