Ahmadinejad vs. the Mullahs?
It’s a little too early to predict that but I’d say it’s more likely after reading this article.
Millions of low-income Iranians voted for the new president last year, motivated by his firm stand against corruption and pledges to give financial priority to their needs. “His appeal was to those for whom class discrimination is important, and his simple lifestyle gave an air of credibility to his claims,” said Nasser Hadian, a political analyst at Tehran University who attended high school with Mr. Ahmadinejad. Mr. Hadian predicted that senior Iranian clerics would continue to support Mr. Ahmadinejad, or at least not move against him, for about a year because of that popular support. But privately, he said, they feel he is isolating Iran internationally and putting its economy at risk.
It was first thought that Ahmadinejad was just the mullahs puppet. I’m not so sure that’s how Ahmadinejad sees himself anymore. I’ve read a couple articles that he sees himself as the man that triggers Armageddon. I didn’t think that I’d ever say this but Ahmadinejad sounds more radical than the mullahs.
I don’t know how people would react if they removed Ahmadinejad, either. It isn’t that I think people like him that much but I’d think they’d almost like seeing this happen because the average Iranian might use that opportunity to start a civil war inside Iran.
Mr. Ghaninejad said that by confronting Iran over its nuclear program, the West was in fact throwing a lifeline to Mr. Ahmadinejad. “If they keep piling on the pressure, Ahmadinejad will become a national hero,” the newspaper editor said. “Let the Iranians deal with him. If you leave him alone, he will become a bankrupt politician within a year. With greater pressure, only the extremists will benefit.”
I’d like to see Ahmadinejad stay as president for another 12-18 months, after which time the U.S. could start helping the Iranian people stage an uprising. Unlike the so-called insurgency in Iraq, the insurgency in Iran would have considerable popular support amongst the people.
Cross-post at LetFreedomRing