Amid Expectations Rafsanjani
Might Enter Presidential Race
Iranian Minister of
Intelligence Haydar Moslehi today said former president Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi
Rafsanjani "had hand" in 2009 protests that followed the disputed presidential
elections.
“We have precise information that this gentleman (Rafsanjani) had hand in the sedition; notwithstanding his claims that he had forecast the events of 2009 and repeating ‘he said this and warned that,’” said Moslehi. (Mashreq, 2 May)
“This person who was a part of the sedition, but the regime for some considerations did not put him under the house arrest like the other two and gave him freedom of action, today should not think that the revolutionaries have forgotten his actions and the role he played in the sedition.”
“We have precise information that this gentleman (Rafsanjani) had hand in the sedition; notwithstanding his claims that he had forecast the events of 2009 and repeating ‘he said this and warned that,’” said Moslehi. (Mashreq, 2 May)
“This person who was a part of the sedition, but the regime for some considerations did not put him under the house arrest like the other two and gave him freedom of action, today should not think that the revolutionaries have forgotten his actions and the role he played in the sedition.”
Moslehi’s open threat
against Rafsanjani comes amid growing concerns that the elder statement of the
Iranian politics might enter the presidential race. If he does, his candidacy
would pose a formidable challenge to anyone picked by the ultraconservatives to
run in the election and his presidency might become a fatal blow to their
cause.
It is also interesting to
see that despite Ayatollah Khamenei’s advice on Wednesday prohibiting senior
officials from making accusatory comments against each other during the
election campaign, the minister of intelligence, with his vast secret police
network, should accuse a founding father of the Islamic Revolution who has
served as a commander in chief during the war with Iraq and as Majlis speaker
and the president of the country, and was instrumental in the selection of
Khamenei as the supreme leader after Khomeini’s death, of sedition against the
Islamic Republic.
File photo: Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (hashemirafsanjani.ir)
File photo: Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (hashemirafsanjani.ir)
23 comments:
Anybody with common sense would know that Rafsanjani was behind the so called "Green movement" of 2009.The whole idea was to trick the real opponents of the regime into the streets so that the security forces can squash them.Yes there was a minority of Mousavi supporters and organizers but the greater part of the masses used that as a shield.That's why Mousavi backed down because things were going out of hand.He even said he supports the IRI constitution and went under supposed house arrest.
No one must fall for that trick again.None of these clowns of the regime must be trusted because they are all traitors to the Iranian nation.Roll on the IRI West residing cappuccino drinking Groupies.
You are entitled to live in your chosen alternative universe where all developments are part of a great conspiracy. The real world however requires real solutions. What Rafsanjani says, the need for drastic economic reforms and normalization of relations with the West, seem very reasonable. If he or someone close to that line of thinking is elected president, it will be in Iran’s favor. Does that resolve all the issues, like human rights and the need for political reforms, no! But would be a welcomed development.
Take (from the list of candidates) the one who is dumb, ugly, incompetent, unpopular and yes-man and you will easily predict the one who Khamanei has already chosen; it will be Jalili or Adel ...
It is not a question of pro or contra, not being supportive of .....or Whatever !
Normalisation of ties and economic reforms and etc, are all wonderful things but the West has twisted the sanctions regime so hard that opening the knots would mean giving in and that wont work for them and vice versa neither for Iran.
Iran must turn East and forget West until The ME wars are over, Iran's interests collides with that of the west and their allies, no matter how promises sound like.
Iran's interests are vital and it (Iran) has no choice than to stand up for it, otherwise Iran might as well become a Monarchy again that sits when its told and jumps as its ordered.
(Remember the shameful days of the revolution when the Pahlavi family used to beg the Israeli Embassy to do something and save them ????? Claimed by the ex diplomats in Iran)
Come on, lets face it Iran has emancipated in the last couple of decades and is playing ball with the tough guys and kicking ass.
Don't come with people suffering and hunger and etc, (which is not true) In the UK we have poverty beyond belief but its well tucked away, and not talked about.
Azari by fortune and Iranian by Grace of God
Dariush London
I don't agree since Major problems in Iran (foreign policy,...) are decided by Khamenei. I think we either need someone who can remove Khamenei (Can Rafsanjani do that? I doubt) or be a very weak person so Khamnei does not ruin the country to control him
“Emancipation” should not mean isolation. Just because the Shah went that extreme, doesn’t mean the current government should choose the other extreme. Doesn’t make sense! These guys have been in power for almost 35 years (Shah was in power for 37 years), and they still want to say they are “revolutionaries!” Indeed they are the country's establishment, having more money and larger and more brutal internal security apparatus than the Shah ever had. It’s about time they start to calm down, stop burning flags, stop living on slogans, and put the country back on the right track.
It may be "interesting" but I would say it's not unusual. And these latest claims against Rasfanjani for the previous coup attempt in '09 are only interesting in that they are public, whereas they've been made privately for some time now.
Rasfanjani is a has-been and he knows it, or should know it. It's doubtful he could take 1/3 of the votes from the conservative camp. More likely he would siphon off a fraction of the reformist vote which would be about 1/3 the total vote, which is not enough to swing an election.
The regime currently is so corrupted to the core as known almost by all and including some of the core supporters that any real change is impossible unless the fundamental corruption problems are resolved.
Mr Uskowi,
Emancipation or isolation is in the eye of the beholder !
Occasional flag burnings, sloganeering and such populisms is Iran's version of F.....You. addressed at the senators who cant even locate Iran on a map but claim to believe Iran is Al-Kaeda polluted and sanctions are needed to cause unrest and havoc and murder and etc etc...
Furthermore, the constant idiotic FBI attempts to frame Iran to be doing thiiiiiiings to terrorise the good folks of America and the unbelievable stupid cartoon like stereotyping of Iran in the corporate media (is certainly not less populist than the flag burning)
The likes of Parsi and co.(NIAC) seem more preoccupied with their own as with lobbying for Iran and its security, unlike the AIPAC.
It seems, every one except the pseudo-intellectual Iranians in diaspora (actually more in the US) seem to know that the US Govt. Does not want relations with Iran, It wants a complete capitulation and then more and more of it then even more, until Iran is week and ripe for invasion like all others (Iraq,Lybia and if Korea goes the same path even them). Mind you, Iraq is still under sanctions although not implemented but can be threatened all the time.
I am grateful for the alternative news sources we still have in Europe, I strongly recommend alternative sources of information for your freelancers.
Thank you for allowing other opinions.
Azari by fortune and Iranian by Grace of God
Dariush London
@Uskowi....No I don't live in a alternative universe but people who believe that the regime can be reformed in any way are deluding themselves.Don't forget most of the problems that exist today in Iran is due to none other than Rafsanjani.
It was Rafsanjani that financed terrorism in Iran before the "revolution". It was he that helped Khamenei into power after Khomeini's death. The man is responsible for most of the problems in Iran today.He also is financing some Iranian TV stations abroad and creating mischief against any opposition forming towards the regime.
The only thing in Iran's favor would be the removal of the Islamic regime from our lives.
This regime in any shape form or color thrives on invading embassies, empty slogans,flag burning,anti Americanism,anti Western and anti Israel hatred.Take those away and the regime will collapse into dust :o)
If it is true that he is a has-been, and not able to be able to take significant support in the election, then why the minister of intelligence and other ultraconservatives are so concerned. Why should they resort to implicit threats of imprisonment against him to dissuade him from running in the election. Your argument doesn't add up, either you underestimate the old man, or are questioning the wisdom of people like Moslehi.
And not unusual? The intel minister, controlling the vast secret police network of the country, can threaten a founding father of the Islamic Republic, a former commander in chief, speaker of Majils and president of IRI of sedition against the regime, just days before the deadline to register for the election? If this is not unusual, meaning that such behavior is a new normal for the people in power, and if your analysis is correct, then we have entered a phase of naked dictatorship in the country where even people with Rafsanjani's credentials are not immune and safe because of the their political views. I hope you are wrong!
@ 4:38 PM,
The Islamic Republic has been in power for nearly 35 years. The Shah lasted 37 years, the first 12 years as a figurehead. So the question remains, until the people whom you believe are more capable of running the country replace the current regime, citizens or students of Iran need not care who is elected/selected president? Are you telling us that the 8 years of Ahmadinejad’s disastrous administration was no different than the eight years of Khatami and Rafsanjani? Should the people just accept your implicit promise that the regime will change soon and they need not be worried about the state of politics in today’s Iran? Is that responsible?
I am sorry, was this a response to my earlier comments? I must have missed something.
@Uskowi...The mess Iran is in today is due to the whole regime.Don't forget the regime is a multi headed Hydra that relies on its cunning and duplicity towards the control of the masses.
You honestly believe these people are running Iran or are they running the country into the ground? I say the people should sit at home and ignore the selections that the regime is trying to impose on us.Even if the people "voted" it won't make a damn difference what so ever.
I tell you who will run the country.The educated students,the business people,the professors,the professionals,the armed forces officers with no blood on their hands and are loyal to Iran not a regime and honest people of Iran.They are all there and are ready when called to do the job.
Lets not lock the gates on the future of Iran because of some corrupt and dictatorial regime which has been in power for 35 years and treat it as if it is Iran's last oxygen supply,because it isn't.
Iranians deserve much better than this careless regime.It will be difficult but we must start from scratch for a better and secular democratic Iran.
You will have the moral standing to tell people to stay home at the election day only if you have a plausible alternative for them. Saying stay home and see what happens wouldn’t do. Until and unless such alternative is in seen and felt by the citizens, such recommendations might be seen as empty slogans.
Uskowi...By going to those so called voting stations people will only legitimize and embolden the regime into thinking that they have support by the general public,but the opposite is known to be true.Have you already forgotten what happened in 2009 selections? Have you ever heard the saying "Once bitten twice shy"? Or the classic saying "Fool me once shame on you" "Fool me twice shame on me"? For god sake why is it Iranians have such short memories?
With this regime there is no alternative because it has burned its bridges against the people.Now you can accuse me of living in an alternative universe but for one minute just ask yourself why we try to delude ourselves into thinking these people can be trusted again and again and again?
Do you know the wife beater syndrome? The wife is beaten by her abusive so called husband every day. But despite that she still insists he will change his ways.And in 99.99% of cases the wife beater ends up in jail or the wife realizes that she must leave him for good and go into hiding.It eventually ends up ugly.
Well that is the case for the people of Iran with this torturous regime.
Thanks for your time.
I guess you don’t want to answer my question. If you are not presenting a real alternative to people, how do you expect them not to participate in politics? You keep reminding me of the reactionary nature of the regime. That was not the topic of our discussion. What plausible alternative, not sloganeering, do you have to offer?
:o)
Anonymous May 2, 2013 at 2:17 PM
Well said!
I fear that the cost of "normalization of relations with the West",whatever that actually means would be very high indeed,the west has made it clear that nothing less than complete capitulation will suffice ie iran as just another "arab dictatorship"
@Uskowi...I see you didn't publish my post.But for the answer look at 10:05 PM third paragraph.
What do you expect? You hide your identity under an anonymous designation, but give yourself the license to ignore online debate etiquettes and go into other people’s beliefs and past associations to prove a point. That’s not a healthy way to engage in an online, anonymous debate. Because I would then ask you to publish you own resume first before delving in other people’s. You are very welcome, as always, to post your views and challenge me and other commentators on our views and analysis offered here. If you have a personal problem, you can email me.
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