■"Lion of Iranian Politics May Return for Run at Presidency," by Robin Wright, Washington Post, 16 November 2004, p. A19.

Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was the president of Iran from 1989 to 1997. He was considered the "face of moderation in Iran" during his rule, following Ayatollah Khomeni's death. What marked his time? He opened up Iran considerably to outside connectivity, to include reviving the Shah's stock market and letting Beethoven music and Arthur Miller's plays to be performed in Tehran.

Sounds like dÈtente with the Sovs, does it not.

Rafsanjani was succeeded by the presumed Gorby-like reformer Mohammad Khatami, who apparently has little expectation of being approved by the resurgent mullahs to run again. Khatami's plans for Iran has not born much fruit, and instead suffered a reactionary setback following 9/11 and the start of the whole Axis of Evil thing. If Rafsanjani wins approval from the mullahs to run again, his resurrection would be on par with Nixon winning the presidency in 1968 after being out of politics for so long.

How likely? He is described as "the leading candidate to become Iran's next president, according to Iranian politicians and analysts."

Here's the real question then: is this the guy whose regime we want to change? Or is this the guy we want to make some SALT-like deal to start a serious dÈtente?

Think about itÖ