Iran's blogosphere has been awash with rumors since Monday that the Islamic Republic's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has died.
The rumors, spread on the micro-blogging Web site Twitter and other sites across the country, have been given credence by claims that security forces have surrounded Khamenei's home in Tehran, and that only the leader's sons are allowed access to him.
There has, however, been no formal confirmation of the reports or any reference to them in Iran's main news outlets.
The rumors were cited on a number of relatively prominent blogs in the United States on Wednesday.
This is not the first time that the 70-year-old Khamenei's health has been the subject of rumor; he has been said to have suffered from health problems for years. But these rumors have also had no formal confirmation.
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Posted by: Fred ||
10/15/2009 14:24 ||
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#1
Might be good to have him linger in ill health for a while. That way he suffers while his country drifts. It's a good bet that anybody who replaces him will be just as bad as he was.
The daily Al Quds Al Arabi, published in London, just announced the death of Ayatollah Ali Khameneï, Suprem leader of the Iranian Islamic Republic.
The daily said the Suprem leader died on October 14, after entering the hospital on Monday October 12. The daily said Ali Khamenei was "exhausted" by the overwork caused by the crisis that developed in the country since last June. He is said to have spent the last two days in the coma.
In a brief statement, Iranian officials denied the death of Khameneï.
Iranian sources in Teheran told us the Bassidji (local security forces) were deployed in the capital, early this morning.
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Posted by: anonymous5089 ||
10/15/2009 10:20 ||
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#1
What's Bambi going to do if the people of Iran take to the streets to celebrate Khamenei's death?
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/15/2009 10:34 Comments ||
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#2
Probably mourn a great statesman Steve
I hope this is the spark that implodes Iran on itself . Alas the left will say Bambi saved them
Posted by: Oscar ||
10/15/2009 10:45 Comments ||
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#3
I wonder how long it will take for the Iranian propaganda machine to announce the big mullah's passing was a Zionist assassination? Or a plot from the West?
By the end of the afternoon, contradictory rumours continued to circulate on the health of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Sources near the power in Tehran denied the Supreme leader was dead but sources in the Iranian opposition told us he actually passed away on Wednesday and the Iranian power want to hide it for a moment to control the streets and enforce security in the country.
It must be underlined that the official website of Mr Khameneï published today an article saying: Faithful people of northern provincial cities of Chaloos and Noshahr Wednesday presented a deep bond between nation and leadership as they gathered to welcome Islamic Revolution Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei amid heavy rain. But it actually proves nothing
Al Quds al-Arabi, an Arabic newspaper based in London published a information coming from a German press agency which was quoting Iranian opposition sources saying the Supreme Leader was dead. Later, al-Quds deleted the article from its front page but forgot to delete one comment on the story
Agencies and media in Azebaidjan and Egypt relayed the same information.
It seems that the rumor began to spread in the United States.
The Guardian wrote tonight in London that the latest rumor "about Khamenei's possible death has been picked up by a number of respected bloggers and media organisations including ABCs Georges Stephanopoulos, The Jerusalem Post and Pravda. The Guardian stated: As there are so many restrictions on foreign reporting in Iran the truth is difficult to verify. But the interest and speculation about Iran has been intense, particularly on Twitter. And the British newspaper concludes: Of course there is an easy way for the clerical regime in Tehran to put a stop to the current hysteria. But the ayatollah has yet to appear to declare that the reports of his death are exaggerated. Until he does, the chances are the rumours will spread.
As far as tonight, we cannot confirm or deny the death of Ali Khameneï, but we confirm that the security forces in Tehran have been reinforced today.
#6
How does this change the power struggles in Iran?
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
10/15/2009 14:55 Comments ||
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#7
As posted previously:
"Precisely because there are no obvious successors to Khamenei, the prospect of the
supreme leadership being replaced by a shura (consultative) council is discussed with
increased frequency. The idea is not new and was considered after Khomeini's death, since
many believed the supreme leadership was "a robe designed only for Khomeini." As president,
Khamenei himself once told a Western reporter that no one individual could ever replace
Khomeini as Supreme Leader, predicting instead a council of three or five religious leaders
would have to rule.
Who would be selected to compose the shura council is the key question. Constitutionally
the selection process falls under the jurisdiction of the Assembly of Experts, an 86-cleric karim sadjadpour body headed by Rafsanjani and composed largely of septuagenarian, conservative clerics.
Reformists talk about a triumvirate composed of Rafsanjani, Khatami, and Mehdi Karroubi,
a moderate cleric who served as speaker of the parliament and narrowly lost to Ahmadinejad
in the first round of the June 2005 elections. This would be unacceptable to hardliners, who
would prefer conservatives like AyatollahsMesbah Yazdi, Shahroudi, and Jannati, a member
of the Guardian Council, who are equally unacceptable to moderates.
Aside from the difficulties of reaching a consensus regarding the makeup of the shura
council, the replacement of the Supreme Leader with a shura council is currently impeded
by the Islamic Republic's constitution, which states specifically that the Leader be an individual.
But political expediency trumps the constitution in the Islamic Republic; a constitutional
amendment adjusting the requirements for Supreme Leader is precisely what enabled
Khamenei to become Leader.
While the fight for succession is highly unpredictable and could get fierce, in some ways
Khamenei's weakness has ironically been the Islamic Republic's strength; if his reign has
proven one thing, it's that the Islamic Republic's stability is not contingent upon having a popular,
charismatic Leader. The predictions frequently made during the Khomeini era--that
the Leader's death would bring about the regime's demise--are no longer made with regards
to Khamenei."
10/13 -- This report comes from a person who is in a position to know such things. As I know very well (having been gulled into wrongly announcing Khamenei's death a while back), it is easy to be misled, and Khamenei has had previous medical emergencies in the past. Nonetheless, it's always smart to apply the Reagan Caution: Trust, but verify.
Here is what he/she says:
Yesterday afternoon at 2.15PM local time, Khamenei collapsed and was taken to his special clinic. Nobody -- except his son and the doctors -- has since been allowed to get near him. His official, but secret, status is: "in the hands of the gods".
Reportedly this collapse is natural. Many would like him to move to his afterlife but reportedly the collapse was not 'externally induced' [no poisioning].
His condition had already seriously deteriorated over the last months, aggravated by his nervous condition due to [1] his inability to solve the problems created by his manipulation of the election results and the refusal of [a large part of] the population to accept this, plus [2] his loss of religious authority by means of the repeated condemnations of events by senior clerics
Reportedly the principal aims of Khamenei of the last couple of weeks, if not months, were to ensure [1] a positive reputation as his legacy and [2] the physical survival of his family members and their wealth, reportedly now largely in Syria and in Turkey (remember the truck convoy of $8.5 billion in cash and gold that was seized by the Turks?).
If he dies it is expected that immediately a bloody clash will develop between the powers behind Rafsanjani, who will immediately claim temporary religious authority and overall control, and the powers behind Achmadinejad who will scramble in order to regain control and ensure their survival.
UPDATE (Wednesday Oct 14th): According to a bulletin from the Greens (Moussavi/Karroubi et al), there are widespread rumors in the Tehran Bazaar that Khamenei has died. The Greens say they cannot confirm it, but that there is an "abnormal atmosphere" in the streets, which almost certainly means there are more security people than usual.
The bazaar will apparently be closed tomorrow, and perhaps Friday as well, pending developments.
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#3
There's a pre-islam event in Persian history that translates to something like "The Night they Killed all the Priests". Perhaps a traditionalist is on the loose?
#4
UMMMMM, you're right strange wording, I'd expect "In Allah's Hands" But not "in the hands of the gods".
(Perhaps they think he's UNWORTHY"?)
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
10/15/2009 13:49 Comments ||
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#5
The Iraqi Parliment has postponed voting for a week. Ali Sistani has to be present for that. I do not know if he has left Iraq yet, but if you see his mug in QOM, you can probably count that as a positive indicator that Khameni has passed.
MOSCOW -- Denting President Obama's hopes for a powerful ally in his campaign to press Iran on its nuclear program, Russia's foreign minister said Tuesday that threatening Tehran now with harsh new sanctions would be "counterproductive."
It isn't that Bambi and Hilde got played, it's how easily ...
The minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, said after meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton here that diplomacy should be given a chance to work, particularly after a meeting in Geneva this month in which the Iranian government said it would allow United Nations inspectors to visit its clandestine nuclear enrichment site near the holy city of Qum.
"At the current stage, all forces should be thrown at supporting the negotiating process," he said. "Threats, sanctions and threats of pressure in the current situation, we are convinced, would be counterproductive."
Mr. Lavrov's resistance was striking given that, just three weeks before, President Dmitri A. Medvedev said that "in some cases, sanctions are inevitable." American officials had hailed that statement as a sign that Russia was finally coming around to the Obama administration's view that Iran is best handled with diplomacy backed by a credible threat of sanctions.
It also came after the Obama administration announced that it would retool a European missile defense system fiercely opposed by Russia. That move was thought to have paid dividends for the White House when Mr. Medvedev appeared to throw his support behind Mr. Obama on Iran, though American officials say the Russian president was also likely to have been reacting to the disclosure of the secret nuclear site near Qum.
Nice going Bambi, we sure got a lot out of the Rooskies for having hung the Poles and Czechs out to dry ...
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/15/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
It's merely a public display of the intellectual supremecy Russia has over the 5th graders running our government.
I would have paid to listen to my KGB mirror laugh at Hillary at her speech. Russians are well studied and know more about our country than we do. They certainly know more about our Constitution. They are like a cat playing with a mouse. Their stature shall begin to build and build fast as ours diminish.
Good job America, you destroyed yourself on foolish notions that Russians used to have which they promised to bury US with.
#2
It's merely a public display of the intellectual supremecy Russia has over the 5th graders running our government.
Too bad noob presidents like Noobama get to pick their own advisors. Might not hurt to have a few more experienced advisors from previous administrations laying around. The russians have had their leadership in place for years, so they're going to play the noobs for chumps every time.
#3
(1) Russians like selling weapons---it makes them feel they haven't, quite, descended to the level of being totally dependent on their oil exports.
(2) Since they are totally dependent on their oil exports, they like troubles in ME = rise in the price of oil.
(3) Russia sees Iran as strategic partner---the way USA sees Saudia (and with the same inability to see the drawbacks).
(4)Russians really, really hate Saudia for inciting & financing Jihad in Russia and its "near abroad".
(5) Russians really despise Obama---and the country which elected him.
(i)The contempt of old KGB grads like Putin & Co to western left has no bounds.
(ii) Russia on race is where USA was in 1920.
#6
Hum, Grumpy G(r)om, agreed on the rationalizations, though I did express myself badly : you're all set to find excuse for russia being blantantly your country's ennemy, because, AFAIK, you've got an hard-on (excuse my french) for Motherland - just like many euro wingnuts, by the way.
This was not really relevant to iran, actually, I was just wondering if you'd find the same kind of "attenuating circumstances" to Europe, somehow excusing its actions by pointing out its own interests and its blindspots and all, but that was mostly rethorical.
#8
I don't understand much, that I'll acknowledge readily, but you do justify their position. Why don't you do the same for the paleos? For the EUcrats? For iran? All actually have justifiable reasons (if only to them) to base their actions on. Why only take the time for russia, instead of lumping them with the EU?
Israel accused the Lebanese army on Tuesday of turning a blind eye to the rebuilding by Hezbollah of its military infrastructure, one day after an official in the Shi'ite militant group reportedly died in a blast at one of its arms caches in south Lebanon.
The Israeli ambassador to the world body, Gabriela Shalev, made the accusation in a formal complaint she passed on to the UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, and to the president of the Security Council.
She said the explosion in the village of Tayr Filsi constituted a grave violation of the United Nations resolution that ended the Second Lebanon War between Israel and Hezbollah. Resolution 1701 called for the disarmament of Hezbollah and banned paramilitary forces south of the Litani River.
The IDF released a video on Tuesday that the army said proved Hezbollah stored weapons at the site.
Things I've read elsewhere indicate Israel knows the locations of two hundred or so Hizb'allah weapons caches. May I suggest that spontaneous things happen with no apparent cause?
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Iran's blogosphere has been awash with rumors since Monday that the Islamic Republic's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has died. 
The daily Al Quds Al Arabi, published in London, just announced the death of Ayatollah Ali Khameneï, Suprem leader of the Iranian Islamic Republic. 
MOSCOW -- Denting President Obama's hopes for a powerful ally in his campaign to press Iran on its nuclear program, Russia's foreign minister said Tuesday that threatening Tehran now with harsh new sanctions would be "counterproductive."
Israel accused the Lebanese army on Tuesday of turning a blind eye to the rebuilding by Hezbollah of its military infrastructure, one day after an official in the Shi'ite militant group reportedly died in a blast at one of its arms caches in south Lebanon. 
