Monday, Jul 15, 2002
Monday, Jul 15, 2002 |
| International | ||
|
News:
Front Page |
National |
Southern States |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | International
By Atul Aneja
Mr. Bush's statement that "unelected people who are the real rulers of Iran" were blocking reforms in Iran has already drawn criticism from Teheran. Besides the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, whose spokesman described Mr. Bush's statement as an "old method of creating a gulf between the Iranian nation and government" the Iranian media too has hit back with a spate of anti-US commentaries. The daily, Teheran Times, has described Mr. Bush's statement, not only as a "flagrant interference in Iran's internal affairs" but also a manifestation of "the U.S. Government's disappointment over its failure to illegally bring about changes in Iran." Though the President, Mohammad Khatami, has been elected by a popular vote, much of the political power rests with the unelected Council of Guardians led by the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Fearing that U.S. pressure may intensify, the country's conservative dominated clergy has reached out to one-time enemy, Iraq. The Iranian Junior Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mohammad Javad Zarif, was in Baghdad on Friday to hold talks with the Iraqi Foreign Minister, Naji Sabri. Keen to draw Iran closer, the Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein's son, Uday, reiterated in remarks published in the Iraqi media that Teheran would soon be a victim of U.S. policy for the resource rich region. "After Iraq and Saudi Arabia, Iran's turn will come," he said during a meeting with Iraq-based Iranian dissidents. But while there is an interest in developing their relationship, based on their shared antipathy towards the United States, there is also a palpable uneasiness in the relationship. Apart from territorial differences, both sides have yet to tackle difficult emotive issues such as the return of prisoners taken during the eight-year war and exchange of the remains of soldiers. Building on an anti-US platform, the Iranian side is also holding active discussions with Syria on Washington's West Asia policy. Iran reportedly backs the Hizbollah group that targets Israel and finds support in Syrian territory. While antagonising the hardliners, Mr. Bush's remarks might encourage Iran's pro-reform movement that is finding increasing support on the campus. The Iranian regime has thus far tolerated dissent on the campus but the possibility of a crackdown cannot be ruled out as disaffection with the ruling order appears to be spreading. Iran's well-known cleric, Ayatollah Jalaleddin Taheri, a Friday prayer leader in the city of Isfahan, has resigned after alleging abuse of power by the clerical elite. An Iranian court has also banned the Aftab-e-Yazd newspaper for publishing comments on Ayatollah Taheri's resignation. Analysts say that while the conservatives are being challenged, their political survival, as of now, is not under threat. Their hold on the powerful military establishment remains extremely tight. The religious establishment also controls the country's economic levers through boniyads or foundations that manage nearly a quarter of the economy and are constitutionally answerable to Ayatollah Ali Khameini alone.
Printer friendly
page
News:
Front Page |
National |
Southern States |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
|
|
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | Business Line | The Sportstar | Frontline | Home |
Copyright © 2002, The
Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu
|
