Iran’s former president expressed support Saturday for holding a referendum on restoring ties with the United States, marking a significant shift as his fellow hard-liners nervously watch U.S.-led forces take control of neighboring Iraq. Hashemi Rafsanjani has openly sided with hard-liners since stepping down as president in 1997 and still heads a powerful body advising Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei….The mere mention of a referendum represents a marked shift by Rafsanjani. [Associated Press, 4/12/03]
