Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Syrian President Bashar Assad (AP)
"Beset by internal problems and the failure of his economic policies, Ahmadinejad revels in being an international outcast and provocateur."Ahmadinejad might be petty and cruel, but he is far from having enough authority to be Iran’s dictator. The true levers of power in Iran rest with a group of unelected clerics, and particularly the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. …
Iran’s president is not powerless, but it’s important to understand that Ahmadinejad cannot dictate his country’s nuclear policies or its relationship with the West. By demonizing Ahmadinejad and reacting to his every provocative remark, the West has improved his stature and helped him consolidate perhaps more power than he would have amassed on his own.
There is a more pragmatic way for the West to deal with Ahmadinejad: Ignore him. Access the full article>>
