Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

President of Iran

Since 2005

The President of Iran, who is currently Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is the highest official elected by direct popular vote in the country; he does not control foreign policy or the armed forces. He is elected for a 4 year term and can be re-elected for one additional 4 year term. The president is subordinate or secondary only to the Supreme Leader of Iran who is the highest ranking political and religious authority in the Republic who also functions as the country’s head of state.

According to the constitution the president is responsible for the “functions of the executive”, such as signing treaties, agreements etc. with other countries and international organizations; he is responsible for national planning and the budget as well as the state’s employment affairs such as appointing ministers, governors, and ambassadors, however all of these appointments are subject to the approval of the parliament.

Ahmadinejad has been a controversial figure both within Iran and internationally since his initial election. He has been criticized locally or within Iran for his economic lapses and his complete disregard for human rights. He launched a gas rationing plan in 2007 to reduce the country's fuel consumption, and cut the interest rates that private and public banking facilities could charge. He strongly supports Iran's nuclear energy program. His election to a second term in 2009 was broadly disputed and caused widespread protests domestically and drew significant international criticism.

Shortly after being elected president, several western media outlets published claims that Ahmadinejad was among the students who stormed the US embassy in Tehran, sparking the Iran hostage crisis which began on November 4, 1979 and lasted for 444 days, ending on January 20, 1981. This claim has been denied by the Iranian government and his Iranian opposition; plus a CIA investigation into the matter showed no such evidence.

His 2005 presidential campaign, supported by the Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran (a right-wing alliance of various political parties and organizations), amassed 62% of the runoff election (kind of like a General election) vote, thus establishing his Presidency beginning on  August 3, 2005. His re-election in 2009 was caught up in alleged voting fraud which further decreased his popularity in-country as well as in the international community.    

I have searched the annals of the internet information that might suggest a pleasant but perhaps misunderstood Ahmadinejad, to no avail. I have reached the conclusion that the man is somehow most satisfied when he sparks hostility, directed at himself and his remarkable country, especially from the international community.

Case in point, during a recent speech (September 2011) at the United Nations in New York, he stated that the destruction of the Twin Towers in September of 2001 was “a mystery” apparently suggesting the US Government was somehow responsible; further he insinuated that the Zionist community was somehow responsible for the Korean and Vietnam Wars; and to add insult to injury, he questioned the legitimacy of the reported Holocaust which killed more than 6 million people during WW II.

When considering such outlandish statements coupled with his rather weak argument that while his country has vast deposits of oil, his country still needs more energy, specifically nuclear energy, for most citizens of the world, a alarm is triggered. And let’s not forget his promise to “wipe out” the entire nation of Israel which has the unhappy circumstance of being a Middle East neighbor.

I’m somewhat surprised that he even bothers with the claim to want / need nuclear power capabilities for the generation of electricity, when a more effective “shock” effect to both national and international communities would best be served by simply saying that he wants to nuke the entire region if not the world.

I am not suggesting that only the countries that currently have nuclear capabilities are considered “wise” enough to prevent mutual destruction of man kind; instead I think the time has long passed that the entire world, including but not limited to the United States, Russia, China, India, Pakistan, and Israel (assuming that they really do have nuclear capabilities) establish verifiable programs for divesting themselves of nuclear weapons all together.

Perhaps the good news is that President Ahmadinejad can not run for reelection.  I think a new man is due in 2013.  I’m betting that the good folks of Iran will elect an individual who is at least perceived as being a more reasonable and responsible president next time.  After all, isn’t that the theory behind all democratic elections, “do better next time”?

Sources ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Iran

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Leader_of_Iran                          http://socialcorruption.com/mahmoud-ahmadinejad-iran-president

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2040653/Mahmoud-Ahmadinejad-UN-speech-Iranian-president-calls-9-11-mystery.html