Here we go. The best way to get a feel of the tempo of activity comes from Twitter, and here are some Tweets Thursday evening Washington time, about 5 hours before the scheduled start of demonstrations:
Bus loads of Basij & Ansar-Al-Hezb Allah just arrived in Tehran from Shoshtar. Others R expected.
IRGC has been assigned the special mission of protecting portraits of the SL of being defaced by people throwing paint at them
They arrested more than 20 family members of political figures now. They’re taking hostages w/o legal grounds
Mousavi met with Sharestani (rep of Grand Ayat Sistani) was informed Marjas will soon speak
[ML: This is enormously important, if true it prefigures open criticism of the regime by leading Shi’ite clerics throughout the region, not just in Iran. That Sistani would send his top aide to see Mousavi is quite something]
Mousavi went to Qum Wed, had dinner w the Society of Theologian Teachers & Researchers also the Reform Ayts
Mehdi Hashemi (Rafs son) asking to be given air time on IRTV to answer the fabricated charges against him
Last Sat 200 employees of Khoramshar (S. IR) mass transit went on 1 day strike for non payment of their wages
IRGC (guards) issued statement warning any disturbance & riots during Qods day will be confronted by Sepah
Karoubi announcing Qods day 11AM Haft Tir. Anti filtering software can be downloaded from his site http://bit.ly/pXmOC
In addition to the assassination of the Assembly of Experts member (1750 GMT), it is reported that the Chief Prosecutor in Kurdestan has been shot.
Tomorrow’s march routes for Mashhad and for Rasht have been posted.
In the latest of a series of assassinations in the province, the Kurdistan representative on the Assembly of Experts was killed today.
From an Iranian blogger in Tehran: “People will come out but many are also leaving Tehran as it is a long weekend. Saturday is half closed and Sunday is a holiday. Many who participated in previous demonstrations are leaving Tehran or have left already and many are much scared of what happened to their colleagues, friends and other citizens.”
And a final tweet:
Police preventing ppl from leaving Tabriz (NW Iran) fearing they will join marches in Tehran.
It seems that Rafsanjani has joined the call for a massive turnout. He had traditionally led Friday prayers on Quds Day (celebrated tomorrow)–for twenty-five years!–but not this year. Rafsanjani is always playing both ends against the middle, but his current play is significant, because he called for a protest against tyranny everywhere. The same words were used by Hasan Khomeini, the grandson of the Imam who came to Washington a few years ago. On that occasion I asked him before a large audience, “what about freedom of religion?” He gave an answer I had never heard before from a Muslim cleric: “Absolutely, religion must be a free act,” he said, and then continued, “and so we must also have freedom of NO religion.”
Nobody I know really has anything approaching confidence in the size of the demonstrations, but we will know very soon. Estimates range as high as 3 million in Tehran. The Mousavi/Karroubi people are of course hoping for a very big turnout, and they have taken measures (within their limited capacity) to protect their supporters against armed attack. Everyone expects considerable violence from the regime.
It’s significant that top regime leaders, such as the Kurdish representative on the Assembly of Experts, are being gunned down. This is obviously in response to the wave of arrests of family members of the opposition leaders. Mrs. Mousavi’s brother, for example, has been in Evin Prison in Tehran for three months, and subjected to harsh torture.
I am full of admiration for the dissidents, and furious and ashamed that my government is still unwilling to embrace their cause. The dissidents face torture and death, but are unafraid. My modern Chamberlains face nothing but the loss of the chance to sit down at a negotiating table with a group of monsters, but the Chamberlains are afraid to support freedom. The Iranian dissidents submit their bodies to torture and death, while the Chamberlains withhold their voices.
And so they have become accomplices to evil.
UPDATE: In case you thought the Iranians had lost their wit, as the sun rose in Tehran, this tweet appeared: ” OMG they have sun in Iran? They forgot to filter the sun ?”
UPDATE FRIDAY MORNING (WASHINGTON TIME): Have a look at the New York Times’ blog . It contains other links, as to the Guardian’s always very good coverage of Iranian events. When Ahmadinejad was being interviewed, he got flustered by the chants of the protesters.
It’s fascinating to see the intersection of historical and contemporary events, don’t you think? Ahmadinejad drools on about the “myth of the Holocaust,” while hundreds of thousands of people march, chanting that they will only risk their lives for their own country, not in a crusade against the Jews. And, elsewhere, Obama seems not to have known that his rushed announcement on yanking the missile shield, came on the anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland.
UPDATE: If you’d rather follow it in French, this seems like a good live blog. Among other things, you’ll learn that the French Government has condemned the violence used against the demonstrators.
I haven’t heard one word about all this on the morning radio talk shows.
UPDATE: Reuters now says that Mousavi, Karroubi and Khatami were all attacked when they joined the demonstrations, and were forced to leave. Reuters is not very reliable IMO. Haven’t seen anything about Rafsanjani.
Obviously there are lots of arrests and physical clashes. And it’s impossible to get an accurate picture from the available fragments. We’ll have better info in a few hours.
UPDATE: Hah! The “Green Wave TV Channel” is on the air. Lots of videos. No, I don’t know if they are really from today. Probably most of them are.
UPDATE: 8:39 Washington time. Tear gas around the University. And just read a tweet in French saying there are 2-3 million demonstrators.
The regime supporters yell “Death to israel!” and the Greens chant back “Death to Russia!”
UPDATE: Le Monde, L’Ezpress and France 2 are announcing “millions” of demonstrators, says a tweet. Maybe Sazegara was right, he predicted 3 million in Tehran.
08:55 AM: a tweet: IRNA: Mohsen Ezjei is quoted saying that “the enemies of the system is threatening to overthrow it”
I’m gonna take Thurber the Airedale for a walk.
09:21 Tweet: Anouncer said Karroubi himself said “Death to dictator” through bull horn
If you want to follow the Tweets, go here
Khaled Mashaal [Hamas leader] and Ramzan [leader of Islamic Jihad of Palestine] are also in Tehran to attend the Friday prayer led by Ahmadinezhad. They are hearing anti-Palestinian chants.
09:35 From IRanian friends:
At this very moment the police is acting on and near Revolution Square. From all corners demonstrators are trying to move toward Ahmadinezhad and his Palestinian friends at the Tehran University.
Here a few videos:
Oh Lord, Factual errors:
Ayat. Khoemini has 2 sons: 1st Mostapha, then Ahmad.
Mr Ledeen, you met Hossein Khomeni, the son of Mostapha Khomeini. He is 48 yrs old
Hassan Khomeini is the son of Ahmad Khomeini.
Hassan is the custodian of Imam Khomeini’s Shrine in Tehran. He is 36 yrs old.
You are mixing things up.
It’s so hard, you know. They all look the same…Thanks for staying up so late.
I just read that Prince Mansour bin Al Nihayan, the deputy “Prime Minister” of the state of Abu Dhabi in UAE had purchased Manchester City soccer team for close to $350 million dollars.
This Prince is about 39 yrs old.
To be quite frank, when I hear of these outrageous personal purchases (from the people’s money) I begin to think that the government in Iran is Great.
Afterall, if Iran spends $350 million, that is the budget for 2 years of Hezbollah. Atleast one can feel that the government is developing and sustaining reliable allies and fostering loyalty.
I can just imagine, if it was the Shah’s son who was ruling us and he would waste Iran’s money on frivilous expesnses here and there.
Atleast I know that the rulers in Iran are not spending money on personal luxury and consumption rather in the course of an ideology.
When I see the corrupt expenditure of Arab kings and princes and hording of billions of their citizen’s money, I thank God for what we have. Had it been the Shah, he would have done just like those Arab princes.
When you hear of representatives in Majlis taking to task politicians for taking $300,000 in personal grants from special interest groups, or fighting to see what happened to $100,000 in government money, and overall nickel and diming. You get a good feeling, that there is some accounting going on. Or as we say in Farsi there is “hesab wa ketab.”
This is extremely important for crtics of this governemnt to understand. A great majority of people in Iran feel that even if there is monetary corruption, it is in low millions. Its not at the scale that you see in Egypt or Persian Gulf Sheikdoms.
One recent report stated that Kuwait was helping the US Armed Forces in Iraq to the tune of $500,000,000.00
Now, one just feels for the poor Kuwaiti citizen who has wonder why oil revenues have to be spent paying for America’s war.
I reiterate, a great majority of Iranians feel the same way. They feel that given their misgiving about the ISlamic Republics goverment, they still feel its better than alternatives whereby there might be enormous monetary corruption. (I challenge all to name one billionaire involved in Iran’s current political process).
They also feel that unlike other societies, the current environment in Iran has put a lid on social corruption. They don’t see the sex business like there is in Turkey, Egypt, Morocco and Dubai.
They know they can get to send their daughters to schools, where education is foremost and not keeping in style.
These are very important issues that critics need to focus on.
Mr Roger Cohen had a piece in NYTimes regarding Iranian’s historical quest for justice and equality. He is the first such journalist to begin to understand the Iranian psyche. Others need to follow, if they really want to understand Iranians.
Wow ali ardakani you are easy to please. Look at the Arabs spending money and having fun. I like Iran’s government, it guns down the people in the street and that’s not expensive. Torture and rape does not cost a lot of money we sure have it good in Iran. We in Iran are investing in Hezbollah and buying murdering friends. Gun men from Lebanon and Venezuela sure work cheap and help the police cut back on over time. It sure is great in Iran.
I can’t wait for Iran and Israel to start shooting nuclear missiles at each other. Our government is great. :l
Are we sure about this “Chamberlain” thing ?
Chamberlain was just an idiot, he didn’t side with the nazis.
This president hugs Chavez who hugs Iamadinnerjacket.
I am not sure he is making “mistakes”, I think he supports all the anti-american regimes he can.
It’s part of the marxist ideology he cherishes: the fight against “imperialism” is the contemporary form of the revolution…and for the marxists America is the center, the organizing center of imperialism…therefore all the anti-americans regimes are GOOD !
Like in “no missile defense”…
Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
Excellent work… Twitter and blogs have done what old media would never do (couldnt do). Hope to see a free and democratic Iran soon
Who cares about Iran you right-wing Nazis? We’ve got important international issues to deal with…like showing that nutty Honduran guy who’s boss.
Michael, I’m thinking of something near the end of “The Last Battle”, which is the final volume in C.S. Lewis’s “Chronicles of Narnia”. “They are afraid of being taken in, that they can’t be taken out”.
The motley crew of heads of government and heads of state that the world is saddled with at this time, they are so afraid of offending people that there is a standard that does not change rather than what a person has done with their time. So, anything that reflects ethics being connected with objective reality,
that is not allowed. Well, because of their timidity all of us have to see only a partial overlap between truth and freedom, as compared
to how it could be.
President Obama seems to be ignoring the protests in Iran. But then he has ignored the massive protest in Washington, D.C., of September 12.
Maybe a silly question, but is there a connection between Obama’s seemingly sudden decision to drop the missile defense program in Poland and the Czech Republic and the events in Iran?
ali ardakani said: “Now, one just feels for the poor Kuwaiti citizen who has wonder why oil revenues have to be spent paying for America’s war.”
I doubt any Kuwaiti citizen questions the need to have a stable, docile Iraq on their Northern border. Were you born yesterday? Maybe you need to review the history of the region.
Ali Ardakani,
The worst things that governments can do are not monetary.
Stripping people of their freedom can be done efficiently or not, but doing it effectively and efficiently is not a good thing.
So the government does not allow personal enlargement at the public expense. I am not sure that this is so, but let’s assume it is. This puts the regime in the same league as those other earnest ideologues of the Twentieth Century, the ones who killed more of their own people than all the wars combine. I will not invoke Godwin’s Law by naming the regimes, but they mostly end in “ism.” No one who has lived under a regime of zealots (of whatever stripe) is likely to cite their good accounting methods as a sufficiently mitigating factor.
What is easily missed when looking at the government expenditures of authoritarian regimes is cost of fear and constraint. What great economic and cultural outputs have been stifled by the constraints of the regime, or by the desire not to be noticed that their policies foster? The folks risking their lives to get rid of the current regime obviously perceive some downside that you are missing.
As for the Shah, who knows what he would have done? He is a straw dog, and so are the spoiled Gulf princes. I have yet to hear anyone advocate the return of the Shah, or the installation of an Arab prince. I hope you find someone to debate that with. I certainly don’t advocate either, and the chanters on the rooftops haven’t specified a desire for Shahs or Princes. Their shouts and their votes seem highly critical of the current regime, despite your assertion that the vast majority prefer the status quo.
As for the Kuwaiti’s “paying for America’s war,” where to begin? Perhaps the “poor Kuwaiti ” might be among the rare breed who remembers when the evil American Imperialist drove out their Arab brothers, and handed them back their country. I think we have a better track record as guests than their brothers did as masters.
They are getting the protection of the world’s greatest military for half a billion? That’s less than the cost of twenty good fighter aircraft, and now they have Gold Plus Superpower Protection. All the governments buying hardware must be jealous.
Michael, are you as surprised at this, http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1253198148715&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull as you are that the sun rises in the east, and that the sky is blue?
If Honduras is any indication, Obama will demand the reinstatement of Ahmadinezhad if the revolution succeeds…
Israel will not attack while the opposition demonstrates in Iran. Do you suppose…?
I think that’s right in principle, unless they become convinced that the mullahs, in a desperate throw of the dice, have decided to attack Israel…
Oh, how the Left loves the dictators…
Not sure Sistani actually SENT a rep to Iran. The man Moussavi met is Hojatoleslam Javad Shahrestani, who is apparently Sistani’s son-in-law. But all the reports I have seen describe him as Sistani’s representative in Qom, suggesting he’s been there a while?
i think he commutes between Qom and Najaf, actually. Sistani’s family is Iranian, so there is a large group of them in Qom. I’m quite sure that the meeting involving Shahrestani required him to carry a message from Sistani, who, by the way, had previously sent a private nastygram to the supreme leader.
Michael, here is the story:
The Jerusalem Post Internet Edition
Iranians commanding Hizbullah units
Sep. 18, 2009
Yaakov Katz , THE JERUSALEM POST
In a sign of continued Iranian efforts to solidify its control over Hizbullah, the Islamic Republic has deployed dozens of military officers in Lebanon to actively command Hizbullah fighting units, senior defense officials said this week.
According to the officials, following the Second Lebanon War, Iran decided to step up its involvement in the Hizbullah decision-making process and has instituted a number of structural changes to the guerrilla group’s hierarchy, under which leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah has to receive Iranian permission prior to certain operations.
“Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah’s authority is somewhat restricted,” the officer said. “Nowadays, most of the control over the group is from Iran.”
Reports of Iranian discontent with Nasrallah began to surface following the 2006 war, which reportedly did not interest Teheran at the time. Several reports in the Arab press claimed that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had ousted Nasrallah from his post. Iran has reportedly invested billions of dollars in rehabilitating the guerrilla group.
While Hizbullah is still working to avenge the 2008 assassination of its military commander Imad Mughniyeh, the assessment in the IDF is that the guerrilla group would prefer to attack an Israeli or Jewish target overseas, possibly in South America or Africa.
“Hizbullah is afraid of how Israel will respond, and therefore prefers to launch an attack abroad that will not be immediately traced back to the group,” the officer said. “They are not interested in another round with us in Lebanon.”
According to the Lebanese Al-Nahar newspaper, UNIFIL received intelligence regarding the possibility that Palestinian terror groups would launch attacks against Israel. Last Friday, two 122-mm. Katyusha rockets were fired into the North.
The information did not contain an exact date, but last Friday, September 11 – the eighth anniversary of the al-Qaida attacks on the United States – was raised as a strong possibility.
The group behind the attack has been identified as the Abdulla Azzam Brigades, named for a Palestinian Sunni scholar who was born in Jenin in 1941 and moved to Pakistan in the 1970s. Azzam is considered one of Osama bin-Laden’s mentors.
The Azzam Brigades are based in Ein el-Hilweh, the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, located near the city of Sidon. The camp is a known base for several terror groups, some of them from Iraq and Pakistan, all of which are affiliated with Global Jihad and al-Qaida.
After receiving the intelligence information several weeks ago, UNIFIL deployed some 20 units in the open areas in the vicinity of the refugee camp. During their searches, the forces reportedly discovered a number of rocket launchers.
@ali ardakani
True, there is no sex business like in Dubai but there are many, many “temporary marriages” which really is a synonim for “prostitution”. There are also some Tehranis who do “temporary marriages” in exchange for expensive clothes. Not only that, drug addiction in Iran is one of the higher in the world, , in fact there are more drug addicts per 1000 people than in US or in Europe. Strange, isn’t it? As for monetary corruption – in Iran police patroling the border with Afghanistan ride in mercedeses, mullahs are accused of corruption by members of majlis and some are on the list of 100 most wealthy people in Middle East. . Education is getting worse, Sepah is getting new factories for free and many young people dream of going to the West to work because unemployment for young people is large and growing.
“Now, one just feels for the poor Kuwaiti citizen who has wonder why oil revenues have to be spent paying for America’s war.”
Unfortunately there are no poor Kuwaiti citizens, the poor Kuwaiti citizens earn about 30,000 USD a year, have free health care for life, and free education. Families also receive a monthly social allowance. Each Kuwaiti child receives approximately $275 a month, every month, until they turn 18. Citizens also get a lump sum of cash in the amount of $12,000 when they get married and a free house is thrown in too. Don’t you think that poor Iranians would like to get free house at the time of their marriage?Poor Iranians were supposed to get some government help when they got married, but after couple of months Ahmadinejad forgot about this promise. He forgot about other promises, too. So stop telling us fairy stories about Islamic Republic.
#Ali Ardakani:
“Ayat. Khoemini has 2 sons: 1st Mostapha, then Ahmad….You are mixing things up.”
Mr Ardakani, You focus on trivial things while ignoring the obvious facts.
“I just read that Prince Mansour bin Al Nihayan, the deputy “Prime Minister” of the state of Abu Dhabi in UAE had purchased Manchester City soccer team for close to $350 million dollars.
This Prince is about 39 yrs old.
To be quite frank, when I hear of these outrageous personal purchases (from the people’s money) I begin to think that the government in Iran is Great.”
“Atleast I know that the rulers in Iran are not spending money on personal luxury and consumption rather in the course of an ideology.”
Mr Ali Ardakani, I agree with you that there is in the Middle East, illegal corrupt monarchies and there are corrupt expenditure of Arab kings and princes, even some have been supported terrorist organizations. But your MULLAHS EVERY SINGLE DAY SPENDING THE OIL REVENUES ON TERRORISM and the military arsenal, where Iran provides funding, material support, guidance, and military support as training and intelligence services to its three main proxies, the militant groups “Hezbollah, Hamas Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. And also there is financial support and military to the close ally to Iran “Syrian regime”, where militant groups receive all the military support and financial via Syria. Because Iran and Syria have enjoyed a close relationship since Iran’s Islamic Revolution of 1979, and at present both countries are the largest world sponsors of terror. Iran has also supplied Syria with military equipment and paid for some of Syria’s military purchases from the two countries common suppliers, the opportunistic neutrals “Russia and China.”
However, Iran provides military and material support to Islamic groups that committed to the destruction of Israel, where that organizations defined by the international community as “terrorist organizations” and though IRAN STRONGLY SUPPORT THEM!
For example, Hezbollah receives approx more than $100 million annually in financial support and constant arms shipments from Iran via Syria.
In 2005, Iran provided $10 million to the terrorist organization, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Hamas receives financial support from Iran approx $30-$50 million annually, just in November 2006, Iran donated $120 million to Hamas. In December 2006, Iran pledged an additional $250 million to the terrorist organization. In May 2008, Iran promised another $150 million to Hamas for the second half of 2008.
Bank Saderat of Iran, one of Iran’s largest banks, citing the transfer of funds to Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
“One recent report stated that Kuwait was helping the US Armed Forces in Iraq to the tune of $500,000,000.00
Now, one just feels for the poor Kuwaiti citizen who has wonder why oil revenues have to be spent paying for America’s war.”
Mr Ardakani, I think the United States of America is very rich and great more than fools can imagine. You migrated to this country just because she is a great. The USA does not need any aid, and you know quite that America give billions of dollars annually as financial aids, including Muslim countries. Kuwait does not spend money on terrorism and the military arsenal. Kuwait has the right to self-defense against evil regimes.
Mr Ardakani, freedom and democracy will prevail in the Middle East willy-nilly, and JUST REMEMBER PLEASE (The sun of freedom someday will shine on Tehran, and Dr Michael Ledeen is one of those who bring sunshine into the lives of oppressed people.) Dr Ledeen is much worthy of respect, Mr Ardakani!
Jassem Othman, Syrian
From what I can gather after coming home from work and reading the updated thread (many Thanks Mr. Ledeen) is that it appears that much more “violent” response from the regime occurred outside Metro Tehran.
What really upsets me is the lack of attention the U.S. Media is giving to the situation. Our MSM Press has gotten lazy: If you cannot broadcast it Live and in HD, it is not worth more than a mention on the evening news. And this is about a country that could very well strike up the next nuclear war/Arms race.
Obama picked a real lousy time to cave into Russia and for the effort he got squat from Putin. Reagan, on the other hand, walked away from Gorbachev and the result was the collapse of the Soviet bloc. At a time Iran AND Israel both need a strong, resolute United States, we have a rank amateurs running the foreign policy of the U.S. (Please, no one can argue Hillary knows what she is doing… she got her clock cleaned by Obama and some how this makes her “qualified” to run Foggy Bottom?)
While the “New media” keeps people like me informed of events going on, the VAST bulk of America STILL gets their news from the 23 Minutes on the Big Three Networks and/or their local rag who merely edits AP/Reuters feed for third page news of their local papers on foreign affairs.
The sad fact is that (for example here in Florida) more people are concerned about how the Gators play tomorrow than the fight for freedom that is going on in Iran, which, if it goes truly south and we have a full blown Fascist State with Nuke weapons, it will have devastating consequences on this country, indeed the entire world.
And I blame our a) Administration b) Congress and C) the PRESS for their lack of perspective or urgency in this matter.
Cheers
Royce White
Who knows what will happen in Iran. Iranians, in my experience, are one of the most protest prone cultures in the world. The clouds of protested anger and threatened violence that would provoke violent revolutions in the West are often, there, just cultural tantrums, things that are forgotten when the sun goes down.
It could be the start of a new era in Iran, but I really doubt it. Its just going to be the same old garbage in a new and prettier package.
What revolution? The reality is the majority of Iranians prefer their savage barbaric islamist regime as do most muslims and arabs. Islam literally means submission and is more of a retarded socio-economic system than just a religion. Arabs and muslims clearly prefer dictators and backwards violent islamic theocracies. Every single time arabs or muslims are given the oppurtunity to choose between barbarism and modernity they always choose barbarism and backwardness. For God sakes we had to pratically shove democracy, rule of law, basic tolerance of different ethnic and religious minorities down the throats of the Iraqi and Afghan citizens. And they still won’t adopt basic pillars of advanced modern civilization such as religious freedom, freedom of speech, gender equality, etc. They’re habitual lazy, corrupt, blood thirsty retards to their cores. Instead of welcoming extremely generous foreign liberation and development they planted IEDs all over the damn place which killed more of their own civilians than they did coalition soldiers, they fired AKs and RPGs everywhere in the middle of their civilian centers without any regard for human life, they kidnapped, tortured and beheaded their own citizens on a regular basis, they fired mortars in the middle of their own cities, they raped, brainwashed and stapped suicide bomb vests to their own citizens, they opened food carts in the middle of busy markets, filled them with explosives, waited for men women and children to gather around them and then they denoated the explosives killing dozens of their own citizens, they even blew up their own schools full of children. And now they can’t wait to wipe out the kurds as soon as we leave. Arabs and muslims are disgusting and I seriously wonder if trying to help them civilize themselves is worth the high cost. It’s like dealing with cave people. The Iranians will never overthrow their regime. The Persians are racist islamist cowards who need Western military aid in order to overthrow their own islamist regime.
To Blackwater:
It was Persians who freed the Jews 2500 years ago and it was Persians who have been invaded by Muhammad’s Moslem army. Persians are now sacrificing their lives to take their freedom and identity back. So please stop your racist ranting and read some history before you make such inaccurate judgments. You may not want to help the Persians now which is fine, it is your choice but may be you want to save your own countrymen from the same yoke of Moslem rule under the protection of Obama and his keen. You have tough battle ahead! We Persians are not judging you, are we?!!! All we do is exposing your nation’s backward pedaling into the same dump we have fallen!!!
Wise up please!
These events are tremendously important, and for the US govt. and media to ignore them is scurrilous. Iranians are humans, and created equal with all of us, and have the same rights as all to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The fall of the Islamic regime would have huge repercussions world-wide.
I wish I knew how Americans could express their support, since our gov. is asleep at the wheel.
Thank you Mr. Ledeen.
#Blackwater:
You have told the true about Arab and Moslem mentality. Yes of course the vast majority of Moslems do not want to be member of advanced modern civilization. The domination of tyrannized regimes and Islamic fundamentalism had played an negative role on Moslem mentality. The Islamic communities are awash in barbarism and backwardness, there is terrible stagnation in all scopes. The fundamentalist Islam and tyrannized regimes had yielded the terrorist organizations that have become forming real threat on their own peoples and on the west.
I do not think that Persians are cowards and racists. Certainly there are millions in Muslim world would rather live like you “American”. They want peaceful future without fundamentalist Islam and without tyrannical regimes. But they do not have enough power, because oppressive regimes terribly controlling everything in the country. for instance, according to Syrian constitution “any political relation by Syrian native with a foreign state regard it as conspiracy and treason, the execution or the life imprisonment its penalty. Yes, thus, the end of each person who wants his legal right of the regime and struggling for his freedom! Therefore we need the Western military aid in order to overthrow those evil regimes which have become a serious and real threat on our life and YOUR life as well.
However, the Americans freed Europeans from Nazis, and Americans who freed European from communism. Americans had helped the peaceful revolutions in Eastern Europe against communism, they won the war without bloodshed, because the nature their mentality very basically different from the mentality of Middle East’s people. So it’s your moral duty to help people that fighting for freedom and democracy, it’s your moral commitment to spread the principles of freedom and Western values in the terrible Muslim world.
Please don’t be telling us what our moral duty is. It’s up to others to do their own fighting, dying and bleeding if they want freedom. We’re broke, and if we’re lucky we’ll be able to keep our own freedom. Maybe. I hope. Meanwhile you want free? Great. Pay for it yourselves. We’ll cheer you on from the sidelines. Saving Europe from itself three times in the last 100 years is quite enough.
The entire Iranian thing is a non-story in the USA because there is no way the Usurper and his administration can profit from it. They are in a death sprial and need something to help them recover. A simple little problem that can be easily solved while making the Usurper look “Presidential”. That is what the whole UN thingie is about this coming week.
The MSM is NOT going to allow events in some 3rd world mudhole to upstage his changeness. Besides, Monday, the regime will still be in place and all those state security types that wouldn’t fight will be on the wrong side of the bars down at the local jail.
All it takes is a helio, a pilot and 2 guys with automatic weapons to send those ‘millions’ back home.
Police States can only be overthrown with violence. If non-violent means work, it is because it is no longer a police state. When the ENTIRE state security apparatus goes home, then Iran will no longer be a police state and the ‘green’ revolution might overthrow the Mullahs.
Then new Mullahs will step up and things will go back to pretty much the way they are now.
I hope for the best for the Iranians that want freedom and democracy. I hope that somehow they are successful in their attempts. I want them to have the same freedoms that we have. The freedom of religion, the freedom to protest without being thrown into jail and raped or tortured to death. The freedom to wear the clothes they want to wear, or the music they want to listen to. Fight for your freedom, because here in America, our current regime under Barack Obama is trying it’s best to take our freedoms away. We don’t want the government to control our every move and we will fight and protest and do what is necessary to try to stop him and his socialistic/marxist plans for America. Good luck to you all.
@ laedeen et al…….I think this forum is just out to display all the negatives of Iran and then hide the positives.Whats wrong with criticizing Isreal who keep Palestinians in an open cage(Gaza).Whats wrong with a majority wanting to be governed by the type of the law(islamic) they want even if it is ‘babbaric’.What if the election was free and fair and the opposition is just trying tocry foul play just like in many countries.Why concentrate on the protests against the government and ignore the rallies for them.Its unfair for people to want democracy only if they benefit their interest. If majority of Iranian wants Ahmadenejad as president through the ballot box,so be it.The opposition is just being a bad losser.Many people from all over the world like Ahmadenejad and the Islamic government and no government while just sit tight ang watch a mass protest by an opposition who wants to take advantage of the global media attention. Arrests are also made in London,US and other European countries duraing the G-8 meetings,Republican conventiond(2008),anti war rallies(bush era)to mention but just a few.Agreed Iran has its excesses but the west and the opposition are going the wrong way about it. If you think criticism and bias can help overtrow the government that a majority wants, then you have a long way to go……….
moderate as you like. i dont expect you to publish my comments as in all western backed bloggs.IRAN IS A GREAT NATION AND YOU BETTER LIFE WITH THAT….
http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/brmiddleeastnafricara/639.php?nid=&id=&pnt=639&lb=
As you see according to the “scientific” and ” independant” survey made by this “honest” and “clean” organization 81pct of us Iranians believe Ahmadinezhad is the legitimate president of Iran. This is so funny when Fars News Agency ( IRGC’s news agency ) and hardliners “believe” he has got 63% of the votes.I guess Mr Hussain Obama will be glad to see this report.It will justify kissing the hands of the terrorists under the pretext of having negotiations with them.
#RKV:
Above all, the United States of America MUST lead the world as Superpower! Your duty is to protect your National Security and your values. You must furiously defend your vital interests in the Middle East because there are an opportunistic neutrals lurking for you?!
You have paid high price when they attacked you at home “9/11 attack”. They murder you every single day more than 29 years, and seek to possess the Weapons of Mass Destruction so that nuke.
Hassan: Did you read my post? In it, I called for “FREEDOM OF RELIGION”. If you’re happy with someone telling you how to dress, what is allowed on your tv and radio stations, what religion you will be, then so be it. But there are millions of Iranians who want a free society. Azadandish: You also say “I guess Mr Hussain Obama will be glad to see this report.It will justify kissing the hands of the terrorists under the pretext of having negotiations with them.” So you are saying that your country is a terrorist country and you are proud of that? Terrorists are cowards, shielding themselves with civilians instead of fighting like a man would. They hide behind the dresses of women and crouch down behind children. Cowards, all of them. And they are and will continue to pay the price for 9/11. We will never forget. So what’s the true percentage of Iranian people that believe the elections in Iran were correct? By the amount of people protesting, I would guess your figures are wrong. And yes, people were arrested during protests in other countries…but I haven’t heard of one report where they were tortured to death or raped by the police. I would also bet that the majority of Iranians would take offense to your saying that Iran is a terrorist nation. Your government is though, as they support hezbollah and hamas, but I’d bet the majority of your people would rather live in a peaceful society than listen to the daily rants of Ahmadinezhad talking about wiping Israel off the face of the earth and the denial of the holocaust. He is nothing but a troublemaker, and he is talking tough because we are in the midst of fighting 2 wars and he thinks we will not defend our allies or ourselves. But he is wrong. In a way, our countries are now facing the same problem. Many Iranians consider your election rigged and that someone else should be president. Millions of us are against our current government that are trying to take away our freedoms that we enjoy. That is why we are also having protests. If you want to follow Islamic law, then you should be allowed to do it. What if the situation was reversed and you weren’t allowed to practice your religion? Would you protest?
Hassan – you say “whats wrong with MAJORITY wanting to …”
Quite a bit actually! If majority of Americans want in US for minority muslims to be thrown out – is that ok? or in Russia or China or other countries? or if Majority wants to impose inequality on minorities like in some verses of Quran – is that ok? WE DONT THINK SO! A Free n Fair society’s constitution does not allow that. Our Constitution treats EVERYONE as EQUAL – And thats something everyone should DEMAND for. Iranians had a Wonderful Culture. Very unfortunately for Humanity that has been destroyed once Bedouin’s with their barbarism(they don’t know any better) have taken over. Very Sad indeed. I hope that old Persian spirit will awake and Realize they are Way better than aping some desert nomads. It will be a great day for Humanity.
We should all Hope and HELP the Iranians in their hour of need.
This web site is really a walk-through for all of the info you wanted about this and didn’t know who to ask. Glimpse here, and you’ll definitely discover it.