President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad might be enjoying the backing of extremist groups, but their support doesn't come without a price. After Ahmadinejad appointed a vice president who had once expressed a moderate stance on Israel, the groups went into a furor, sending a statement to the vice president asking him to immediately resign or else face "dire consequences." Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei was minister of tourism before being promoted by Ahmadinejad. His resignation is a sign of how much the president is indebted to extremist groups who helped him suppress protests after his disputed re-election. More opposition demonstrations are expected this Tuesday to commemorate the anniversary of a 1952 protest.
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