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WikiLeaks

Grand Ayatollah Musavi-Ardebili

According to the Baku source, the wheelchair-bound Ardebili (a former close associate of Ayatollah Khomeini) noted that he is apolitical, and has stayed out of Teheran for seventeen years. He allegedly reminded Khameini that “you sit in the seat of the Imam (Khomeini), and should remain above conflicts between political factions. Ardebili reportedly scolded Khameini for being out of touch with the people as a result of being misled by a coterie of extremists who “lack the people’s support.” This error, he reportedly said, is seriously undermining the Islamic Revolution and Islam, and bringing the long term existence of the Islamic Republic into question.

Source: WikiLeaks

Reference	Created	Classification	Origin
10BAKU107	2010-02-16 12:30	CONFIDENTIAL	Embassy Baku

 

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C O N F I D E N T I A L BAKU 000107

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/17/2020
TAGS: PGOV KISL PHUM AJ IR
SUBJECT: GRAND AYATOLLAH TO KHAMEINI: FREE PRISONERS, MAKE
CLEAR BREAK WITH “FANATICS”

REF: 2009 BAKU 759

Classified By: POL/ECON COUNSELOR ROB GARVERICK, REASONS 1.4 (b) and (d)

Ardebili Meets Khameini
————————

¶1. (C) Iranian source briefed Baku Iran watcher on an
alleged February 9 meeting in Tehran between Supreme Leader
Khameini and Grand Ayatollah Musavi-Ardebili. The source, a
relative by marriage of Ardebili’s, is a longtime Baku Iran
watche contact who has credibly demonstrated access to a
wide range of political contacts in Iran. Sourceclaimed
that his rundown of the meeting was derived from a a meeting
transcript distributed by an Ardebili associate.

¶2. (C) The meeting details are very similar to an account
printed in the opposition blog, “Rah-e-Sabz,” likely derived
from the same source. The meeting details also correlate
closely to a summary provided to Baku Iran watcher on
February 14 by a Najaf-based Hojateleslam Jawad al-Khoei, who
contacted Iran watcher on a separate matter. The
Hojateleslam (who had no knowledge of the Baku source) said
that had been apprised of the meeting on February 11 by a
visiting associate of Ayatollah Ardebili’s son, a friend of
many years (see reftel for more information on al-Khoei).

Alleged Ardebili-Khameini Meeting
———————————-

¶3. (C) According to the Baku source, the wheelchair-bound
Ardebili (a former close associate of Ayatollah Khomeini)
noted that he is apolitical, and has stayed out of Teheran
for seventeen years. He allegedly reminded Khameini that
“you sit in the seat of the Imam (Khomeini), and should
remain above conflicts between political factions. Ardebili
reportedly scolded Khameini for being out of touch with the
people as a result of being misled by a coterie of extremists
who “lack the people’s support.” This error, he reportedly
said, is seriously undermining the Islamic Revolution and
Islam, and bringing the long term existence of the Islamic
Republic into question.

Two Steps to Reconciliation?
—————————-

¶4. (C) To remedy the situation, Ardebili supposedly said,
Khameini should take two steps: order the release of senior
opposition figures and their relatives, and make clear to the
people through his actions that he is not allied with the
fanatic (or any other) faction. In response, Khameini asked
incredulously “How can I release them (after what they have
done)?” Ardebili reportedly replied “I know many of the
arrested people, and know that they are honest. They are not
trying to overthrow you. They want reforms, not to change
the leadership. They did not cause this crisis. I do not
ask you to forgive their actions, I’m just saying they are
honest. My wish is that you release them, separate yourself
from extremists, and listen to the population. If those to
whom you have listened (up to now) were truly wise or had the
support of the people, there would be no crisis, no threat to
the Revolution, and no damage to Islam ) all of which has
happened.”

¶5. (C) Ardebili reportedly added, “I have known you more
than 35 years, and will die soon. These are my two last
wishes.” Ardebili reportedly promised that, if Khameini
takes these two steps, he (Ardebili) will return to Qom and
go “house-to-house” visiting the religious leadership to
obtain a statement of support for Khameini. Khameini then
allegedly said “Please do that,” to which Ardebili replied “I
will, after I see that you are responding to my wishes.”
Khameini then reportedly stared at him silently, and made no
further comments on the issue.

Subsequent Release of Prisoners
——————————-

¶6. (C) The source added that within hours of this meeting
reform figures Ali Reza Beheshti, Mohammed Reza Tajik, and
Mohsen Aminzadeh were released from prison. The source
credited these releases to Ardebili’s intervention, and

opined that they will lead to a domino effect involving many
other releases. He called this meeting “extremely
significant.” He also noted however, without prompting, that
Ayatollah Rafsanjani had also talked to Khameini on the 10th,
after receiving a call from Beheshti’s wife, who was then in
hiding due to fear of arrest. The source said that that
Ayatollah Rafsanjani “gave Khameini an ultimatum” not to
arrest Beheshti’s wife, or other opposition elite relatives
(Note: this account conforms to a report provided by the
British Embassy in Tehran, of which source was unaware. End
Note).

Comment: A Reconciliation by, for, and of the Elite?
——————————————— ——-
¶7. (C) Ardebili’s associates (or others with access to them)
seem to have made a major effort to disseminate details of
the Ardebili-Khameini meeting. Though some details are
undoubtedly spun or left out, the existence of multiple
sources suggests that the meeting did occur along the lines
indicated. What is notable in the accounts received so far
is the apparent emphasis on “reconciling” primarily with an
opposition “elite” consisting of revolutionary veterans and
their relatives. To that extent, it is reminiscent of the
emphasis on persecution of “loyal party people” (as opposed
to non-party members or genuine regime opponents) that was
stressed in the Soviet Union in the wake of Stalin’s regime.
End Comment.

LU