In nuclear chief, Iran signals harder line
Iran's abrupt change of nuclear negotiators spotlights internal power struggles, too.
from the October 22, 2007 edition
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Part of the surprise for Iran watchers has been the speed of Larijani's departure for "personal reasons," and how quickly his successor – Saeed Jalili, a deputy foreign minister and Ahmadinejad ally – was named.
Experts say Mr. Jalili, who was just 14 years old at the time of Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, is a hard-line dogmatist. Reuters quoted a diplomat in Tehran saying Jalili "specializes in monologue," not debate.
The choice is in keeping with the ascent of several key Ahmadinejad picks who, in ministries of interior, intelligence, and culture, have focused on creating a conservative "security outlook" across Iran to defend against "enemies."
"Jalili is even more anti-Western" and behind a number of "very provocative" diplomatic moves aimed at the British, says Mr. Ansari, who teaches at St. Andrews University in Scotland. "Larijani was most obviously Khamenei's man," says Ansari. "There is something not right here, otherwise [Khamenei] would be in there to protect his man."
Already there are a chorus of complaints, with some ranking members of parliament calling for an investigation. Conservative lawmaker Ahmad Tavakoli said: "The experience and positions held by Larijani are not comparable with the deputy foreign minister, who has little experience."
The English-language Iran Daily newspaper said Iran's nuclear plans would not change, but that "it is obvious that the new group will pursue Ahmadinejad's nuclear direction with added commitment and zeal."
Days before Larijani resigned, his predecessor Hassan Rohani, who still sits on Iran's security council, issued this warning in the newspaper Etemad-e Melli: "We are now, more than ever, under threat. A country's diplomacy is successful when it doesn't allow the enemy to find more allies against it. Unfortunately our enemies are increasing."
The political jousting comes after several signs that Iranians – and Khamenei – appeared to have been trying to rein in the most vocal hard-liners, led by Ahmadinejad. The president's allies were trounced in elections last December, while rival Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani – a former president and head of the powerful Expediency Council – did very well.
Mr. Rafsanjani was further elevated in September to head the Experts Assembly, which can oust the supreme leader, but so far there has been little moderating affect on the president.
It's becoming more difficult to predict Iran's course, says Farhi. "We are dealing with extremely contested political terrain. Players are involved in a very intense process of making decisions that both create consensus about foreign policy [while] not losing their political position.
"That creates a very fluid dynamic," she says, "that does not allow us to talk about trends."
Iran's New Nuclear Negotiator
Saeed Jalili – The man named to replace Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani could present the West with a harder line in its row over Tehran's atomic ambitions.
• Born in 1965 in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad, Jalili, like President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is a veteran of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war. He has a PhD in political science.
• Jalili became director-general of the office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's top authority, in 2001.
• After the 2005 presidential election, he became an adviser to Mr. Ahmadinejad. The same year, he was appointed deputy foreign minister for European and American affairs.
• He has traveled to Europe in recent weeks to discuss Iran's work plan with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
• Diplomats who have met Jalili say he expresses strongly held convictions and sticks firmly to his position. One diplomat said he "specializes in monologue" rather than debate.
Source: Reuters
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