TEL AVIV, Israel, July 4 (UPI) -- Former Iranian president Bani Sadr reportedly confirmed that President-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was one of the kidnappers at the U.S. Embassy in 1979.

The kidnappers held 52 people from hostage for 444 days.

Bani Sadr, who was president during part of that time and is now in exile in Paris, told a Yediot Aharonot reporter Ahmadinejad in the embassy throughout the hostage crisis.

"Ayatollah Khomeini's deputy, Ayatollah Khamenai, demanded of him a constant report on what is happening in the embassy," said Bani Sadr.

Bani Sadr laughed when he was told that Ahmadinejad denies it.

"What do you want? That he should not deny it?," he said. "I was president and I know the details and I am telling you for sure that he was there, though his role was not organizational. He was the chief reporter to Khamenai."...