WaPo has published a comical op-ed by Vali Nasr, a professor at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy of Tufts University, and the author of "The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future."
Meet 'The Decider' of Tehran. It's Not the Hothead You Expect.
Sunday, December 9, 2007; Page B01
When most Americans think of Iran, they probably think of its incendiary president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Since his election in 2005, Ahmadinejad has gleefully shocked the world with his defiance over Iran's nuclear programs, his ravings about a Shiite messiah, his jeremiads against Israel and his denial that the Holocaust occurred. But while Ahmadinejad is surely the regime's face, he's not its boss. Since Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's death in 1989, the real power in Tehran has belonged to Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Ahmadinejad makes the noise, but Khamenei pulls the strings.
Nasr then goes on to inform us how moderate and temperate and reasonable is the man who REALLY leads Iran.
The supreme leader is an enigma even to most of Iran's 70 million people. In fact, he's far more cautious, conservative and pragmatic than the bellowing Ahmadinejad. Khamenei wants a "Goldilocks" kind of Islamic Republic -- not too hot, not too cold.
Sorry, Mr. Nasr. but, here's a few samples of the words and thoughts of the 'hidden' Khameinei:
The caricatures amounted to a "conspiracy by Zionists who were angry because of the victory of Hamas," he said, referring to the Palestinian movement that won a landslide victory in last month's elections.
Khamenei, who has the final word on all matters in Iran's Islamic system, was speaking at a ceremony to mark the air force's decision to join the Islamic revolution in 1979. His speech was broadcast on state radio.
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