President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's convoy attacked according to Iranian media

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's convoy attacked according to Iranian media
By Kay Armin Serjoie and Thomas Erdbrink
Copyright by The Washington Post
Wednesday, August 4, 2010; 8:55 AM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/04/AR2010080401020.html?hpid=topnews


TEHRAN -- An explosive was thrown at the motorcade convoy of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a central Iranian city Wednesday, but the controversial leader was not injured.

Ahmadinejad's office quickly denied any attack had taken place, saying a "firecracker" had gone off. Witnesses described the incident as minor. One person was arrested, according to accounts posted on Iranian Web sites.

After the explosion, Ahmadinejad gave a previously scheduled speech, which was broadcast live on state television. He appeared completely unhurt. Media reports said his car was about 100 yards from the site where the explosion occurred.

"On the path between the airport and stadium, while the convoy was crowded with people, there was suddenly a relatively loud sound, and some smoke," said a local reporter who was on the scene but asked to remain anonymous. "It did not even warrant Ahmadinejad's security team to act."

Iranian Web sites initially reported that the explosive device was thrown by a man who was standing in the crowd of people that lined the streets of the city of Hamedan on the route to the stadium where Ahmadinejad was scheduled to speak.

Photos released by the semi-official Fars News agency showed the president standing up and extending his head and body through the sun roof of his armored sport utility vehicle. Onlookers waved flags, and families lifted up their children in hopes that Ahmadinejad would kiss them.

Officials close to Ahmadinejad said the incident was a misunderstanding. "There was an accident, a loud bang, but no attack whatsoever," an aide to the president said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Khabar Online and other Web sites later removed the news of the incident from their sites. The official, state-run media has not carried any images of disturbances.

"On the sidelines of the welcome of Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad by the people of Hamedan, in one of the routes the sound of a firecracker was heard. This event did not inflict any injuries," the semi official ISNA News Agency reported from Hamedan.

Ahmadinejad travels regularly among Iran's 30 provinces. While these events normally attract thousands of visitors who are given relatively easy access to the President, security incidents are highly uncommon.



The incident comes two days after Ahmadinejad accused Israel in a speech of hiring people to kill him.

erbrinkt@washpost.com

Erdbrink contributed from Amsterdam.