Posted on 06/18/2009 4:57:39 AM PDT by Scanian
TEHRAN, Iran -- Hundreds of thousands of Iranians marched in quiet defiance on the fifth day of post-election chaos yesterday, setting the stage for a showdown today with the increasingly worried hard-liners.
Trying to stem the uprising, Iran's "supreme leader," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called in representatives of all four candidates in the dubious election, in an effort to quell the angry protests that threaten the 30-year-old Islamic regime.
Khamenei, who backed extremist President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election, has not been seen in a week but is expected to plead for calm tomorrow. Officials said he will make a rare appearance leading Friday prayers in Tehran.
Today, pro-reform activists plan a rally to mourn "martyrs" gunned down by regime thugs at this week's protests.
Among the latest developments:
* Ahmadinejad opponents cited proof of the rigged election, including figures that showed more than 30 Iranian towns cast more votes than they had registered voters.
One town, Taft, had a turnout of 141 percent, an opposition Web site said. Another town, Kouhrang, had 132 percent.
Government officials said there was a record 85 percent turnout nationally.
* At least 500 political activists, journalists and students were reported to have been arrested during the government's post-election crackdown.
Among those seized yesterday was Saeed Laylaz, editor of the business daily Sarmayeh, who warned last week that Iran could be headed for a post-election bloodbath.
* Iran accused the United States for the first time of "intolerable" meddling in the crisis.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
“* Ahmadinejad opponents cited proof of the rigged election, including figures that showed more than 30 Iranian towns cast more votes than they had registered voters.”
Obama must have sent ACORN in to help with their election.
Yeah, but is that a good thing?
They should call their spiritual leader, Jimmy Carter, for advice and council. He did so much to get the regime started and he’ll know what to do now.
wonder when the u.s. will protest 500000 or more strong in the streets against our gov’t....seems like it gets peoples attention...
I think Iran has suffered from high unemployment, high prices and corrupt dictatorial government. The crooked election was just the spark. (Hmmm - this sounds familiar!!!)
told my other half the day of the election that this was possibly going to lead to a civil uprising over there....i hope that they don’t back down and that more people here take note and possibly follow suit to bring down obozo and his agenda....
It is not reflex but political advantage that causes the mullahs to blame the US for meddling. They need to create an external enemy to unite the people and defuse the uprising. If most Iranians perceive the opposition to be tools of the West, than support will wane. At least that’s the theory.
“They want a new “election” with the same candidates...A point without a difference...”
That’s a point I don’t believe is accurate. Yes, they’re energized about Mousavi having been screwed, but I believe the bigger issue is they want the current, ayatollah-picks-the-winner system replaced.
What you are missing is that this thing can get out of control. In 1979 the mullahs hijacked the Iranian Revolution. Something similar could happen this time as you unleash the anti-government forces. No one knows where this will all lead. Plenty of unintended consequences possible.
From what I have read in the past, the students there LOVE the USA (I don’t blame them)
“...From what I have read in the past, the students there LOVE the USA (I don’t blame them)...”
Yeah, and on top of that, they don’t want some idiot, like IMANUTJOB, doing something really stupid that would get their entire country nuked off the face of the map.... Can’t say as I blame em much.
Obama takes credit for election
Obama says no meddling
Obama supports students when they are winning
Obama encourages them like Kennedy did the Cubans
Obama sends no support
Students are crushed like Tienamin Square
Obama says he inherited this Iran from Bush
Wow, seems our boy Ahmadinejad has been reading the ACORN playbook...
The more obama grabs for power and shoves fascist big government into every facet of our lives...the more I'm starting to wonder how much the US in 2012 will look like Iran '09...
You are correct. I didn't express myself well. The insular Iranian Mullahs will always blame the Great Satan whenever they are threatened - because it unifies their populace, because it hearkens back to the glory days of the Great Revolution against the Evil Shah AND because blaming America makes confused Democrats eager to help them.
Islam doesn’t work, unless the goal is to annihilate mankind.
Please be calm so we can execute you more efficiently. Maybe those 17 virgins they’ve been promising will cause the Mullah’s own deaths. Some are willing to die for freedom while we give it up to O and the Dumbocrats.
If the Iranian PEOPLE see that they can change Iran by direct action, changing the direction the Ayatollahs have been steering Iran, then the Ayatollahs have let the genie out of the bottle.
‘wonder when the u.s. will protest 500000 or more strong in the streets against our gov’t...’
We did with our polite ‘tea parties’ and they were derided and ignored by both the media and the POS we have in government. Perhaps something a little more in the style of the Iranians would work better.
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