Behind the scenes; news lost in the sensationalism of Green New York, Holocaust Denial & Nuclear "secrecy" of Ahmadinejad

I insist, that this "new nuclear site", a fact of which IAEA was made aware last week, but the flag was waved only AFTER Ahmadinejad's UN speech is a smoke screen.

What is happening behind the scenes?

Last week, The Assembly of Experts had its first meeting, and issued a statement in ABSOLUTE support of and subordination to the supreme leader--raising eyebrows, since this body is responsible for overlooking the conduct of the supreme leader and equipped with a vote to impeach him, should he stray from the path of justice and faith that are, constitutionally, the strict requirements of Vali-e Fagih.

The other sensational "controversy" was that this statement was read in the absence of Hashemi Rafsanjani, the HEAD of the Assembly of Experts; raising speculations that he was further sidelined, and that he disagreed with the blanketing support the Assembly was giving to the Leader, Khamenei. This is of course not true. Because Hashemi's web site has published pictures of an amicable meeting between the Assembly members and Khamenei; with Hashemi sitting at the right hand of Khamenei; and also speaking to the assembly. He later issued a statement that it is not the Assembly of Expert, but the expediency council that will be looking into an exit strategy from the current crisis.

There was a little "rumor" yesterday, on Deutsche Welle that a "special committee of expert is examining the option of getting rid of Ahmadinejad and replacing him with a Right wing conservative, Ghalibaf". Ghalibaf was a contender of presidential election in 2005, is an ardent supporter of Khamenei, hates Ahmadinejad's guts--as tape recorded in a private meeting--and is a relatively liked mayor of Tehran, thus likely to calm down the inflamed capitol. Someone (I cannot now recall who) speculated three possibilities that will get rid of Ahmadinejad, while saving the regime's face:

His voluntary resignation

His death or illness

His parliamentary impeachment

In fact, there may be some truth to this rumor, and Mohsen Rezayee, the secretary of the Expediency Council--headed by Hashemi Rafsanjani--seems to be spearheading this commission-or is at least buzzing about it publicly. I believe the last option, impeachment, is the most realistic; and the most likely one. I have a feeling the clergy has come to the conclusion that to save their own skin, they have to scape goat this man--who has been but a pain in their neck; undermining them at all cost and at any chance. The anti-clerical project of Ahmadinejad has become more clear to the establishment.

As I mentioned earlier in the week, after the ban on media to publish anything (good) about Khatami, Mousavi, Karoubi; or any criticism about the election results (a rule that excludes the slander machinery of the government including Keyhan News Paper and False News and IRIB--who have been continuously spreading lies) the media's criticism of the government has shifted to numbers. Different reports are exposing Ahmadinejad's unconstitutional economic policies (ilna.ir), or over 25 billion dollars discrepancy between oil-revenue figures reported by Ahmadinejad's Central bank and Ahmadinejad's Ministry of Oil (tabnak.ir), falsification of economic statistics caught by the parliament's audit unit (abrar news), reducing unemployment rates by statistical manipulation (sarmayeh.net), or government's role in rice crisis--the government crushing local rice production while facilitating importation of cheap and toxic rice.

But what is strengthening the theory of impeachment is a report that "The City of Tehran will audit the accounts of Tehran Mayor between years 2003-2005". These are the years that Ahmadinejad was Tehran mayor. The controversial case of over 300 million dollars (300 billion toman, in IR currency) missing from Ahmadinejad's account books is now reopened for investigation.(etemaad.ir)

Others seem to smell a pact between Hahsemi and Khamenei as well.

With all economic and political troubles that await him at home, he needs the limelight of Holocaust Denial circus; or the macabre of the new nuclear site.