dagblog - Comments for "Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejects chance of direct talks with US"

The world's quite anti-Muslim

PeraclesPlease — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 12:44:25 +0000

The world's quite anti-Muslim - I'll take complaints with a 1/2 grain of salt, whether lies about his most famous statement, Washington Post here, Israeli Minister of Intelligence here, to gross exaggerations from the West about Iran's nuclear capability. "Axis of Evil", "tried to buy yellowcake", Blair's "just 45 minutes" quote, and some of Obama's war on terror/statements about OBL & Qaddafi are also demagoguic (sp?). Including a number of lies about Ahmadinejad's re-election & lies by his underlings about nuclear facilities. (No, it wasn't as stolen as the west pretended - Ahmadinejad did have a very popular base, and had done much to ease poverty, so the election wasn't as stolen as pretended. No, radiation around a suspect nuclear facility can't just be rinsed away by water...).

So now, is Ahmadinejad to blame for your "these journalists" being arrested?

A political dispute between Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country's supreme leader is reported to have intensified.

Ahmadinejad is said to be contemplating resigning after Heidar Moslehi, the intelligence minister he had sacked, was reinstated by Khamenei.

The failed attempt to dismiss Moslehi is part of Ahmadinejad’s wider campaign to cleanse his government of senior officials imposed on him by other power circles within the Islamic Republic. Moslehi’s resignation would also make Ahmadinejad’s cabinet – along with Prime Minister Mehdi Bazargan’s short-lived transitional government in 1979 – the only cabinet in the history of the Islamic Republic devoid of representatives from the clergy.

Ahmadinejad has previously attempted to restrain the Supreme Leader’s control over the intelligence ministry.

Why is that important? Well, who's in charge of detaining journalists?

As Second Round of Journalists Arrested, Intelligence Ministry Threatens Even More

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February 6, 2013

Heidar Moslehi, Iran’s Minister of Intelligence.

Another wave of summonses and arrests of journalists has taken place in Iran, the Iranian Intelligence Ministry announced on February 5. In a statement published by Fars News Agency, affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, the Intelligence Ministry stated that the journalists were arrested for their contact with the BBC and that the arrests, which began January 26, will continue.

The Iranian Intelligence Ministry says it has arrested several elements cooperating with a Western media network.

In a statement released on Wednesday night, the Ministry said that in line with its duties to counter any foreign infiltration and interference in the country, it identified “one of the largest media networks affiliated to the global arrogance.”

Oops.

Now, it's not uncommon for politicians to try to retain some bit of power at the end of their tenure - Vladimir Putin, Vaclav Klaus, Berlusconi, Rudy Giuliani... So if Ahmadinejad is still trying to stay relevant while in office, 4 months before replacement elections? Wow, sue him. I recall Bush turning over the keys to the White House in July 2008.

Actually, I'm not defending Ahmadinejad - I'm wondering why smart people keep falling for the same press manipulation over and over. Ahmadinejad's almost certainly a thug - but that doesn't make him guilty of every rabid charge from the anti-Muslim west.

And for Ahmadinejad being a "madman", yes, he must be mad - no sane US leader would let the Soviet Union occupy Canada, Mexico, Cuba without a serious response, but that's essentially what Ahmadinejad's done - Iraq, Afghanistan, fleet in the Persian Gulf, Turkmenistan support for CIA renditions & military cooperation, Azeri support...

Sometimes I find your

artappraiser — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 08:01:01 +0000

In reply to Ahmadinejad built up a real

Sometimes I find your contrarianism helpful, other times it just strikes me as absurd and a bit trollish to boot.

dem·a·gogue
Merriam-Webster: a leader who makes use of popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power
Google: A political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires and prejudices rather than by using rational argument.
Wiktionary: An orator or leader who gains favor by pandering to or exciting the passions and prejudices of the audience.
Dictionary.com: noun: a person, especially an orator or political leader, who gains power and popularity by arousing the emotions, passions, and prejudices of the people.
verb: to treat or manipulate (a political issue) in the manner of a demagogue; obscure or distort with emotionalism, prejudice, etc.

My point was that he's not exactly the type to be a renowned statesman welcomed by the international community at any treaty-signing table. Wasn't meaning to get into the whole thing about a politician pandering to his base being good, bad or indifferent. Was saying that I don't think he's got it in his bones to be a statesman. Criminy, he can't even let go of demagoguing the run for the office even though he's not eligible to run for the office.

But if you're going to force me to get into it, why in the world do you think he needs you to defend him here as a speaker for the Iranian unwashed masses? I can't think of a reason. If I'm on any side here, I'd be with the Greens. When he comes out defending Mousavi or these journalists, I'll think about saying something nice about him.

Ahmadinejad built up a real

PeraclesPlease — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 00:40:52 +0000

In reply to I would argue that the

Ahmadinejad built up a real base and has delivered to that base. (Note: Azeri, rural background)

"Demagogue" is a pejorative, as is the "Machiavellian". Says nothing. Half of the world's leaders are full of bluff & hot air. How many lies has the West told about Iran's nuclear program in the last 10 years? To the US, Chavez is a "demagogue", but a highly popular one who's distributed wealth to the poorest. Just because the US opposes you doesn't make you (Axis of) Dr. Evil.

Ahmadinejad has published private bribe conversations with Larijanis.Worth taking seriously. It's time for a power struggle as his term ends, and much of Iran's power is influential family-based - what do you think is happening?

I would argue that the

artappraiser — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 21:10:44 +0000

In reply to What will happen to our

I would argue that the problem with dealing with Ahmadinejad has always been that populist demagogues have no loyalties or set-in-stone ideologies; he will shift in the wind as situations develop that offer Machiavellian opportunities. Agreements today will be forgotten tomorrow....

Here's his newest gamble along those lines:

Ahmadinejad Warns of “Take Over” of the Regime by Larijanis
Fears of Judiciary Putsch to Stop Moderates in Upcoming Election

By Nader Uskowi, Feb. 10,2012

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in a speech at Tehran’s Azadi Square marking the 34th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, warned the nation that Larijani family is trying to take over the system. (EA World View, 10 February)

Sadeq Larijani, a cleric and the chief of Iran’s Judiciary, has been gathering increasing influence in the country and has been lately allying himself with the ultra-right Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, the powerful theoretician of absolute power of the clerics over political as well as religious life in the country.

It is increasingly feared that Larijani, using his powers as Judiciary chief, could stop Rafsanjani or other moderate leaders from winning the June presidential election by arresting him on unrelated charges. He has already arrested two of Rafsanjani's children. Such move, if it happens, would be a putsch by the Judiciary. Ahmadinejad today was referencing such concerns by warning that the Larijani family could attempt to “take over the system.”

Ahmadinejad also strongly suggested that his rivals, including some close to the Supreme Leader, will try to rig the vote in June’s presidential election. He referred to the comments made by the supreme leader’s representative to IRGC, Ali Saeedi, on “engineering the election” as an IRGC’s “duty.” [....]

So I would say that you are correct that it serves no use to go back to what he said 10 years ago, or a couple months ago, for that matter.

What will happen to our

PeraclesPlease — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 14:21:55 +0000

In reply to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejects chance of direct talks with US

What will happen to our script on Iran when Ahmadinejad seems to be the reasonable one.

Here. And here. Or will we just pull out quotes from 10 years ago and continue to dismiss him?