Alleged Killer's Star Turn Stirs Anger

B E T H E S D A, Md., Dec. 29 -- The new Iranian film Kandahar is winning raves from critics for its tale of life in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime, but one of the film's stars has a pretty interesting story of his own: American prosecutors say he's a fugitive and a murderer.

The movie's credits identify him as Hassan Tantai, but authorities say he is actually David Belfield, an American under indictment for two decades for the murder of a former Iranian diplomat in a Washington, D.C., suburb.

"We are very comfortable that the man who appears in this film is indeed David Belfield," said Doug Gansler, state attorney for Montgomery County, Md. "He's an assassin and he's a terrorist."

Belfield's alleged crime took place on July 22, 1980, at the Bethesda, Md., home of Ali Akbar Tabatabai, a former spokeman for the Iranian Embassy who became an outspoken critic of the new fundamentalist regime in Iran.

Prosecutors say Belfield borrowed a postal truck and disguised himself as a mailman. After claiming to have a "special delivery" for Tabatabai, Belfield shot him three times at close range.

Within minutes, the ex-diplomat was dead. Law enforcement officials say Belfield, a one-time Howard University student who had recently converted to Islam, fled through Canada and Switzerland to Iran. He has apparently lived in Iran ever since.

Stunning Admission

In 1995, ABCNEWS Correspondent Tom Jarriel interviewed Belfield in Turkey. In the interview, which aired on 20/20, Belfield confessed to the crime and expressed no remorse.

"Oh, I know I'd hit him," Belfield said of Tabatabai. "But God has created something called shock. He was in it. He didn't feel anything."

Belfield said the killing was justified to combat Tabatabai's efforts to oust the then-new regime of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

"All governments kill traitors and all governments, if they can, kill people who are making strong attempts to overthrow them," Belfield said.

Belfield, who adopted the Muslim name Daoud Salhuddin after converting, said backers of the Khomeini government gave him about $4,000 to carry out the killing.