Iran Cleric Who Favors U.S. Relations to Run for Presidency

[maseman]

Source: Bloomberg News

Oct. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Mehdi Karrubi, an Iranian cleric who favors resuming relations with the U.S., said he will run in the 2009 presidential elections, becoming the first announced candidate in the race.

``After talks and consultations and with knowledge of the existing strength and weaknesses and challenges ahead I declare my readiness as a candidate in next year's elections,'' Karrubi was quoted as saying by the Iranian Students News Agency. Karrubi, head of Iran's National Trust party, spoke at a press conference in Tehran today, the state-run news agency said.

(snip)

Karrubi said reviving the economy is his priority in a country where inflation increased to an annual 29.4 percent late September. He also pledged to provide a certain level of freedom for the press and protect people's ``legitimate liberties,'' the news agency said.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aTnlTIQ8uODo&refer=home

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This would be a very good thing. I think the people of Iran would really go for a more moderate individual right now as they don't want to be blown off the map by the nuts running the US.

[no limit]

1. That's assuming our government wanted someone moderate

[Purveyor]

2. The mossad will have to get busy to scuttle this prospect. Can't have good relations with Iran.

Think of the billions lost in defense contracts and foreign aid.

[iandhr]

3. I do not know where that comes from .

Before the revolution Israel had relations with Iran. And remember there current president is trying to get a nuke wants to wipe them off the map. I think they would be happy with a Iran that wants to establish relations with the States.

[nyy1998]

4. agreed

A moderate Iran would be much better for the stability of the region, especially if it's democratically elected, not some puppet inserted by the US Military.

[Duke Newcombe]

5. Nevermind that strange mindset. Celebrate.

If he's able to pull off being elected, and we get a grownup in the WH like Obama, things just might work out better than they have been in the region.

Duke

[stillcool]

7. Hell...Israel sent weapons to Iran..

during the Iran/Contra thing. I think they might want to put a new face on their Public Relations Spokesperson..but of course that won't change the fact that the power still lies with the Mullah's.

[LeftishBrit]

13. I agree

and I think many Iranians might also prefer a saner, less belligerent president than they have now. (Just as many Americans might prefer Obama to Bush!)

[jrockford]

10. You're Right...The rest are confused about the history of Iran and Israel.

First off, the good relations between Iran and Israel existed with colonial Iran...you know, the Iran that had the Shah.

Then when Iran when democratic and elected a socialist (who was not pro-Soviet, but rather for nationalising oil), this wasn't good and the Dulles brothers got rid of him. Shah back. Seemed like Iran would goo socialist again, so in comes the theocracy.

Israel is not a friend of Iran, any neighbouring country, and not even really a friend of the U.S. Though I doubt they'd leave it to the bungling Mossad, but rather the very adept Israeli lobbyists (the only foreign ones that do not have to register as foreign) in swaying American politicians.

When the President of Iran was at the U.N., there were a group of Rabbis against Zionism supporting his appearance. Of course, to the orthodox and fascist parties in Israel, this lot aren't really Jews.


Sickening.

[LeftishBrit]

14. Most pro-Israel lobbyists in America are American, not Israeli,,

So whatever one thinks of their views, they are not foreign agents.

As regards the 'Rabbis against Zionism': there are some small groups of very fundie Jews who don't support the state of Israel, because they think it's impious to have one until the Messiah comes. Many such people simply live in isolation from the wider society, read the Bible and Talmud all the time, don't vote, have families of 9 or 10 children, and live an ultra-traditional life. But some are a bit more actively anti-Israel. At any rate, they are pretty unrepresentative types.

I don't know what you mean by 'fascist parties' in Israel - do you mean the Kahanist groups, which are officially illegal? Or do you call all RW parties such as the Likud fascist? And would you apply the same term to the Republicans and to British or Canadian Conservative parties?

[ohio2007]

6. What are the odds the theocracy will appoint him president ?

The current president finished a distant third before the mullahs appointed him among the top three in the run off election . His scientific methods of managing the economy have hit the wall, not to mention just how far their economy tanks with the price of crude almost fetching half of what it once got a few months ago also, has a lot to do with who is appointed .

[kemamusa]

9. It's possible.

Hey, it's possible.. Iran does democratically elect their president you know. And it's not a fake one either. It's actually democratic. It's just that the theocracy is way more powerful than the office of the presidency that it just becomes a moot point.

[ohio2007]

15. Threads are locked and moved because the naked truth is ugly in Iran skews a preferred spin

when stories like these are dismissed as misunderstood western rhetoric from unreliable sources;
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=4227239&mesg_id=4227239

You can see they live in a world controlled by the mullahs iron fist rules that don't like our liberal,progressive ideas on the various types of freedoms we decided to be self evident.

I guess you missed Sean Penns report on what he saw and witnessed during the last Iranian presidential election. He made a big deal about going over there but, talk about "deer in the headlights" lack of follow up story post election on his part. ie
<crickets>

They were no more democratic then the Zimbabwe fiasco IF you truly followed. During general elections in iran, the purification laws denied a full 1/3 of those running for local and regional office.

Why were they denied the chance to run ?

But,believe it or not, to make the long story short.
I would rather trust and talk with the Iranian brand of Islam more then the brand of Islam being preached and spread from hardliners in Mekka and taught to the uneducated masses in the madrassas of Pakistan.

jmo, the Persian people could overthrow their brand of theocrats easier then the ones employed by the House of Saud.

I wonder if Barack can manipulate either of the two for the better of all mankind?

[dhpgetsit]

8. What's So Funny About Peace, Love, and Understanding?

The mere prospect that we might elect a leader who has a moderate approach to foreign policy, who doesn't play the part of an evangelical fundy warmonger crusader, even has a muslim name...

It's got to improve our chances of ushering in an era of peace and goodwill!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3ZXdvN3orA

[David__77]

11. I hope he would not institute neo-liberal economic policies.

My hope is that someone can come to power that will align Iran with Chavez, Russia, China, etc., and strip away the most onerous aspects of the Islamic republic.

[ohio2007]

19. Western liberal democracy collapsing ( head mullah ) Tehran Times news

These are the people that will meet with us under their own precondition terms

Western liberal democracy collapsing: Leader
Tehran Times Political Desk


TEHRAN -- Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seed Ali Khamenei stated on Monday that Western liberal democracy is collapsing just as Marxism did. “Now, the name of Marxism does not exist, and liberal democracy with all its political, economic, and military power, has been knocked to the ground before the eyes of all the world,” the Leader said at a meeting of Friday prayer leaders from across the country.

However, the ideology of Islamic thought is gaining adherents day by day, and the Islamic Revolution, as the engine of this school of thought, should perpetually strengthen this trend, the Leader noted.

The adherents of Marxism and liberal democracy presented their specific ideas to run the world and posed as the main challengers to the Islamic Revolution in the beginning, he added.


Pointing to the legacy of Marxism, he said, “This school had claims and slogans for itself, which gradually faded away and finally… it disintegrated like a spider web in a short time.”

As Marxism collapsed, the followers of Western liberal democracy found themselves unrivalled and were tempted to practice unilateralism and thought that they had the entire world in their hands, the Leader explained.

He said liberal democracy put on display its “false claims of democracy and human rights in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib and through the attacks on Iraq and Afghanistan and the bombardments of various (other) parts of the world.”

“Today, the false bubble of money has popped in the Western world… and they themselves say that the era of U.S. hegemony has come to an end.”

The Leader added that the ‘cries’ of the supporters of liberal democracy ‘have reached the sky’


http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=179946

If oil remains below $100 bbl for an extended period of time, the mullahs will be feeling the bursting oil bubble fallout and will feel threatened outside the city limits of Tehran.

[AndyTiedye]

12. A Good Relationship Would Benefit Both Countries

[joe711]

16. Karrubi is a moderate

Not a bad choice for the Iranian people.

[onager]

17. Can you find the weasel-words?

He also pledged to provide a certain level of freedom for the press and protect people's ``legitimate liberties,'' the news agency said.

Translation: the press will continue to be directly under the thumb of the government. Criticism of the theocrazy will not be tolerated, and anyone who tries it will get a visit from the secret police.

"People's legitimate liberties" will also be defined by the theocracy. Ask Salman Rushdie how well that works. That will not include freedom of speech. Islamic theocrats like to claim that freedom of speech leads to women being raped. Oh, and Communism.

I've heard them say that, because I've lived in the Middle East for over 5 years altogether, currently in Egypt for over 3 years. This is exactly the sort of weasel-words the Muslim Brotherhood uses when discussing their platform.

The MB likes to say it has "persuaded" 70% of Egyptian women to wear the headscarf. From what I hear, they're usually "persuaded" by threats of battery acid in the face.

But watching the MB is always entertaining, long as they don't actually slime into power. Their public front-men all wear expensive Western suits and seem to be chosen for their apparent harmlessness. Why, they look like a bunch of cuddly little teddy bears.

I remember a couple of years ago, the MB went on a charm offensive and tried to convince people how moderate they really were.

Then, unfortunately, their Supreme Guide went on TV and denied that the Holocaust ever happened...

[Freddie Stubbs]

18. If he has a shot at being elected, you can bet that the Council of Guradians will disqualify him