Iran Sick of Its Old Guard, Too

Oct. 27 2008, Published 7:07 a.m. ET

Just like so many Democrats in America intent on ushering out an accomplished old guard, many Iranians have had it with the aging revolutionaries who led the charge in making their country an Islamic theocracy in 1979. Many of these veteran clerics—some of whom have softened in their anti-Western views and expressed an openness to democratic reforms—have been pushed aside in favor of younger hardliners who are not members of the clergy but are decidedly more steadfast in their anti-Western views. Says one young parliament member: "For the last 30 years we have seen the same names in Iranian politics. It was natural that clerics took control of the country's affairs after they led the revolution, but as time goes by it's natural that younger non-clerics take over." The power shift is said to benefit Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is now sleeping much more soundly in his adorable little shoebox bed underneath the sink in Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's bathroom. Washington Post