Mick Hartley

Rejoicing over the suffering of others is usually, of course, to be deprecated, but it's difficult to see any down side to this:

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has fallen ill due to his heavy workload, a close associate told the Iranian state news agency late Saturday, as doubts surface about whether he will run for another term.

Parliament member Mohammad Ismail Kowsari, an ally of the president, told IRNA that Ahmadinejad is feeling under the weather because of the strain of his position….

In the past weeks, supporters of Ahmadinejad have been discussing potential candidates for the next presidential election, implying that the sitting president is not their automatic choice.

All previous Iranian presidents completed both their terms, except the first one, Abolhasan Banisadr, who fled the country in 1981.

The months ahead are critical for Ahmadinejad to try to rebuild his political base and rebut critics pointing to his unfulfilled campaign promises, including extending the wealth of Iran's oil revenue to poorer provinces around the country.

With over 10 percent unemployment and 30 percent inflation, Iran has been unable to bask in record-high oil prices, which are just barely covering domestic subsidies.

Ahmadinejad is also confronting questions about his uncompromising stance with the West over Iran's nuclear program, which has severely soured international relations.

For someone who's expressed himself so eloquently in the past on the glories of martyrdom, the choice now is clear.