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Article: Ex-Iranian President Criticizes Ayatollah; Open Letter Faults Supreme Leader for Not Censuring Ahmadinejad Over 'Lies'
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- June 10, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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Three days before Iranians go to the polls to elect a president,
one of the country's most powerful clerics, Ali Akbar Hashemi
Rafsanjani, issued an open letter on Tuesday complaining that the
country's supreme leader has remained silent in the face of
"insults, lies and false allegations" by incumbent President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad.
The unusual letter reflects the intensity of the Iranian election
campaign, laying bare the deep political rifts and sore feelings
within the country's leadership. It is rare for senior Iranian
clerics to publicly criticize the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei.
Rafsanjani's letter came a week after a bare-knuckled, televised
debate between Ahmadinejad and ...