Posted by
arandomguy on Thursday, December 21, 2006 10:14:10 PM
As if we actually thought election in Iran, where Ahmadinejad-backed candidates lost thoroughly because of the president's lack of focus on domestic issues, would stop the apocalyptic madman who runs the country. Today, Ahmadinejad called President Bush "the most hated person" in the entire world.
Moderate conservatives won the elections handily last week, and most of them were opposed to Ahmadinejad. Reformists also made somewhat of a comeback, winning several seats after being virtually driven from government in the last several years. Ahmadinejad said that Iran will continue uranium enrichment activities even under the "impending" threat of UN sanctions against them.
I'd also like to talk a little bit about the elections in Iran, because they are important. Ahmadinejad lost the election clearly, in much the same way Bush lost his. He is still in power, but the other side gained majorities in congress, or the Iranian equivalent. Ahmadinejad supporters also lost in the elections for the Assembly of Experts, 86 senior clerics who oversee the supreme Islamic leader.
These candidates are considered "moderate conservatives" and "reformists" by the media. Now they are certainly better than Ahmadinejad - though Attila the Hun would be a better choice than Ahmadinejad - but how "moderate" are they? I haven't been following the elections closely, but have any of them disavowed Iran's nuclear program? Have any of them promised to stop it? Have any of them spoken of Iranian sponsored terror? How do these candidates feel about the Jewish people? Do they agree with Ahmadinejad that Israel should be wiped off the face of the earth? My suspicion is that they agree with Ahmadinejad, but for political reasons (much like the Fatah party in Palestine) don't make it known until they are actually in charge of policy.
Mohammed Khatami was considered a reformist candidate as well, but his Iran held terror conferences, sponsored Hezbollah and Hamas as they expanded, and helped perpetrate attacks against the United States, Israel, and other nations. If this next crop of "moderates" turn out to be anything like Khatami, then I fear Iran isn't really in much better shape than it was before the elections.
Though to their credit, the Reformist candidates (to be distinguished from the moderates) have claimed they are for opening relations with the United States, and invoking a better working relationship between the two nations. If they are being realistic, than these elections may turn out better than I am predicting. Yet the Reformists, though winning more seats than Ahmadinejad supporters, are still a minority in the ruling parliament. As a result they will not make policy.
It is the "moderates" that I'm really afraid of.