Iran's president backs down on political challenge(AP) – 2 hours ago
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attended a Cabinet meeting Sunday after more than a week's absence that raised tension with the country's supreme leader, state TV reported.
The recent confrontation between Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei involved the president's dismissal last month of the country's most powerful intelligence chief, Heidar Moslehi.
Khamenei quickly reinstated Moslehi in a slap to Ahmadinejad. In apparent protest, the president skipped two Cabinet meetings this past week.
Ahmadinejad's decision to back down and attend is likely an attempt to avoid backlash from Khamenei, who has been a strong supporter of the president. That relationship could be fraying by Ahmadinejad's repeated attempts to push the limits of his powers.
Last week, Khamenei made a rare public rebuke to Ahmadinejad, saying he will not hesitate to intervene in government affairs whenever necessary.
A serious fall from Khamenei's favor would leave Ahmadinejad's clout seriously diminished and test the loyalty of his main supporters, including the Revolutionary Guard that will have a central role in picking the candidates for his successor in 2013.
Any split between Khamenei and Ahmadinejad could also destabilize Iran at a time of tension with the West over Tehran's disputed nuclear program.
Morteza Aghatehrani, one of the participants in Sunday's Cabinet meeting, told the official IRNA news agency that Ahmadinejad expressed support for Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters.
Aghatehrani, a lawmaker and cleric, also claimed that Ahmadinejad was sick over the past week, implying his absence from the Cabinet meetings was not related to the political dispute.
Khabaronline.ir, a conservative news website, reported that Moslehi, the intelligence chief, was not present at Sunday's meeting, but the report could not be independently verified.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... 132521c7f5And ION:
Anonymous set to target Iranian sites with denial of service attacks on 1 MayOnline hacktivist collective Anonymous has announced OpIran, a new campaign set to coincide with International Workers' Day on 1 May and designed to launch denial of service attacks at Iranian web sites.
In a post on the AnonNews site, the group urged the Iranian people to join an "era of change" sweeping the world.
"We can see that Iran still suffers at the hands of those in power. Your former government has seized control, and tries to silence you," the statement read.
"People of Iran - your rights belong to you. You have the right to free speech and free press, the freedom to assemble and to be safe in your person. You have the right to live free and without fear."
Although no sites are mentioned by name, the group hinted heavily that the denial of service attacks are likely to be launched on the morning of 1 May.
"As International Worker's Day dawns - Anonymous stands with you," the statement concluded.
"We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect Us."
It will not be the first time the group has sought to make a point by disrupting web sites. Most famously it was involved in launching denial of service attacks against firms such as Visa and PayPal which it accused of interfering with the work of whistle-blowing site Wikileaks.
Anonymous has also had long running disputes with Sony, the Egyptian government and radical Christian organisation the Westboro Baptist Church.
http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/news/2046726/ ... ce-attacks 
