HARDLINERS PLAN MODERN IRAN

Well, it would seem that the path to war has been laid out before us. The hawks in Washington got their wish as the new President of Iran is hardliner, Mahmood Ahmadinejad. All I can say for right now is that if the good people of Iran don't want American and Israeli bombs dropped all over them in time for the 2006 mid-term elections, they had better institute a popular street rebellion soon. The clock is ticking and the train has left the station.

Here's the story:

Iran's new Hardline president, Mahmood Ahmadinejad, has vowed to create a a "modern, advanced, powerful and Islamic" model for the world.

Speaking after his shock election victory, he called for national reconciliation.

But the moderate cleric, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, has reacted furiously to his defeat, saying a massive, illegal dirty tricks campaign was mounted against him.

Final results gave Ahmadinejad 61.69 percent against Rafsanjani's 35.92 percent.

Turnout of the 46.8 million eligible voters was reported at 59.72 percent, slightly lower than last week's first round of voting.

Ahmadinejad's win gives anti-Western ultra-conservatives complete control
of every elected and unelected institution in Iran and effectively ends any chance of short-term reconciliation with the United States.

Washington said the polls were "flawed from their inception", with candidates chosen by clerics.

The State Department insisted Iran was out of step with "pro-democracy sentiment sweeping the region".

The White House said it would support "those who call for greater freedom for the Iranian people".

Iranian hardliners have urged a more confrontational stance in a tense nuclear stand-off with the international community.

They argue that Iran has a "legitimate right" to press on with nuclear work regardless of the consequences.

Britain, France and Germany, the three EU powers that have been conducting nuclear talks with Iran, all called on the new regime to continue the discussions.