C.I.A. Says Election in Iran Dealt Blow to Reform

With the victory of religious hard-liners in this week’s parliamentary elections in Iran, the Central Intelligence Agency is warning of a new era of repression and inflexibility. A new C.I.A. assessment, shared with members of Congress this week and described by intelligence officials, says the election has dealt a severe blow to Iranian reformers and will strengthen the authoritarian rule of the country’s clerical government. The assessment says the ascendancy of the hard-liners will make it unlikely that Iran will moderate its foreign policies. The State Department has condemned the election as unfair, because some 2,000 candidates were prevented from running, including 87 reformists standing for re-election. But the assessment also blames Iran’s president, Mohammad Khatami, and his reformist allies within the government for squandering their political capital through “their refusal to back bold promises with equally bold actions.” Full Story