Mike Pouraryan
Meanwhile in Iran....
:
Will Things Change?
Ahmadinejad has been quite busy traveling. I was very happy to see him smiling with Lula. Lula made the move because he wants to be a player. I admire Lula and wrote about him in OV's sister site, Kitten politics. But, I respectfully think that the respect accorded to this man was a bit much as Iran continues to be grabbling with the challenges that it faces. I also saw how the Bolivians were so enthusiastic to see him.
I think that Iran's Mottaki is absolutely right when he noted that sanctions are not going to work. The fact remains that there is a realignment going on in the world stage. Iran and Venezuela are working to spreadhead that effort. The problem is that the the people trying to spreadhead this effort have zero crediblity. Iran's continued econmic challenges continue to be profound. There are people who have not been paid for months. For instance, I am aware of one Surgeon who has forgone his own personal fee for over six months in order to make sure that the cooks, the nurses and the maintenance people at the hospital he works can get paid.
The political situation continues to be as profound and fluid as ever. I noted in an earlier write-up that Abtahi, the former Vice President under Mohammad Khatami, was sentenced to six years but was released after posting a 700,000 Dollar bond. Another player, Behzad Nabavi, was granted a 10-day leave from prison after posting a 800,000 Dollar bond. Nabavi served as a Minister and a Deputy Speaker of Parliament and is considered one of the iconic figures within the regime and is now considered a moderate.
What concerns me is what may happen over the next 45 days. There are a few upcoming key events coming up that may present the opposition with a new chance to make their voice heard. Within the next 45 days, there is the annivesary of the Revolution. The Government will do everything within its power to project an aura of normalcy. In the meantime, I am glad to see Ahmadinejad is having the time of his life.
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