(Gatestone Institute) Harold Rhode - In the West, we constantly look for ways not to engage in military conflict; the Iranians are more than willing to offer us those ways. We will almost assuredly give the new president Hassan Rowhani time to "consolidate" his position, thereby granting Iran even more time to develop its nuclear weapons capability. The eight candidates chosen to run for president all clearly supported Khamanei's continued rule. Since Rowhani spoke "moderately" during the campaign, having him win almost guaranteed that the Iranian people - who came out into the streets after the previous elections were stolen from them - would not this time protest the election results. Ayatollah Khamenei is today the only decision-maker in Iran. The Iranian president is nothing more than a figurehead. By pinning our hopes on President Rowhani, and parsing his every word, we will find countless ways to give him time to "consolidate his power," as if he really has power, while we will be less demanding of Iran as it races to cross the nuclear threshold. Making Rowhani the president was a brilliant strategic move for Khamenei - not just to pacify the West, by also to pacify the Iranian people.
2013-06-19 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive