Iran Undone

Or getting there. What remains to be seen is how effective reformers can be at the ballot box and to what lengths will the hardliners go to retain control.

According to Ali Alavi of Siyasat-e Ruz newspaper, some 150 political activists, governors-general, former administration officials and dissident MPs drew up a coalition "victory strategy" at a secretive conference last month presided over by Mr Khatami.

The strategy envisaged "aggravation of the differences among the fundamentalists" and "constant criticism of Ahmadinejad" by "presenting a dark image of the country's affairs," Mr Alavi said.

Opposition sources said that a future reformist-pragmatist government would continue to maintain Iran's claim to nuclear energy and other "national rights" but would seek to settle disputes through talks.

Iran wanted a "normal" relationship with the rest of the world based on mutual respect, the opposition sources said.

Comments

[Zifnab]

"Opposition sources said that a future reformist-pragmatist government would continue to maintain Iran's claim to nuclear energy and other "national rights" but would seek to settle disputes through talks.

Iran wanted a "normal" relationship with the rest of the world based on mutual respect, the opposition sources said."

I don't know about this. Sounds like the pussification of Iran to me. "Settl[ing] disputes through talks"? "Mutual respect"? "want[ing] a 'normal' relationship with the rest of the world"? I guess the Democrats are polling as well in Tehran as they are in Washington.

[Phoenix]

I thought about that 'pussification' thing, too, Zif. Then I figured they're more tired of being outcast and have finally realized cleaning up their act and westernizing is the only way to do it. You know, as opposed to shouting "Death to Israel!" and "The Holocaust never happened."

[ET]

Iran has many internal problems, and wackmandidajob has very serious opponents. He has enemies among the mullahs and secular activists alike. A bit of research paints a more complex picture of Iran, which opens the door to the possibility that more reasonable heads will prevail -- creating an environment in which western economic and political freedoms can flourish in the region.

Of course ButtinSling and the other anti-war ranters on this site don't go there. It is better for them if Iran remains a captive religious hierarchy bent on regional domination. It supports their anti-American view that all is lost in Iraq because "these people" are determined to kill each other, so let them have at it.

I remain hopeful that our persistence in Iraq - our refusal to desert Iraqis and others in the region - will produce a generation of middle eastern citizens who value a freedom that they fought hard to attain. Death to the terrorist thugs. The regular folks in the region will always remember our sacrefice in the name of their emancipation.

[Fred Beloit]

Ziffy likes Iran the way it is. But Iranians may be looking at Iraq and thinking we don't want any of that shock and awe stuff over here. It seems Ahmadinijad is begging for some. Hope they do get together to defeat him politically.