Sunday, June 21, 2009
Rafsanjani's daughter
Ayatollah Khamenei sent a shot across the bow of any wavering members of the ruling clerics, as AP reports:
"A backstage struggle among Iran's ruling clerics burst into the open Sunday when the government said it had arrested the daughter and other relatives of an ayatollah who is one of the country's most powerful men.It's a good thing that similar threats or strong suggestions of exile aren't levied against former leaders and their offspring in this country. Well, except for Keith Olbermann (recommending in a lengthy Special Comment that the former Vice President leave the country) and his acolytes at the HuffPo, such as Jacob Heilbrunn, who posted on May 13 under the title, "Who do you despise more, Dick or Liz?" But they are not in government. Technically.
"State media said the daughter and four other relatives of former President Hashemi Rafsanjani were later released but their arrests appeared to be a clear warning from the hard-line establishment to a cleric who may be aligning himself with the opposition...
"'...It is a clear message about where a continued direct conflict with the regime could lead,' said Michael Wahid Hanna, a regional affairs analyst with the Century Foundation, a New York think tank. 'By going after family members, they have sent a warning as to the stakes involved and the price to be paid if Rafsanjani refuses to be quiescent.'"
5 Comments:
By 
Christopher Chambers, at
Sun Jun 21, 11:52:00 PM:
Threatening former leaders? Actually, what's inapt is the comparison point: Cheney's more like the ayatollahs, not Rafsanjani. Not just in the maniacal conservativism and tunnel vision power maintenance , but also with that sinister yet constipated look...lol
And Dick supports gay marriage.
By Escort81, at
Mon Jun 22, 01:34:00 AM:
Chris - Of course, you do know that Rafsanjani is an Ayatollah (and not the Ayatollah of Rock-n-rollah). But this move by Khamenei / Ahmadinejad is more like when Sollozzo kidnapped Tom Hagen briefly when the Godfather was shot, operating at the behest of Don Philip Tattaglia and Don Emilio Barzini.
Tattaglia is a pimp. He never could have outfought Santino. But I didn't know until this day that it was Barzini all along.
It didn't turn out real well in the end for Barzini or Tattaglia.
I don't recall Cheney ordering the son or daughter of one of his political rivals to be detained by security forces, but I suppose it's possible I missed it.
I was just trying to throw a little levity at the Olberinsanity, which has even become repetitive and tiresome for some on the left.
And we could all use more fiber in our diet.
By 
, at
Mon Jun 22, 08:04:00 AM:
Who is Liz Cheney, and what qualifies her to be booked on morning network and cable shows? Is she privy to morning briefings at the WH? Was she ever? She's never been elected to office and but for the fact that she's the daughter of a VPOTUS would never have been tapped for any of the non-essential (much less descript) State Dep't honorariums that landed on her lap.
Did Amy Carter feel the need to go on air to explain her father? Did you see Chelsea Clinton debating her father's war in Bosnia? Pppffffttt.
And BTW, where is Mary Cheney?
*crickets*
By Georg Felis, at
Mon Jun 22, 10:12:00 AM:
I just got done listening to Obama on NPR where he defended his existing “position” (in quotes, because there is no position in his position) as being a bold and required statement, in order to keep the US out of the fray and to prevent the existing Iranian administration from claiming that the US was behind the violence. (like that will work)
My opinion: Any time you are willing to abandon your principles in order to make political points shows that you really do not have any principles in the first place.
By Dawnfire82, at
Mon Jun 22, 10:27:00 AM:
"Chris - Of course, you do know that..."
Doubtful.
