Saturday, June 20, 2009

Explosions in Tehran

I picked a great weekend for a little vacation. I don't have much time for posting, so I'm just going to post a few stories that seem important.

From Gateway:

HEAVY CLASHES IN TEHRAN!... Explosions Reported! (Video)

REGIME USING AXES & DAGGERS ON PROTESTERS!
The regime police are blocking Azadi Square and teargassing the protesters--

Iranian police are massing at Azadi Square. (CBS News)

The police are massing at Revolution Square in Tehran.
CTV reported:

Supporters of Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi rallied in Tehran on Saturday, despite a threat by the government to crack down on demonstrators, witnesses reported.

The witnesses told the Associated Press that protesters are holding a number of smaller rallies to demand a new vote after last week's national election gave President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a landslide victory.

Earlier Saturday, fire trucks parked around Revolution Square, while riot police descended on Tehran University, where protesters and security forces have previously clashed.

Police and members of the Basij militia flooded the streets of Tehran.
Iran Press News-- AFP reports from Tehran, Zdshvrsh forces are widely deployed at Revolution Square. The basij forces are preventing the protests and beating the demonstrators.

There were loud protests last night-- the people were on their rooftops screaming out against the regime.

Here is one of the first reports coming from Tehran--
EXPLOSIONS REPORTED:

More video from the streets of Tehran -- Here.

Breaking: Opposition Leaders Mousavi, Khatami and Karoubi Will March Together Saturday In Tehran

Breaking: Opposition leaders Mousavi, Khatami and Karoubi will gather tomorrow at 4:00 PM and march from Enghelab Square to Azadi Square in Tehran for a crucial green protest.
They are defying the regime leader's warning to accept the election results.

On Friday Iran's regime leader Khamenei sternly warned opposition leaders to end street protests or be held responsible for any "bloodshed and chaos" to come.


A protester holds up a photo of the Iranian soccer team wearing green wristbands in support of the opposition. (Mehr News)

Thug contained:

Azarmehr posted this picture of a club wielding thug contained by the noble and courageous people of Iran.

And Obama is doing nothing, of course. He is so doing nothing that even the NYT is taking note.

From the Astute Bloggers:

A WEEK HAS GONE BY AND OBAMA STILL DITHERING ON IRAN
NYTIMES: Obama Reluctant to Toughen Stance on Iran

With Iran on a razor’s edge after a week of swelling protests, the Obama administration has fended off pressure from both parties to respond more forcefully to the disputed election there. But if Iranian authorities carry out their latest threat of a more sweeping crackdown, the White House would reconsider its carefully calibrated tone, officials said Friday.

Administration officials said events this weekend in Tehran — when demonstrators plan to rally in defiance of the authorities — would be a telling indicator of whether President Obama would join European leaders and lawmakers on Capitol Hill in more harshly condemning the tactics of the Iranian government.

REGARDLESS OF THE SUPPOSED REASONS FOR THIS RELUCTANCE... IT SUCKS.

THE POTUS SHOULD BE LEADING THE FREE WORLD, NOT "European leaders and lawmakers on Capitol Hill...".

OBAMA IS A MORAL FAILURE AND A - IN GEOPOLITICAL TERMS - A STRATEGIC AND TACTICAL FAILURE.

IF HE WAS A CRTPTO-MUSLIM WHO WANTED THE MULLAHS TO SUCCEED, WHAT WOULD HE BE DOING DIFFERENTLY?

NOTHING.

THEREFORE, FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, OBAMA IS OUR FIRST MUSLIM PRESIDENT - AND THE FIRST TO SUPPORT TYRANNY - A MUSLIM TYRANNY, AND SHARIA - OVER LIBERTY.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Obama's 'soft diplomacy' brings dithering to spectacular heights:

World is watching, Iran told
Word on the street ... men pray after listening to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei's sermon at Tehran University. Photo: AFP

Damien McElroy and agencies
June 21, 2009
US PRESIDENT Barack Obama has warned Iran that "the world is watching" after its Supreme Leader ordered protesters to stop post-election demonstrations.

His warning came after Iran's Supreme Leader warned on Friday that further mass protests could end in "bloodshed" as demonstrators planned another rally for yesterday.

Ayatollah Khamenei issued the thinly-veiled threat in an uncompromising speech in which he said the result of the election would not be decided on the streets.

He used a speech during prayers at Tehran University to attack the West, especially Britain, and declare strong support for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the hardliner who was declared the winner of the poll.

"Street demonstrations should end," he said. "If they don't, leading politicians will be held accountable for the chaos.

"The result of the election comes out of the ballot box, not from the street.

"The candidates in the election should be very careful what they say and how they behave. If they want to break the law, they will be responsible for the bloodshed, for the riots taking place and for any form of unrest."

Ayatollah Khamenei blamed the street protests on foreign powers intent on destroying the Islamic regime. "Observe the hands of your enemies," he said. "There are hungry wolves ambushing us and removing the diplomatic cover from their faces. They are showing their real faces. And the most evil of them all is the British Government."

The attack prompted the Foreign Office to summon the Iranian ambassador in London for a dressing down.

President Obama told US broadcaster CBS: "I'm very concerned, based on some of the tenor and tone of the statements that have been made, that the Government of Iran recognise that the world is watching.

"And how they approach and deal with people who are, through peaceful means, trying to be heard will, I think, send a pretty clear signal to the international community about what Iran is and is not."

Previously President Obama has said he did not want to be seen to be meddling in Iran's affairs. But in a clear change White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the protests were "extraordinary" and "courageous".

The US House of Representatives and Senate voted overwhelmingly for a resolution condemning violence directed at supporters of former prime minister Mir Hossein Mousavi.

Protests began a week ago after officials announced that Mr Ahmadinejad had been re-elected as president with 63 per cent of vote. Mr Mousavi, who came second in the official tally, disputed the result.

The President's stance was backed by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown who has vowed to speak out against abuses in Iran.

"I believe it is right for us to speak out for human rights, to speak out against repression, to speak out in condemnation of violence, to speak out where a free media is prevented from doing its job and we will continue to do that," he said after an EU summit in Brussels.

On Tuesday Iran summoned British and Czech ambassadors to the foreign ministry in Tehran to protest against the reaction from London and the European Union to the post-election unrest.

"We are not the only country who is speaking out, the whole of the world is speaking out," Mr Brown said. "It is for Iran to show the world the elections have been fair."

Officials in Tehran took a cue from the Supreme Leader and made it clear that further dissent would be crushed. It remained uncertain if Mr Mousavi would climb down following a threat that the regime would unleash the Basij militia, a thuggish force set up to defend clerical rule

Anonymous said...

Suicide bomber attacks Khomeini shrine in Iran

20 Jun 2009 14:37:13 GMT
Source: Reuters
* Suicide bomber kills self at Khomeini shrine- state media

* Police fire teargas at protesters

* Top legislative body says ready to recount 10 pct of vote

Always On Watch said...

The updates at Twitter are coming at a rate of at least 600 every 5 minutes!

Always On Watch said...

One of the updates I just saw but no way to verify:

Two reports coming from Tehran about helicopters pouring boiling water on protesters

Always On Watch said...

Alert!

Check this site for constant updates. You don't have to be a member of Twitter to see this information.

Always On Watch said...

A couple of earlier items at the above link:

9.45 am. A reader writes: "I'm keeping in touch with my relatives in Tehran. They have heard about the bomb blast at the Khomeini mausoleum. People say that this is most likely the government. The mullahs did something similar in August 1978 in Iran - They set a cinema in Abadan ablaze and blamed the Shah. That was the turning point of that revolution as the people began to see the Shah as ruthless."

9.37 am. Of course my first thoughts about the reports from the Khomeini shrine is that this is a classic fascist move. It's their burning of the Reichstag - a cover for the coming purge. Again: the Big Lie is the one they could be choosing. Who would believe that the Supreme Leader would bomb Khomeini's shrine? And it's timed to disorient the protesters. Of course, this is pure speculation on my part, and there could be any number of explanations. But it would fit the fascist nature of this coup perfectly.

Anonymous said...

AOL, your link

"Check this site for constant updates.

isn't working

Pastorius said...

AOW,
Thanks. I just posted all that stuff.