IRAN ELECTIONS: FOR THESE MASHHAD TRUCKERS, IT'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000687

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/IR AND SCA/CEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/02/2019
TAGS: IR PGOV PHUM PREL TX
SUBJECT: IRAN ELECTIONS: FOR THESE MASHHAD TRUCKERS, IT'S
"AHMADINEJAD, ENSHALLAH"

ASHGABAT 00000687 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Richard Miles.
Reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (C) In conversations with Iran Watcher near the
Turkmenistan/Uzbekistan border last week, a dozen or so
Iranian truckers, most coming from the northern city of
Mashhad, voiced strong and nearly unanimous support for
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iran's upcoming presidential election.
We spoke with drivers at several locations near Ferab,
including at truck stops and cafes, as well as from a line of
trucks waiting to cross into Uzbekistan.

"THE REGIME LIKES AHMADINEJAD"


2. (C) Khodaberdi, a friendly ethnic Turkmen driver from the
northern province of Golestan who was traveling with his son,
did not express support for any one candidate, but predicted
with certainty that Ahmadinejad would be re-elected. "He has
the most supporters," he said, "People think he's best for
the country now, but most importantly, the regime likes him.
They'll put him back in office." He added that, in his view,
the American and Iranian people have "no problems" and "very
friendly" feelings towards each other, but that rapprochement
between the two governments may take time: "America has its
agenda, and Iran, too, has an agenda," he opined. Like
everyone we encountered, he insisted on serving us a cold
drink from his truck's cooler. He noted that President Obama
is well-liked in Iran, and is "much better than his
predecessor," he said, whom he characterized as too "jangju"
(bellicose).


3. (C) A couple of Mashhad drivers eating lunch next to their
rigs near the border beckoned us to join them. They had a
more serious demeanor, and answered unequivocally when we
asked who they support. "It will be Ahmadinejad enshallah.
He has helped people all over the country, especially in
rural areas," one said. "Did you know that he has given
stipends to every Iranian? He has given out eighty dollars
to every person. It comes from our oil money. This is why
everyone supports him." They also noted that "so far,"
Iranians have a positive view of President Obama, again
invoking the term "jangju" to describe President Bush.

FANS OF AHMADINEJAD (AND SCHWARZENEGGER FILMS)


4. (C) At a truck stop and guest house frequented exclusively
by Iranians near Turkmenabad on the road to Mary, we spoke to
a group of drivers gathered in one room to rest before
continuing the drive to Mazar Sharif in Afghanistan. They
were all from Mashhad, and explained that drivers from that
area prefer to take the delivery routes to northern
Afghanistan given their proximity to Turkmenistan, which they
can transit relatively easy to reach their destination. In
the room, several men were lounging on beds watching an
Indian film dubbed in Persian, one was praying, and others
sat around a plastic table (where a large, empty "Baltica 3"
beer bottle also sat) drinking tea.


5. (C) Ali, in his late thirties, with a piercing gaze and
wearing an expensive-looking gold watch, said that "without
doubt" Ahmadinejad will be re-elected. "He is the best man
for Iran and has proved that during the last four years."
Mohammad, a pleasant, rotund man with a wife and two
daughters back in Mashhad, agreed, saying, "Mousavi might
also be fine, but Ahmadinejad has proven himself and has the
experience of one term behind him. There is no reason to
vote for anyone else." When asked about the United States,
Ali said, "Things should be much improved for Iran under
President Obama. Iranians question why America got involved
in two wars and caused so much destruction in Iraq and
Afghanistan." He spoke in detail about U.S. military action
in both countries in a manner that was chronologically
precise, demonstrating that he was well-informed on
international affairs. He went on, however, to describe the
Taliban as "illiterate" and "savages." He noted that on his
travels to Afghanistan, people there had told him of their
disappointment with America, which had "promised to help the

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people and rebuild the country if they got rid of the
Taliban." Mohammad also mentioned Iranians' displeasure with
America's "blind support" for Israel. "If an American or an
Israeli is killed anywhere in the world," he said, "America
protests angrily, and yet when a child is killed in Gaza or
the West Bank, they don't seem to care."


6. (C) When the discussions turned to movies (Iran Watcher
mentioned her liking for Iranian films),a man lounging on
one of the beds looked up and said, "America makes the best
movies in the world, especially the ones with Arnold
Schwarzenegger." Another very good movie, he said, is
"'Mohammad, Prophet of God', with Anthony Quinn" (referring
to Moustapha Akkad's 1976 film "The Message"). Several
others in the room nodded, "Yes, that was a great movie,"
they agreed.

AMERICA AND IRAN: "A QUARREL BETWEEN TWO BROTHERS"


7. (C) In the evening, after the crossing had closed, we
spoke at length to Mustafa, a driver in his early fifties
with a wide smile who resides in Mashhad with his wife and
three children. He was on his way to Tajikistan to deliver a
load of Iranian paper products. Have driven loads from Iran
to Central Asia since the fall of the USSR, he has learned a
fair amount of Russian to get by during his travels. Mustafa
went about an elaborate process of preparing tea for us,
sweetened with crystallized sugar beets, which involved
heating the water on a small propane stove and achieving the
perfect balance between brewed tea and hot water. His simple
demeanor, however, belied a rather philosophic outlook on his
country and its relations with the world. "Everyone is
always talking about the importance of freedom for Iran," he
said, "but is freedom really just a question of being able to
drink alcohol or not to wear the hijab? In many ways, the
Islamic Republic has been a good thing for Iran. Before the
revolution, we were forever dominated by either the United
States or Britain. Look at us now. We are self-sufficient,
and our industries are very advanced. Freedom is about being
able to move forward on your own two feet."


8. (C) Mustafa went on to expand on the notion of "personal
security" as integral to freedom. "America and Europe both
sound like wonderful, modern societies," he said, "but there
is so much crime. Everyday, I read about people in America
who killed someone because they have lost everything in the
financial crisis. In Mashhad, where my daughter goes to
university, I feel secure because I know that she can go to
and from school in safety -- no one will hurt her." He said
that it is "likely" that Ahmadinejad will be re-elected.
"Nevertheless," he said, "Moussavi also has a chance." On
the subject of rapprochement, he believes that Obama and the
next Iranian president will manage to "work things out."
"It's just like between two brothers -- even they sometimes
quarrel, don't they?" Before we left, he insisted on serving
us some homemade liquor he had stashed in his cooler, but it
was getting late and we needed to move on.


9. (C) COMMENT: There was resounding support for Ahmadinejad
among this group of Iranians, which is not particularly
surprising in view of their socioeconomic backgrounds and
what we know about Ahmadinejad's followers in general. As
our conversations also showed, it would be a mistake to
assume that any Iranian, including a truck driver, is not
well-informed about U.S. foreign policy or the history of its
relations with Iran. END COMMENT.
MILES