Will the Iranian establishment dump Ahmedinejad to defuse the U.S. threat of war?

In the ‘western’ media Ahmedinjad has been build up as the ‘new Hitler’, the ‘ultimate villain’ who ‘threatens genocide on Israel’ and ‘denies the holocaust’ and eats small children.

What would happen to this hate campaign if the Iranian supreme leader Khamenei takes that special toy figure away?

In a recent Asia Times piece Pepe Excobar wrote:

On Sunday, hundreds of students protested at the Amir-Kabir University in Tehran, calling for "Death to the dictator".

The wily, ultimate pragmatist Hashemi Rafsanjani, now leader of the Council of Experts and in practice a much more powerful figure than Ahmadinejad, took no time to publicly reflect that "we can’t bend people’s thoughts with dictatorial regimes".

This week, the Supreme Leader himself intervened, saying, "I approve of this government, but this does not mean that I approve of everything they do." Under the currently explosive circumstances, this also amounts to a political bombshell.

Now the former Iranian President Khatami openly criticizes Ahmedinejad as lying about the state of the economy.

Based on the Escobar piece commentator not-so CluelessJoe comes up with a conclusion:

The Western powers are being played like the bunch of rank amateurs they truly are.

It’s just brilliant.

Basically, the mullahs are saying that Ahmadinejad acts like an autocrat, that he’s bordering dictatorship. Which is exactly what the war party says here around.

Soon, they’ll just move to remove Ahmadinejad and his government, his guys, claiming that it’s time to end his reign and bring freedom to Iran. And what will the West be able to do, when they’ve stupidly claimed that the president has the power and is the threat, when he clearly is there just for the show.

He’s the fall guy that has been set up. He’ll fall from grace and from power.

And the guys in charge of Iran will be able to show they are bringing more freedom to Iranian people, will make a few decisions for the show, and than will remain in power and be able to go on with the plan, without much trouble since BushCo won’t anymore be able to claim Iran is led by a madman who wants to nuke Israel.

In a few weeks Ahmedinejad may develop serious health problems which unfortunately will require his immediate resignation. Or he may recognize that he really needs to spend more time with his family.

Soon another semi-puppet would be found to take his job and ‘western’ heat. Rinse, repeat …

But today Escobar notes with regard to the new sanctions:

By stretching its "war on terror" logic to actually naming names, the Bush administration has boxed itself into no other option than regime change in Iran.

‘Regime change’ is aimed at people above Ahmedinejad’s pay level.

The plot to replace him now is smart, but is it sufficient?