"A Long, Hot Summer of Confrontation?"

By: Lowell
Published On: 6/26/2005 1:00:00 AM

Not much is happening in Virginia politics right now (thank goodness!), but it's certainly not quiet everywhere in the world.  First and foremost, the landslide victory of ultra-conservative and hardliner, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in Friday's Iranian Presidential elections has grabbed peoples' attention.  The New York Times analyzes the situation by predicting that we are now faced with "a long, hot summer of confrontation with Iran, first over its nuclear programs, then over terrorism, and perhaps over the fueling of the insurgency in Iraq."  The Times also quotes one of President Bush's "closest aides" as saying, "we may be looking at a summer of simultaneous crises on opposite sides of the world" (Iran and North Korea).  Oh, joy.

[UPDATE 10:06 AM Sunday:  Ahmadinejad is now saying that Iran will continue pursuing its nuclear program ( "Iran's peaceful technology is the outcome of the scientific achievements of Iran's youth...We will continue this.")]

Here are a few other reactions from around the blogosphere and world newspapers:

Brooding Persian says:

Our Iranian Blogistan is utterly depressed/depressing. Most posts oscillate between angry insults hurled at those of us who boycotted or the 17 some odd millions who've voted for the new President and/or feeling sorry for having voted for that murderer-millionaire Rafsanjani.

"Mr. Behi" says:

It Happened! What we were all afraid of....The most radical portion of the population with the most dangerous Islamic fundamentalist ideas are now in charge. Bad days to come. I do not want to see myself as war blogger. But these guys will make it easier to happen if they insist in having this nasty nuclear technology the way they want. I think those who like US to attack Iran are loving this most. The stupid ideas of these conservatives will make it easy to justify it.

Farideh Nicknazar says:

...the true winner is [Supreme Leader Ayotollah Ali] Khamenei himself. He played the game of politics better than anyone could have imagined. He is now the spiritual leader in control of the Presidency; he is the head of Judiciary, in charge of National Radio and TV and is the commander in Chief of the armed forced. In a nutshell, Iran is once again on the verge of falling into yet another dictatorship.

Juan Cole says  Ahmadinejad and Bush are "soul mates," with the Iranian hardliner winning in part "by using the same electoral tools as George W. Bush and Karl Rove."

PoliBlog says: 

This certainly complicates the evolution of US-Iranian relations and dims the hopes of political reform in Iran itself. Of course, it may also further fuel internal discontent within the populace.

Publius Pundit says:

It?s only a matter of time now before the liberal forces inside of Iran are cut off at the knees and shot in the head. This election alone has determined the future of hundreds of thousands of families; willingly escape, or unwillingly be trapped.

Arab News (Saudi Arabia) says:

His far more hard-line approach to the Americans and the international community over such matters as Iran?s nuclear program probably mattered less to voters than his domestic agenda...It is now important that the outside world, particularly the Americans, hold their peace and wait to see how Iran?s new president begins to implement his campaign promises. He is in the end the choice of an overwhelming number of the Iranian people.

Khaleej Times (United Arab Emirates) says:

The new leader of Iran would ignore this craving for change in his people at his own peril. The post-Revolution generation cannot be sustained forever on the diet of anti-West rhetoric. They want to see real and meaningful political and economic reforms that can make a difference to them. To do this, Ahmadinejad does not have to break free from his Islamic moorings. Is that asking too much?

Ha'Aretz (Israeli) quotes Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom as saying:

Faced with the Iranian nuclear threat, the international community must, more than before, formulate a unified and stern policy towards Iran. We must ensure that modern Western countries do not become hostage to Iranian radicalism.

Le Monde (France) interviews nuclear expert Bruno Tertrais of the Foundation for Strategic Research, who says:

I do not believe, however, that the risks of an American military intervention are increased. Before considering this one, Washington will want to work through the UN Security Council; there is thus still some margin.

The Guardian (UK) says, under the headline "Shock as Iran elects hardline president:"

His admirers hail him as Iran's Robin Hood, his critics a religious extremist. But yesterday Mahmoud Ahmadinejad became the president elect of Iran, basking in an electoral landslide few had foreseen and which put Islamic hardliners firmly in control.

The Observer (UK) relates the following quote from Mehri Tajik, 22, a management student in south Tehran:

Ours is an Islamic society and Ahmadinejad is appropriate for us. I would like him to provide housing for the youth, ease life for people in general and give freedom in a rational way within a framework people cannot go beyond. Now we are very free, but people don't appreciate it. They don't know what kind of freedom they want. Our country is already religious and we don't need to develop the religion we have already. But we want to keep it, because there is no contradiction between religion and technology.

Kind of puts Virginia politics in a bit of perspective...

Comments



How to Win the War o (Bob Hogan - 4/4/2006 11:27:08 PM)
How to Win the War on Terror, I'll teach Rumsfeld how to grab the Bull by the Balls "if" he will listen. First thing the USA needs to do is stay out of Culture Politics meaning concetrate on the murder and not converting Islamic culture or picking politicians who will favor Oil Contracts. The next thing Bush needs to do is use all money clout politics with China and the European Union to put pressure on Iran and Syria  to arrest Al-Qaeda which will be hard because Hizbollah supports Al-Qaeda Anti-American Message and Hizbollah controls Syria and Iranian Governments. There is powerful tool in the American Citizen Arsenal which is almost as wicked as a Nuclear Weapon but not used since 1979 and should not be used but in grave crises, this tool is an American Boycott of Goods and Products from a country. China should be using all it's political power in Syria and Iran to stop the violence in Iraq. Next if Hizbollah is going to provide safe passage through it's turf, Hizbollah must be treated as a Logistic partner to Al-Qaeda. I have nothing against Miss Rice but sometimes she is like the Avon Lady and in mideast politics, we need a team of oldtimers diplomats who can lay the cards on the table face-up like Eagleburger and others, even Kissinger with the European Union and Russia and China on stopping the Terrorist inside Syria and Iran. I find it very hard to believe between China,Russia,USA, European Union,Asian and Arab League Secret Service they can't capture Zarqawi and shut down Al-Qaeda inside Iraq in a week. I just find it hard to believe. I'm going back to Bush's speech in 2001, saying your country is even for the global war on terror or against the global war on terror, and I can promise Russia that if Iraq is not stable or secure, Iran will not be Stable or Secure. Putin can read between the lines all that one.If China don't quit sitting on the bench watching the War on Terror, The American Citizens will Boycott them back to the Stone Age. Russia wants to see the USA defeated like their Afghan War but Russia could get this cold blooded murder cult in Moscow one day. China could could care less about the war on terror but the terrorist weapons are made in China and North Korea.