Rafsanjani ahead of conservative rival in Iran vote

AFP via translation ^ | December 16, 2006

[HAL9000]

Excerpt -

TEHRAN (AFP) - Centrist cleric Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was running well ahead of his ultra-conservative rival Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi in elections for Iran's Assembly of Experts, with half the votes counted, state television said.

Both clerics were standing to be one of the 16 men who will represent Tehran province in the Assembly of Experts, the body which chooses and supervises the supreme leader.

~ snip ~

[MplsSteve]

I find it a little odd that Rafsanjani is being portrayed as the moderate here.

Most everything I've read about Rafsanjani over the years spoke of anything but moderation.

Guess something like this speaks volumes about messed up Iran is right now.

[pieceofthepuzzle]

Our media call Clinton a moderate.

[goldstategop]

They're Khomeinist extremists. Iran's voters have no real choice in selecting a leader. The elections are rigged to make sure whoever comes out on top is devoted to the existence of the Islamic Republic. And if anything the younger generation is even far more radical than the generation that founded the regime.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[FARS]

The Assembly of Experts is not a one man win situation - as for President. The Assembly majority itself - I forget the number of people - is the key as they then appoint the Supreme Ruler, which is what Mesbah Yazdi wants to become.

Whoever gets more followers onto the Assembly is the real winner. Somewhat like the Dems winning and choosing all the Committee heads from amongst themselves.

Thus putting the looney Hojatieh sect of Islam, even Khomeini could not stomach, formally in power and in charge instead of being the power behind the throne as it is today through accolyte Ahjmadi-Nejad being President.

[MplsSteve]

True, very true.

[Alter Kaker]

Rafsanjani is an opportunist -- he used to be an ultraconservative, but now he's making himself into more and more of a reformer as the public reacts against Khamanei and Ahmadinejad. Clearly Rafsanjani wants to replace Khamenei, either himself or with one of his cronies. That would, imho, be a good thing. But I'm not sure if this is possible.

Rafsanjani is committed in the long run only to Rafsanjani. That means he'll hardly be a friend of the US, but at least he isn't interested in suicide either.

[Argus]

Yet more proof that for the media, "conservative" = bad, and "ultraconservative" = Very Bad. In reality, none of these nuts is conservative in any sense - they're radical fanatics who want to destroy civilization, not conserve anything.

[rjp2005]

These elections are a lose-lose scenario - Rafsanjani was the key driver for Iran seeking nuclear weapons in the 80s. He wants to destroy Israel and the West just as much.

[IronJack]

I'm with you on this one. I remember when the Ayatollah rose to power, Rafsanjani was one of the voices of sanity in that open-air asylum. He and Shaipur Bakhtiar led the call for restraint, although certainly Bakhtiar more than Rafsanjani. That explains why raghead extremists assassinated Bakhtiar in Paris a few years after he fled the Ayatollah's regime.

Rafsanjani, however, survived, presumably by going chameleon. I suspect that's what's afoot here. But he's still better than Khameini or Ahmadinejad.

[Alter Kaker]

He wants to destroy Israel and the West just as much.

Rafsanjani doesn't give a damn about Israel beyond being able to use it for domestic political purposes. He does not think of himself in Messianic terms, unlike Ahmadinejad, nor is he a religious fanatic. He's power hungry, and in Iran power comes from railing against Israel and (to a much lesser degree) the United States. But he isn't stupid and he isn't suicidal. I'll take a pragmatist any day over a madman.

[rjp2005]

Disagree - read this. He in fact was the very first a nuclear threat to Israel. He was the first to meet with Pakistan's Khan after the mullahs decided to revive the nuclear program following the ban during Khomeini's tenure.

No, he's not suicidal, but he does want Nukes as "insurance" against Israel. And that's dangerous.

http://www.iran-press-service.com/articles_2001/dec_2001/rafsanjani_nuke_threats_141201.htm

[truth_seeker]

"And if anything the younger generation is even far more radical than the generation that founded the regime."

Then why are people posting the pro-Americanism of students, on this website?

Why are we being informed that Iranians detest the mullah government, and that they boycott elections, to protest the lack of real choices?

Why are we being told they have frequent protests and demonstrations at universities?

Which portrayal of the "younger generation" is correct?

[Biscuit85]

There is no difference between him and the rest. They are all evil

[nw_arizona_granny]

Thanks.
Bump

[Quix]

THanks.

[Alter Kaker]

Here's a hint -- everybody in Iran wants nuclear weapons, and there really isn't anything, short of an outright invasion (politically, economically and militarily unfeasible) that can stop them from getting them. Just because a country has nukes, however, doesn't mean they're going to use them. I don't see Rafsanjani ever using his nukes -- he'd just use them as a geopolitical bargaining piece.

[SunkenCiv]

well put.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1754509/posts?page=8#8
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1754509/posts?page=9#9

[rjp2005]

Yes - I agree. The nuke threats towards Israel is bluster, because everyone knows Iran would be blasted to smithereens by Israel's immediate response of 20 or so nukes to their 1 or 2.

But they have no qualms about using proxy groups to attack Israel or us. That remains a real threat.

[Alter Kaker]

It isn't bluster if you have a Messianic figure ruling Iran who doesn't care about suicide. They definitely exist in Iran (I'm not sure if Ahmadinejad is one, probably not) but Rafsanjani is definitely not. He is deferrable.

[Cyrus the Great]

"And if anything the younger generation is even far more radical than the generation that founded the regime."

Wow did somebody lie to you.

[GoLightly]

Which portrayal of the "younger generation" is correct?

I believe the statement was about the younger generation of clerics. The population represented by the clerics would be a mixed bag.

[GoLightly]

IOW, you think he'd use them as a deterrent & possibly for blackmail, as opposed to those who would use them offensively, right? While it would be better than those who would use them offensively, one death could put offensive action back on the table, cuz there seem to be plenty of others in the other camp.

[rjp2005]

Suicide bombing or luring others to blow them up is not the goal - controlling the region and beyond is. In other words, they will only seek that which allows them to be the ruling power of the entire region, not just get themselves blown up for nothing. It's a vicious strategy, but it's still old-fashioned preparing for conquesting.

[Alter Kaker]

Nobody -- not even Ahmadinejad -- wants Iran to go conquering their neighbors. That's messy and counter-productive. I think all rulers of Iran want to increase Iran's relative power in the region. That's inevitable, and not necessarily a bad thing. In theory, all leaders everywhere should want to increase the power of their countries.

[RightWhale]

The Assembly of Experts provides advice to the Department of Certainty and schedules the semi-annual Death to America rally.

[rjp2005]

They want to bring our entire country to our knees. That's the whole point of their "Revolution" - to totally collapse the Western authority currently ordering the world.

They want the Saudi regime toppled and replace with extremist militants. They want Egypt on their side. Algeria, Libya, Morroco, all of North Africa.

Assymetric - build a critical mass of a proxy force within your neighbors and watch them do your dirty work. We will see a Hezbollah-type group in Saudis very, very shortly.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!