"Iran minister caught in political dispute" April 18, 2011|Associated Press
TEHRAN — Iran’s intelligence minister was caught in an apparent high-level political dispute yesterday after offering his resignation from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government but later being ordered to remain by Iran’s top leader, news reports said.
The conflicting signals over Heidar Moslehi suggested another point of friction between Ahmadinejad and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over control of key posts.
Khamenei, who has the last word on all important decisions, is considered a supporter of Ahmadinejad’s government but has stepped in before to overrule him on political appointments....
Please remember that.
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"Ayatollah confirms minister to stay on; Iranian president had dismissed official on Sunday" April 21, 2011|By Thomas Erdbrink, Washington Post
TEHRAN — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad received a public rebuff yesterday when Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, confirmed that the intelligence minister, whom Ahmadinejad had dismissed Sunday, is to keep his job....
It is rare for Khamenei, who generally supports the government’s policies, to step in and modify the president’s decisions....
But he's done it before -- which means it is not really very rare, is it?
Sigh. This is what the New England reader is subjected to by our flagship paper.
The controversy over the key ministry post has flared against a backdrop of public tension about what high-ranked officials described as the growing influence of Ahmadinejad’s closest aide, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, in the country’s affairs....
Two weeks ago, for reasons that remain unclear, Ahmadinejad abruptly replaced Mashaei, who holds several government positions, as the head of the president’s office. Mashaei’s promotion of Iranian culture over Islamic culture has angered hard-line Shi’ite clerics.
Related: Ahmadinejad the Moderate
Say what?
But analysts said the aide still wields considerable influence on the president, whose son is married to Mashaei’s daughter.
Official media have quoted government supporters as saying that Ahmadinejad accepts Khamenei’s decision on retaining the intelligence minister. But as of late yesterday, the president, who is traveling in western Iran this week, had not issued a statement confirming that Moslehi would stay on.
And what makes the paper think my most important concern coming out of Iran is meaningless political bickering?
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What's the agenda here, folks?
"Iran’s president skips a 2d Cabinet meeting; Decision viewed as sign of rift with top clerical leader" April 28, 2011|By Ali Akbar Dareini, Associated Press
TEHRAN — Iran’s president shunned a Cabinet meeting yesterday for the second consecutive time this week, apparently showing his discontent over a recent government appointment by the country’s supreme leader.
The no-show appears to be part of a growing rift between President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s supreme leader who has final say in all state matters in Iran. The split threatens to destabilize Iran at a time of tension with the West over Tehran’s disputed nuclear program.
That's the AmeriKan spin (with crossed fingers).
The confrontation, which has been simmering for months, seems to be part of a power struggle ahead of parliamentary elections next year.
The most recent flare-up stems from Ahmadinejad’s dismissal of Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi last week. Moslehi was promptly reinstated by Khamenei, in a public slap to the president.
Khamenei has made clear he would defend his powers, including his right to name ministers, warning in a speech Saturday that he will intervene in government affairs whenever necessary. It was a sharp rebuke to Ahmadinejad.
Although Khamenei ordered Moslehi to remain in the Cabinet, the president reportedly did not abide by the order and failed to officially invite Moslehi to last Wednesday’s government session. Moslehi did not attend that meeting but was a surprise show at Sunday’s session. But Ahmadinejad skipped it.
The president and his Cabinet had been expected to meet again yesterday in Qom, 130 kilometers south of the capital, Tehran. But Ali Banaei, a lawmaker representing the holy city in Parliament, said the trip had been canceled. Instead, the Cabinet met in Tehran, without Ahmadinejad.
It's like junior high school over there.
Khamenei’s decision to reinstate Moslehi has left Ahmadinejad with a dilemma: either openly snub Iran’s top leader and risk more fallout or submit and lose a high-stakes political fight.
Hard-liners, who consider Khamenei above the law and answerable only to God, say the supreme leader will not back down. He has the backing of most of Parliament.
A statement signed last week by 216 lawmakers, nearly three-quarters of the 290-seat Parliament, asked Ahmadinejad to obey Khamenei’s order without question.
“The key decision-maker in Islamic government … is the supreme leader,’’ hard-line cleric Ali Saeedi was quoted as saying by the semiofficial Fars news agency. “Disobeying him is tantamount to opposing God.’’
That's why there is little financial corruption in Shi'ite-led circles. They think they are literally stealing from God.
Ahmadinejad’s gamble appears to be aimed at setting up his close aide, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, or another loyalist, as the next president, analysts said. To achieve that, control of the Intelligence Ministry is crucial.
Hard-liners, however, sharply oppose Mashaei and consider him the head of a “deviant current’’ seeking to shape the next government after Ahmadinejad steps down in 2013.
Khamenei, who strongly backed Ahmadinejad’s disputed reelection in 2009, is believed to be intent on helping to shape a new political team, devoid of Ahmadinejad loyalists, to lead the next government.
Without meaningful political parties in Iran, unpredictable political factions and groups have emerged before elections. Khamenei, analysts said, feels threatened by a single political faction remaining in office for more than eight years.
All right, that does it!
I've had just about enough of the psychological propaganda from the Zionist War Daily.
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Maybe he should be feeling a bit insecure:
"Iran discovers second virus attack" April 26, 2011|Associated Press
TEHRAN — Iran has been hit by a second computer virus, a senior military official said yesterday, suggesting it was part of a concerted campaign to undermine the country’s disputed nuclear program.
Gholam Reza Jalali, the head of an Iranian military unit in charge of combating sabotage, described the attack as an “espionage virus’’ he called Stars....
Stars is the second serious computer attack on Iran in the past eight months. Late last year, a powerful virus known as Stuxnet targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities and industrial sites....
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Related: Israeli Worm Eating Its Way Through Iran
It's also suspected that ot made its way to Japan and had something to do with the coolant reactor failures.
Update:
"Ahmadinejad ends weeklong absence" by Associated Press / May 2, 2011
TEHRAN — President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attended a Cabinet meeting yesterday after more than a week’s absence that raised tension with the country’s supreme leader, state TV reported.
The recent confrontation between Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei involved the president’s dismissal last month of the country’s most powerful intelligence chief, Heidar Moslehi.
Khamenei quickly reinstated Moslehi in a slap to Ahmadinejad. In apparent protest, the president skipped two Cabinet meetings this past week.
Ahmadinejad’s decision to back down and attend is probably an attempt to avoid a backlash from Khamenei, who has been a strong supporter of the president.
Oh, I am glad everyone kissed and made up.
That relationship could be fraying by Ahmadinejad’s repeated attempts to push the limits of his powers.
Last week, Khamenei made a rare public rebuke to Ahmadinejad, saying he will not hesitate to intervene in government affairs whenever necessary.
Even though it's rare (sigh).
A fall from Khamenei’s favor would leave Ahmadinejad’s clout seriously diminished and test the loyalty of his main supporters, including the Revolutionary Guard....
Any split between Khamenei and Ahmadinejad could also destabilize Iran....
Oh, the agenda-pushing war-mongers and their mouthpiece sure are hoping!!
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The recent confrontation between Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei involved the president’s dismissal last month of the country’s most powerful intelligence chief, Heidar Moslehi.
Khamenei quickly reinstated Moslehi in a slap to Ahmadinejad. In apparent protest, the president skipped two Cabinet meetings this past week.
Ahmadinejad’s decision to back down and attend is probably an attempt to avoid a backlash from Khamenei, who has been a strong supporter of the president.
Oh, I am glad everyone kissed and made up.
That relationship could be fraying by Ahmadinejad’s repeated attempts to push the limits of his powers.
Last week, Khamenei made a rare public rebuke to Ahmadinejad, saying he will not hesitate to intervene in government affairs whenever necessary.
Even though it's rare (sigh).
A fall from Khamenei’s favor would leave Ahmadinejad’s clout seriously diminished and test the loyalty of his main supporters, including the Revolutionary Guard....
Any split between Khamenei and Ahmadinejad could also destabilize Iran....
Oh, the agenda-pushing war-mongers and their mouthpiece sure are hoping!!
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