When you see Iran’s conservatives criticize Khamenei, it is not because they’ve developed a concern for the people’s welfare. Their sole interest lies in personal consequences if this ship sinks. Unlike Khamenei, they grasp that this regime is doomed if it alienates the Iranian people any further. However, the same conservatives underestimate obstacles when they imagine that a few trivial “concessions” can satisfy Iran’s people.
This regime has gone way too far, way too often, way too recently. Public cynicism runs deep. Only massive reforms can save the Islamic Repubic. starting with Khamenei’s departure. That man is no more capable of substantial refom than Nicholas II of Russia. Only a Supreme Leader like Montazeri, Karroubi or Mohammed Khatami might restore public faith at this point but it will never happen because conservatives lack the guts. In the meantime, Khamenei bombards the populace with more facistic excesses.
THREE TRIVIAL CONCESSIONS
A PROMISED “INVESTIGATION:” If Khamenei rigged one investigation (see the rigged elections) he will do the same again. Everrything that happes in Iran requires Khamenei’s approval. We wouldn’t even see this “investigation” if the regime’s thugs, granted the usual free hand, hadn’t screwed up by stomping to death a young man whose dad had close ties to a former presidential candiate and head
of the Republic Guard. His immediate killers and no one higher than warden will be tried and executed. Higher-ups who sanctioned such crimes–starting with Khamenei himself–will go unpublished.
KHAMENEI CONCEDES “OPPOSITION LEADERS WERE NOT UNDER FOREIGN INFLUENCE”: Khamenei has nothing to lose? He couldn’t risk arresting Moussavi and ohers for now with eveyone defecting. Inn the small print note how he continues to blame foreigners for “making the people unhappy.” Obviously he can hardly accept the only alternate explanation. Blaming foreigners also has a practical use. How else could the regime justify censorship and crackdowns?
KHAMENEI “OUSTS” A HATED PROSECUTOR: Years ago–long before anyone could blame Ahmadinejad–Mortazawi beat a female Canadian journalist to death with his shoe. Without Khamenei’s continuing support, he would be a dead man today. In the years since Mortazawi supervised the crackdown on a free press during the Khamenei presidency. He issued vir tually all warrants allowing the detention of political prisoners in prisons controlled by the Basilj and Revolutionary Guards. He personally ran show trials based on tortureinduced confessions and, according to some sources, he and Mullah Taeb, commander of the Basilj, allegedly raped and personally tortured some recent politival prisoners. The public was elated when he got fired recently.
RECENT EXCESSES NEGATE ANY SUPPOSED “CONCESSIONS”
–.See Khamenei’s proposed crackdown on Academic freedom
–See Khamenei’s promotion of Mortazawi
–See the firing of 40 diplomoats who dared criticise the regime’s brutality toward the Iranian people.
–See Khamenei’s recent intervention to save Ahmadinejad’s new Republican Guard & Basilj cabinet.
