Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06DUBAI2597
2006-05-09 13:40:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Dubai
Cable title:
DUBAI BUSINESSMAN'S VIEWS ON RAFSANJANI
how-toVZCZCXRO8372 PP RUEHBC RUEHKUK RUEHMOS DE RUEHDE #2597 1291340 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P R 091340Z MAY 06 FM AMCONSUL DUBAI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0305 INFO RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 3261 RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 1465 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBAI 002597
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/9/2031
TAGS: PGOV PREL IR SOCI
SUBJECT: DUBAI BUSINESSMAN'S VIEWS ON RAFSANJANI
CLASSIFIED BY: Jason Davis, Consul General, Dubai , UAE.
REASON: 1.4 (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBAI 002597
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/9/2031
TAGS: PGOV PREL IR SOCI
SUBJECT: DUBAI BUSINESSMAN'S VIEWS ON RAFSANJANI
CLASSIFIED BY: Jason Davis, Consul General, Dubai , UAE.
REASON: 1.4 (d)
1. (C) Mohammed Mohebi, a UAE national businessman and
president-elect of the Young Entrepreneurs Organization (YEO) in
Dubai, told CG over dinner May 2 that his "good friend" Yasser
Rafsanjani (son of Expediency Council Chair and former President
Rafsanjani) had in recent months provided a good deal of insight
into how his father viewed recent developments in Iran.
2. (C) According to Mohebi (whose mother is an LA-based Iranian
national),Rafsanjani believes that he lost last year's
presidential election only because Supreme Leader Khamenei
"stole" it from him by issuing a direct order to the Basij, in
their millions, to vote for Ahmadinejad themselves, and to each
take 10 other Iranians to the polls with them. Khamenei had
allegedly done this because Rafsanjani, flush with
overconfidence in the run-up to the run-off elections against
Ahmadinejad, had alarmed or offended Khamenei by talking too
openly about his vision for his presidency. His fatal mistake,
Rafsanjani purportedly believes, was mentioning to Khamenei that
a day might even come when vilayat al-faqih and the Supreme
Leader position might be unnecessary for Iran. (Rafsanjani's
vision had also included restoring relations with the U.S., but
this was not cited as one of the reasons Khamenei had turned
against him.)
3. (C) Mohebi said it is Rafsanjani's belief that Ahmadinejad
had initially been quite unpopular in Iran, but that his hard
line reaction to escalating international pressure related to
Iran's nuclear program had caused support for him to grow
dramatically (much to Rafsanjani's dismay.) Rafsanjani was
currently "very frustrated" and at a loss as to how to react.
Comment
--------------
4. (C) Much of what Mohebi says tracks with comments from other
Iranians, particularly as regards Ahmadinejad's rise in
popularity and Rafsanjani's inaction. Perhaps predictably, his
comments parallel most closely those of another contact (septel
to follow) who also claims ties to Yasser Rafsanjani.
DAVIS
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/9/2031
TAGS: PGOV PREL IR SOCI
SUBJECT: DUBAI BUSINESSMAN'S VIEWS ON RAFSANJANI
CLASSIFIED BY: Jason Davis, Consul General, Dubai , UAE.
REASON: 1.4 (d)
1. (C) Mohammed Mohebi, a UAE national businessman and
president-elect of the Young Entrepreneurs Organization (YEO) in
Dubai, told CG over dinner May 2 that his "good friend" Yasser
Rafsanjani (son of Expediency Council Chair and former President
Rafsanjani) had in recent months provided a good deal of insight
into how his father viewed recent developments in Iran.
2. (C) According to Mohebi (whose mother is an LA-based Iranian
national),Rafsanjani believes that he lost last year's
presidential election only because Supreme Leader Khamenei
"stole" it from him by issuing a direct order to the Basij, in
their millions, to vote for Ahmadinejad themselves, and to each
take 10 other Iranians to the polls with them. Khamenei had
allegedly done this because Rafsanjani, flush with
overconfidence in the run-up to the run-off elections against
Ahmadinejad, had alarmed or offended Khamenei by talking too
openly about his vision for his presidency. His fatal mistake,
Rafsanjani purportedly believes, was mentioning to Khamenei that
a day might even come when vilayat al-faqih and the Supreme
Leader position might be unnecessary for Iran. (Rafsanjani's
vision had also included restoring relations with the U.S., but
this was not cited as one of the reasons Khamenei had turned
against him.)
3. (C) Mohebi said it is Rafsanjani's belief that Ahmadinejad
had initially been quite unpopular in Iran, but that his hard
line reaction to escalating international pressure related to
Iran's nuclear program had caused support for him to grow
dramatically (much to Rafsanjani's dismay.) Rafsanjani was
currently "very frustrated" and at a loss as to how to react.
Comment
--------------
4. (C) Much of what Mohebi says tracks with comments from other
Iranians, particularly as regards Ahmadinejad's rise in
popularity and Rafsanjani's inaction. Perhaps predictably, his
comments parallel most closely those of another contact (septel
to follow) who also claims ties to Yasser Rafsanjani.
DAVIS