President Obama's 'peace partners' are talking
By the way, the story is not just a cartoon. There were protests in Iran last Monday (the anniversary of the US embassy hostage crisis) in which thousands shouted 'death to America' and those protests are unlikely to stop anytime soon.
The issue of Iran-American rapprochement, and the possible diplomatic thaw between Tehran and Washington becomes controversial when we look into the domestic politics Iran.
Recently, one of the most powerful military and ideologically hardline institutions in Iran, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) stated (http://news.yahoo.com/iran-guards-want-keep-death-america-chant-164840915.html) on the Persian Sepah News website (http://www.sepahnews.com/), that the slogan “Death to America” was a sign and manifestation of the Iranian people’s will, determination, and robust resistance against “the dominance of oppressive and untrustworthy America.” Hardliners also created several new anti-U.S. Islamic songs a few days before the protests, to be played next to the American embassy.
In addition, hardliners have strongly repelled any call to remove the “Death to America” or “Death to Israel” chants. They have verbally attacked figures such as former presidents Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Mohammad Khatami, and some supporters of Mousavi and Rowhani who called to possibly remove these slogans in order to rebuild the economy, remove economic sanctions that have endangered the hold on power of Iranian leaders, clerics, and Ayatollahs across Iran’s political spectrum. On the opening session of Iran’s parliament (or Majlis), all members of the Majlis joined the hardliners call, stating that they will proudly carry the slogan “Death to America.”
...
The antagonism towards the United States and Israel, as well as the Iranian leaders’ and their supporters’ rivalry against Washington and Tel Aviv, are deeply embedded in the power dynamic and in the domestic politics of Iran.
First of all, the main political institutions in Iran, such as the IRGC, the paramilitary Basij militia, the Ministry of Intelligence and Security, the Mostazafan Foundation of Islamic Revolution (which owns and manages approximately 350 subsidiary and affiliate companies in fields including industry, transportation, commerce, agriculture, and tourism), the Supreme National Security Council, the army, and the Expediency Council, gain the major part of their legitimacy from considering United States and Israel as the “Great Satan.”
The antagonism towards America and Israel is a powerful political tool used to rule. For example, any domestic political or economic shortcomings are usually presented as the fault of the Americans and Israelis. Every day, Iran’s media blames the United States and Tel Aviv for most domestic and regional problems. Major forces of opposition to the government are suppressed, accused of being American or Israeli-linked conspirators. The major political institutions in Iran were founded through gaining legitimacy, and being capable of exerting their power, by using a scapegoat enemy— the “Great Satan.”
Finally, this unprecedented level of protest was a formidable sign from the powerful political institutions in Iran to those seeking mend relationships with the United States. Any fundamental change and rapprochement between the United States and Iran would strip away all the political leverage that major Iranian political and military institutions have. For hardliners, U.S.-Iran rapprochement will undermine their own domestic power, endangering their legitimacy, their rule, and suppression of the opposition.
Read the whole thing.
Maybe Obama can retire there in 2017. He'd fit right in.
Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, death threats, Iranian hostage crisis, Iranian nuclear threat
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:24 AM
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