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Iranian clerics elect Rafsanjani to key role
from the Guardian
In a move considered to be a blow to the hardline politics of Iran’s ruling party, the former president Hashemi Rafsanjani was today chosen to head the powerful clerical body that has responsibility over the country’s supreme leader.
from FT.com
“Legally speaking, Mr Rafsanjani is now in a higher position than Ayatollah Khamenei [the supreme leader] but it is early to say how he will use this position,” said Ahmad Zeidabadi, a political analyst.
“This promotion certainly strengthens his hand in particular in relation to challenges with the government [of president Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad].”
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© 2007 Stress. 
…Well Mr. Mudd I would suppose that in Iran as well, there are Clerics, and Clerics…Rafsanjani is more known for his Diplomatic skills and Persian Pistachio Empire than overwrought Religious ardor—I think his appointment to the position in question now demonstrates as much—While Ahmadinejad? Is beginning to make mistakes—I would counsel him thus: “…Bellum se ipsum alet.”
…let war pray for itself
Hey, how ya’ been, Mace?
yeah, they’ve got their own little shit-storm going on over there, aside from Bubbawannabe and his chest-beating apes poking them in the eye with a tomahawk. Maybe he can convince flubya that ‘muricans can be looking forward to eating Iranian pistachios with their Indian mangoes. pffftt!
Maybe Nick Rockefeller can tell us more about all of this. How about trying to interview him?? Maybe he’ll offer you a bone.
http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/january2007/290107rockefellergoal.htm
Rafsanjani is *NOT* “above Khamenei. He only heads the Assembly of Experts which is oversees the work of Khamenei. The Speaker of the House is not “above” the President, even if Congress can impeach him, right? Same thing here. No doubt, Rafsanjani has been elected to a very prestigious and powerful position, but that does not put him in a position to single-handedly. Check out this pretty good article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Iran (notice the sentence “the Assembly has never been known to challenge any of the Supreme Leader’s decisions”)
and in particular this illustration:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Schema_gvt_iran_en.png
lastly, check this most interesting translation of the Iranian Constitution: http://www.oefre.unibe.ch/law/icl/ir00000_.html
HTH
Here is another link to the Iranian Constitution: http://www.ibchamber.org/lawreg/constitution.htm
Thanks, vin. it does, in effect, put him next in line to be the ‘Supreme’ if he has enough backing in the council as the Experts do appoint the position from themselves if they don’t see one qualified from the jurists.
well, there is no one center of power in Iran (or inside Hezbollah for that matter, which has a similar structure). The Supreme Leader will be the expression of the will of the people, but via the control and vetting by the top clergy. Its a rather strange mix of democracy and clericalism.
…Well let’s hope it doesnt degenerate to the status of say….12th Century England, a la Archbishop Thomas Becket and his erstwhile friend King Henry II, which seems to me in certain respects a kind of parallel situation to the one presently unfolding in Iran in. Being that Clergy and State are ever at one and others throat. The return of Rafsanjani as a Clerical Authority amounts to nothing less than a Political threat to Amadenajahd; and a rather potent one at that. This should be interesting in the final analysis, as I think it further corroborates Israeli-US intentions of striking Iran on a “pre-emptive” basis…Ya know, foster some more “Democracy” in that part of the world with another war…an ill wind that will blow favor to none. Let’s hope that the covert negotions presently being conducted are successful
…Muddshark, apart from still counting US Casualties—Now standing at 3,750+—I’ve been fine, and sober as any Mormon Bishop of late…How’bout you?
Mormon Bishop? hahahaha.
Other than my usual daily rut, haven’t been doing much of anything. But I have been messin’ with my eight month old grandson on the weekends when I can.