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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iran's clerics considering removal of Khamenei and Ahmadinejad
2009-06-24
Iran's clerical establishment is considering scrapping the position of the Supreme Leader, currently held by Ayatollah Khamenei and forcing out President Ahmadinejad according to reports.

The country's Expediency Council and the Assembly of Experts is reported to be considering the formation of a collective leadership to replace the position of supreme leader, according to Al Arabiya, citing sources in the holy city of Qom.

Both groups are headed by former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a key rival to Ayatollah Khamenei and a strong supporter of defeated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi.

On Saturday five members of Rafsanjani's family were arrested for taking part in demonstrations against the controversial re-election of President Ahmadinejad. They have subsequently been released.

The Assembly of Experts, a body of Islamic clerics, is responsible for overseeing the Supreme Leader and can even remove the Supreme Leader should they decide to. The Expediency Council is responsible for mediating disputes between the parliament elected by the people and the unelected Guardian Council.

Members of the Assembly of Experts are reported to be considering making changes to the Iranian system of government that would be the biggest since Ayatollah Khomeini set up the Islamic system in the revolution of 1979, by removing the position of the supreme leader.

Secret meetings are said to have taken place in Qom and included a representative of Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the most prominent Shiite leader in Iraq.

Clerical leaders are also said to be considering forcing the resignation of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad following over a week of unrest since he was elected in what senior opposition leaders claim was a fraudulent election.
Posted by:Anonymoose

#15  But, Ahmadinejad controls the pampered bureaucracy, while Khamenei controls hundreds of mosques and madrasas. It is impossible to force a democratic-revolution anywhere in the world, when the US President is unsympathetic to same.
Posted by: Eohippus Spavitle1705   2009-06-24 18:52  

#14  When Fleet Street reported it, the general- consenus-commentary immediately labeled it a Saudi fabrication. Hence my remark.
Posted by: Pappy   2009-06-24 17:43  

#13  Pappy, I didn't call it a fabrication, I called it a rumor. It could be true, I hope it is. And that Gulf Arab report from the weekend was the rumor I was talking about, although I could have sworn I saw it first in one of Ledeen's crap-I've-heard-today rumor-dumps on the Corner.
Posted by: Mitch H.   2009-06-24 16:27  

#12  it would be interesting to see some mullahs executed by other mullahs

sort of a revolution eats its children kind of thing
Posted by: lord garth   2009-06-24 13:19  

#11  Mullahs join the protesters this weekend.

Posted by: Lagom   2009-06-24 12:40  

#10  This looks like an echo report from the rumor over the weekend. I'm guessing no new news, just a rumor sanitized into "news" by Fleet Street clowns.

Actually it appeared in the June 21st edition of a Saudi newspaper. So if it's an fabrication, it's a Saudi one.
Posted by: Pappy   2009-06-24 12:02  

#9  The Iranian system is modelled on the Soviet communist system. The Assembly of Experts is the equivalent of the Central Committee. The Supreme Leader being the General Secretary.

As in the Soviet Union, the Assembly of Experts is nominally in charge. In practice the Supreme Leader becomes a de facto dictator or at least leader for life.

The Soviet Central Committee only ever dismissed one General Secretary I recall and that was Khruschev for being too reformist. But who knows with Iran.
Posted by: Phil_B   2009-06-24 11:05  

#8  This looks like an echo report from the rumor over the weekend. I'm guessing no new news, just a rumor sanitized into "news" by Fleet Street clowns.
Posted by: Mitch H.   2009-06-24 10:05  

#7  Of course it's due to Obama - why, he made a speech in Cairo!
Posted by: Spot   2009-06-24 08:25  

#6  If this happens, watch for Obama to unjustifiably take credit for it, with the full assistance of the infotainment and education industries. They'll be manufacturing the narrative as they go.

Can't happen? In terms of factual history, it was a weak, dissembling JFK meeting with Kruschev that emboldened the Soviets to place missiles in Cuba. The world barely escaped nuclear war as a result.

What do the Democrat-controlled history texts teach instead? That Kennedy was brilliant in "defusing" the Cuban missile crisis and that on that basis alone he was a great president. This assessment has, of course, no basis in reality.

But most Americans, if they've heard of the Cuban missile crisis, believe the lie that it was resolved by the great JFK, instead of knowing the truth that it was precipitated by his incompetence and inexperience.

Look for the education and "news" industries to start pushing a similar meme for what happens in Iran. NPR is doing it already, with your tax dollars.
Posted by: no mo uro   2009-06-24 05:53  

#5  I hope this is true but wont hold my breath!

Short round and Khamenei need to be got rid of ideally from 20k feet!
Posted by: paul2   2009-06-24 05:30  

#4  Was that a blink? Yes, I think the powers that be blinked.
Posted by: BrerRabbit   2009-06-24 04:55  

#3  IRG will comment in a moment.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2009-06-24 03:30  

#2  This is a BFD if true.

Sistani consulting with Rafsanjani to pop A'jad and Khamenei and adjust the system of clerical control. Even if its rearranging deck chairs after a contrived crisis over a bogus 'election', it means the rearanging is guided from Karbala, not Qom. I'll take that.

Also, once the door is opened we have seen that reforms can progress out of control even when the reforms are intended to preserve an totalitarian system, not destroy it.
Posted by: JAB   2009-06-24 02:26  

#1  Oh look, they're reshuffling the deck chairs!
Posted by: gorb   2009-06-24 01:29  

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