The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement regarding the situation in Iran following the presidential election:
Canada is deeply troubled by the current situation in Iran. The allegations of fraud in last weeks presidential election are serious and need to be answered. The Iranian people deserves to have its voice heard, and we call for a fully transparent investigation into electoral discrepancies.
The banning of opposition protests and security forces heavy-handed treatment of demonstrators throughout the country are also matters of grave concern.
We are further disturbed by reports of the unacceptable treatment of George McLeod, a Canadian journalist who was allegedly detained and beaten by Iranian authorities. We have called in Irans Chargé dAffaires in Ottawa to answer questions about the mistreatment of Mr. McLeod and to raise our concerns about the situation in Iran.
The Government of Canada calls for freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Iran, and urges the country to fully respect all of its human rights obligations, both in law and in practice. We also continue to call on Iran to comply immediately with its legal obligations concerning its nuclear program.
We will continue to monitor events closely over the coming days.
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/17/2009 14:49 ||
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#1
Canada has taken a stand for freedom, while Obama supports the Iranian dictatorship. It's really disgusting there is a Muslim sleeper in the White House.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
06/17/2009 15:02 Comments ||
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#2
Canada denounces anyone who doesn't like back bacon, eh?
Will Collier Emphasis added.
Somebody cue up "My Sharona" or "Le Freak." Apparently it's 1979 all over again.
Rather than offering any crumbs of support to the Iranians who are literally putting their lives on the line for their own freedom, Barack Obama could only manage "deep concerns." In Obamaland, it's not as important to offer even moral support to people trying to shake off the yoke of a barbaric dictatorship as it is to not appear to be "meddling."
This all sounds quite familiar, and everyone over 30 has seen it before. Did somebody replace the "community activist" with a self-righteous peanut farmer while we weren't looking?
The fantasy that "moderates" within the mullah regime can be coaxed into a "grand bargain" has taken in better men than Barack Obama, but Obama doesn't even have the excuse of not being aware of that prior history....
The reign of the ayatollahs in Iran has an expiration date, and the ayatollahs know it. Seventy percent of Iran's population wasn't even alive in 1978, and they've had enough of the mullahs and their Basij bully boys. Whether their yoke is thrown off in 2009 or in 2012 or 2020, it's going to happen, probably within the next decade or so.
I hope any sane person would agree that sooner would be better, but here's a question for all of those who are eaten up with concern over "what will they think of us?" Whenever the turn comes, what exactly will they think of us, if we turn our backs on them today? What will they think if we just hedge our bets against the ludicrous idea that we might be burning (nonexistent) bridges with the mullahs otherwise?
I've meet a lot of Eastern Europeans who have pictures of Ronald Reagan on their mantles. They never forgot the way he stood up for them, in public, against the commissars. Iran's population is going to run off the mullahs one of these years, hopefully this year. When that happens, what do you want them to remember, that we were supporting them, or worrying about what their oppressors would think about it?
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Mike ||
06/17/2009 13:08 ||
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i was alive then and i watched that miserable bozo pace the oval office searching for a clue, any clue. it's deja vu all over again!
Posted by: Art ofWar ||
06/17/2009 13:30 Comments ||
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#2
Ayatollah Khamenei? Ayatolla Khamenei! Tear down this mosque!
#4
Amen to that Blondie. Habitat for Humanity homes didn't come with an Escalade in the garage either. Suffering a bit of Carter nostalgia I suppose. Please forgive me.
#6
Frankly, the only headline I want to see about Jimmeh is that he passed away of natural causes. (I wouldn't mind other reasons, but I don't want to get sink trapped.)
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
06/17/2009 17:53 Comments ||
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Lebanon -- Maan -- High-profile Fatah leader Ahmad Khalil (known as Ahmad Abu Al-Kul) was assassinated in Lebanons Ein Al-Hilweh Refugee Camp on Tuesday, according to Lebanese sources. A high profile makes for a better target...
The sources said that at 10:30pm on Tuesday, clashes erupted in Ein Al-Hilweh after a masked gunman shot Khalil in the head at his home in the Jewish Garden neighborhood of the camp injuring him seriously. The Jewish Garden?
Khalil was transferred to a hospital where he died of his wound. The shooter fled the scene to and has not been arrested. Heart failure again, doc?
Hmmmmmmm...looks that way. You could always sign it out as cirrhosis, doc. We don't care. Really.
Whatever you want, guys, just don't point that at me.
Leaders of various Palestinian factions in the camp have begun contacts to try and avoid further violence and complications. So howda we evah get dis far? Continued on Page 47
Chicago Boyz relays a message from an eyewitness in Tehran
I just received the appended message in e-mail from a friend in Europe. I have left it entirely unedited. Right now I feel so grateful that we don't have to do things like this here. Never forget those who died for your freedom.
Jay,
A guy on our team who is focusing on Iran received this from a guy inside the country..
it is posted on facebook..
Censored Name reports his own observations on the course of events of 15th June 2009 in Tehran
I left my home in Tajrish along with my family at 3 p.m. We went down Valiast Street which is the main northern-southern avenue in Tehran and entered the Evin Exp'way which leads to Enghelab Street. We knew that people are supposed to gather in Enghelab Sq. (Revolution Sq.) at 4 and march toward Azadi Sq. (Freedom Sq.). From Gisha Bridge onwards, we saw people walking down. Cars were blowing their horns and people were showing victory sign. We went to Navvab Street and parked our car at the end of the street. Then we took a taxi to bring us back to the Enghelab Street. On our way, near Jomhouri Sq. (Republic Sq.), I saw a group of about 20 militia with long beards and batons on motorbikes. My hand was out of the car window with a little green ribbon (the sign of reformists) around my finger. One of the militia told me to throw that ribbon away. I showed him a finger. All of a sudden, about 15 people attacked me inside the car. They beat me with their batons and wanted to pull me out. My wife and my daughter who were sitting in the back seat cried and hold me tight. I also hold myself tight on the chair. They wanted to shatter the car windows. The driver went out and explained that he is a taxi and we are his passengers and he has no fault. After about 5 minutes,they left. My elbow hurts severely. Then, a young man from their group came and kissed my elbow! I told him: You know, I don't hate you. I am like you with the only difference that I know more and you are ignorant. He apologized and left.
We joined the crowd in Enghelab Street.
Read carefully:
What I saw today was the most elegant scene I had ever witnessed in my life. The huge number of people were marching hand in hand in full peace. Silence. Silence was everywhere. There was no slogan. No violence. Hands were up in victory sign with green ribbons. People carried placards which read: Silence. Old and young, man and woman of all social groups were marching cheerfully. This was a magnificent show of solidarity. Enghelab Street which is the widest avenue in Tehran was full of people. I was told that the march has begun in Ferdowsi Sq. and the end of the march was now in Imam Hossein Sq. to the further east of Tehran while on the other end people had already gathered in Azadi Sq. The length of this street is about 6 kilometers. The estimate is about 2 million people. On the way, we passed a police department and a militia (Baseej) base. In both places, the doors were closed and we could see fully-armed riot police and militia watching the people from behind the fences. Near Sharif University of Technology where the students had chased away Ahmadinejad a few days ago, Mirhossein Mousavi (the reformist elect president) and Karrubi (the other reformist candidate spoke to people for a few minutes which was received by cries of praise and applause. I felt proud to find myself among such a huge number of passionate people who were showing the most reasonable act of protest. Frankly, I didn't expect such a political maturity from emotional Iranians who easily get excited. My family and I had put stickers on our mouths to represent the suppression. Placards that people carried were different; from poems by the national poet Ahmad Shamlu to light-hearted slogans against Ahmadinejad. Examples include: " To slaughter us/ why did you need to invite us / to such an elegant party" (Poem by Shamlu). " Hello! Hello! 999? / Our votes were stolen" or " The Miracle of the Third Millenium: 2 x 2 = 24 millions" (alluding to the claim by Government that Ahmadinejad obtained 24 million votes) , "Where is my vote?" , " Give me back my vote" and many other.
We arrived in Azadi Square where the entire square was full of population. It is said that around 500,000 people can be accommodated in this huge square and it was full. Suddenly we saw smoke from Jenah Freeway and heard the gunshot. People were scared at first but then went forward. I just heard the gunshots but my sister who had been on the scene at that part told me later that she saw 4 militia came out from a house and shot a girl. Then they shot a young boy in his eye and the bullet came out of his ear. She said that 4 people were shot. At least one person dead has been confirmed. People arrested one of the Baseeji militia but the three others ran away when they ran out of bullet. At around 8 we went back on foot. On the way back people were still in the street and were chanting Allah Akbar (God is Great).
I was coming home at around 2 a.m. In parkway, I saw about ten buses full of armed riot police parked on the side of the street. Then I saw scattered militia in civil clothes with clubs in hand patroling the empty streets. In Tajrish Square, I saw a very young boy (around 16) with a club who was looking at the cars to see if he can find something to attack. I don't know how and under what teachings can young boys change into militia.
I came home. Tomorrow, people will gather again in Valiasr Square for another peaceful march toward the IRIB building which controls all the media and which spreads filthy lies. The day before Yesterday, Ahmadinejad had hold his victory ceremony. Government buses had transported all his supporters from nearby cities. There was full coverage of that ceremony where fruit juice and cake was plenty. A maximum of 100,000 had gathered to hear his speech. These included all the militia and the soldiers and all supporters he could gather by the use of free TV publicity. Today, at least 2 million came only relying on word of mouth while reformists have no newspaper, no radio, no TV. All their internet sites are filtered as well as social networks such as facebook. Text messaging and mobile communication was also cut off during the demonstration. Since yesterday, the Iranian TV was announcing that there is no license for any gathering and riot police will severely punish anybody who may demonstrates. Ahmadinejad called the opposition as a bunch of insignificant dirt who try to make the taste of victory bitter to the nation. He also called the western leaders as a bunch of "filthy homosexuals". All these disgusting remarks was today answered by that largest demonstration ever. Older people compared the demonstration of today with the Ashura Demonstration of 1979 which marks the downfall of the Shah regime and even said that it outnumbered that event.
The militia burnt a house themselves to find the excuse to commit violence. People neutralized their tactic to a large degree by their solidarity, their wisdom and their denial to enage in any violent act.
I feel sad for the loss of those young girls and boys. It is said that they also killed 3 students last night in their attack at Tehran University residence halls. I heard that a number of professors of Sharif University and AmirKabir University (Tehran Polytechnic) have resigned.
Democracy is a long way ahead. I may not be alive to see that day. With eyes full of tear in these early hours of Tuesday 16th June 2009, I glorify the courage and bravery of those martyrs and I hope that their blood will make every one of us more committed to freedom, to democracy and to human rights.
Viva Freedom, Viva Democracy, Viva Iran
p.s.: If you find this report of any value, please share it with as many people as possible. Facebook is filtered and internet is very slow in Iran. Please somebody put this on facebook
#5
Seriosly doubt Venezuelans are there but awesome propaganda. It highlights the fundamentally foreign nature of the regime. It also has an element of truth given that these bastards do in fact import Hez thugs.
Even if our intel svcs are not not spreading this disinfo, we amateurs can thanks to twitter, etc.
No surprise that the Chicoms make control of the internet a priority and that the mullarchy hires them as consultants.
#6
Seriosly doubt Venezuelans are there but awesome propaganda. It highlights the fundamentally foreign nature of the regime. It also has an element of truth given that these bastards do in fact import Hez thugs.
Even if our intel svcs are not not spreading this disinfo, we amateurs can thanks to twitter, etc.
No surprise that the Chicoms make control of the internet a priority and that the mullarchy hires them as consultants.
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Defeated candidate Mirhossein Mousavi urged supporters to stage peaceful protests or gather in mosques to mourn those killed after a disputed presidential poll set off Iran's worst unrest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. "In the course of the past days and as a consequence of illegal and violent encounters with (people protesting) against the outcome of the presidential election, a number of our countrymen were wounded or martyred," Mousavi said.
"I ask the people to express their solidarity with the families ... by coming together in mosques or taking part in peaceful demonstrations," said Mousavi, adding that he would take part in the day of mourning planned for Thursday.
This is clever; guarantees a large turnout, and Muslims generally are very .. expressive .. when mourning their dead.
Mousavi's statement on his website did not refer to a protest called for Wednesday.
Further protests planned for Wednesday and Thursday are a direct challenge to the authorities who have kept a tight grip on dissent since the U.S.-backed shah was overthrown in 1979 after months of protest. After Monday's deaths, Mousavi had urged followers to call off a planned rally in the same downtown area on Tuesday so the marchers headed north instead. Some sent messages to meet again on Wednesday for a rally at Tehran's central Haft-e Tir Square. In a stark warning, Fars News Agency quoted Interior Minister Sadeq Mahsouli as saying "no permission has been issued for a gathering or rally in Haft-e Tir Square" on Wednesday.
State television has said the "main agents" behind the turmoil have been arrested with guns and explosives.
Security forces arrested a pro-reform activist and an editor on Wednesday while a provincial prosecutor warned that those causing unrest faced the death penalty. Mohammadreza Habibi, prosecutor-general in Isfahan province, said: "We warn the few ... controlled by foreigners who try to disrupt domestic security by inciting individuals to destroy and to commit arson that the Islamic penal code for such individuals waging war against God is execution."
Habibi's statement is the clearest evidence that the protests have spread into the countryside, and that the thugs are worried.
Tens of thousands of pro-Mousavi supporters defied authorities to rally in Tehran on Tuesday after the seven were killed in Monday's violence but international media were forbidden from leaving their offices to cover the event.
Pro-Mousavi protests have been reported in the cities of Rasht, Orumiyeh, Zanjan, Zahedan, and Tabriz. ISNA news agency said 88 people were arrested during post-election unrest in the city of Mashhad and up to 60 people in the city of Tabriz.
A reformist source said Saeed Laylaz, editor of business daily Sarmayeh, and activist Mohammadreza Jalaiepour were both arrested on Wednesday. Jalaiepour was detained at Tehran's international airport, the source said. Mousavi said arrests would help to widen protests. "I condemn widespread arrests of children of the revolution and I'm warning that the expansion of this method will reveal the ugly face of those who are against the nation and will motivate people more to continue and expand protests," he said.
An official inquiry was launched into an attack on university students. Iran's Interior Ministry ordered an investigation into an attack on university students which they say was carried out by Islamic Basij militia and police. The inquiry came a day after Iran's influential speaker of parliament, Ali Larijani, condemned the attack on the dormitory of Tehran University.
This is interesting; Larijani is usually one of Khamenei's lap dogs. Fissures in the ruling elite?
One student activist who declined to be named told Reuters on Tuesday that four students were killed during the violence. Tehran University denied anyone had been killed.
Mousavi urged the nation to be calm. "Therefore those rioters who damaged public property and create tension in the society are not part of us," he said, adding: "People have chosen peaceful methods and they avoid violence."
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on Wednesday that Mousavi's wide support among reformists was "evidence of the will to revolt against oppression."
"We do not want to intervene directly and we are not doing that. But indignation, the need to support democrats, the need to support reformists -- that, we affirm loud and clear."
Thank you France. Now if Obama could muster the same clarity ...
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/17/2009 09:39 ||
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#1
1. Its clever on many grounds. for one, its a technique that was used in the 1979 revolution. So it sends an ADDITIONAL message, one that has to send fear into Khameni at the same time he cant oppose it.
2 They have no had substantial protests 4 days running. This is big.
3. Its clearly gone well past teheran. Reports and videos from Shiraz and isfahan. Reports from Ahwaz and Resht and elsewhere of violence - (it seems in some smaller places, away from international view, the regime is tougher, also has a better ratio of forces for the regime)At least one social scientist dude who has done work in villages says the villagers, however they voted, dont believe the result.
4. France. In fairness, France doesn't have the same history vis a vis Iran.
Posted by: liberal hawk ||
06/17/2009 14:20 Comments ||
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#2
pardon "they HAVE had substantial protests four days running"
Posted by: liberal hawk ||
06/17/2009 14:21 Comments ||
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#3
Dinnerjacket's out of the country. Does that mean that he's delegated the suppression to Khamenei, or does it mean that he's more confident than I would have given him credit for? I thought it was standard practice for dictators to *not* leave the country during mass protests based on the Ceauşescu example.
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
06/17/2009 15:49 Comments ||
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#4
I thought it was standard practice for dictators to *not* leave the country during mass protests
It goes to show Monkey Boy is the puppet, not the puppet master.
Posted by: ed ||
06/17/2009 16:02 Comments ||
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#5
#1 1. Its clever on many grounds. for one, its a technique that was used in the 1979 revolution.
IIRC, wasn't what got the ball rolling? Shiite tradition of honoring martyrdom, leading to more repression/deaths, leading to more martyrdom demos, leading to more repression/deaths,... until critical popular mass was achieved?
4. France. In fairness, France doesn't have the same history vis a vis Iran.
Reeeeeeally? Whatever made you come to that conclusion, Mo'?
LONDON (Reuters) - Iran wants the ability to build nuclear weapons to gain a reputation as a major power in the Middle East, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog said in a BBC interview broadcast Wednesday.
Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Iran sees nuclear weapons as an "insurance policy" against perceived threats from neighboring countries or the United States. "My gut feeling is that Iran definitely would like to have the technology ... that would enable it to have nuclear weapons if they decided to do so," ElBaradei told the BBC. "It wants to send a message to its neighbors, it wants to send a message to the rest of the world: yes, don't mess with us, we can have nuclear weapons if we want it.
"But the ultimate aim of Iran, as I understand it, is that they want to be recognized as a major power in the Middle East and they are. This is to them the road to get that recognition to power and prestige and ... an insurance policy against what they heard in the past about regime change, axis of evil."
And so that they can wipe Israel off the map, intimidate their neighbors, wipe Israel off the map, prevent the US from coming after them, wipe Israel off the map, provide support to terrorists in the region, wipe Israel off the map ...
Ahmadinejad indicated Sunday that there would be no change in nuclear policy during his second term, saying the issue "belongs in the past."
Six countries, including European Union members Britain, France and Germany, have offered Iran economic and other incentives if it stops enriching uranium, a process that can make fuel for power plants or weapons. Iran says it wants nuclear technology to generate electricity.
But they won't take the deal which would save them billions of dollars and years of work ...
For two decades, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has remained a shadowy presence at the pinnacle of power in Iran, sparing in his public appearances and comments. Through his control of the military, the judiciary and all public broadcasts, the supreme leader controlled the levers he needed to maintain an iron if discreet grip on the Islamic republic.
But in a rare break from a long history of cautious moves, he rushed to bless President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for winning the election, calling on Iranians to line up behind the incumbent even before the standard three days required to certify the results had passed. Then angry crowds swelled in cities around Iran, and he backpedaled, announcing Monday that the 12-member Council of Guardians, which vets elections and new laws, would investigate the vote.
"After congratulating the nation for having a sacred victory, to say now that there is a possibility that it was rigged is a big step backward for him," said Abbas Milani, the director of Stanford University's Iranian studies program.
Few suggest yet that Ayatollah Khamenei's hold on power is at risk. But, analysts say, he has opened a serious fissure in the face of Islamic rule and one that may prove impossible to patch over, particularly given the fierce dispute over the election that has erupted amid the elite veterans of the 1979 revolution. Even his strong links to the powerful Revolutionary Guards -- long his insurance policy -- may not be decisive as the confrontation in Iran unfolds.
"Khamenei would always come and say, 'Shut up; what I say goes,' " said Azar Nafisi, the author of two memoirs about Iran, including "Reading Lolita in Tehran." "Everyone would say, 'O.K., it is the word of the leader.' Now the myth that there is a leader up there whose power is unquestionable is broken."
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/17/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
I don't see how a popular uprising in a place like Iran can triumph. Yet, there have been a few bloodless revolutions when the military and police simply refused to kill their own people en masse. Is this possible in Iran? Probably not.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
06/17/2009 7:09 Comments ||
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#2
One of the key elements is that the 'guard dogs' are first generation. First geners can still taste blood and historically don't have the qualms about taking out the 'heretics'.
#3
Khamenei (Obama, disgustingly and supinely calls him Supreme Leader) has several layers of support in the para military. There is the Revolutionary guard (aka the Basij) and the Special Revolutionary Guard (aka the Pasdaran or IRG or IRGC). Together they probably have a deployable strength of loyal (to Khamenei although they may be more loyal to Ahmadinejad) troops of nearly 1M. The Army has about 800k but is not thought to be loyal to Khamenei.
Interestingly, Khamenei has been thought to have had some serious illnesses in the past few years. If he was to be incapacitated, that would shake things up.
Posted by: Lord garth ||
06/17/2009 11:17 Comments ||
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#4
Question: didn't an article posted here a few days ago mention that the Basij Guards included a lot of Arabs? If so, then they'd have no qualms whatever about shooting Iranians, who are not their own people.
Will these security forces stay loyal when their relatives start dying then disappearing due to other parts of the security apparatus take then down (cousins, etc).
And will the regular army stand by when the same goes on? With millions protesting, its likely that the "degrees of separation" are shrinking rapidly.
#7
Read an article saying that the military had said they won't be used in putting down the demonstators, but on the other hand the real power is with the Revolutionary Guards backed up by the Basij militia. Think of the RG as something like the SS - both a secret police and a waffen aspect.
As the embattled government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appears to be trying to limit Internet access and communications in Iran, new kinds of social media are challenging those traditional levers of state media control and allowing Iranians to find novel ways around the restrictions.
Iranians are blogging, posting to Facebook and, most visibly, coordinating their protests on Twitter, the messaging service. Their activity has increased, not decreased, since the presidential election on Friday and ensuing attempts by the government to restrict or censor their online communications.
On Twitter, reports and links to photos from a peaceful mass march through Tehran on Monday, along with accounts of street fighting and casualties around the country, have become the most popular topic on the service worldwide, according to Twitter's published statistics. A couple of Twitter feeds have become virtual media offices for the supporters of the leading opposition candidate, Mir Hussein Moussavi. One feed, mousavi1388 (1388 is the year in the Persian calendar), is filled with news of protests and exhortations to keep up the fight, in Persian and in English. It has more than 7,000 followers.
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/17/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
In case it happens in your country download (don't install) http://www.torproject.org/
From a blog, but one that can translate. It's opinion' but seems genuine. See what you think.
Grand Ayatullah Husayn (Hossein) 'Ali Montazeri has issued a statement supporting peaceful protests to "claim rights", condemned the violence, and called the Iranian presidential election results into question.
"Confirmation" in the Western media seems to be slow in coming, but the statement (in Persian) has been released on Montazeri's official web site. A translation has been posted). Upon skimming sections, it seems like a reasonable translation. However, confirmation from a reader whose Persian is much better than mine is welcome.
There is some streamlining, e.g. of the introduction, where it reads "To the Iranian People" instead of "[to the] Noble People", which is closer to the literal translation. The word ملت can also be translated as "nation," thus, "Noble Nation."
The entire bismillah used by Muslims around the world to begin things is also cut short, "In the name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful...":
In the name of God
People of Iran
These last days, we have witnessed the lively efforts of you brothers and sisters, old and young alike, from any social category, for the 10th presidential elections.
Our youth, hoping to see their rightful will fulfilled, came on the scene and waited patiently. This was the greatest occasion for the governments officials to bond with their people.
But unfortunately, they used it in the worst way possible. Declaring results that no one in their right mind can believe, and despite all the evidence of crafted results, and to counter people protestations, in front of the eyes of the same nation who carried the weight of a revolution and 8 years of war, in front of the eyes of local and foreign reporters, attacked the children of the people with astonishing violence. And now they are attempting a purge, arresting intellectuals, political opponents and Scientifics.
Now, based on my religious duties, I will remind you :
1- A legitimate state must respect all points of view. It may not oppress all critical views. I fear that this lead to the lost of peoples faith in Islam.
2- Given the current circumstances, I expect the government to take all measures to restore peoples confidence. Otherwise, as I have already said, a government not respecting peoples vote has no religious or political legitimacy.
3- I invite everyone, specially the youth, to continue reclaiming their dues in calm, and not let those who want to associate this movement with chaos succeed.
4- I ask the police and army personals not to sell their religion, and beware that receiving orders will not excuse them before god. Recognize the protesting youth as your children. Today censor and cutting telecommunication lines can not hide the truth.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/17/2009 00:00 ||
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[11135 views]
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#1
This is not a significant development.
Montazeri is a Grand Ayatollah, but he was sidelined a couple of decades ago in a falling out with Khomeini. He has often issued this sort of opinion and has always been ignored. He is known as the dissident Ayatollah.
Now, if some other Grand Ayatollahs were to issue concurring statements that would be something.
LOS ANGELES -- While thousands protest in Iran over the disputed presidential election, a small minority of Iranian expatriates believes it has a solution for what troubles their homeland -- a democratically elected government and a return of a Shah. Nostalgic for life before the Islamic Revolution toppled the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi 30 years ago, they say Iranians will have more freedoms under the system they propose, but are quick to add that a monarch will only hold a figurehead position.
They are pushing for a democratic parliamentary system in which there's a clear separation of religion from government, and a monarch who unites the country's various ethnic groups, the late Shah's son Reza Pahlavi told The Associated Press on Monday.
While some name Pahlavi, 48, as the natural successor, he demurs. With or without a title, he said, he is committed to more freedoms for Iranians. "Right now I have only one mission in life and that is to help the process of bringing about change," he said.
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/17/2009 00:00 ||
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[11139 views]
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#1
what they forget is that the Pahlevi dynasty was neither long lived nor distinguished. Descended from a general who took power in a coup in the early 20th century. This aint no house of Hapsburg we are talking about.
From Eastern europe to Russia to afghanistan, whenever a regime totters, someone mentions the old ruling family. It never works out. Never (excluding the unique case of Spain). We may end up (if the protestors win) with an Iranian Republic minus the Islamic, or with an reformed Islamic Republic, but I wouldnt bet on a monarchy.
Posted by: liberal hawk ||
06/17/2009 14:35 Comments ||
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Mossad chief Meir Dagan on Tuesday told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that the riots in Iran over the election results will die out in a few days rather than escalate into a revolution. "The reality in Iran is not going to change because of the elections. The world and we already know [Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad. If the reformist candidate [Mir Hossein] Mousavi had won, Israel would have had a more serious problem because it would need to explain to the world the danger of the Iranian threat, since Mousavi is perceived internationally arena as a moderate element...It is important to remember that he is the one who began Iran's nuclear program when he was prime minister."
According to Dagan, "Election fraud in Iran is no different than what happens in liberal states during elections. The struggle over the election results in Iran is internal and is unconnected to its strategic aspirations, including its nuclear program."
He thinks what happened in Iran is the same as France or the US? That's just bizarre ...
Dagan also told the committee the Mossad believed that Iran would have its first nuclear bomb ready for action in 2014, "If the project continues at the present rate and is not interrupted."
The Mossad chief said that Western sanctions affect Iran but do not stop its nuclear aspirations, and that the Iranians were trying to evade these sanctions. "The international community must enforce the sanctions and continue this policy." Dagan said that if the sanctions were sufficiently harsh they could stop Iran's nuclear program.
With regard to Iran's support for Hezbollah and Hamas, a senior Mossad official told the committee Tuesday that Iran was continuing to fund and control Hezbollah, but its control of Hamas was limited for now. The official explained that Hamas is maintaining its independence because of its extensive relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood. However, defense officials also say that relations between Hamas and Iran will grow stronger in the future. "The reason for the strengthening of these ties is money and arms, both of which Hamas needs and Iran is willing to give."
According to the senior official, Iran wants to strengthen its position in the region and reach the hegemony Egypt enjoyed in the 1960s and '70s. These aspirations are a cause of great tension in and concern among moderate states in the region such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf states.
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/17/2009 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[11137 views]
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#1
"Dagan said that if the sanctions were sufficiently harsh they could stop Iran's nuclear program."
With Mossads chiefs like this...
Posted by: Large Snerong7311 ||
06/17/2009 0:36 Comments ||
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#2
andy sullivan is getting hysterical about this.
I say to you what i would say to Sullivan. THINK. If there is debate about what the impact of a BHO statement on Iran would be imagine the what the Iran media would do with "head of Mossad endorses Moussavi"
This is not to say that there arent israelis who think (like Obama) that there no real diff between moussavi and dinnerjacket, but Moussavi would mask it better. But the Dagan statement can be explained differently as well.
Posted by: liberal hawk ||
06/17/2009 14:32 Comments ||
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WASHINGTON -- The emergence of Mir Hossein Mousavi as a challenger to Iran's clerical establishment has been cheered as potentially heralding a new moderation in Tehran. But his record also suggests that he would hew to a number of Tehran's more controversial policies. Mr. Mousavi governed as a social conservative while he was prime minister during the 1980s, and remains a committed supporter of the values and clerical system born of the 1979 Iranian Islamic revolution, said diplomats and Iran analysts.
He's certainly not a 'reformer', and more just an ally of Rafsanjani, but he's not Short Round, and if the people can depose one government, they can depose another ...
He was one of the early supporters of Iran's nuclear program, and as prime minister he specifically approved Tehran's purchases of centrifuge equipment from the nuclear black market run by the Pakistani scientist A.Q. Khan, according to a 2007 report by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog.
Many Iran analysts say that while a Mousavi presidency, if it happened, could open numerous new areas for U.S.-Iranian cooperation, serious stumbling blocks would remain. President Barack Obama addressed that distinction Tuesday in an interview with CNBC.
"Although there is amazing ferment taking place in Iran, the difference in actual policies between [Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad and Mousavi in terms of their actual policies may not be as great as advertised," he said. "I think it's important to understand that either way, we are going to be dealing with a regime in Iran that is hostile to the U.S."
Mr. Obama Tuesday also offered support for Mr. Mousavi's supporters. "Something has happened in Iran. There is a questioning of the kinds of antagonistic postures towards the international community that have taken place in the past," Mr. Obama said. Of Tehran's suppressing of protests in response, he added, "That is not how governments should interact with their people."
Republicans who question Mr. Obama's plan to engage in direct diplomacy with Iran are seizing upon the election fracas to demand Mr. Obama denounce the current regime and support Mr. Mousavi more strongly. "He should speak out that this is a corrupt, flawed sham of an election," Sen. John McCain of Arizona said Tuesday on NBC's "Today" show. "The Iranian people have been deprived of their rights. We support them in their struggle against a repressive, oppressive regime."
Mr. Mousavi campaigned on a platform of moderating Iran's foreign policy and improving ties with the U.S., heralding a potential break from four years in which President Ahmadinejad openly sought confrontation over the nuclear question and Israel.
Still, it remains unclear just how significantly Mr. Mousavi could redirect Tehran's foreign and defense policies, short of a recasting of the Iranian political system dominated by conservative supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said U.S. officials. Iran's last reformist president, Mohammad Khatami, regularly clashed with Mr. Khamenei on social, economic and international issues and left office in 2005 with little to show for his progressive agenda.
While serving as Iran's prime minister during the 1980s, Mr. Mousavi was viewed as a competent manager, but politically cautious. This time around, Mr. Mousavi has pledged to loosen the restrictions Mr. Ahmadinejad placed on Iranian nongovernmental organizations, media and women's groups in recent years. These elements of Iranian society have been among the most vigorous in pressing for Tehran's rapprochement with the U.S.
He pledged during the campaign his commitment to Iran's nuclear power, but also held out the potential for direct talks with the U.S. Speaking to Time magazine on Friday, he said there are two elements to the nuclear question: "One is our right to nuclear energy, which is non-negotiable. The second issue is related to concerns about the diversion of this program towards weaponization. Personally, I view this second part, which is both technical and political, as negotiable."
U.S. officials were hoping the potential election of Mr. Mousavi could quickly lead to direct negotiations over the future of Iran's nuclear program. Mr. Obama's aides also seek more substantive cooperation with Iran on stabilizing Iraq and Afghanistan and confronting global threats such as narcotics smuggling and piracy.
A number of U.S. and Western diplomats caution, however, that if Mr. Mousavi were to prevail it could actually help Iran's pursuit of nuclear technologies.
The Obama administration has been seeking a unified international stance toward Tehran. It has been lobbying nations such as Russia and China to support expansive new sanctions against Iran should its leaders not respond to Mr. Obama's calls for direct dialogue.
The elevation of a moderate face in Tehran, as opposed to Mr. Ahmadinejad, could delay action against Tehran if foreign governments decide to give Mr. Mousavi some political space and time, these diplomats warn. In such a dynamic, hardliners in Iran could rapidly push ahead with Tehran's nuclear program.
"If your goal is to increase the international sanctions regime against Tehran, it's much easier to do if the Iranian president is a Holocaust-denying radical," said Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington think tank, referring to Mr. Ahmadinejad.
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/17/2009 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[11153 views]
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#1
Iran and a hard place.....
Brothers And Sisters At Arms,
So I'm watching Iran information all over the many blogs and T.V. news that's reporting about the riots happening there. Then I'm thinking, the Resident-in-Chief wants to talk with leaders or the President of Iran without preconditions as he said in one of the many Democratic Debates. Misguided. Yes. Bordering stuck-on stupid. Yes. And not debating on Fox News because of some far-left zealots another stupid choice? Definitely. Why you ask? If you have studied any information on any of the major players in the middle east, besides the terrorist factions/sects/groups, the name of the so-called "moderate" candidate, which I will not even attempt to write or say his name, was the S.O.B. that got Iran's nuclear program started in the first place! Then there is the fool who wants to "...wipe Israel off the map...". No matter what the outcome of those so-called elections, who would you (the White House) want to speak to? How would you even start the conversation? And I'm about sick and tired of hearing that Israel should give up land for peace. Didn't they do that with the Gaza Strip back in 2005? How's that working out for you? The Israeli's left fully constructed homes and apartment buildings, greenhouses with fruit and vegetables going and growing. It was all torn down. What really gets me going is the fact that we are training the "Fatah" faction to do security for a state I don't believe should be anywhere near Israel (heh, that's just how I roll) or within missile range. But "Fatah" used to be called "The Palestinian Liberation Organization", the "P.L.O.", though led by Arafat, was an offshoot of the "Muslim Brotherhood" in Egypt. The dictators in Egypt have been keeping a tight leash on them for a while but Arafat was still able to start the P.L.O. in the sixties. Why are we doing this? I must not get it because I'm a 'Grunt' or something....
I'm all Infantryman however. Some might even call me a "warmonger". I believe if you go to war, it's "clobbering time". Overwhelming forces, after carpet bombing the land. Case in point; the Gaza Strip. The population should not be getting any support from Israel to a populace that voted into power an organization that has in its charter, or like the "mission statement" an American corporation would have to spell what their ultimate goal(s) is/are, Hamas, has it in their charter, and I'm paraphrasing here, "...the elimination of the Zionist/Jewish occupied territories...". I don't remember the exact language, you can look it up, but you hopefully get the point. The general public should pay a severe tole for electing/letting a terrorist group run their 'government'. How's that working for them? Hamas can't even supply basic services. They beg for help from the feckless U.N. There's a clusterf**k of an organization for you. Heh, you folks that didn't want to invade Iraq. I have a couple of words for you: Food for Oil. That was some kind of racket. Wasn't it? Back to the Gaza problem. I think the entire area, and by the way, this should be on the table for Iran as well, they (our government) should begin "carpet bombing" every square inch until the population turns on Hamas in Gaza, and the Mullahs and President of Iran, and surrender "without conditions", so it sends a message to the rest of the dictators and despots around the world "that we're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore". An we should use every type of weapon in our arsenal, napalm if we have any, cluster bombs, hellfire missiles, including nukes if they don't get a clue after a few hours of that unleashing of destruction we in the 'west' invented. Now you can call me callous, apathetic towards the people of those two areas, whatever your heart desires. It's my opinion and I gave a little over ten years in our nations military to pay for the right IN FULL.
Part of the reason I'm not affiliated with Democrats or Republicans at this time, I am a registered Independent that is a conservative and have traditional values. When Reagan, the beloved of some people on the right of politics, pulled out of Beirut after our barracks there got bombed, we should have sent an overwhelming force to eradicate the lot of them. Instead, Reagan turned tail and ran, pissed me off. Bush, Sr. blew it with me after "Read my lips, no new taxes". Bush, Jr. had me for a while until he signed the McCain/Fiengold bill and even thinking about giving amnesty to illegal aliens in our nation. I DON'T CARE WHY THEY CAME HERE. They didn't respect our laws to begin with, stealing identities to work and allegedly paying taxes (bologna), or working under the table for indentured servant wages. Slaves, getting money, but slaves none-the-less. And they aren't/weren't paying taxes people.
The Democrats; got us into Viet-Nam for starters, though to fight against communism, a noble cause, but J.F.K. got us in there. The best thing he ever did, besides Marilyn Munroe (sorry, but I couldn't resist), was to create The U.S. Army's Special Forces, and bestow on them the distinction of their signature headgear; the Green Beret. L.B.J.? Are you kidding? Carter; who is all Anti-Semitic, all the time, though I joined the U.S. Army despite him before he became the man he is today, I thought like the rest of my Brothers at Arms with me in Basic Infantry School that we would be part of the first wave to get our people (the Hostages) back from the Iranians and since some of us were going to Airborne School right after Basic. Our D.I.'s gathered the Airborne candidates at one point and basically told/warned us we just might be part of the "Tip Of The Spear". Scary, but thrilling at the same time. A real mission. Our nation had the moral authority and "high ground", liberals love to say our government must have before we even defend ourselves. But they have no clue we [in the military] were/are taught the credo to "never leave a man on the field or behind". There were active duty Marines among those hostages. And everyone of us wanted to go get them back. That incident should have been enough to declare war. I reported to the 82nd Airborne Division after Airborne School (which kicked my butt but I made it among the 60% that finished the course)in December of 1979. And while there, we all waited and waited and waited, but no "green light" came. Then came the botched rescue attempt that made our military look like the Keystone Cops around the world. Thanks Jimbo, now go back to your peanut farm and just shut the F**k up you feckless coward. And while still in office he wrecked our intelligence services with cutbacks. And "B.J." Clinton, oh my God, as the girls in California say, not only did he do more to reduce our intel services and the troop levels of each service, he didn't, like all those before and after him, put a security wall, triple fence, mine field, cow field or dog field on our southern or northern border when Osama Bin Hiden declared war on us in the early nineties and (1) wasn't taken seriously and (2) blew several opportunities to nab his a**; and then (3) sent the cops to do a soldiers work after the first bombing of the World Trade Center in New York. The terrorist were just plain stupid for sticking around long enough to get caught, tried, then jailed, but one of their lawyers, whose name escapes me at the moment, she was taking coded messages from one of the terrorist (the Blind Sheik) and passing it along to his buddies on the outside. Besides the illegality of that, and in my opinion, a treasonous act, she should have been jailed for longer than approximately 3 years. She should have been put on 'Death Row' for that! She helped get people killed in the middle east, but that still doesn't make it alright!
All that's happening now, electing a socialist to the Oval Office, cutting defensive budgets right when things are heating up around the world and the the Resident-in-Chief bugs out of an agreement for anti-missile batteries in Poland and a radar system in another "allies" country. And then gets scared of a threat from the ruins of the U.S.S.R. of pointing nukes at western Europe? He is not impressing me what so ever. I wonder if those that voted in the novice have "buyers remorse" yet. I could be wrong though....
In the meantime,
watch your six.
Phoenix
P.S. This was originally posted on my blog at warriorlegacyfoundation.org on June 15th,2009. It's amazing that logical speculation can be seen and addressed by anyone and discussed similarly on a completely different web site. Viewers should collate these two opinions seriously and come to their own conclusion. If you have the opportunity, check them out the web site I mention above or try the website I list to find me and my blog. You may have to create an account but sign up is free and you might find a whole lot of like-minded folks out there. It's open to people that have never served in the military but support the military, so don't feel left out! And all the services are represented...
Posted by: Old Paratrooper ||
06/17/2009 0:49 Comments ||
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#2
Hitler vs Ernst Rohm - no lesser of two evils here.
Posted by: Spereck Oppressor of the Weak4379 ||
06/17/2009 15:08 Comments ||
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#3
"If a day comes when the world of Islam is duly equipped with the arms Israel has in possession, the strategy of colonialism would face a stalemate because application of an atomic bomb would not leave any thing in Israel but the same thing would just produce damages in the Muslim world"
Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, December 2001
"If they (Jews) all gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide."
Hezbollahâs Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, October 23, 2002
"Our struggle is not about land or water...It is about bringing, by force if necessary, the whole of mankind onto the right path."
Khomeini 1980
"We are not fighting so that you will offer us something. We are fighting to eliminate you."
Hussein Moussawi,
former leader of Hezbollah on Americans
"Death to America!"
De Facto National Motto of Iran
Just as a reminder. Mousavi is apparently an ally of the Rafsandjani faction. He served as Prime Minister under Supreme Leader Khomeini and had a hand in founding Hezbollah.
The safe, conservative assumption on Iran is that all the relevant factions are mortal enemies of the West (especially Israel of course, but not limited to it.)
Mousavi might not actually deny the historical fact of the Holocaust, but he and his allies are as likely as Ahmadinejad to try to complete it.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday branded Iran's election result a fraud as the international outcry over the security forces' crackdown on the opposition in Tehran intensified.
Excellent. That's how you do it.
While some governments tried to avoid taking sides, Sarkozy said the unrest was a direct result of Ahmadinejad's failings in his first term.
"The extent of the fraud is proportional to the violent reaction," said the French leader. "It is a tragedy, but it is not negative to have a real opinion movement that tries to break its chains."
"If Ahmadinejad has really made progress since the last election and if he really represents two thirds of the electorate... why has this violence erupted?"
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/17/2009 00:00 ||
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[11141 views]
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#1
Never fear. Obama will work up the courage and denounce Sarkozy.
Posted by: ed ||
06/17/2009 0:26 Comments ||
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#2
Unidentified poll workers have admitted that ballots were not even counted in their areas. Ahmadinejad cronies polluted the election commission.
President Obama has offered nothing to the Opposition, except a promise to continue to negotiate with the illegal government.
Posted by: Uloluns Scourge of the Bunions1692 ||
06/17/2009 2:58 Comments ||
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#3
Well done , maybe you aint a cheese eating surrender monkey after all !
French freedom fries all round !! Obama take note
Posted by: Big Foot ||
06/17/2009 5:35 Comments ||
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#4
Our "president" will do nothing that isn't in his agenda to turn the US into a socialist (i.e., failed) state. Iran will twist in the wind.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
06/17/2009 10:59 Comments ||
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#5
just shamefull -- america no longer stands up for freedom....parcels this out to euro weenies...what a joke we have of a govt anymore....2010 and/or revolution cannot come soon enough..we need to take back our values/freedoms from this bastard we have as a prez who only promotes his/extreme liberal agenda
Posted by: Dan ||
06/17/2009 13:21 Comments ||
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#6
next step, G7 statement?
Posted by: liberal hawk ||
06/17/2009 14:29 Comments ||
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#7
Read someplace today that the head of the IT dept in charge of tabulation "died in a car accident" which may be Farsi for "argued with Mr Kalisnakov".
#8
When Minister of Education, Sarkozy walked into a school where a nutcase claiming to have a bomb had some kids hostage.
The kids came out with Sark.
Picture O doing that?
Me either.
Posted by: Richard Aubrey ||
06/17/2009 15:08 Comments ||
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#9
Today, at least, Sark and France are leaders of the West. Not the US. Something to ponder.
From the LA Times, a story that focuses on the use of Twitter as a tool for the protesters.
Reporting from Cairo -- Footage of burning cars, masked boys and bloodied protestors in Iran is playing across the Middle East, captivating Arab countries where repressive regimes have for years been arresting political bloggers and cyberspace dissidents.
Egypt, Saudi Arabia and other Sunni nations have tense relations with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the Shiite-led theocracy ruling Iran. But they don't want protests in Tehran to inspire similar democratic fervor in their countries -- especially the merging of Facebook and Twitter with a potent opposition leader like Iran's presidential challenger, Mir-Hossein Mousavi.
So far, that has yet to happen. Egyptian activists, for example, have over the last year called for rallies and strikes on the Internet's social networks, but they have no galvanizing personality and are not organized enough to pose a threat to a police state controlled by President Hosni Mubarak.
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/17/2009 00:00 ||
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[11147 views]
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#1
Most say this young generation doesn't remember the democratic life before the Revolution but LA has a large educated Iranian population. I once had an Iranian dermatologist, a US educated female that fled with the clothes on her back and leaving all family behind. She kept in contact, worrying about earthquakes and the mullahs and such, but she said the hardliners are actually very few. Most people don't agree with them but fear for their lives to speak out, which is understandable, but this spark may not be put out so easily. Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, and the UAE have all had a taste of the West and the freedom genie is difficult to put back in the bottle.
#2
Let's include IRAQ in that list of "Freedom-tasters". Wouldn't it be great if Iraq somehow plays a role in supporting the Persians in toppling the regime.
Posted by: Captain Lewis ||
06/17/2009 9:36 Comments ||
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#3
This is where a "social networking/astroturfing using politician" like Obama could do wonder but decides to vote "present". Now if there is a Reganesque on the Conservative/Freedom/Democracy side of things that could step in with some knowledge of how to use cyberspace and all its weapons you have competition here as well as there in the making. Unfortunately, the Trunks have nothing of the sort. Even Tracy McCain has to remind the GOP to update their website. Pathetic. Never waste the opportunity of a crisis except when it backtracks on your own words. Right, Rahm?
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
06/17/2009 10:45 Comments ||
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Supporters of Iran's defeated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi have held another big rally in northern Tehran, witnesses say. Hours before, thousands of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's supporters staged their own protest in the city centre.
The opposition rally went ahead despite an official offer of a partial recount of the poll, which returned Mr Ahmadinejad to power.
Tough new restrictions have been imposed on foreign media reporting. The curbs came amid apparent surprise and concern among the authorities at the scale of popular defiance over Friday's official election results, correspondents say.
The powerful Guardian Council says it is ready to recount some votes from the poll, in a move backed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But opposition candidates have demanded a full re-run of the election.
A witness told the BBC that Tuesday's rally was even bigger than Monday's - though this cannot be independently confirmed - and the state Press TV also described it as large. Witnesses described demonstrators walking in near silence towards state TV headquarters - apparently anxious not to be depicted as hooligans by authorities.
The latest opposition rally comes despite a Mousavi spokesman urging supporters not to take part in another demonstration on Tuesday, amid fears of new violence.
The authorities have imposed tough new restrictions on foreign journalists operating in Tehran - the most sweeping restrictions our correspondent in Tehran, Jon Leyne, says he has ever faced. They must now obtain explicit permission before leaving the office to cover any story. Journalists have also been banned from attending or reporting on any "unauthorised" demonstration - and it is unclear which if any of the protests are formally authorised.
Some telephone, SMS and internet services have also been restricted, prompting some protesters to turn to the internet messaging service Twitter to communicate. The importance of such new means of communication was highlighted by a US official on Tuesday. The official said the state department contacted Twitter over the weekend to urge it to delay a planned upgrade that could have cut daytime service to Iranians.
Did Khamenei assure him that everything was under control at home?
YEKATERINBURG, RUSSIA Russia welcomed Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Tuesday on his first trip abroad since his bitterly disputed re-election, a show of support for a leader facing massive protests at home and questions from the West about the legitimacy of the vote count.
Ahmadinejad arrived in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg and sat down for talks at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which includes Russia, China and four Central Asian nations. Iran has observer status in the grouping, widely seen as a counterbalance to U.S. interest in the region.
A senior Russian diplomat hailed Ahmadinejad's visit as evidence of strong ties between Russia and Iran. "It's quite symbolic that the Iranian president arrived in Russia on his first foreign visit since re-election," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said at a briefing. "We see that as a sign that the Russian-Iranian relations will advance further."
So you guys are still hoping to get paid for the reactor, eh ...
Ahmadinejad had been expected to arrive Monday and meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on the sidelines of the summit. He postponed the trip for one day amid persistent street protests in Iran following his re-election Friday in a vote his main opponents claim were rigged. Iran's state radio says at least seven people died in clashes in Tehran.
Ryabkov said the election was Iran's internal affair, but he endorsed Ahmadinejad as the victor. "We welcome the fact that the elections have taken place, and we welcome the newly re-elected Iranian president on the Russian soil," he said. "We see this visit as a reflection of partner-like, neighborly and traditionally friendly relations between Moscow and Tehran."
It was unclear whether Medvedev would meet with Ahmadinejad on Tuesday.
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/17/2009 00:00 ||
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[11134 views]
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Basic coverage of the most recent events here if you need to catch up.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Thousands of pro-reform protesters marched Tuesday in a second straight day of large street demonstrations in the Iranian capital, defying the government after the clerical regime said it would recount some disputed ballots from the presidential election.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on Iranians to unite behind the cleric-led ruling system despite the rival demonstrations and street clashes, state television reported, and he said representatives of all four candidates should be present for any limited recount of disputed ballots. "In the elections, voters had different tendencies, but they equally believe in the ruling system and support the Islamic Republic," said Khamenei, who is Iran's ultimate authority.
Ain't necessarily so ...
The supporters of reformist candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi marched about the same time--but in a different location--as a state-organized rally that also drew thousands of people waving flags and pictures of Iran's supreme leader in an apparent attempt to reclaim the streets for the government.
Following a demonstration of hundreds of thousands of Mousavi supporters on Monday, the regime issued tough restrictions on journalists, barring foreign media from covering rallies in Tehran.
Witnesses and amateur video showed a large column of Mousavi supporters walking peacefully along a central avenue in north Tehran. A witness told The Associated Press that the pro-Mousavi rally stretched more than a mile (1.5 kilometers) along Vali Asr avenue, from Vanak Square to the headquarters of Iranian state television.
Security forces did not interfere, the witness said, and the protest lasted from about 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Other witnesses told the AP that about 100 people were still protesting in front of state TV around 9:45 p.m. A correspondent for state-controlled Press TV correspondent said the crowd carried banners of Mousavi, wore green headbands and covered their mouths in an apparent defense against tear gas.
The clerical government appears to be trying to defuse popular anger and quash unrest by announcing the limited recount even as it cracks down on foreign media and shows its strength by calling supporters to the streets.
"This nation will protect and defend its revolution in any way," Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, a prominent lawmaker and supporter of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, told the pro-government crowd in Vali Asr Square. The people pumped their fists in the air and cheered in support, images on state-run television showed.
Iranian state media said the government organized the rally to demand punishment for those who protested violently after Monday's rally. Mousavi has said he won Friday's balloting and has demanded the government annul Ahmadinejad's victory and conduct a new election.
Khamenei said Monday the government would conduct an investigation into the election. The move seemed intended to calm protester anger but was followed by a rally of hundreds of thousands of people that presented one of the greatest challenges to Iran's government since it took power in the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
In Washington, President Barack Obama said the disputed election revealed a change in expectations among voters and perhaps their leaders, but he stopped short of saying the balloting was rigged.
"I do believe that something has happened in Iran," with Iranians more willing to question the government's "antagonistic postures" toward the world, Obama said. "There are people who want to see greater openness, greater debate, greater democracy."
Iran's state radio said seven people were killed in clashes from Monday's protest--the first official confirmation of deaths linked to the street battles following the disputed election.
Witnesses saw people firing from the roof of a building used by a state-backed militia after some Mousavi supporters set fire to the building and tried to storm it.
Mousavi supporters had called for demonstrations Tuesday but Mousavi said in a message in his Web site he would not be attending any rally and asked his supporters to "not fall in the trap of street riots" and "exercise self-restraint."
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/17/2009 00:00 ||
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[11140 views]
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#1
The people who fixed the election have promised to investigate the question of whether or not the election was fixed. Hmm, I wonder what they will conclude.
One he can't. Its all about him not them. So why would he so soon contradict himself from his Cairo speech? Secondly, he is not a democrat in terms of Democracy/Liberty/Pursuit of Happiness - he is a Marxist radical with the largest narcissistic ego in the history of our great Republic. None of this works for HIM.
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
06/17/2009 10:50 Comments ||
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#4
If anything significant is going to come of all this they are going to have to do more than just rally. At some point they will either get organized and take some kind of action or else let the whole thing fizzle. Waiting for a recount of the votes is pointless unless they use that time to get organized and come up with some kind of a plan. Mousavi may have been the spark that ignited the protests but it sounds like he is ready to knuckle under after a bogus recount shows that he lost the bogus election. The fix was in from the get go and he had to at least suspect as much. The question is: will anyone have the skills and support from the masses to organize a putsch and, if so, who?
by rally and showing the regime cant stop them, they rob the regime of its image of power and authority. That is the first step, and the biggest. Where they head next depends on many things, including how the regime security forces break. There are videos showing uniformed police smiling at crowds - at the same token the folks breaking heads in all seem to be baseegi militia, and some spec riot police. The reg army is quiet, and so far the uniformed Rev Guards seem to be mainly quiet. Which way they go has a huge impact. Think Tiananmen and Burma - but also think Moscown 1991, and Bucharest 1989.
If all of the security forces stay loyal to khameni and dinnerjacket, that makes things very, very hard. But the situation is almost certainly fluid. Certainly grabbing for control of govt ministries now is probably not a good idea.
note also, there are rumors Rafsanjani is trying to get the expediency council to fire Khameni. that is nominally legal under their islamic constitution, but its never been done.
Posted by: liberal hawk ||
06/17/2009 14:27 Comments ||
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#6
Pre-Islamic Persia had an historical event that sort of translates to "The day they killed all the priests". One can hope the spirit lives on.
#7
I guess I'm thinking more along the lines of Moscow 1917 where there were competing forces waiting to wrest control from Czar Nicholas II. It'd be a bummer if the Iranians swapped mullahs for commies.
#8
1. I havent heard a word out of the Tudeh party, the old mainstream Commie party in Iran. I think they sort of went dud a while ago. There is an active labor movement (bus drivers, for example) who have done strikes in the past - I think they support Moussavi, and are not totalitarians. MEK, the commie group that used to be based in Iraq, and which we have supported from time to time, has a website, but I dont think they are real strong in country.
Really, a commie takeover most unlikely, and even if they did, given the absence of a genooine commie regime to give them support (dont call billionaire supporters in Beijing commies, please) I dont think they would be real strong.
If there is an analogy to 1917, its Moussavi as Kerensky, and genuine pro-western secularists as Lenin. Except in this case Moussavi is rather more ruthless than the secularists, and the peace land bread issues arent there.
No, best analogy of all is Romania, 1989. Genuine hunger for liberty on the street, being manipulated by moderate elements of the regime to dispose of the dangerous loony elements of the regime. In romania it eventually worked out relatively well. No assurance it will get that far in Iran, but likely not to get worse.
Posted by: liberal hawk ||
06/17/2009 16:23 Comments ||
Top||
We turned our collective power and outrage into a serious weapon that we could use at our will, without ever having to feel the consequences. We practiced distributed, citizen-based warfare, writes Matthew Burton, a former U.S. intelligence analyst who joined in the online assaults, thanks to a push-button tool that would, upon your click, immediately start bombarding 10 Web sites with requests.
But the tactic of launching these distributed denial of service, or DDOS, attacks remains hugely controversial. The author of one-web based tool, Page Rebooter, used by opposition supporters to send massive amounts of traffic to Iranian government sites, temporarily shut the service down, citing his discomfort with using the tool to attack other websites. Then, a few hours later, he turned on the service again, after his employers agreed to cover the costs of the additional traffic. WhereIsMyVote.info is opening up 16 Page Reboot windows simultaneously, to flood an array of government pages at once.
Meanwhile, San Francisco technologist Austin Heap has put together a set of instructions on how to set up proxies intermediary internet protocol (IP) address that allow activists to get through the government firewall. And the Networked Culture blog has assembled for pro-democracy sympathizers a cyberwar guide for beginners. Stop publicizing these proxies over Twitter, the site recommends. Instead, send direct messages to @stopAhmadi or @iran09 and they will distributed them discretely to bloggers in Iran.
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
06/17/2009 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
This all sounds quite familiar, and everyone over 30 has seen it before. Did somebody replace the "community activist" with a self-righteous peanut farmer while we weren't looking?
Lebanon -- Maan -- High-profile Fatah leader 
By NEIL MacFARQUHAR
French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday branded Iran's election result a fraud as the international outcry over the security forces' crackdown on the opposition in Tehran intensified.
