NIAC's Jill Marie Parillo insists that the cleric, contrary to claims, has not cowed to Khamenei:
Very little press reported on Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani’s speech Sunday June 28, and I just don’t buy the analyses that are out there on it. CNN does have a better piece, which is more neutral. Most analyses claim that Rafsanjani is caving to Khamenei. For one, the speech does not sound to me (what I have heard translated into English) like a clear statement in support of Supreme Leader Khamenei, and it’s never a good sign when PressTV claims it to be true.
Rather, Rafsanjani said that he supported Khamenei’s decision to extend the Guardian Council’s time (by 5 days) to consider complaints of election fraud. In some ways this is only confirming that he thinks there was fraud and complaints need to be heard. Coming as no huge surprise, the 12 member Guardian Council confirmed today, after a partial recount, that the election was legal and Ahmadinejad is still President.
Rafsanjani also said Sunday that “suspicious” sources are involved in protests. This does not mean that he has the same perspective as Ahmadinejad and Khamenei, who are stating that “foreign sources” are provoking the unrest. Rafsanjani could be referring to terrorist groups, like the Mujahedin (MEK/MKO) who were blamed by protestors to be behind the bombing of Ayatollah Khomeini’s tomb.
-- CB