During the 1960s and 1970s, people around the world marched, sat-in, wrote letters, etc. in an effort to get the United States to withdraw from Vietnam. This was not meddling in the internal affairs of the US; it was a protest against internal meddling in Vietnam by the United States. The US rebuttal to this, of course, is that they were assisting South Vietnam to protect itself against internal meddling by North Vietnam, but that is still a matter for debate.

Outside of the US, most people would have considered the protests to be legitimate. An ever-increasing number within the US felt the same.

During the same era, people outside the United States, and outside the Union of South Africa, agitated to bring about changes with respect to the treatment of a black minority (US of A) or black majority (U of SA). There is absolutely no doubt that external agitators or activists were attempting to interfere with the internal affairs of those two countries.

Was it wrong for non-US or non-SA people to mount those campaigns of protest?

That’s a question clearly on the table today as the drama in Iran unfolds. On the one hand, this situation appears to have started solely as a result of an election that might have been manipulated – purely an internal domestic affair. On the other, there is some indication the protests are more about social and human rights issues than about the election. Under most circumstances, that also would appear to be a purely domestic matter.

President Barack Obama is on record as stating the US should not be seen as trying to meddle in Iran’s internal affairs. But he has also issued statements telling Iran how it ought to behave, and what it ought to do. Congress has, of course, simply ignored Obama and issued its own condemnation of Iran. Ostensibly, this is to urge Iran to practice sound democratic processes, as if the US is entitled to lecture others on that front. Iran is also told to respect the civil and human rights of its citizens. The US is on pretty shaky ground there as well.

Accusations are flying fast and furious that point to the Iranian protests as having been orchestrated, or at least fomented, by outsiders – particularly the United States and Britain. Hitherto, it has been hard to believe that either of these had much influence in Iran. But this is definitely not an idea that should simply be dismissed out of hand -- these folks are capable of much chicanery and nastiness.

Much of the ‘reporting’ we hear is suspect. We are told there is censoring of news from within Iran, blocking of cell phones and email and Internet, but we still see a flood of information that is allegedly coming directly from Iran. And we’re urged to believe all the reports that are negative toward Iran, at the same time that we are being told the real news isn’t getting out.

The situation in Iran is still far too close to call, and it’s dangerously unpredictable. So much of the information we’re hearing comes from bitterly anti-regime Iranian exiles, and is, by definition, slanted at best, outright bullshit at worst. The other sources are primarily ‘experts’ who appear to have some axe to grind, and US neo-cons just itching for a war with Iran. This is part and parcel of the tendency of most in the West to listen to those who tell them what they want to hear about the Muslim world, rather than being hampered by facts or evidence.

The situation is highly uncertain at this point. But it does appear that what is going on in Iran is entirely an internal matter, and it does not need interference from the rest of the world. Iran is a highly complex society, beyond the knowledge of most in the West. But it is an advanced society, certainly sufficiently skilled to solve its own problems. It does not need us outside Iran to tell it what kind of society it should have.

I don’t pretend to have the answers to what is occurring, and how it will all end. But it does appear that this may be a Revolution – whether successful or not, and with what result, is still to be determined. But I think it is helpful for us to understand a little more about Iran as it is today. Here, then, is my understanding of who is who:

Islamic Republic of Iran
There is a three-part legislative branch in Iran: Parliament; Expediency Discernment Council of the System; the Guardian Council. The latter reigns supreme, although it is itself subject to the Assembly of Experts, which does not (in theory) intervene in politics.

The Iranian Parliament – or Majlis – is a body of 290 members, 5 of whom by law are representatives of the non-Muslim minorities. Members serve a four-year term. However, being elected is not sufficient – the Guardian Council must still approve the successful candidate.

The Presidency (currently Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) is the highest office chosen by popular vote. All candidates for the Presidency must be accepted as candidates by the Guardian Council. While the president has the power, technically, to sign treaties with other countries, the reality is that nothing beyond minor decisions are made without Guardian Council approval. The president also has no control over the armed forces, nuclear programs, and most domestic and foreign policies.

Expediency Discernment Council of the System
This was officially intended to serve a mediating role between the Majlis and the Guardian Council, but it has actually become nothing more than an unofficial right arm for the Supreme Leader. There are 34 members, most coming from conservative parties. It has the capacity to enact temporary laws (for up to three years duration), bypassing the Majlis.

Guardian Council
This is where the real power in Iran resides. There are 12 members of this council, chosen by the Supreme Leader to whom the Council reports. The Supreme Leader chooses 6 clerics for the Council, while the other 6 are approved by the Supreme Leader from a list of lawyers submitted by the head of the Judiciary, who is himself appointed by the Supreme Leader.

The Guardian Council is the highest political authority, and the religious authority in Iran. It is considered to be the ‘Guardian of the Revolution’.

While it does not directly govern, it controls political life through oversight of Majlis policies, and it can direct the Expediency Discernment Council of the System to pass certain laws. Finally, it approves or rejects any candidates for elections (parliamentary or presidential).

Note that this means all four candidates in the June 2009 election were chosen by the Guardian Council – none were independent, nor truly reformist.

Supreme Leader
Currently, this is Ayatollah Khamenei (successor to Khomenei who led the 1979 Revolution). This position is considered to be the Leader of the Revolution, and the position is enshrined in the Constitution. The individual is chosen by the Assembly of Experts, which is a religious council.

The title is not mere rhetoric – this is the all-powerful ruler of the Republic, responsible to appoint everyone from military commanders, to heads of the state-controlled media, to judges, to acceptable political candidates. He is also the religious leader of Iran, which gives him the authority to appoint clerics. Ultimately, the Supreme Leader rules all foreign and domestic life.

Assembly of Experts
This is an assemblage of 86 Islamic jurists with specialized skills in the interpretation and application of Sharia Law. Individuals qualify for this role by demonstrating devotion to Islam, scholarly achievement, and a belief in the Islamic Revolution. They serve a term of 8 years, and are chosen by popular vote.

They have the power to elect and remove the Supreme Leader.

The present head of the Assembly is Ayatollah Rafsanjani. He was previously President (1989-1997).

Internal Security
There are allegations from the West that Hizbullah and Hamas have their fingers in Iran. Whether true or not, there are ample security organizations within the country.

Basji – a paramilitary organization, existing legally and officially a student union. They operate directly under the orders of the Revolutionary Guard, and are located throughout the country.

Ansar – similar to the Basji (there is much cross-membership), but they have no legal status. They operate as a vigilante group, and swear loyalty directly to the Supreme Leader.

Police – not much different from a police organization anywhere.

The Army – Iran has two of these.

Artesh – the regular military of the Republic. These are generally like the common soldiers you’d see in any country.

Pasdaran – also known as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. They are subservient directly to the Supreme Leader, and their primary goal is the defense of the Islamic Revolution’s ideals, not Iran itself.

The Grand Ayatollahs
These are Shiite clerics who excelled through knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence.

At this writing, it seems likely that Iran is about to change.

Regardless of the news feeds we see in the West, there is almost no one with a real finger on what is going on inside Iran. But whatever it is, it seems clear that it is an issue for Iran to resolve itself, without interference from anyone else – at least so far as we know at this time. It is certainly not the business of other countries to be taking a stand on Iran’s internal politics – if this fuss is nothing more than a political tempest, it is no one else’s business.

Author’s Note:
I owe much of the information about Iran’s government structure to a user of the website Fark.com. He goes by the handle ‘Tatsuma’, and he has taken it upon himself to provide clarity. He has built a timeline and a very detailed overview of events in Iran using news articles and Twitter feeds, and although he cautions he cannot claim it is 100% accurate [it isn’t], his outline is about the best you’re going to find out there.

Paul Richard Harris is an Axis of Logic editor and columnist, based in Canada.  He can be reached at paul@axisoflogic.com

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