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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| More Bloodshed To Come In Iran |
| 2009-06-18 |
| Every dictator is determined to make his own mistakes by Ramin Ahmadi Monday June 15 was a turning point in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It was the first time that demonstrations against the government reached nearly 3 million in Tehran. Five other cities, Tabriz, Urumeyeh, Shiraz, Rasht and Isfahan, joined the action with several hundred thousand people taking to the streets. By all accounts Monday was also the bloodiest day of the new democracy movement. Plainclothes men belonging to Iran's notorious paramilitary force, the Basij, opened fire on the protesters, killing more than a dozen and injuring many more. In a Tehran University dormitory, five students were shot to death and many more were injured. Another city, Shiraz, witnessed multiple bloodbaths. Tabriz, Shiraz and Tehran are now officially under martial law. The death toll is still not clear but the outcome of this violence is. On Wednesday people came out wearing black, mourning in solidarity with families who lost their loved ones. Evening hours are spent on the rooftops, voicing protest with slogans like "God is great," "Ahmadinejad is Pinochet but Iran will not become Chile," "Bye Bye Ahmadinejad," and "He can see the halo but can't see millions of people." I have watched with horror the new footage of violence committed against the youth almost every hour. In at least one film clip, Arabic-speaking men treat a young protester like a piece of meat getting ready to be cut in the local butcher shop. The activists report seeing many of these Arabic-speaking men among the anti-riot police force in the streets of Tehran. This poses a special problem for students committed to nonviolent protest. The cornerstone of nonviolence strategy is to talk to your oppressor, to remind him of your humanity and to show him his family members in the crowd. How do you do all that when your oppressor has been imported from abroad, selected from oppressed, poor Palestinian or Lebanese communities? The Iranian regime is also rounding up foreign reporters. A few European correspondents were forced to pack their bags and leave. Others have been confined to their hotel rooms. They were told that the Iranian government can no longer insure their safety. CNN's Christiane Amanpour went on the record as having bought the government story and told CNN's Larry King that the Iranian government probably didn't want to have reporters' blood on its hands. But the truth is likely elsewhere. The expulsion of foreign journalists is another ominous sign indicating that more bloodshed is planned. The government has made a calculated decision to confront demonstrations with pure force. It believes that the excitement of the people over the election results will be short lived. That the movement can be contained and the majority's will can be subdued using massive force and unimaginable brutality. In preparation for that scenario, it plans to isolate the country from the rest of the world as much as possible. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #2 Christiane Amanpour ... told CNN's Larry King that the Iranian government probably didn't want to have reporters' blood on its hands. Makes sense to me, at least with respect to CNN. Why would they shoot their supporters? |
| Posted by: Mike 2009-06-18 11:43 |
| #1 Christiane Amanpour ... told CNN's Larry King that the Iranian government probably didn't want to have reporters' blood on its hands. A liberal - a person who lies as much to themselves as they do to others. |
| Posted by: Phil_B 2009-06-18 04:40 |