Iran: Rafsanjani Poised to Outflank the Supreme Leader from EurasiaNet
"There is great apprehension among people in the supreme leader’s [camp] about what Rafsanjani may pull," said a source in Tehran who is familiar with hardliner thinking. "They [the supreme leader and his supporters] are much more concerned about Rafsanjani than the mass movement on the streets."
This is the most interesting inside-the-tent news/gossip I've read concerning what the principles are up to in Iran.
The Iranian Leadership 'Has Lost its Legitimacy' from Der Spiegel [of Germany in English]
"Tehran is moving to stop massive protests in Iran, cracking down on the media and arresting hundreds of protesters. The Guardian Council, meanwhile, has said it will stand behind Ahmadinejad's re-election despite electoral irregularities. German commentators see a change coming -- possibly for the entire region."
Theocracy and Its Discontents (Fareed Zakaria) from Newsweek
An elaboration on what Zakaria said last week on CNN.
"We are watching the failure of the ideology that lay at the basis of the Iranian government. The regime's founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, laid out his special interpretation of political Islam in a series of lectures in 1970."
The Obama Method in the Middle East ... and at Home (Jonathan Chait) from the New Republic
I have LONG sensed that, as Chait argues here, Obama has been pursuing this approach, and Chait captures the dynamic very well.
"Obama assumes that, by demonstrating his own goodwill and interest in accord, Obama can win over a portion of his adversaries' constituents as well as third parties. Obama thinks he can move moderate Muslim opinion, pressure bad actors like Iran to negotiate, and, if Iran fails to comply, encourage other countries to isolate it. The strategy works whether or not Iran makes a reasonable agreement. The results remain to be seen. But it eerily resembles the way Obama has already isolated the GOP leadership."
Lessons for the US as the Iranian Revolution Unravels (Robin Wright) from Time Magazine
"Who would have thought that Iran, a country that has been the nemesis of the past five American Presidents, might actually become a model for what Washington wants to see happen politically in the Middle East?"
Right-thinking Realism: Obama's Critics on Iran Are Wrong (Editorial) from the Washington Post
"[Obama's] approach to the crisis is derided as "realist" -- typically with quotation marks -- as well as cold-blooded and insufficiently committed to American values. But the president has struck the right tone in his public statements, calling on Iran's government to stop "all violent and unjust actions" and making clear that Washington and the world are watching. And he is right to avoid becoming more deeply involved in Iran's post-election political crisis, both practically and morally."
No Time to Act in Iran (Anthony Cordesman) from RealClearWorld
"It is hard to counsel patience, particularly in a climate of artificial deadlines, instant media, and steadily larger gaggles of squawking heads. So far, however, President Obama has shown the right degree of restraint, while laying the groundwork to react as the outcome of events in Iran become clear enough to decide on the best policy."
Iran's Next Problem? Egypt (Michael Crowley) from the New Republic
"Although Egypt and Iran have spent much of the past 30 years hissing at one another from afar, things have taken a recent turn for the worse."
Global Insight: Obama's Pragmatism Avoids Neocon Trap (Edward Luce) from the Financial Times [of London]
"Mr Obama would be wise to continue to comment very carefully on events as they happen rather than try to drive them with his words. Much like his response to Russia’s invasion of Georgia last summer, when he was still a candidate, Mr Obama’s reaction to the unfolding drama in Iran is based on pragmatism."
With the Marchers from the New Yorker
"A resident reports from the streets and the rooftops."
Iran Unrest Reveals Split In U.S. on Its Role Abroad from the Washington Post
"Iran's post-election tumult has exposed the sharply divergent ways in which the Obama administration and its Republican opponents view the nature of American power and the president's role in speaking to political dissent outside the borders of the United States."
Iran Unrest reveals Split in US on its Role Abroad from the Washington Post
I've been looking for someone to really look at this divide.
Healthcare Reform Makes a Miraculous Recovery (Mike Madden) from Salon
"Obama gets drug companies to cut senior drug bills by $80 billion. Suddenly, his plan is no longer dead."
I never thought for a second that the plan WAS dead. It never ceases to amaze me how little patience the MSM has for the legislative process when its actually functioning. The horse race stuff is SO MUCH more entertaining.
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