Chapter Four: The Ahmadinejad Presidency: Domestic Policy

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Notes

1 It is important to draw a distinction between these IRGC men and the war veterans, who were just as likely to have devoted their time to reformist politics as to the ideas of Ahmadinejad, and many of whom looked with disdain on the machinations of those promoted under Ahmadinejad, who seemed more concerned with making money than with defending the revolution.

2 ‘No Welcome for President's New Elite’, Radio Free Europe, 24 February 2006.

3 See Rafsanjani's warning to Ahmadinejad not to alienate the political establishment, ‘Rafsanjani: nagozareem neerohaye vafadar beh enqelab delsard shavand’, Baztab.com, 11 Tir 1386/2 July 2007.

4 For examples of some of the more extravagant statements about the president from Ahmadinejad's inner circle, see ‘Mesbah-Yazdi Supporters Liken Ahmadinezhad to 1st Shia Imam’, Aftab, 1 November 2007, on BBC Monitoring Online. One principlist politician, Sadeq Mahsuli, declared that the reason few could understand Ahmadinejad was because he ‘moved with the speed of a fighter jet’: ‘Sadeq Mahsuli: sorat Ahmadinejad manand yek jet Phantom ast’, Advar News, 30 Mordad 1386/21 August 2007, http://www.advarnews.us/politic/print/5609.aspx.

5 See ‘Jumhuri Eslami beh koja reseedeh ast?’, Baztab.com, 28 Tir 1386/19 July 2007; ‘Jumhuri Eslami ra zaif jelo nadaheed’, Baztab.com, 31 Tir 136/22 July 2007.

6 See interview with the intelligence minister, Mohseni-Ejei, ISNA, 7 February 2006, http://www.isna.ir. See also the comments made by his predecessor Ali Yunessi, ‘Iranian People's Discontent Far Greater Threat Than Foreign One, Ex-Minister’, ISNA 16 February 2007, on BBC Monitoring Online.

7 See Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya, ‘Plans for Redrawing the Middle East: The Project for “A New Middle East”’, Centre for Research on Globalisation, 18 November 2006, http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=3882, for a related discussion. See also Edward Luttwak, ‘The Scariest Prospect of All: Iran with the Bomb’, Daily Telegraph, 23 January 2005, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2005/01/23/do2301.xml, for an example of the kind of American writing about the ethnic makeup of Iran that was apt to excite defensive nationalist feeling. See also ‘Ahmadi Moghadam: Hemayat Amrika va Inglis az Jundullah’, Baztab.com, 11 Tir 1386/2 July 2007; ‘Khansi shodan amaliat terroristi dar Khuzestan’, Baztab.com, 16 Mordad 1386/7 August 2007.

8 For a useful critique of Ahmadinejad's approach to the nuclear issue, see ‘Former MPs Review Nuclear Case’, Etemad-e Melli, 27 January 2007, BBC Monitoring Online; see also a damning indictment from Mohsen Rezai, ‘Residan beh cheshm andaz bedoon tahavol emkan pazir neest’, Baztab.com, 12 Esfand 1385/3 March 2007.

9 A website was even established dedicated to the project of seizing the compound; http://www.baghegholhak.ir. An interesting account of the British ambassador's reaction to plans to assault the embassy claims that he retorted with a letter stating that Islamic centres in the UK would be closed down and repossessed if any moves were made on Golhak; see ‘Safir Inglis va elam bahai bagh gholhak’, Baztab.com, 30 Khordad 1386/20 June 2007. The British embassy denied any such message was ever sent.

10 See Masih Mohajeri, ‘Ta'adol mahor basheed, lotfan!’, Baztab.com, 26 Ordibehesht 1386/16 May 2007.

11 See Farid Modarresi, ‘Ahmadinezhad, Proponent of State Sponsorship for Seminaries’, Etemad, 10 May 2007, on BBC Monitoring Online, for an example of the view, held by some, that this shift of resources was part of an attempt by the president to control the seminaries.

12 See ‘Former Minister Criticises Government's Budget Bill’, Etemad, 22 January 2007, on BBC Monitoring Online.

13 Ahmadinejad's apparent lack of concern about the situation drew widespread criticism; see for example ‘Mr President, We Wish it May Be So’, editorial in Etemad, 25 January 2007, on BBC Monitoring Online.

14 For thorough critiques of government economic policy, see ‘The Second Warning of Economists to the Administration: The Full Text of the Letter of 57 Experts and University Professors to [Mahmud] Ahmadinezhad’, Etemad, 12 June 2007, on BBC Monitoring Online; Said Leylaz, ‘Warning’, Ayande-ye Now, 21 January 2007, on BBC Monitoring Online.

15 An indication of the country's economic difficulties is given by the high number of departures from Iran of well-qualified and able young people; see Frances Harrison, ‘Huge Cost of Iranian Brain Drain’, BBC News Online, 8 January 2007, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6240287.stm.

16 A point Ahmadinejad repeated in an interview with Iranian television, IRTV2, Tehran, 23 January 2007, available on BBC Monitoring Online.

17 ‘Sait-e Tavakoli: Afzayeh-e vabastegi-ye budjeh beh naft’, Baztab.com,12 Shahrivar 1386/3 September 2007.

18 For an example of dissent within the ranks, see ‘We are Against the Creative Principle-ist Faction: Interview with Ahmad Tavakkoli’, Ayandeh No, 24 January 2007, in BBC Monitoring Online.

19 See ISNA, 22 Khordad 1383/13 June 2004, code 8303–09201, www.isna.ir. Meshkini claimed that an angel had brought a list of candidates to Khamenei to sign some seven months before the elections.

20 See the report of an Interior Ministry press conference, ‘Dowlat payam natayej entekhabat ra sheneed’, Baztab.com, 29 Azar 1385/20 December 2006.

21 ‘Rafsanjani: dore-ye jadidi dar khobergan aghaz shud’, BBCPersian.com, 8 September 2007.

22 See ‘Posht-e Sahneh-ye Entkhab rais majlis khobregan’, Baztab.com, 13 Shahrivar 1386/4 September 2007.

23 In an indication of how much journalistic attitudes were shifting, one television interview in particular, conducted in January 2007, in which the president outlined his policies and worldview, was roundly criticised by journalists in Iran for being too soft on its subject; see ‘Interview with President Ahmadinejad’, IRTV2, 23 January 2007, BBC Monitoring Online. For an example of the criticisms of the interview and the president, see Hamid Reza Shokuhi, ‘Analysis of the President's Interview Broadcast by TV Channel Two: Twenty Other Questions for the President’, Mardom-salari website, 25 January 2007, on BBC Monitoring Online.

24 Nazila Fathi, ‘Iran's President Criticised over Nuclear Issue’, New York Times, 18 January 2007.

25 See Bill Weinberg, ‘Iran: Move to Impeach Ahmadinejad’, World War Four Report, 12 January 2007, http://ww4report.com/node/3031. The move to impeach, organised by a group of reformists, was more symbolic than real, since it was known to be unlikely that enough deputies would sign up to the motion, and indeed they did not. For criticisms of Ahmadinejad from this time, see also ‘Payam-e soferhaye khali baraye Ahmadinejad’, Baztab.com, 4 Bahman 1385/24 January 2007; ‘Jenab-e rais jomhur, lotfan kami negaran basheed’, Baztab.com, 4 Bahman 1385/24 January 2007.

26 The Expediency Council, set up by Khomeini, mediates disputes between the Majlis and the Guardian Council.

27 ‘Iranian Leader Designates Members of the Expediency Council for Five-Year Term’, Iranian Radio, 27 February 2007, on BBC Monitoring Online.

28 See Hassan Rowhani, ‘Nabayad zaban-e gorohaye mokhtalef ra bast’, ISNA, 30 January 2007, http://www.isna.ir, for an attack on Ahmadinejad for his response to his critics and to intellectuals in general; see also ‘Hoshdar namayandegan be Ahmadinejad aleye barkhord ba resaneh-ha’, BBCPersian.com, 24 July 2007.

29 Reza Ansari, ‘The Intelligence Minister's Warning Should be Taken Seriously’, Etemad-e Melli, 1 September 2007, on BBC Monitoring Online. See also Jafarian, ‘Ta'aroz amniat va elma amoozi’, Baztab.com, 11 Khordad 1386/1 June 2007; Morteza Kazemian, ‘Lawful Detention, Unlawful Detention’, Etemad-e Melli, 17 July 2007, on BBC Monitoring Online; ‘Eghdam be-sabegheh dar control safar asateed daneshgah’, Baztab.com, 1 Shahrivar 1386/23 August 2007.

30 Among the more absurd charges made against the embassy was that a tunnel existed beneath the embassy building for ferrying in and out spies and prostitutes; see ‘Hosseini: tooneli dar kar neest’, Baztab.com, 22 Mordad 2007/13 August 2007.

31 Even hardliners thought the attack on Musavian a step too far: see the editorial in the hardline Jumhuri Islami, ‘Mardom cheh gonahi karde-and’, 21 November 2007, http://www.jomhourieslami.com.

32 A poll conducted by Baztab in 2007 showed the president's popularity in decline. The poll was challenged by the president's office, see ‘Natayej-e Nazarsanji bozorg Baztab rajeb-e Ahmadinejad’, Baztab.com,10 Tir 1386/1 July 2007.

33 Rumours that electricity would also be rationed were vigorously denied; see ‘Ahmadinejad: meetavan barq ra samimehbandi kard’, Baztab.com, 12 Tir 1386/3 July 2007; ‘Takid rais jomhur bar sarfeh jooyee na samimeh bandi barq’, Baztab.com, 12 Tir 1386/3 July 2007.

34 See ‘No Accountability in Iran Petrol Rationing Black Market’, Iranian Radio, 18 August 2007, on BBC Monitoring Online.

35 Ahmadinejad tried, unconvincingly, to argue that only 5% of Iranians were affected by petrol rationing, ‘Had-aksar panj dar sad dar mozoo-ye benzin moshkel darand’, Baztab.com, 4 Mordad 1386/26 July 2007.