A communiqué published by the official Islamic Republic News Agency described the president's re-election as "the revival of the revolution" and a "victory for Hezbollah and the soldiers of Allah."
Ahmadinejad defeated those who "mocked his anti-Israel campaign in support of the wronged Palestinian nation" and "those who regard a crippled creature named the United States as a superpower," the communiqué claimed.
Recalling the president's belief that we are living at "the end of times," the communiqué said Iran would use its power to prepare for "the return of the Master of Time," referring to the Hidden Imam of Shiite Islam, who disappeared 14 centuries ago.
Yesterday, the defeated candidates, with Khatami, gathered at Rafsanjani's house to forge a common strategy against what they now see as a threat not only to their positions but also to their safety within the Islamic Republic. Meanwhile, Ahmadinejad's supporters marched in Tehran streets, calling on the re-elected president to "bring the thieves to justice."
Ahmadinejad presents himself as the champion of a new generation of revolutionaries who believe that most of the older ones have betrayed Ayatollah Khomeini's ideal by creating a new class of "parasitical rich sucking the blood of the poor masses."
His re-election is also a victory for the military and security organs of the state that have tried to secure more power at the expense of the mullahs.
Under Ahmadinejad, the number of mullahs in key official positions has been cut by almost 70 percent. In every case, their places have been taken by members of the Revolutionary Guard or its allied security services. Friday was historic in that this was the first presidential election in which no mullah was featured as a major contender. The only mullah allowed to stand, Karroubi, was put at the bottom of the polls and credited with less than 1 percent of the votes.
Ahmadinejad's re-election is bad news for President Obama's key foreign-policy ambition of making a deal with the Islamic Republic. Ahmadinejad is convinced that the United States has embarked on a "historic retreat" and that, as a "sunset power," it lacks the political courage to challenge a rejuvenated Islamic revolution in Iran.
The Khomeinist regime remains deeply unpopular, especially among young Iranians, who account for two-thirds of the population. Yesterday, Tehran and other major cities witnessed a series of anti-regime demonstrations, mostly with young people shouting, "Shame on you, Ahmadinejad! Quit the government!" Though small and isolated, these demonstrations could in time snowball into a mass movement against a divided regime that relies on social bribery and repression for its survival.
Unless the "Supreme Guide," Ali Khamenei, succeeds in calming things down, the two camps, frowning at one another like a pair of angry cats for months, are certain to clash at some point. The clash could push Iran, already facing economic meltdown, ethnic revolts and mass labor unrest, closer to the edge.
Ahmadinejad may end up with what looks like a pyrrhic victory.
New York Post 
