The End of Illusions in Iran

Arab News ^ | feb.17, 2004 | Amir Taheri

[nuconvert]

"The purpose of elections in such a system is not to challenge the government of the day and to offer alternative policy choices. It is to pay allegiance to the rulers."

[Prince Charles]

If the people of Iran want freedom, they'll have to fight for it.

[nuconvert]

Yes.

[nuconvert]

So, how was your visit to Iran, Prince?
You know some of the people said "Welcome home"?

[xJones]

If the people of Iran want freedom, they'll have to fight for it.

They fought for freedom before, but then they gave it over to the mullahs.

They'll have it do themselves, no outsider would want to walk into that mess. Iraq and Afghanistan are enough for Coalition troops.

Let the Persians rise up on their own - and they will if they want freedom bad enough. They aren't Arabs, they can do it.

[Post Toasties]

How long will the Iranian people accept this totalitarian electoral charade?

[AmericanVictory]

It is no time to go wobbly. Pressure must be increased if Iraq is to be free, stable and prosperous.

[xJones]

It is no time to go wobbly.

I'm not a wobbliest.

I have a nephew in the U.S. Navy, and a son in the Air Force ROTC who will serve in active duty shortly after his college graduation. It is bad that these Muslim-dominated countries require the use of non-Muslims to straighten things out.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

But the regime in Iran has great reason to encourage failure in Iraq. The two are intertwined.

[AmericanVictory]

That's why we keep pointing out that the most effective way to deal with the situation, in both Tehran and Riyadh, and the least costly in American lives, is to make it clear to them that, through better technology in the hands of new emerging American companies built upon those technologies, the oil weapon will be removed in a few years. This should be the linchpin if we had leadership and strategic vision. Neither party has shown any inclination to forego donations in order to pursue this key to victory for America in the region.

[SusanTK]

I am a newbie poster but a long-time lurker and lover of Free Republic. My husband is a Iranian born American citizen and we completely support the President's "war on terror". But, until the Mullah's are brought down we will be fighting this was for decades.

My husband took me and our four sons to Iran a year and a half ago. The Persian people are so desparately unhappy but, they are terrified. Very few Americans have been to the heart of the founding member of the"axis of evil". The people we met were extremely pro-American One old man in a small village took my husband's hand and implored him "tell Mr. Bush- we don't mean it." The average Iranian leads a double life. They are on the whole Fun-loving, sensuous and rebellious people. Behind closed doors they party as rowdy as any people on earth.

While I was there I noticed a phenonenom that you would never believe. Many young people are converting to Christianity. At an up-scale shopping mall in Tehran, I noticed alot of teenagers wearing a cross. I asked my brother-in-law if it was some sort of fashion statement and he said no, that alot of people were converting as a repudiation of the regime. Later, I met a woman who furtively showed me her cross and asked me to say the Lord's Prayer in English. She told me that all the major cities had large underground Christian movements. Andthis in a country where converting is a capital offense.

We have a satellite service which shows Iranian exile TV stations mostly produced in California. These stations are beamed into Iran as well. One night shortly after the Iraq war had begun, they received a fax from Iran. The writer said that a few days before the war Saddam sent a bunch of coffins to Iran. It was supposed to be the remains of Iranian war dead long held by Iraq. When they opened the "coffins" they found canisters with the skull and crossbones symbol. They were ordered to seal back the boxes and the coffins were sent to another military base. Its totally believable that old Saddam threw that hot potato to his good friends- the Iranians.

Even if you are mad at the President for one thing or another, Please support him. He is a good man and the world's best hope. Unless we understand that the miserable tyrannies of the Middle East, are the real manufacturers of WMD- brainwashed, hate-filled young men with no hope,freedom or future- terrorists will continue to be cranked out to do battle with us. Vote for George W. Bush for the sakes of your kids and grandkids!!!!!!!!!

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Welcome to Freerepublic.

[SusanTK]

I reread my post and I want to make clear that I am not advocating a war with Iran(even though many Iranians would welcome it). The successful conversion of Iraq into a democracy would have a huge effect. We must support the real pro-democracy movement in Iran- not President Khatami who is a fool and a coward.We must never cut a deal with the mullahs. The Iranian people would never forgive us. They despise the French who have cozied up to the regime. If we ever do normalize relationship with Iran( after the mullahs fall) the Iranians wouldn't buy another thing from Europe again. They would be some of the greatest consumers of American goods ever.

[SusanTK]

Thank you! You all are like family to me.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Glad you can join us. The more voices that rise in support for the Persians, the better off the entire world will become.

Best wishes.

[SusanTK]

Did you know that the foreign minister of Iran- Kharrazi voiced his support for the Democrats in our Presidential election?

[BikerTrash]

The Persian people are so desparately unhappy but, they are terrified.

If this is true, and I have no reason to doubt you, they have to suck it up and start killin' the people who need killin'. Nothing is worth going through life "desparately unhappy" and "terrified."

[Pan_Yans Wife]

I hadn't heard that, trying to get caught up on a week's worth of readings... but, I try to keep abreast of the situation in Iran through DoctorZin's Daily Iran thread. Join us at his thread, and ask to be included on his ping list, if you like.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1079613/posts

[SusanTK]

Dear Biker Trash,
Amen, but Iran has lost their best and brightest to emigration, war, addiction, and jail. I hope the stupid CIA finds out a way to get the "students" some help. The first thing the mullahs did when they had solidified power was to confiscate guns. Yes, we have the second amendment for a reason!!!!!!!

[goldstategop]

Iran has been a theocracy since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. But the regime has been able to successfully fool Westerners into believing its a democracy. Now that the regime has disposed even of the pseudo-Khomeinists, it has been able to feel strong enough to dispense even with the facade of elections. Its a despotic dictatorship.