Background

Ahmadinejad, born Mahmoud Saborjhian^[23] was the son of a blacksmith, born near Garmsar in the village of Aradan^[24] on 28 October 1956.^[2] The name, which derives from thread painter, a once common and humble occupation, was changed into Ahmadinejad, meaning the race of Mohammed or the virtuous race. According to his relatives, it was for "a mixture of religious and economic reasons."^[25] During the presidential campaign in 2009, political opponents have speculated that the name was changed in order to cover Jewish roots.^[26][27] In the 1950s, Ahmadinejad and his family moved from Aradan to Tehran in search of more economic prosperity;^[23] It was during this time period that the Saborjhian family changed its name to Ahmadinejad.^[28]

In 1976, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took Iran's national university entrance exams (concours). He has claimed that he ranked 132nd out of 400,000 participants that year,^[29] and soon enrolled in the Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) as an undergraduate student of civil engineering. It is not clear what he did during the next ten years.

After the Islamic Revolution, he became a member of the Office for Strengthening Unity,^[30] an organization developed to prevent students from sympathizing or allying with the budding Mojahedin-e Khalq.^[30] According to a July 1st, 2005 article of the New York Times, 6 former hostages of the 1979 US Embassy Crisis in Iran remember Ahmadinejad playing a major role in their captivity. During this crisis 52 American hostages were held for 444 days. William J. Daugherty, a former intelligence officer, colonel Charles Scott, commander Donald Sharer, lieutenant colonel David Roeder, and marine guard Kevin Hermening are five of the hostages who distinctly remember Mahmoud Ahmadinejad being involved directly and in a supervisory role in interrogations. For example, Mr. Roeder recalls, “He was one of the interrogators in the room . . . when they threatened me with my son’s kidnapping.” Mr Roeder also recalled “Mr. Ahmadinejad working in a supervisory role in one third or more of the 44 interrogations he underwent.” ^[31] A follow up article on July 29th, 2005 from the New York Times indicated an investigation into the matter by the US State Department was inconclusive. However at the time of the July 29th article none of the aforementioned six hostages had been interviewed. The White House did concede “Mr. Ahmadinejad was leader of the student movement that organized the attack on the embassy and the taking of American hostages." Admadinejad and Iranian officials deny he had any involvement with the hostage taking.^[32]

It has been widely reported that after Saddam Hussein invaded Iran, Ahmadinejad joined the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution^[33] and served in their intelligence and security apparatus,^[33] but his advisor Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi says "He has never been a member or an official member of the Revolutionary Guards", having been a Basiji-like volunteer instead.^[34] He was accepted to a Master of Science program at the same school in 1986, and eventually received his doctorate in 1997 in civil engineering and traffic transportation planning.^[35][33] During his doctoral studies at Tehran, he was the governor general of Ardabil Province (1993-1997). Ahmadinejad was a lecturer and member of the faculty at the university since 1989.^[28][35]

Ahmadinejad is married and has two sons and a daughter.^[36] One of his sons formerly studied at the Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic).^[37]

Early political career

El presisente de Iran Ahmadinejad, nacio cerca de Rarmsar in el pueblo de Aradan. El 28 de Octubre de 1956.