In a surprising admission,Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that the countrys rulers have lost some supporters since the disputed presidential election in June. Still,he blamed the pro-reform opposition leaders for Irans problems. The reality in the society is that as some (supporters) dropped out,twice that number joined (us), he said. Tens of thousands of hard-line government supporters turned out for state-sponsored rallies on Wednesday,some of them calling for the execution of opposition leaders. Pro-government rallies were staged in Shiraz,Arak,Qom and Tehran,among other cities. Demonstrators at a rally in Tehran chanted Death to Moussavi, a reference to opposition leader Mir Hussein Moussavi. The government gave all employees a day off to attend the rallies and organised buses to transport schoolchildren and supporters from outlying rural areas to the protests. Police chief Gen Ismail Ahmadi Moghaddam warned protesters to stay off streets. In dealing with previous protests,police showed leniency. But given that these opponents are seeking to topple (the ruling system),there will be no mercy, Moghaddam said,according to official news agency IRNA.
