Posted on 03/08/2011 3:51:24 PM PST by nuconvert
Former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani lost his position as head of an important state clerical body on Tuesday, a move which tightens the hardliners' grip on power.
-excerpt-
An ambush challenge by arch hard-liner Ayatollah Mohammad Reza Mahdavi-Kani forced Rafsanjani to withdraw from running for re-election as chairman of the Assembly of Experts.
The 86-member clerical body has the authority to dismiss Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 71, but it has never exercised that power since it was established in 1983. It also appoints the new leader if the old one is removed or dies.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
pong
There are still bad people in the pistachio business
IIRC Rafsanjani was the one we dealt with in Iran/Contra.
Rough Son of Johnnie, who’s yo’ Daddy?
Interesting shakeup.
Thanks nuconvert.
Rafsanjani’s old-school greedy, pragmatic, and corrupt. That’s soooooo much better than full blown nut cases like I’madinnerjacket... Thanks for the ping.
Overall, an uninteresting & predictable development. Yet, meaningful so far as Rafsanjani & his cronies are concerned, in their desire to keep the overall Islamic regime & establishment in tact.
Where would these regime cronies (hardliner, conservative, principalist, traditionalist, pragmatist or reformist) seek sanctuary should the regime fall ? Russia, Syria, S. America, Indonesia, Africa, Malaysia, S. Arabia, etc..?? Many of them are already in the U.S.A, the UK & Canada - With all their billions stashed away in various locations they could even buy an Island or three of their own, if they haven’t already. They are like a chameleon.
Btw, 1983 only refers to the first *formal* election & convening of the Assembly of Experts (for Leadership) post-approved-Islamic-Constitution. The original Assembly of Experts * for Constitution* (73 members vs. 86 members since 1983) was formed in summer of 1979 to consider the initial draft Constitution & to re-write it in accordance with much stricter Islamic guidelines, laws & principles. This Constitution later was approved in a public referendum in December 1979.
Today, the Assembly of Experts draws its representatives (aka “vultures”) from most Iranian provinces. It has its key *meeting place* (headquarters) in Tehran. Similar to Qom, it should be another significant place long overdue for serious ‘reconstruction’.
The position probably gave him a mouthpiece to blast the regime and some protection. Anyone want to start a betting pool on how long it will take until his corpse is found in some dark alley in Tehran?
I wonder how similar this is to Stalin’s purges.
Very interesting.
Not at all.
If you can provide any proof of Rafsanjani ‘blasting the regime’, you’d probably have a point.
The Islamic Republic regime killing one of their own is not much of a bet. Besides, no one, except Rafsanjani, his disciples, and those in the West who support him for their own interests, would care if his corpse was found any where.
“I wonder how similar this is to Stalin’s purges.”
Not very. In fact, right now, I see no resemblance
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