Free Republic

Four months before the next presidential election, Iran's conservative establishment is facing a security threat: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Four years ago, a controversial election that reinstated President Ahmadinejad brought millions of Iranians into a face-to-face confrontation with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Now, it is Ahmadinejad who is coming face-to-face with the very man who lifted him out of obscurity and granted him worldwide fame and unparalleled support against all pillars of the Islamic Republic. During an unprecedented debate at the parliament, which ended in mayhem and the dismissal of the labor minister, Ahmadinejad played a video that implicated the powerful...

Predicting the end of a regime, especially one led by ruthless and wily survivors, always poses great risks to the prophet of doom. But the Iranian regime meets almost all of my indicators for the end of a government. First, there are persistent reports that some of the security forces are refusing to use lethal force against their compatriots. On top of that, several news accounts have said that members of the security forces have been forced to surrender to crowds. One particularly noteworthy example had security forces “cowering” as angry crowds confronted them in the capital. Then there are...

Iran: Editorial says dissident Aghajari unimportant figure working for US 07/06/2002 BBC Monitoring Source: Kayhan, Tehran, in Persian 24 Jun 02 p 2/BBC Monitoring/(c) BBC Text of editorial by Hoseyn Shari'atmadari in Iranian newspaper Kayhan on 24 June 1. During the Saffeyn War, when the exalted Ali [the first Shi'i Imam], peace be upon him, ran towards 'Amru 'As with his sword held high above his head, poised to strike him dead, 'Amru 'As, who could not endure the heat of the battle by resorting to anything resembling courage and honesty, realised that Ali was getting closer to him by...