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Obama denies US involvement in Iran protests
 President Barack Obama on Monday expressed support for the protesters in Iran and denied that the United States or other foreign countries had anything to do with the unrest. President Obama, in Hawaii where he is on a family vacation, condemned the violence against demonstrators on Ashura, the holiest religious ceremony on the Islamic calendar for Shias, and called for the release of those "unjustly detained" after the deadly protests. Iran was the scene of protests on Sunday with security forces clashing with demonstrators who chanted anti-government slogans and damaged public property. According to Iran's police, seven people were killed during the unrest. The force says it neither used violence nor shot a single bullet and only used tear gas to disperse the protesters. "For months, the Iranian people have sought nothing more than to exercise their universal rights," Obama told reporters. "Each time they have done so, they have been met with the iron fist of brutality, even on solemn occasions and holy days." Iran on Tuesday blamed foreign countries for interfering, orchestrating and supporting the unrest in the country, which first erupted after the June 12 election. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said the violent protests on the day of Ashura in Tehran were sporadic but well-guided and pre-planned. He said setting public property aflame and creating chaos is not acceptable anywhere in the world. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast said supporting the violation of law and encouraging protests is considered as "interference in the internal affairs" of Iran. President Obama, however, sought to distance himself from the Iranian assertion, saying, "It's about the Iranian people, and their aspiration for justice, and a better life for themselves... And the decision of Iran's leaders to govern through fear and tyranny will not succeed in making those aspirations go away." He said Washington or its allies had nothing to do with the protests. Following the Sunday protests, Iranian security forces rounded up a number of opposition figures, including former foreign minister Ebrahim Yazdi, who is the current Secretary-General of the Iran Freedom Movement. The protests were also met with widespread condemnation in the country, with Iranian lawmakers staging a rally to criticize the riots and the use of the sacred occasion, Ashura, to stage anti-government protests. Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, who spoke to reporters after the rally on Tuesday, asked authorities to show "no mercy" to rioters. "Majlis wants the judiciary and intelligence bodies to arrest those who insult religion and impose the maximum punishment on them without reservation," Larijani said. Tehran Prosecutor-General Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi promised that the Judiciary would firmly deal with the rioters, Fars News Agency reported. Posted by: Fred 2009-12-30 |
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