* Mahmoud Ahmadinejad | Iran | Pencil Sketch on Bristol Paper | San Francisco | California | USA | 2007 | Tamer Youssef's Caricature World *

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (born 28 October 1956) is the sixth and current President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He became president on 6 August 2005 after winning the 2005 presidential election by popular vote, the first president of the Islamic Republic not to be a religious cleric in 24 years. Prior to becoming president, Ahmadinejad served as mayor of Tehran, the governor general of Ardabil Province, and served in the Iran–Iraq War as a member of Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution. He is not the most powerful official in Iran; that role belongs to the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei according to Article 113 of Constitution of Iran. Khamenei(Khamenei Jendeh) is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of Iran and has the final word in all aspects of foreign and domestic policies. Ahmadinejad is a critic of the George W. Bush Administration and supports strengthened relations with Russia, Venezuela, Syria, and the Persian Gulf states. He has said Iran's nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. He has also refused to end nuclear enrichment despite United Nations Security Council resolutions. Ahmadinejad argues that the sanctions are "illegal", imposed by “arrogant powers”, and that Iran has decided to pursue the monitoring of its nuclear program through "its appropriate legal path”, the International Atomic Energy Agency. He has called for the dissolution of the state of Israel and its government, which he does not regard as legitimate or representative of the population, and for free elections in the region. He believes that the Palestinians need a stronger voice in the region's future. One of his most controversial statements was one in which, according to the initial Islamic Republic News Agency translation, he called for Israel to be "wiped off the map," though the interpretation of this quote is disputed. He has also been condemned for describing the Holocaust as a myth, which has led to accusations of anti-semitism; the interpretation of this quote is also disputed. In response to these criticisms, Ahmadinejad said “No, I am not against Jews, I respect them very much”. During his presidency, Ahmadinejad launched a gas rationing plan to reduce the country's fuel consumption and cut the interest rate for private and public banking facilities.

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