Iran student demonstrators angered by Powell's comments
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Wednesday, July 9, 2003
In a radio interview reported by BBC, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said last week the United States should stay away from the "family fight" in Iran.
The interview has angered student demonstrators in Iran who compared it with official statements in Teheran in defense of the clerics' regime.
[Associated Press reported that the massive demonstrations planned for July 9 had been canceled because of "the huge security clampdown." Iranian sources said however that some demonstrations are in progress in several Iranian cities and in other major world capitals as well.]
"President Khatami was elected ... not in an American kind of election but an election that essentially tapped into the desires of the people," Powell said in his interview with the the Washington radio station WMAL. "The best thing we can do right now is not get in the middle of this family fight too deeply."
Iran on July 4 welcomed Powell's remarks, saying Washington should stay out of an Iranian "family fight" and hoped the United States had learned its lesson not to interfere in Iran's affairs.
President George W Bush shocked the Iranian regime in June when he endorsed the wave the nationwide demonstrations against the country's religious leadership.
"The recent statements of support by your president in our quest for freedom were of great encouragement to us," wrote Aryo B. Pirouznia representing the demonstrators in a letter to Powell. "His statements were clear and unmistakable."
"In contrast, your words have caused more damage than anything the regime could do or say. We expect the regime to doing everything possible to discourage the people from any protest on this date."
He was referring to July 9, which was the anniversary of the nationwide demonstrations on July 9, 1999 which resulted in a massive crackdown by the government of Ayatollah Khamenei, the successor of Ayatollah Khomeini.
In Washington, the head of an Iranian organization advocating a secular democracy in Iran disputed the notion that Khatami was popularly elected.
"Before his election, Khatami's candidacy was approved by the Iranian Council of Guardians which acts indeed like a religious Politburo," said Assad Homayoun, President of the Azadegan Foundation. "Moreover he, for the last 6 years has merely acted as a public relations man for the "Supreme Leader" Khamenei. That is why these days you hear in the street of Tehran and other cities: 'death to Khamenei' and 'death to Khatami'."
According to Associated Press, student demonstrators cancelled plans for major protests today because of "the huge security clampdown" Iranians in telephone contact with student organizers in Iran said demonstrations were in progress.
For weeks, students had planned to mark the anniversary, seen as a rallying point for those opposed to the ruling clergy and the deployment of police and vigilantes against pro-democracy demonstrators in Iranian cities last month.
Meanwhile, the Washington-based Heritage Foundation said in a report that the Bush administration must increase economic sanctions and press the European Union and Japan to deny Teheran loans. The report, authored, by James Phillips, said such pressure could help the pro-democracy forces in Iran.
"Despite the bloody attempts of pro-government vigilante thugs to quell demonstrations and intimidate the young protesters, the new Iranian revolutionaries have grown in strength and broadened their demands to include democratic reforms and the dismantling of the Islamic regime," the report, entitled "Iran: Revolting Against the Revolution," said. "At this critical time, the United States and its allies should apply firm and relentless pressure on Iran through economic sanctions to support the grassroots movement for reform."
The report rejected the option of dialogue with Iranian President Mohammed Khatami. Khatami and his supporters are not powerful enough to introduce change into the Islamic regime, the report said.
Instead, the report said, the United States must tighten economic sanctions on Iran to "drive home to the regime the costs of repression at home, terrorism abroad, and Iran's continued efforts to build nuclear weapons." Washington must also press its European allies, Japan, and international financial institutions to deny Iran loans, aid, and debt relief.
Such measures must be sustained, the report said, until Iran "halts its support of terrorism, puts its nuclear program under strict international safeguards, and respects the rights of its own people."
The report said the Bush administration has taken a harder line against Iran than the preceding Clinton administration. President Bill Clinton was said to have relaxed economic sanctions on Iran in a failed effort to improve relations with Khatami.
"Firm and relentless pressure is needed to force change in Iran," the report said. "But the Iranian people, who also demand change, could become a key ally in helping to dismantle the Axis of Evil."
http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/breaking_9.html DoctorZin Note:
Fortunately, the state department "clarified" Powell's statement yesterday.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters that the kinds of changes called for by Iranians demonstrating against their government "would be good for Iran and good for Iran's place in the world."
Speaking at the July 7 State Department press briefing in Washington, Boucher called on the Iranian authorities to listen to the demonstrators.
"[T]he Iranian people are calling for much more democracy and for real democracy and open democracy," he said. "So that remains the area where we express our support...."
... All our letters to Powell made a difference.
Good Morning from England.
First things first may I apologise for my absence from yesterday's momentous forum. The protests in Tehran and the provinces are a shining example to us all, that even when you live in a hell-hole of a system you can fight for what you believe in. The people on the ground in the capital should be thanked for giving us the true picture of what was going on in Iran over the past month or so.
However, certain broadcasters like the BBC and Channel 4 screened articles, which was so biased towards the Theocracy, that it was beyond belief. I have seen the pictures from the demonstrations in London and around the world. Sadly, you will not be surprised that the above did not report on this, instead ridiculing yourselves, most probably because of both channels undying hatred for America, and as we all know, anything America supports, they and the trendy bastards elsewhere in the media all fall into line. Where is the so-called campaigning Daily Mirror, supposedly supporters of justice and freedom. The silence from Canary Wharf is deafening.
KEEP UP THE FIGHT, DON'T LET THE BASTARDS GET YOU DOWN.
FORZA IRAN
FORZA FREEDOM
The drudgereport.com just posted the article on the jamming of the LA based Iranian broadcasters uplink transmissions. It is an interesting article.
>>>> State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters that the kinds of changes called for by Iranians demonstrating against their government "would be good for Iran and good for Iran's place in the world."
I hate to rain on the parade, but folks we are being appeased by the masters of grovel and pounce. The State Department has not been reformed, our real tools of diplomacy (namely our idle military capacity) are still being squandered, and the Neros at State fiddle around with pacification (including of we rabble rousers) and Iranians are languishing in dark prisons, receiving life-altering beatings, and taking random bullets fired by Arabs who are thirsty for infidel blood.
This Powell story is disinformation. If you read the text of his interview with Sean Hannity you will see that he twice supported the demonstrators against the government, and his remark about staying out--for the moment--referred to military intervention, not political support.
This was as fine a bit of disinformation as I have seen since the glory days of the KGB.
I wrote about it in the NY Sun on Monday.