Latest On Iran: Open Thread
Yesterday President Obama released this statement on the events in Iran:
The Iranian government must understand that the world is watching. We mourn each and every innocent life that is lost. We call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people. The universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected, and the United States stands with all who seek to exercise those rights.
As I said in Cairo, suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away. The Iranian people will ultimately judge the actions of their own government. If the Iranian government seeks the respect of the international community, it must respect the dignity of its own people and govern through consent, not coercion.
Martin Luther King once said – “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” I believe that. The international community believes that. And right now, we are bearing witness to the Iranian peoples’ belief in that truth, and we will continue to bear witness.
I think this is just pitch-perfect. Despite the bad advice of the foreign policy idiots, I think Obama has handled this situation very, very well.
The state-run media has started running some mild criticism of the Supreme Leader. The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament made the following statement on Iranian TV:
Speaking live on the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) Channel 2 on Saturday, the speaker said that “a majority of people are of the opinion that the actual election results are different than what was officially announced.”
…
The opinion of this majority should be respected and a line should be drawn between them and rioters and miscreants,” he was quoted as saying by Khabaronline — a website affiliated with him.
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Larijani, however, believes that the Iranian people have lost their trust in the country’s legal system. “Although the Guardian Council is made up of religious individuals I wish certain members would not side with a certain presidential candidate.”
“The Guardian Council should use every possible means to build trust and convince the protesters that their complaints will be thoroughly looked into,” the parliament speaker added.
As always, Andrew Sullivan and Nico Pitney have the latest news.
Tags: Iran, Open Thread
Handled it well?
No personal statement on the situation, just a press release — after days of refusing to make any significant statement of support for an oppressed people trying to throw off the shackles of islamist tyranny.
But hey, he did have time to take a motorcade out for a frozen custard photo-op with the kids.
When the going gets tough, the tough get soft-serv.
From the father who watched his daughter known as “Neda” die yesterday after being shot by Iranian “Security Forces”:
“Khameneie!You called yourself,the father of all orphans of Iran-Iraq war,but here you made a father witness the martyrdom of his daughter,in minutes,in his arms.You took away a mans,but Iran’s daughter.He didnt believe it at first,saying:Neda,dont be afraid,dont be afraid..then when blood covered her face,he came to and cried:Neda,stay..Neda,stay… Read More!….The doctor who was there was helpless as the shot was in the chest.My dear Neda,you are now loved by all more than ever,my tears are nonstop for you,but you died for Iran to be free and Im proud of you,may you rest in peace in heaven.And you Khameneie,you will certainly pay for this and definitely go to hell!”
Happy Fathers Day, indeed.
Steve Benen takes stock of the Republicans who think that President Obama is handling this well (Lugar, Will, Buchanan, Noonan, Kissinger, Gary Sick) and finds that it is the ever foolish neocons who keep pushing for a more belligerent stance.
I think Fareed Zakaria explains it well:
The rest of us remember what a foreign policy disaster the insticts of the neocons can lead to. Bush’s sabre rattling did nothing to advance peace in the region.
We should also remember what happened with the Kurds in 1992. They were slaughtered by Saddam when they rebelled at Bush I’s urging. We should not say things we’re not going to back up. We’re not going into Iran militarily to help the protesters and I don’t think the neocons get it. It’s not about us. It’s about them.
A lot of foreign policy analysts are saying this is the beginning of the end for the Islamic Republic of Iran. The religious authorities overplayed their hand by fixing the election. The reform forces were trying to work within the system and now they know that’s not possible. We don’t really know when the current government will collapse, but it will eventually.
You know, I’m so glad that the Sunday shows had on John “bomb bomb bomb bomb Iran” McCain to talk about what we should do about the situation in Iran.
Good point, UI. The people on the streets are the same ones McInsane joked about murdering.
“The president is being roundly criticized for insufficient, rhetorical support for what’s going on over there. It seems to me foolish criticism. The people on the streets know full well what the American attitude toward the regime is. And they don’t need that reinforced. ”
-George Will
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/06/21/will-iran-foolish-criticism/
I guess this makes RWR the fool?
You needed to ask?
Let’s see –don’t push the Iranians , who are murdering their people — but by God, go after the Jews for building houses on land they fought and died for when they were attacked by their neighbors!
When the going gets tough, Obama gets soft-serv.
(And I hear it was a “My Pet Goat” Sundae)
The litmus test for neoconism is their position on Obama’s responses to the Iran crisis.
And by the way, Rhymes, I note that even Netanyahu has praised Obama.
So not only are you a neocon, you are anti-Israel, a really rare and very confused bird (brain)! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Well, Perry, thanks for confirming what I’ve seen so many times over the last few years — you folks use “neo-con” to mean “Jews and Jew-lovers”.
No wonder you folks are lining up with Pat Buchanan.
But i do wonder — does old Pat side with Mahmoud the Mad and the Mullahs simply because they are the leaders of the worlds only Aryan nation?
UI, Fareed Zakaria says/writes/ explains a lot of things very well.
Did you read his piece in this week’s Newsweek, “The Capitalist Manifesto: Greed is Good (To A Point)”?
“What we are experiencing is not a crisis of capitalism. It is a crisis of finance, of democracy, of globalization and ultimately of ethics.”
This man is one of the brightest pundits around!!
Rhymes: “… you folks use “neo-con” to mean “Jews and Jew-lovers”.”
You pulled that fiction straight out of right field, Rhymes.
That said, it is a demonstrable fact that an element of neocon policy is pro-Israel, as it has been for decades, even since well before Irving Kristol’s writing of his “Confessions” piece in the 70’s!
Perry Translated: “No, that’s a fiction — but it is so demonstrably true!”
Perry, I agree, I love Zakaria.
Oh, and Perry — you lied about what Netanyahu said. He took the diplomatic approach and said he would not second guess Obama — that certainly does not constitute praise except for people who fantasize about fellating Obama.