Hope for reforms in Iran fading: Says the Brother of Iran's President Khatami

Hope for reform in the Islamic Republic of Iran is "dying out," the brother of President Mohammed Khatami and key reform campaigner was quoted as saying Sunday by the student news agency ISNA.

"The last glimmers of hope that existed are dying out following the recent decisions taken by the Guardians Council and the judicial authorities," said Mohammed Reza alluding to the powerful conservative-dominated bodies.

The council, Iran's constitutional watchdog, rejected Friday a second bill passed by parliament aimed at boosting the authority of Khatami and enabling him to challenge as unconstitutional rulings by the Judiciary.

The move was seen as yet another setback for Iran's embattled reformists, who have consistently seen their agenda blocked by conservatives.

Iran's Revolutionary Court Saturday sentenced 15 members of the liberal opposition to jail terms of up to 11 years on charges of trying to overthrow the Islamic regime.

"National interests are only served when the population supports the regime. Unfortunately, day after day, we see that the people are taking their distance from the regime," Mohammed Reza said.

He also justified threats by reformists, who dominate the parliament, to quit the government.

"In the current situation, staying in power means either keeping quiet ... or expressing (anger), which in the currently tense (regional) situation is dangerous" for the country, he added.

Mohammed Reza heads the main pro-reform party in parliament, the Islamic Iran Participation Front.

The NY Times is on the wrong side of this issue. See: Iranian Student Movement Calls For International Protests Against the NYTIMES! Urgent Action Notice

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/909798/posts

I got a feeling the "students" are about to take over a whole new building, take a bunch of mullahs hostage, and force a new change of Government. When that happens, the potentates on other Arabian thrones are going to start moving more of their treasures into Swiss accounts.

Classic response - all totalitarian governments display a hardening of position as they come to realize that the threat of popular reform is actually credible. Expect some sort of military demonstration next, hopefully not on the order of Tiananmen Square but similar. Then, if the pattern holds true, a softening of position toward accommodationism in direct proportion to the perceived strength of the popular movement. If the latter is strong enough no accommodation will be sufficient.

It's difficult to judge from here just how flexible the mullahs are prepared to be in order to hang onto power. They are not a notably flexible bunch by nature. If they think they can be the immovable object against the irresistable force of popular reform, then there's going to be an unbelievable concussion and something will give. It took 20 years and a war for this process to boil over in Russia at the beginning of last century. This one's had just about that much time (and a war) and I don't see the impasse continuing for long, especially in view of recent events next door.

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