Khamenei Lays Down The Law

Khamenei Lays Down The Law

Iran's Supreme Leader, the Ayatollah Khamenei told a large crowd at Friday prayers that the time for fun n' games was over.

Khamenei said that the pro-Mousavi protests following last week's `election' are unacceptable and must end. And that the demonstrators would be responsible for the consequences if they continued.

And oh yes, the Great Satan and the Evil Jooos are at the bottom of it:

Ayatollah Khamenei demanded the demonstrations stop. "I want to tell everyone these things must finish. These street actions are being done to put pressure on leaders but we will not bow in front of them," he said. “I call on all to put an end to this method...If they don’t they will be held responsible for the consequences and chaos.” 

He ordered the losing candidates to "open their eyes" and see behind the demonstrations "the enemy hands working, the hungry wolves waiting in ambush". 

He blamed the deaths and violence of the past week on"ill-wishers, mercenaries and elements working for the espionage machines of Zionism and western powers".

It's nice to know President Obama's unclenched fist is working so well.

What Ayatollah Khamenei was doing in no uncertain terms was to warn Mousavi (and more importantly, his patron Rafsanjani)to back down or face the consequences.One signal of this was that Mousavi was scheduled to appear with Khamaenei after prayers and appears to have had a more pressing engagement.

The real story here is not 'democratic reform' versus Mullahs but the political rivalry between Rafsanjani and Khamenei, which goes back years.There haven't been real elections in years in Iran, and in a system where the Mullahs choose who gets to run for any elective office, the idea that Mousavi represents any kind of democratic alternative is simply not true.

There is virtually no difference on any issues that matter to the West between Ahmadinejad and Mousavi. It's simply a matter of who's out and who's in, and while the violence visited on the Iranian protestors is an ugly sight, anyone who thinks he or she is rooting for the Good Guys is either horribly misinformed or simply hasn't thought this through. 

If Mousavi and Rafsanjani continue to challenge the regime in the streets of Tehran,there is going to be a major pushback. If they acquiese to being on the losing end of this particular political war, they might live to fight another day.

Khamenei just told them so, in no uncertain terms.