More distractions?
Is Ahmadinejad's government trying to distract people from problems it cannot solve? Robert Tait, writing in The Guardian (UK), thinks there are even more distractions than noted here earlier.Iranian president sacks ministers to deflect blame for policy failure
"Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has sacked his oil and industry ministers in an apparent attempt to tighten his grip on power while deflecting blame for failed economic policies...
"Despite the diplomatic wording, there appeared little doubt yesterday that the two men had been forced out, to be replaced by interim ministers until permanent successors are appointed.
"[The] departures follow widespread criticism of the president for presiding over an economic landscape of rising inflation and high unemployment, in contrast to his pre-election promises to alleviate poverty and generate prosperity...
"Saeed Leylaz, an economic analyst, said the two ministers were victims of Mr Ahmadinejad's policies. 'This is because the policies of Mr Ahmadinejad have failed and he has not fulfilled his promises,' he said. 'He has to make a lot of noise to tell people that these are the guys responsible for the failures. At the same time, he is trying to rearrange his government in time for the next parliamentary elections.'
"Mr Ahmadinejad may now seek a radical shakeup in the foreign ministry. He is also expected to replace the governor of Iran's central bank, Ebrahim Sheibani, after he reportedly opposed a recent presidential decree cutting interest rates."
And, Mr. Tait writes in another article, President Ahmadinejad is meeting with Afghanistan's President Karzai just days after Karzai met with US President Bush. This can be seen as another distraction, but it's also a projection of Iranian influence.
Ahmadinejad's first Afghan visit ruffles US feathers
"Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, audaciously signalled his determination to counter US global power today by meeting his Afghan counterpart, Hamid Karzai, in open defiance of Washington's wishes.
"Mr Ahmadinejad led a high-ranking Iranian delegation to Kabul in a demonstration of growing Iranian influence in Afghanistan, where the US, Britain and other western powers are engaged in a bitter struggle with the Taliban.
"The visit - Mr Ahmadinejad's first to Afghanistan - was tailor-made to provoke alarm within the Bush administration, which accuses Tehran of destabilising its efforts while claiming that the Taliban is being armed with Iranian weapons. Iran, which is mainly Shia, denies helping the Taliban, whose puritanical Sunni ideology it has condemned...
"Despite US suspicions, Iran - which has one of the world's highest drug addiction rates - argues that it has legitimate interests in combating the influx of heroin and opiates from the poppy fields of Afghanistan. More than 3,000 Iranian police and security personnel have been killed in clashes with drug smugglers along the Afghan border since 1979.
"There are also at least 2 million Afghan refugees in Iran. The issue has caused tensions recently after Tehran forcibly sent around 100,000 refugees back to Afghanistan, arguing that they were illegal migrants and a drain on the Iranian economy.
"After departing from Kabul, Mr Ahmadinejad was due to fly to Turkmenistan before going on to Kyrgyzstan to attend a summit meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation [see SCO, an Asian NATO?], a body created by Russia and China to address regional security threats, foster economic integration and counter US influence in central Asia.
"Iran has observer status with the organisation but is trying to form closer links. Mr Ahmadinejad is expected to meet the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and Hu Jintao, the president of China, at the meeting."
See also
- Conspiracy theories, political culture, and politics
- Weak regime, strong state
- The cultural revolution continues
- Shortage amid plenty
- Another cultural revolution?
- Index of blog entries about Iran
posted by Ken Wedding @ 8:31 AM
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