Ahmadinejad: Osama Bin Laden Not in Iran, More Likely in D.C.
Iranian president denies documentary claim that Bin Laden is in Tehran, Iran.
May 5, 2010 — -- Osama bin Laden may be the most wanted man on the planet, but Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he has an idea where the terrorist leader is holed up: not a damp cave in the Middle East, but some far cozier setting in Washington, D.C.
The apparently sarcastic quip came during an interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos as Ahmadinejad responded to a claim in new documentary "Feathered Cocaine" that bin Laden has been living comfortably in Tehran, Iran, for years.
"Your question is laughable," Ahmadinejad said with a smile. "Our position is quite clear. Some journalists have said bin Laden is in Iran. These words don't have legal value. Our position towards Afghanistan and against terrorism is quite clear... I don't know such a thing. You are giving news which is very strange.
"I heard that Osama bin Laden is in Washington, D.C.," he added.
When that remark was challenged, Ahmadinejad pressed further.
"Yes, I did. He's there. Because he was a previous partner of Mr. Bush. They were colleagues in fact in the old days. You know that. They were in the oil business together. They worked together," he said.
Ahmadinejad: 'Rest Assured' Bin Laden's in D.C.
As for bin Laden sneaking into Iran, Ahmadinejad said Iran's borders are closed to all illegal entries, "whether it's the three American mountaineers, Mr. bin Laden, or anyone else," he said, referring to the three American hikers who were detained in Iran last July and remain in custody.
"Rest assured that he's in Washington," Ahmadinejad said. "I think there's a high chance he's there."
ABC News' Kate McCarthy and Jennifer Pereira contributed to this report.