Here he was on top of the heap, and all that can be said is What a Downfall!!!
Iran's Ahmadinejad dodges court date
As the former president slips into political obscurity, he becomes a convenient scapegoat for those still in power, this time in a court case
Tehran Bureau correspondents
theguardian.com, Monday 2 December 2013 05.14 EST
The "end of times" was a constant theme for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who often said that setting the stage for the second coming of the Mahdi - a messianic figure in Twelver Shiism - was the ultimate spiritual aim of his eight-year presidency. While the tightened sociocultural atmosphere of his reign ensured that this belief was never publicly ridiculed, his critics often joked behind closed doors that the 57-year-old hardliner had come dangerously close to achieving his goal.
With the economy in shambles and state coffers hemorrhaging cash, voices from both inside Iran's power structure and the public are demanding that Ahmadinejad be held culpable for the opulent spending and obstinate political maneuvering that eventually caused him to lock horns with the regime's most influential players, including supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But as the new moderate president Hassan Rouhani grows increasingly critical of his predecessor against the background of an opaque criminal trial, Ahmadinejad's case is also raising new questions regarding the rule of law and the accountability of Iran's political leaders.
To continue reading, go to:
Iran's Ahmadinejad dodges court date | World news | theguardian.com
Iran's Ahmadinejad dodges court date
As the former president slips into political obscurity, he becomes a convenient scapegoat for those still in power, this time in a court case
Tehran Bureau correspondents
theguardian.com, Monday 2 December 2013 05.14 EST
The "end of times" was a constant theme for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who often said that setting the stage for the second coming of the Mahdi - a messianic figure in Twelver Shiism - was the ultimate spiritual aim of his eight-year presidency. While the tightened sociocultural atmosphere of his reign ensured that this belief was never publicly ridiculed, his critics often joked behind closed doors that the 57-year-old hardliner had come dangerously close to achieving his goal.
With the economy in shambles and state coffers hemorrhaging cash, voices from both inside Iran's power structure and the public are demanding that Ahmadinejad be held culpable for the opulent spending and obstinate political maneuvering that eventually caused him to lock horns with the regime's most influential players, including supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But as the new moderate president Hassan Rouhani grows increasingly critical of his predecessor against the background of an opaque criminal trial, Ahmadinejad's case is also raising new questions regarding the rule of law and the accountability of Iran's political leaders.
To continue reading, go to:
Iran's Ahmadinejad dodges court date | World news | theguardian.com
