Iran Concerned West Will Benefit From Arab Uprisings

[alp227]

Source: The New York Times

Iran’s supreme leader admonished the West and Israel on Wednesday not to seek advantage from the antigovernment uprisings convulsing the Arab Muslim world, delivering the warning in a nationally broadcast speech that appeared to reflect new unease in Tehran over the course of events among its strategic neighbors, particularly Syria.

The speech by the leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, given at Tehran University to commemorate Id al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday, was officially described in Iran’s state-run press as a respectful tribute to the revolutionary movements that have reawakened Muslim populations to “their genuine Islamic identity.”

But the speech included a cautionary caveat that suggested Iranian leaders are worried about the possibility of outcomes that diminish their influence as these movements progress.

“The events taking place in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, Libya, Bahrain and certain other countries today are decisive and destiny making for the Muslim nations,” the ayatollah said. However, he said, “if the imperialist and hegemonic powers and Zionism, including the U.S. tyrannical and despotic regime, manage to use the ongoing conditions in their own favor, the world of Islam will definitely face big problems for tens of years.”

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/01/world/middleeast/01tehran.html

[onpatrol98]

1. Yawn...

He's just nervous that his country will toss him next.

[Demeter]

2. Not likely

Look at the messes in Iraq and Afghanistan. We are incompetent crooks, at best. Our ignorance is only outweighed by our arrogance, our supply lines are too long, and the corporate graft is too damn costly. Our military are not trained to loot, nor to facilitate looting. All in all, we make lousy imperialists.

[No Elephants]

7. +1 Maybe he hasn't seen our balance sheet?

[krispos42]

3. It's also possible that Arabs will benefit from Arab uprisings.

At least, if we can keep Big Oil and the MIC out of the mix.

[Johnyawl]

4. Too late.

if we can keep Big Oil and the MIC out of the mix. Hell, we can't even keep them out of our politics.

[LetTimmySmoke]

5. The GOP shares their concern.

[McCamy Taylor]

6. ROFLMA. The Clerics are worried that their oil will go down in price if markets to the west open up.

They would prefer to see secular dictators remain in power? Doesn't sound very much like the will of Allah to me. Sounds more like what I would expect from the Saud Family. Power corrupts anyone it seems, even those who claim to be holy men.

[Odin2005]

8. Ahma-nutjob is just worried that the Iranians will throw HIM out.

Along with his puppet-master Khamenei. and the rest of Iran's theocratic aristocracy.