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Iran's Khamenei Demands Halt To Election Protests
Reuters ^ | June 19, 2009 | By Fredrik Dahl and Parisa Hafezi

Posted on 06/19/2009 5:44:30 AM PDT by Fennie

TEHRAN - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday demanded an end to street protests that have shaken the country since a disputed presidential election a week ago and said any bloodshed would be their leaders fault.

He defended Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the rightful winner of the presidential vote and denied any possibility that it had been rigged, as Ahmadinejad's opponents have asserted.

"If there is any bloodshed, leaders of the protests will be held directly responsible," Khamenei declared in his first address to the nation since the upheaval began.

"The result of the election comes from the ballot box, not from the street," the white-bearded cleric told huge crowds thronging Tehran University and surrounding streets for Friday prayers. "Today the Iranian nation needs calm."

(Excerpt) Read more at alertnet.org ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS: bho44; bhoiran; iran; iranviolence2009; khamenei; obama; studentmovement; whitehouse
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1 posted on 06/19/2009 5:44:31 AM PDT by Fennie
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To: Fennie
What's Farsi for “Tienanmen Square”?
2 posted on 06/19/2009 5:45:45 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Christian+Veteran=Terrorist)
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To: Fennie

“The result of the election comes from the ballot box, not from the street...”

Despite the varied internal and external reports of more ballots being counted than the number of voters in a particular city or town, etc. Right...okie dokie.

Maybe you can threaten to hold your breathe till they stop protesting?


3 posted on 06/19/2009 5:47:49 AM PDT by cranked
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To: Fennie

In other news, Obama still continues to stay detatched from the popular uprising for freedom and democracy in Iran while continuing to dictate terms of a two state solution to the state of Israel.
Way to go Barack. Not too hard to figgure which side you are on!


4 posted on 06/19/2009 5:47:56 AM PDT by lexington minuteman 1775
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To: Gay State Conservative

I dunno, but is that likely to happen? Aren’t AKs about as common as kitchen knives in Iran? And the Revlolutionary Guard - or at least parts - might side with the protestors. Or is that wishful thinking? Anyone?


5 posted on 06/19/2009 5:49:44 AM PDT by piytar (Take back the language: Obama axing Chrystler dealers based on political donations is REAL fascism!)
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To: lexington minuteman 1775

“In other news, Obama still continues to stay detatched from the popular uprising for freedom and democracy “

Obama NEEDS a hardline Iran to play against Israel.


6 posted on 06/19/2009 5:51:47 AM PDT by PetroniusMaximus
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To: Gay State Conservative

The Basij, the equivalent of 0’s ACORN, will crush the demonstrators. This should raise a red flag for those who support 0’s civil force that he says will be stronger than the millitary!


7 posted on 06/19/2009 5:52:44 AM PDT by balls
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To: Fennie
Massive street protests are all well and good, but if they really do want their freedom, Iranians need to understand that no one is going to hand it to them. If they back down now, they may as well just march themselves into a prison cell.

The protesters outnumber the thugs 100 to 1. March your happy asses to the government buildings and take them over. Send the mullahs packing. Standing around in the street is great for the first week, but now its time to back up the protest with revolution, or back down and await your beating.

8 posted on 06/19/2009 5:55:10 AM PDT by Steel Wolf (Oh, well. Back to the drawing board....)
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To: Fennie

The Iranians need to cut off the head of this snake.


9 posted on 06/19/2009 5:55:40 AM PDT by Travis McGee (---www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com---)
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To: Steel Wolf

The protesters don’t stand a chance against the armed Basij.


10 posted on 06/19/2009 5:57:52 AM PDT by balls
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To: Fennie

Khamenei just threw the gloves off in a way that everyone living in Iran understands, a thinly veiled threat of murder.

He speaks for the true power base there and pretty much told the crowds that you either submit or you will be killed, and that includes the losers of the election who are behind the protests as well.

It either stops today or tomorrow or there will be indiscriminate killings of protesters until it does, or people finally explode and they get the revolution they so desperately need.

Whatever the eventual outcome I think a lot more people will die before this is over.


11 posted on 06/19/2009 6:00:44 AM PDT by Abathar (Proudly posting without reading the article carefully since 2004)
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To: PetroniusMaximus

“In other news, Obama still continues to stay detatched from the popular uprising for freedom and democracy “

Obama NEEDS a hardline Iran to play against Israel.

Not only that but it will prove the Dominoe effect that conservatives thought would happen with a democratic Iraq next door..people yern to be free!!!! And admitting such would give credence to Bush..can’t have that now can we...


12 posted on 06/19/2009 6:01:10 AM PDT by conservativehusker (GO BIG RED!!!!)
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To: lexington minuteman 1775

Protests should begin in USA to contest OBAMAO’s fake election


13 posted on 06/19/2009 6:02:22 AM PDT by Ulysse
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To: Steel Wolf

Do they have the equipment to do this? Mullahs will slaughter them if they do not. I don’t know what the situation is there. I know in Gaza and Iraq they could do it because the idiots are always “celebrating” with said equipment.


14 posted on 06/19/2009 6:03:41 AM PDT by Blogger
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To: Fennie

You have to give the Iranian people credit when they get pissed they hit the streets.


15 posted on 06/19/2009 6:03:42 AM PDT by Rappini ("Pro deo et Patria.)
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To: Fennie; M. Espinola
Protesters Say They Plan to Continue Protesting !

Excerpt:

We just have to keep the demonstrations so big that they cannot attack us. If the crowd is just 2,000 strong, they can scare us with 200 soldiers. But if we are a million, what can they do? * * *

For the moment Mr Rafsanjani is silent, and we don't know what he's doing. But he's a very powerful man. He's the leader of the Assembly of Experts which selects supreme leader. He brought Khamenei to power, so he will be the one who brings him down.

16 posted on 06/19/2009 6:10:19 AM PDT by ex-Texan (Ecclesiastes 5:10 - 20)
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To: Gay State Conservative

>> What’s Farsi for “Tienanmen Square”? <<

According to the MSM, it’s “ho hum.”


17 posted on 06/19/2009 6:12:26 AM PDT by Hawthorn
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To: balls
Sure they do. As a famous tyrant once said, "Quantity has a quality all its own". When you can mobilize hundreds of thousands of the most educated and sophisticated in your midst, you have options. Would it be bloody? Sure.

If you are afraid of being hurt, then go back to your cage and stop whining. I don't mean to be harsh, but the Basij are not going to give up without a fight. They also cannot stand against the full force of the crowds now on the streets. There will be blood either way.

If they fight now, it will be ugly, but the regime would fall. If the crowds aren't willing to go all in to secure their own freedom and future, then the only blood that will be spilled will be theirs, in the weeks to come.

18 posted on 06/19/2009 6:13:32 AM PDT by Steel Wolf (Oh, well. Back to the drawing board....)
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To: Fennie
Is it just me or does anyone else think that maybe the Iranians look at Iraq and see what they have now, and say “I want some of that”.

Could it just be that Dubya had it right and once freedom got a foothold in the Middle East it just might propagate?

Of course you will never hear this theory mentioned in the main street media.

19 posted on 06/19/2009 6:14:09 AM PDT by CodeJockey (If you can read this thank a teacher, if you can read it in English thank a Soldier.)
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To: cranked

“It doesn’t matter who votes. It only matters who counts the votes”. - J. Stalin


20 posted on 06/19/2009 6:15:54 AM PDT by PzLdr ("The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am" - Darth Vader)
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