I’ve received two nastygrams from the Supreme Leader in the past few days, for which I am most grateful. First, making a brief, menacing and decidedly live appearance before a military audience, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei remarked, “Enemies of the Islamic system fabricated various rumors about death and health to demoralize the Iranian nation.” Actually I thought the news would have brought considerable uplift to the Iranian people, but no matter, I fully accept his point. He’s still with us. My source (and several others, by the way, who in recent days have insisted he was dead) was wrong, and I won’t use him or the others again. Then The S.L. continued, referring to me and the others who believed my source: “but they did not know that they are not dealing with only one person in Iran. They are facing a nation.”
It’s not what I would call a ringing assertion of health. Quite the contrary, in fact. It reads like a message to the troops along the lines of “Yes, I’m very ill but the Islamic Republic will survive me.” The first part of which is certainly true, and the second very likely to be true, given the depressing lack of a serious Iran policy in any Western country.
A couple of days later, his favorite publication, Baztab, tried to out me. Interestingly, it’s not particularly Islamic in tone or content, it’s rather more like Lyndon Larouche or the moonbat web sites. Baztab trots out various discredited nonsense from years past. They say I was involved in forging the Niger documents–a favorite of drooling lefties and former CIA officials such as Vincent Cannistraro that has long since been proven false. They say I am an ally of the Mujahidin Khalq, an organization I have always condemned and with which I have no relationship whatsoever. And they claim to have found my source for the Khamenei-is-dead story: my old friend Manoucher Ghorbanifar, as always misdescribed as an arms merchant. In fact, I wish I had listened to Ghorbanifar when he told me the story was false. Elsewhere–see Gateway Pundit, linked above–I am misdescribed as being very close to the Bush Administration (very droll; I can barely get in the door, even to old friends, let alone exert my nefarious influence).
I think this means I won’t be invited to Tehran in the near future. Nonetheless, as I said at the beginning, I’m grateful for the attention, just as I was grateful a generation ago when a leading Soviet publication described me as “an enemy of the Soviet people.” I’d be ashamed if they considered me their friend.
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11 Comments
1. Jim Hoft:I figured the accusations were bogus. Thanks for confirming.
Feb 11, 2007 - 12:00 pm 2. DD:It might have stung to be misled by your sources, but at least Negroponte had it worse. Backed by his multitude of intel minions, he made sure everyone in the world knew that Fidel Castro was dying of cancer.
Then Fidel showed up looking pretty good, and the whole CIA-intel community was discredited. A few people knew the real story all along, but were not in a position of influence.
At least you were very clear about your reliance on your sources. You did the best you could with the resources you had, and that’s better than a whole lot of people in the field.
Feb 11, 2007 - 1:16 pm 3. a Duoist:The lightning rod that attracts the hits is the one which saves the house. Otherwise, it’s known as ‘leadership.’
Keep it going, Doc’.
Feb 11, 2007 - 4:56 pm 4. Frieda:congratulations! it’s good to be the Mullahs’ enemy. You are in the right place.
Feb 11, 2007 - 11:22 pm 5. Winston:Many wished you were really really close to Bush and had his ears. but, ALAS, u dont and it is not good. I mean you could really be helpful in bringing down the regime that way. And many Iranians are glad you are on their side. Thanks for every thing
Feb 12, 2007 - 12:04 am 6. Frieda:Obama on Iran (60 minutes interview):
Asked if he would talk to Iran and Syria, Obama says, “Yes. The notion that this administration has that not talking to our enemies is effective punishment is wrong. It flies in the face of our experience during the Cold War. And Ronald Reagan understood that it may be an evil empire, but it’s worthwhile for us to periodically meet to see are there areas of common interest.”
ay ay ay, another one craving to talk to Iran..and the journilst did not even bother to ask him a follow up question!!! what are you going to talk about with Iran?
Feb 12, 2007 - 1:37 am 7. Azad Andish:The news proved to be wrong as far as Khamenei’s death was concerned but as to his health’s situation many people here in Iran say that his bouffant face ( I don’t know if I am using the correct English word. I mean -puffed- anyways ) means he is heavily on cortisones. Even in his first appearance after you spread the news he seemed to have used makeup on his face. Even Fars News Agency confirmed a few days later that he had had a bad flu / cold. If it was not true that h’d been in a critical situation what was the need for Fars News Agency to justify his long absence?
Feb 12, 2007 - 5:42 am 8. MarcH:Previously he used to always talk to a group of people ( almost everyday ) on any minor occassions but during the recent weeks he is showing off only twice.Even Rafsanjani in his recent visit to Qom said that the Council of Experts
will be in a position to nominate leader’s substitute.Why does he say this just now that there are rumours about leader’s health?
Khamenei must have passed a critical situation temporarily and this is why his websites are gradually ( and quite conservatively ) speaking about his health.They could not show him soon after the rumour because he was quite down.
By the way, thank you for throwing the stone in Satan’s nest. He had to show himself and we could see how pale, energy-less and confused he is.
Even a usually reliable source can sometimes “scr*w the pooch”. No difference whether it’s a source into the corner drug dealer or the mullahs. No big deal.
You nailed the big issue a long time ago: WoT is a regional war against radical Islamic/Arab nationalist actors such as Iraq, Iran, Syria, KoSA, Hamas, Hezbo’s, etc.
Your laurels are intact, IMHO.
Feb 12, 2007 - 7:21 am 9. Chris:It isn’t the “arm dealer” you’re involved with, its the leg dealer. I hear the body-parts market is pretty profitable these days. I’m just surprised they didn’t call you one of those heinous Holocaust affirmers and an all-around filthy American. The propaganda from them would be as funny as Baghdad Bob if they weren’t so frightening.
Feb 12, 2007 - 9:49 am 10. Terje:Talk to Iran?
Before you answer that question please consider the following quote….
“Islam was founded on the Laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Quran, that all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them (a.k.a kill, murder, etc.) wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as Prisoners, and that every Muslim who should be slain in battle was sure to go to Paradise.”- -Haji Abdul Rahman Adja, the ambassador to Britain from the “Dey of Algiers.”, 1805
That quote came in response to a question by Thomas Jefferson & John Adams, ambassadors to France and Britain respectfully, asking the Algerian ambassador why his people had so much hostility towards Americans.
For years the American government paid Muslims millions of dollars for the safe passage of American ships or the return of American hostages, but not long after Jefferson’s inauguration in 1801, he changed the “tone” of the US’ relationship with the “Barbary Pirates” from the Barbary Coast of North Africa. He dispatched the USS Constitution, USS Constellation, USS Philadelphia, USS Chesapeake, USS Argus, USS Syren and USS Intrepid to the Mediterranean. Time for “talk” and “tributes” was over.
Jefferson was opposed, proposing a settlement of the issue “through the medium of war.” What transpired next is referenced in the words “…to the shores of Tripoli” mentioned in the Marine Corps Hymn and consummated in the extremists no longer attacking America.
Instead of USS Constitution the US sends USS Constellation, instead of USS Stennis, the US dispatched USS Eisenhower and the Pentagon will soon announce another-a third US aircraft carrier task force will be sent to the Persian Gulf.
Feb 12, 2007 - 10:20 am 11. Dan:Time for talk & tribute are over.
The muslims that attacked us then and are attacking us now are NOT “extremists.” They’re ORTHODOX muslims.
Their behavior is fully consistent with the tenets of their “faith.” I placed faith in quotation marks because I concur with St. Thomas Aquinas, who concluded that islam was NOT a religion, but rather that is a political creed. And Aquinas is one of about 20 men and women termed “Doctors of the Church.” And you don’t get that title by being an idiot.
As the President’s war efforts in Iraq are stultified because of his failure to take account of Tehran, so will our our wider war effort be stultified if we fail to take account of islam. And continual repetitions that “islam is peace” is NOT taking account of islam.
Feb 12, 2007 - 2:05 pm