Ahmadinejad Calls His Critics "Traitors"

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today labeled the critics of his nuclear policies "traitors," and accused them of spying and collaborating with Iran’s enemies.

"They sent people to the enemy to regularly give them information from within the ruling system every week," Ahmadinejad told a group of students at Science and Industry University in Tehran (IRNA, 12 November).

The moderate and reformist politicians, including former presidents Mohammad Khatami and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, have in recent days warned the government of the seriousness of the threat to Iran’s security if the international concerns over Iran’s nuclear program are ignored.

Ahmadinejad is increasingly becoming isolated within the country’s political elite, and is reacting with anger and vulgar language. Last week he called his critics "goats," apparently for their low level of intellect. Now he is accusing them of being "traitors," apparently for advocating a diplomatic solution to the nuclear standoff.

Ahmadinejad vowed to expose his critics’ collaboration with Iran’s enemies.