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What Fakhrizadeh's Killing Says about the Durability of the Islamic Republic of Iran
(New York Daily News) Ray Takeyh - It has often been suggested that no matter how unpopular the Islamist regime has become, it is firmly in control of the country. Now, this widely accepted truism has to be called into question since, in recent years, Iran's nuclear installations have been sabotaged, its scientists killed and its secrets stolen. These events could not have taken place unless many in the system were so disenchanted with Islamist rule that they were willing to provide critical information to an adversary. The misjudgments of the clerical elite and the persistent failure of their security services to protect the regime are all too reminiscent of the shah whom they deposed. The death of a famed scientist may be the harbinger of greater dangers that are lurking below the surface. The writer, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, was a senior advisor on Iran at the U.S. State Department.