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Source: http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,633144,00.html
The Power of Iran's Iron Fist
[Der Spiegel-Germany] Dieter Bednarz - In the wake of mass protests against election irregularities, Iran has been hit by a wave of arrests and repression not seen since the bloody early years of the republic. The street protests are no longer just the result of what could well be the biggest election fraud in the history of the Islamic Republic. The protestors' chants of "where is my vote?" have since turned into calls for "death to the dictator." Public criticism is increasingly being directed at the man behind the president, revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was previously considered above all reproach. Having declared his protege Ahmadinejad the winner so prematurely is proving to be Khamenei's biggest mistake in the 20 years since he has been in power.