Grandson of Iranian Leader Calls for U.S. Intervention

catzmeow · #1 (**permalink**) 06-21-2006, 08:44 AM

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...18/ixnews.html

Quote:

The grandson of Ayatollah Khomeini, the inspiration of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, has broken a three-year silence to back the United States military to overthrow the country's clerical regime.

Hossein Khomeini's call is all the more startling as he made it from Qom, the spiritual home of Iran's Shia strand of Islam, during an interview to mark the 17th anniversary of the ayatollah's death.

"My grandfather's revolution has devoured its children and has strayed from its course," he told Al-Arabiya, an Arabic-language television station. "I lived through the revolution and it called for freedom and democracy - but it has persecuted its leaders."

He also made clear his opposition to Teheran's alleged development of a secret nuclear weapons programme. "Iran will gain real power if freedom and democracy develop there," he said. "Strength will not be obtained through weapons and the bomb."

Mr Khomeini, 47, is a Shia cleric, but he believes that the holy men who have run the country since 1979 - to whom he dismissively refers as "wearers of the turban" - abused their power following the overthrow of the Shah.

Any predictions as to how long he will be allowed to live?

juggalo6772 · #2 (**permalink**) 06-21-2006, 12:36 PM

He will be allowed to live for his show trial and thats about it.

DuH2 · #3 (**permalink**) 06-21-2006, 01:00 PM

Quote:

The Dubai-based satellite channel's website spelt out his backing for armed intervention by America, a country excoriated as the Great Satan by his grandfather and Iran's current rulers.

It stated: "As for his call to President Bush to come and occupy Iran, Hossein Khomeini explained that 'freedom must come to Iran in any possible way, whether through internal or external developments.

If you were a prisoner, what would you do? I want someone to break the prison [doors open]'."

raytri · #4 (**permalink**) 06-21-2006, 02:06 PM

This isn't new -- he did it in 2003 -- and there's no reason to assume that the grandson shares the same viewpoint as the grandfather.

But pretty cool. He'll be allowed to live, I think, because of who he is. But he will be even more firmly muzzled than he has been up until now.

Edit: To be clear, I think it's cool to have more and more voices being raised against the regime. I do *not* think we should invade Iran.

Rebellion · #5 (**permalink**) 06-21-2006, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raytri";p=&quot

I do *not* think we should invade Iran.

raytri · #6 (**permalink**) 06-21-2006, 02:17 PM

LOL!

And not China, either.

quiller · #7 (**permalink**) 06-21-2006, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rebellion";p=&quot

Quote:

Originally Posted by raytri";p=&quot

I do *not* think we should invade Iran.

Syria needs a Hallmark carpet-bombing, soonest. Iran can wait.

Rebellion · #8 (**permalink**) 06-22-2006, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raytri";p=&quot

LOL!

And not China, either.

how about North Korea? Plllleeeeaaasssseeee!

raytri · #9 (**permalink**) 06-22-2006, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rebellion";p=&quot

how about North Korea? Plllleeeeaaasssseeee!

Maybe. If you're good.

nonsqtr · #10 (**permalink**) 06-22-2006, 08:30 AM

Gee, maybe if we invaded Upper Slobobia, all the terrorists would flock there. Then we wouldn't have to deal with them "here at home", and we wouldn't have to deal with them in Iraq either. Then we could just grab our oil and go home. Wouldn't that be a brilliant piece of misdirection?

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