Iran's Khamenei Warns Voters Against Electing Pro-Western President

LA Times:

Reporting from Beirut -- Iran's most powerful political and spiritual leader warned voters today against supporting pro-Western candidates in next month's presidential election, comments widely seen as supporting President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's approach to foreign policy over those of his challengers.

Read the whole story: LA Times

Comments

[gladiator777]

02:11 PM on 05/19/2009

Achmad will win again c'mon, do you really think there is any other possible outcome?

[gladiator777]

02:09 PM on 05/19/2009

Hmmm...who do you think the Ayatollah supports...me thinks achmad....

[blueken]

11:22 AM on 05/19/2009

You know what cracks me up? Cheney, Limbaugh, Hannity warning us not to vote for Obama. I guess we have some common ground with Iran after all.

[AtheistUS]

03:00 PM on 05/19/2009

Of course, all religious lunatics are quite similar.

[skialethia]

10:42 AM on 05/19/2009

Obviously, this is the fault of "Israyel" which is threatening Iran every second day. Iranians are naturally looking to the toughest candidate that will be able to execute a war against Israyel if the latter pushes them to that point! Israyel has been haranguing America to give them the green light, and they are just not letting go. Israyel doesn't want peace; it doesn't want a two-state solution. It doesn't want to give an inch; and is going to unload chaos on this world.

Israyel just wants to destroy Middle Eastern civilization and who knows perhaps drag in the rest of the world.

[Solaris123]

12:27 PM on 05/19/2009

Hilarious stuff.

[KoolAidAmerica]

12:39 PM on 05/19/2009

I didnt know hanging gays , enslaving women counted as civilization

[AtheistUS]

02:59 PM on 05/19/2009

All civilizations develop by their own pace. It is not for us to look so much down to people who mostly very similar to us.

We just recently killed some 100,000 Iraqis (count is not accurate because our media normally do not consider them as people - only our own dead our counted).

As for "hanging gays , enslaving women" - have we became a civilization a few decades ago, or not yet? One of founders of computer science Alan Turing was unfortunate to be a gay in UK (was this a civilization immediately after WWII?). You most probably know that he either committed subside or was killed for that reason, despite his enormous contribution to our victory in WWII. I will not go into "enslaving"...

My point is that a civilization is not defined as US+UK, exactly as it is, and exactly at the current moment of history when the definition is asked for.

[redisright]

10:25 AM on 05/19/2009

WAR!!!!

[Solaris123]

02:54 AM on 05/19/2009

Now for an Arab opinion:
"Apparently, Iran is not satisfied with what it has done in the Western Arab countries as is evident from its current attempt to propagate the Persian ideology in Morocco and Algeria. After threatening the security and stability of the Western Arab countries and wreaking havoc in the lives of their people, Iran turned its eyes towards Morocco and Algeria. Many scholars have raised their voices against Iran’s attempt to destroy these two stable countries, which have never experienced any sectarian struggle. "
http://www.arabtimesonline.com/kuwaitnews/faqdetails.asp?faid=1530&faqid=9

[arvay]

05:58 AM on 05/19/2009

All of this fuss about Iran originates with Israel's frustration at its inability to suppress the Iranian-backed Hamas and Hizbollah organizations and the fear of corrupt governments like saudi Arabia and Egypt that their own people will turn against their subservience to the US.

For the record, Algeria and Tunisia have been wracked by Islamic fundamentalist groups for years now, without any "interference" from Iran. Many of them originated in the war against the Russians and then the Americans in Afghanistan.

[Mollabaji]

12:12 PM on 05/19/2009

arvay,

It doesn't matter to the zionists and other zionist supporters here that you have given the facts. They are paid AIPAC agents to distort and lie regardless of facts. Just look at the regular Solar here.

[Solaris123]

12:36 PM on 05/19/2009

For the record:
The Arab Summit wound up...ith a renewed call to Iran to end its occupation of the UAE islands of Abu Mousa, the Greater and Lesser Tunbs.
The summit... condemned the incessant Iranian attempts to create a fait accompli by way of building settlements on the occupied islands.

"The continued attempts by Iran to build settlements and conduct wargames in the territorial waters, air space, economic zones and coral reefs of the occupied islands, are all acts that constitute a gross violation of the UAE sovereignty and territorial integrity," said a communique issued at the end of the summit.
http://www.gulfnews.com/Region/Syria/10201802.html

[SnapShots]

11:23 PM on 05/18/2009

If you're going to report this story, HuffPo, why don't you also provide a story on who the pro-Western candidates are, how much support they have, and what the Iranian public is saying about where they want their country to go?

[nkhogan]

06:02 AM on 05/19/2009

Seriously. I would like a more balanced perspective. The public opinion in Iran is much more complex and nuanced than this story would lead us to believe.

[LostRiverLedger]

07:31 AM on 05/19/2009

Complain to the NY Times......."HuffPo" borrowed this content.........but because no one pays for its content, there may not be anyone there to answer.

[horsey]

11:02 PM on 05/18/2009

the guy has obviously been taking lessons from Bush/ Cheney.

[Solaris123]

11:20 PM on 05/18/2009

The difference is Bush and Cheney left peaceably after 8 years.
But the Ayatollah, in a typically Middle Eastern fashion, will stay in power until they carry him out, velvet slippers first.

[Solaris123]

10:54 PM on 05/18/2009

Supreme Leader, as a head of all media of Iran now has endorsed two TV shows;
"Question Time." Members of the audience each face a series of questions from their religious leaders.
"Xena the Modestly dressed Housewife."
and the enormously popular
"Who wants to be a Mujaheddin?"

[Solaris123]

10:39 PM on 05/18/2009

it matters little who is Iranian President. it is largely a decorative post.
Thus Iranian political system is already a closed system by choice. We in the West can increase the entropy within the Iranian theocracy. This will lead to a swifter collapse of the system.

The Western policy towards Iran should be one of firm containment , denial of scientific data and innovation, covert sabotage of their foreign aims and encouragement of Iranian dissidents and non-conformists.
It helps that the Middle East is almost entirely opposed to Iran aims.

[OneTop]

12:16 AM on 05/19/2009

Tell me.

What gives the West or any group the right, morally. legally or politically to adopt the Policies that you espouse ?

[Solaris123]

02:51 AM on 05/19/2009

The same right that contained and defeated communism and Nazism and will now contain and defeat the resurgent neo-Jihadism.

[finishcurve]

10:11 AM on 05/19/2009

You mean the "establishment" "is almost entirely opposed..."

[MIKEinNYC]

10:19 PM on 05/18/2009

I doubt very much that a candidate who does not meet this idiot's approval would be allowed to assume office and serve.

Iran's leaders should not be viewed as if they were normal people, which they are not.

Iran is led by an undemocratic, fascist, dictatorial, messianic, apocalyptic, religious cult that will engulf the entire region in war and destruction so as to implement their concept as to how god, as they see her/him, needs to be worshiped. This guy is culprit #1. They're waiting for some imaginary 12th Imam to reveal him/herself so that they can revel in their version of Shia Islam. They are willing to send anyone in their way to paradise prematurely. Even Muslims. They think of Muslims whom they may inadvertently kill as martyrs and that they are doing these people a favor by hastening their voyage to paradise. They are driven by theology. You can't argue with them about it. They are intractable and totally beyond reason. This dangerous bunch of freaks must be gotten rid of.

Be that as it may, I would not go to war with Iran. I would work to get rid of their lunatic leadership. Surgically. Clandestinely. Whatever works.

BTW, does anyone in Iran read this? Is anyone Iran allowed to read this? How about some comment, my Iranian friends? Persian Cat got your tongue?

[SiberianRat]

11:14 PM on 05/18/2009

"They're waiting for some imaginary 12th Imam to reveal him/herself so that they can revel in their version of Shia Islam." - How is that any different than waiting for a "second coming?" Also, look at your history books--Iran hasn't been an aggressive power in well over a century (unlike the US and most European countries). Rumsfeld was putting religious slogans on defense reports. How are they worse than what we had?

[Solaris123]

03:02 AM on 05/19/2009

Let's see what fellow Muslims think about peaceable Iran:

"Iran, Egyptian officials complain, is using militant resistance movements in the Arab world... to serve an Iranian agenda of promoting regional instability..."
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2009/943/eg2.htm

"...committees of Arab affairs and national defence convened an urgent meeting to show solidarity with security forces as they clamped down on Hizbullah operatives. Saad El-Gammal, chairman of the Arab Affairs Committee, said the recent plot against Egypt was part of a wider Iranian agenda seeking to undermine the Arab world. "

"Apparently, Iran is not satisfied with what it has done in the Western Arab countries... After threatening the security and stability of the Western Arab countries and wreaking havoc in the lives of their people, Iran turned its eyes towards Morocco and Algeria. Many scholars have raised their voices against Iran’s attempt to destroy these two stable countries, which have never experienced any sectarian struggle"
http://www.arabtimesonline.com/kuwaitnews/faqdetails.asp?faid=1530&faqid=9

[Mollabaji]

04:58 AM on 05/19/2009

As a NYC resident, the comment is astonishingly racist, and reveals total ignorance of Iran and Iranian politics. Iranians ARE expressing their opinions all the time. They are free to do so and so are the candidates for President. Iran IS much more democratic than U.S.A. in the election of its President whch is by direct vote of the people rather than filtered through political machines such as the Primaries and scandalous elections counting process which elected Bush.
Are you allowed to watch Press Tv news or are you. like millions of Americans limited to CNN and Faux News? Your comment illustrates absolute ignorance. After all, America and Americans have no right to tell any other nation what to do or who to elect as their leaders in the light of their own corrupt, inept, and scandalous system.

[AlexFTW]

05:52 AM on 05/19/2009

Every system is corrupt, inept and scandalous.

[KoolAidAmerica]

12:42 PM on 05/19/2009

At least Americans dont have to get the approval of the Supreme Leader to stand in the elections

[wadenelson1]

10:06 PM on 05/18/2009

This guy could be Ghandi in disguise but with a last name like Khameini he's NEVER gonna be popular with Americans.

[cdnnewsjunky]

10:33 PM on 05/18/2009

That man is definately no Ghandi!

[Solaris123]

03:09 AM on 05/19/2009

Anyone who can mention Gandhi and Ayatollah in the same sentence should exiled to some sub- Saharan village.

[mcantwell]

09:05 PM on 05/18/2009

I hope Iranians vote for the candidate who will work towards peace in the middle east.

[burt2009]

09:42 PM on 05/18/2009

I hope people are not this damn dumb.

[RevBookburn]

09:01 PM on 05/18/2009

This guy can have a show on the Fox-Pravda-Teabagger station. He has all of the qualities: hardcore patriotism, faith-based posturing, opposition to perceived threats, fear mongering...he's perfectly qualified for Fox. Unfortunately, O'Reilly would probably be jealous and have another mental meltdown. Rev. Bookburn - Radio Volta

[elcojonu]

08:17 PM on 05/18/2009

The MiddleEast is a VERY backward part of the world ( from Morocco thru Pakistan - no exceptions ).
The sooner we realize that and get out of there, the happier we will be.

[SiberianRat]

11:15 PM on 05/18/2009

Have you ever been there??

[elcojonu]

07:47 AM on 05/19/2009

Yes.

[SnapShots]

11:21 PM on 05/18/2009

You should begin your sentences with "In my opinion ..." because that's exactly what your statement is, an opinion. What does "backward' mean? Ridiculous.

[Solaris123]

03:07 AM on 05/19/2009

re."What does "backward' mean?"

In the case of the Middle East:

High levels of illiteracy.
Negligent social services and medical care.
Almost total lack of technological innovation.
Lack of educational opportunities.
Very low number of institutions of higher learning.
Low GDP
Oppression of women

Get it?

[elcojonu]

07:48 AM on 05/19/2009

In my opinion.
Now, does that make you happier.