Whoa

This is potentially huge.

Threatswatch and al-Arabiya are reporting Rafsanjani proposed abolishing the Supreme Leader position in Iran (is this why his daughter was kidnapped?).

Likewise, Al Sistani is being included in meetings with Iranian Clerics because:

Sistani's appeal does not end at the Iraqi border, as Iranians increasingly observe his leadership with interest and fondness. Some are "intrigued by the more freewheeling experiment in Shi'ite empowerment taking place across the border in Iraq," which is fundamentally different in approach than the Iranian theocratic brand of dictated observance and obedience. The Boston Globe's Anne Barnard reports that within Tehran's own central bazaar, "an increasing number of merchants are sending their religious donations, a 20 percent tithe expected from all who can spare it, to Iraq's most senior Shi'ite cleric."

If that didn't quite sink in, go read that paragraph again. many Iranian merchants have been sending their 20% tithes to Sistani, not Khamenei. Since at least 2007.

No one is crazy enough to suggest it yet, but I'll just go ahead...are the current events in Iran partially triggered by the events in Iraq? And by events, I mean a relatively moderate ruling Shiia government (I say relatively moderate in comparison to Iran's more hardline Shiia government). This linkage of Al Sistani to the Qom Ayatollah's would indicate such and is the first evidence of linkage.

I hope we are on the crux of something new in the Middle East - a more moderate Shiia face in Iran coupled with a Jewish-Moderate Sunni alliance (Sunnis fear Shiia more than Jews). Let the moderate Sunnis handle the crazy Sunnis (Hamas/Al Queda) and let the moderate Shiia moderate the crazy Shiia (Hezbollah) and perhaps the empowered Shiia scare the Sunni enough to make peace with the Jews. Wallah. Wonderful.