Juan Cole on Democracy NOW

[serryjw]

He was on last night and said the following
quote.......
And remember, the Iranian president is powerless, virtually. The commander-in-chief of the armed forces is Khamenei, the Supreme Juridprudent. Ahmadinejad can consult on the appointment of cabinet ministers and ambassadors, but there are very few orders that he could give of any significance in the Iranian system. He's kind of like our Secretary of the Interior or something. So what he thinks about things isn't that important
end quote........

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/09/25/1318238

True? Juan Cole is certainly educated in ME history/politics?

[htuttle]

1. That's true as far as I know

I'm certain that the Supreme Ayatollah, not the Iranian President, has control of the military and is also the Supreme Court.

[Kagemusha]

2. I've read the transcript of that..

Yes, Mr. Cole's quite correct, the President has no military power whatsoever. He's a figurehead basically. Diplomacy is something he can do; antagonising the West purposefully is something he can do. But it's ultimately playing around. The real policy's made by the Ayatollahs.

[serryjw]

3. Ok...I didn't know this

I bought into the west hype that he is a dangerous man?? So how do the Ayatollahs feel about nuclear weapons? Do we have any clue? Has any western Prez eer met with the Ayatollahs?

[Kagemusha]

4. The Ayatollahs say an atomic bomb's un-islamic. That said...

Um, I wouldn't believe them either, if I was running the US, to be honest. I'd say, of course they want the bomb. Duh.

I doubt any western President has ever met with the Ayatollahs at all and why would they?.. they're bitter enemies.. traitors against the Shah, captors of US hostages, patrons of terrorists around the world.. um no, not gonna happen.

Iran can be dangerous if it wants. But not because of this President. Both sides just enjoy using him for political purposes, and well, he knows he's the dancing monkey, and therefore, dances.