Ayatollah who backs Suicide Bombings posed to be Supreme Leader of Iran

[democratic]

In a move that would push Iran even further into the diplomatic wilderness, Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah-Yazdi, 71, who publicly backs the use of suicide bombers against Israel, is campaigning to succeed Grand Ayatollah Ali Khameini, 67, as the head of the Islamic state.

Considered an extremist even by fellow mullahs, he was a fringe figure in Iran's theocracy until last year's election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a fellow fundamentalist who views him as his ideological mentor. He is known to many Iranians as "Professor Crocodile" because of a notorious cartoon that depicted him weeping false tears over the jailing of a reformist journalist.

Mr Mesbah-Yazdi and his supporters will attempt to tighten the fundamentalists' political stranglehold next month, by standing in elections for the Assembly of Experts, an 86-strong group of theologians that would be responsible for nominating a replacement for Ayatollah Khamenei, whose health is rumoured to be ailing.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/11/19/wiran19.xml

[bemildred]

1. More of Bush's foreign policy "success". nt

[krispos42]

2. We keep pushing them and pushing them...

Scaring them, giving political power to the nutjobs that say they will protect Iran from America...

Wait until Iran preemptively wipes out Saudi and Kuwaiti oil facilities. Bush justifies preemtive war, so why the hell not?

[Behind the Aegis]

3. it can't be.

I am sure he is just "misunderstood" or a "victim of Western aggression and misinterpretation."

:sarcasm:

[ronnie624]

7. Of course not.

Western media sources would never publish misinformation about a predominately Muslim nation. Any news item that vilifies Iran must be believed without question. Further, Iran must be bombed anytime its leaders make offensive statements.

:sarcasm:

[Behind the Aegis]

9. Of course...

I see so many people wanting Iran to be bombed for "offensive" statements... :eyes:

[LetsGoMurphys]

10. oh I am with you

I cannot stand that kind of talk anymore. Every Islamic nut job gets a free pass because they arent American. What a joke.

[Swede]

4. That's not good.

Another hardliner in a position of power.

[noonwitch]

5. Sooner or later, one of these guys will be the final straw for the Iranian people

There is only so much they are going to take, at this point. The average people of Iran want to be rid of the mullahs, they just want to avoid a bloody counter-revolution. The women there are taking back a lot of their rights, and a lot of the people want to have open trade with the west and a more financially prosperous society at large.

If the religious police start to crack down on women for not covering up, or young people for listening to western music, they may end up with a counter-revolution, anyways. I hope the Iranians can take back their nation from the whack-job religious fanatics, it will lead to stability in a better way than if the US were to invade. Look what we've done for the stability of Iraq!

[Tempest]

6. Bush is to blame for the rise of hardliners in Iran

Since the Iraq war the hardliners in Iran have gained support and have been able to successfuly suppress the reform movement.

Even the reformers don't want Bush's methods of bringing democracy to Iran.

[Vogon_Glory]

8. I Hope The Almighty Calls This Guy Home Soon

I hope that the Almighty calls this guy home soon. Maybe some talented cook seeking world peace should send him deep-fried pastries?

[liberalpragmatist]

11. He would be much worse than Ahmadinejad

Ahmadinejad likes to grandstand, but he has very little actual power.

The Supreme Leader, OTOH, is the true power in the country.