Wampum

Ali Khamenei has ordered an investigation into alleged fraud during last Friday’s first, and since Ahmadinejad was credited with more than 50%, only round of the presidential election.

Iran’s state television said today that Ayatollah Khamenei asked the Guardian Council to probe the written allegations of irregularities in the election process made by Mir Hosain Mousavi, Independent Party, and Medhi Karbui, Etemad e Melli party (National Trust), the two reform candidates.

As tehranbureau.com appears to be down, here is the Mousavi letter (english version only).

In the Name of God

Honorable people of Iran

The reported results of the 10th Iranians residential Election are appalling. The people who witnessed the mixture of votes in long lineups know who they have voted for and observe the wizardry of I.R.I.B (State run TV and Radio) and election officials. Now more than ever before they want to know how and by which officials this game plan has been designed. I object fully to the current procedures and obvious and abundant deviations from law on the day of election and alert people to not surrender to this dangerous plot. Dishonesty and corruption of officials as we have seen will only result in weakening the pillars of the Islamic Republic of Iran and empowers lies and dictatorships.

I am obliged, due to my religious and national duties, to expose this dangerous plot and to explain its devastating effects on the future of Iran. I am concerned that the continuation of the current situation will transform all key members of this regime into fabulists in confrontation with the nation and seriously jeopardize them in this world and the next.

I advise all officials to halt this agenda at once before it is too late, return to the rule of law and protect the nation’s vote and know that deviation from law renders them illegitimate. They are aware better than anyone else that this country has been through a grand Islamic revolution and the least message of this revolution is that our nation is alert and will oppose anyone who aims to seize the power against the law.

I use this chance to honor the emotions of the nation of Iran and remind them that Iran, this sacred being, belongs to them and not to the fraudulent. It is you who should stay alert. The traitors to the nation’s vote have no fear if this house of Persians burns in flames. We will continue with our green wave of rationality that is inspired by our religious learnings and our love for prophet Mohammad and will confront the rampage of lies that has appeared and marked the image of our nation. However we will not allow our movement to become blind one.

I thank every citizen who took part in spreading this green message by becoming a campaigner and all official and self organized campaigns, I insist that their presence is essential until we achieve results deserving of our country.

[ verse from in Quran: Why not trust in God, who has shown us our ways. We are patient in face of what disturbs us. Our resilience is in god. ]

Mir Hossein Mousavi

If we had done this for Al Gore (well, we did do this for Al Gore and we've pictures to prove it, one in the Portland Press Herald of Sam and Gracie in the twin stroller), if millions of us had gone out to protest the stealing of the 2000 US election, at least a million people now dead, dead, dead would not be so, and trillions of dollars, Iraqi and American, would not have been destroyed or captured from the public by thieves.

If Ahmadinejad had delivered on his campaign promises in the last cycle, and raised the standard of living of Iran's poor, and much of Iran is poor, if he'd done what both he and Mehdi Karbui messaged, he'd be credible in the current cycle.

Formally, the request from the Supreme Leader to the Guardian Council to do anything creates a 10 day stay of any electoral outcome.

I arrive at a different conclusion from that offered by the writers for the NYT. I think that vilayat-e-faqih itself is in doubt. Recall Ayatollah Khamenei lacks the legal standing, the institutional role he holds, the direct successor of Ayatollah Khomeini, sometimes referred to as Imam Khomeini, lacks the legal foundations to have ordered the second vetting.

What is touched is the legitimacy of the Rehnquist Court, not Rove. It is the captors of the 1979 Revolution, not the former Mayor of Tehran and his "sweet smell of success" party.