Wednesday
Jul292009
More than "Velvet Revolution": The Battle Within Iran's Intelligence Ministry
Wednesday, July 29, 2009 at 12:53
The Latest from Iran (29 July): Challenges Outside and Inside the Government
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In a week filled with confusions, intrigues, and confrontations within the Ahmadinejad Government, this may be the most extraordinary story of all.
On Monday afternoon, the pro-Green Movement website Mowj-e-Sabz announced, "Coup in the Ministry of Intelligence". While public attention was focused on the President's firing of his Minister of Intelligence, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejeie, there was much more happening below the headlines. Two Deputy Ministers and a number of experts --- Mowj-e-Sabz claimed more than 20 --- had been "forced into retirement".
The cause? Ministry officials had been told to compile a report, based on files and interviews of detainees, on whether the quest for a "velvet revolution" by outsiders was responsible for post-election conflict. Their investigations produced the answer: No. There was no proof that "foreign" elements had instigated the protests as part of a plan for regime change.
It was an answer that did not satisfy President Ahmadinejad. He dismissed the Vice Ministers of Intelligence and of Counter-Intelligence. According to Mowj-e-Sabz and other press reports, established a parallel service, "Tehran Intelligence", led by Hojatoleslam Ahmad Salek and Hojatoleslam Hossein Ta'eb, both of whom are affiliated to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Was this dispute over the "velvet revolution", rather than the Cabinet argument over the First Vice President, the real reason for Minister of Intelligence Ejeie's dismissal? Does the replacement of Ministry officials by activists close to the Revolutionary Guard, combined by Ahmadinejad's assertion that the Ministry reports to him rather than the Supreme Leader, constitute a "coup" by the President and the IRGC against their own Government?
I'm not sure I would go so far as to answer "Yes". But I do think that the irony is that any notion of an outside "velvet revolution" has been overtaken by an inside bureaucratic war. How far this war spreads could define the next phase of the post-election challenge to the Iranian system.
Receive our latest updates by email or RSS SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FEED
Buy Us A Cup of Coffee? Help Enduring America Expand Its Coverage and Analysis
In a week filled with confusions, intrigues, and confrontations within the Ahmadinejad Government, this may be the most extraordinary story of all.On Monday afternoon, the pro-Green Movement website Mowj-e-Sabz announced, "Coup in the Ministry of Intelligence". While public attention was focused on the President's firing of his Minister of Intelligence, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejeie, there was much more happening below the headlines. Two Deputy Ministers and a number of experts --- Mowj-e-Sabz claimed more than 20 --- had been "forced into retirement".
The cause? Ministry officials had been told to compile a report, based on files and interviews of detainees, on whether the quest for a "velvet revolution" by outsiders was responsible for post-election conflict. Their investigations produced the answer: No. There was no proof that "foreign" elements had instigated the protests as part of a plan for regime change.
It was an answer that did not satisfy President Ahmadinejad. He dismissed the Vice Ministers of Intelligence and of Counter-Intelligence. According to Mowj-e-Sabz and other press reports, established a parallel service, "Tehran Intelligence", led by Hojatoleslam Ahmad Salek and Hojatoleslam Hossein Ta'eb, both of whom are affiliated to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Was this dispute over the "velvet revolution", rather than the Cabinet argument over the First Vice President, the real reason for Minister of Intelligence Ejeie's dismissal? Does the replacement of Ministry officials by activists close to the Revolutionary Guard, combined by Ahmadinejad's assertion that the Ministry reports to him rather than the Supreme Leader, constitute a "coup" by the President and the IRGC against their own Government?
I'm not sure I would go so far as to answer "Yes". But I do think that the irony is that any notion of an outside "velvet revolution" has been overtaken by an inside bureaucratic war. How far this war spreads could define the next phase of the post-election challenge to the Iranian system.
Reader Comments (11)
[...] More than “Velvet Revolution”: The Battle Within Iran’s Intelligence Ministry | En... More than “Velvet Revolution”: The Battle Within Iran’s Intelligence Ministry Posted by: [...]
Speaking of irony, dismissing unsatisfactory intelligence and those who provide it is not limited to the regime in Iran, but was practiced by regimes who had hoped for the fall of Iran's regime
Amy,
Now you wouldn't be referring to Mr Rumsfeld (bless his soul), would you?
S.
Oh, I think we can look on up the food chain
[...] 29/07/2009 –More than “Velvet Revolution”: The Battle Within Iran’s Intelligence Ministry [...]
Prrretty interesting! :-)
After reading your article, I tried in vain to find Mowj-e-Sabz “Coup in the Ministry of Intelligence”. (quote in original) Please pass along the link for this announcement. I would appreciate that!
Hi Mehran!
Here is the link to the "Coup in the Ministry of Intelligence" in Farsi, published by Mizan News:
http://www.mizannews.ir/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=720:-l-r-&catid=12:2009-05-22-06-56-16
The site of Mowj Sabz is obviously hacked: http://www.mowjsabz.ir/mowj/
[...] Verabschiedet worden sind plötzlich: the head of preventive forces, the head of the traffic section, and the head of airport police [...]
@Scott Lucas says
You Said:
"Now you wouldn’t be referring to Mr Rumsfeld (bless his soul), would you?"
I say: Your F$%#n crazy, Rumsfeld is most likely the devil himself when hes not manifesting himself as Bill O'riley.
[...] More than “Velvet Revolution”: The Battle Within Iran’s Intelligence Ministry [...]