'Evolved' Firebrand Faces Ahmadinejad ; Trusted by Clerics; Could Work with U.S.

The Washington Times › April 22, 2009

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Summary

Chances of dislodging Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may rest with a former hard-line prime minister who lacks charisma but vows to soften Iran's extremist image.

Mir Hossein Mousavi, 67, who is running for president in the June 12 election, is the "Bob Dole" of Iranian politics, said Karim Sadjadpour, a specialist on Iran at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He was referring to the former senator from Kansas and unsuccessful Republican candidate for president in 1996 who, Mr. Sadjadpour said, was "generally well regarded but not very inspiring."

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Extract

'Evolved' Firebrand Faces Ahmadinejad ; Trusted by Clerics; Could Work with U.S.

Mr. Mousavi, who served as Iran's prime minister during the 1980- 88 Iran-Iraq war, was seen as a good manager of the Iranian economy during one of the country's most difficult periods. His post was eliminated in 1989 in a constitutional shake-up, and he has been largely absent from the Iranian political scene for the past 20 years. However, his timing in running no...

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