Rafsanjani. at 75

AT 75 THIS IS WHAT HE IS DOING.

During his decades in Iranian politics, Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has been praised as a pragmatist, criticized as spineless, accused of corruption and dismissed as a has-been.

( That didn't stop him, G )

Now, in assailing the government’s handling of last month’s disputed presidential election, Mr. Rafsanjani, a 75-year-old cleric and former president, has cast himself in a new light: as a player with the authority to interpret the ideals of Iran’s 30-year-old Islamic republic.

Excerpted from here:

His views on Nukes.

"Using his perch as a designated prayer leader on Friday to deliver the speech of a lifetime, Mr. Rafsanjani abandoned his customary caution to demand that the government release those arrested in recent weeks, ease restrictions on the media and eradicate the “doubt” the Iranian people have about the election result.

Behind the words was the clear assertion that for the Islamic republic to survive, it must restore its legitimacy and find a formula for governing. And to establish his own legitimacy, Mr. Rafsanjani evoked his long personal and political history, and his current position as leader of two important consultative bodies."

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akbar_Hashemi_Rafsanjani

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I don't know if I believe him, cranking it thru our Paradigm Intel

engine.

The lure of a nuke is VERY GREAT.

G

UPDATE:

JULY 20, 2009

Rafsanjani: all-in

by Thomas P.M. BarnettARTICLE:

Iranian Critic Quotes Khomeini

Principles, By ELAINE SCIOLINO,

New York Times, July 18, 2009

This has been my hope for

Rafsanjani all along. The guy is

feeling his legacy and going for

broke. This is a huge moment in

the evolution-from-revolution:

enshrining the original source

(Lenin, Mao, Khomeini), but doing

so in such a way as to recognize

there is no single Stalinist

successor but rather the potential

for a plurality of schools.Once that

happens, the revolution is truly

dead and there is competition to

see who best serves the people.

Thus, we encounter a serious

tipping point.

Posted by Thomas P.M. Barnett

on July 20, 2009 5:28 AM

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