Recent allegations about the involvement of the new Iranian president in the captivity of 52 Americans at the U.S. Embassy in 1979 have sparked concern and raised questions.  Although Barry Rosen, head of the TC Afghanistan Education Project as well as a former embassy press attaché who was held captive, does not recognize Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as one of the student radicals involved, he believes the claims.  "When you're in a situation like that--I have my own indelibly etched memories of hostage takers that did things to me in Iran--it doesn't go away," he said.

Ahmadinejad is striking because of his enduring radicalism and new prominence. "This is a dilemma for the United States administration," said Rosen. "How do we negotiate with Iran now if indeed the president is a former terrorist?"

The article, entitled "Captor ID Raises Questions," appeared in the July 1 edition of Newsday.

Published Wednesday, Jul. 6, 2005