Iran Faces Greater Risks Than It Knows

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Iran-Faces-Greater-Risks-T-by-Paul-Craig-Roberts-090617-678.html

by Paul Craig Roberts

The 1953 street demonstrations, together with the cold war claim that the US had to grab Iran before the Soviets did, served as the US government’s justification for overthrowing Iranian democracy. What the Iranian people wanted was not important.


Today the street demonstrations in Tehran show signs of orchestration. The protesters, primarily young people, especially young women opposed to the dress codes, carry signs written in English: “Where is My Vote?” The signs are intended for the western media, not for the Iranian government.


More evidence of orchestration is provided by the protesters’ chant, “death to the dictator, death to Ahmadinejad.” Every Iranian knows that the president of Iran is a public figure with limited powers. His main role is to take the heat from the governing grand Ayatollah. No Iranian, and no informed westerner, could possibly believe that Ahmadinejad is a dictator. Even Ahmadinejad’s superior, Khamenei, is not a dictator as he is appointed by a government body that can remove him.


The demonstrations, like those in 1953, are intended to discredit the Iranian government and to establish for Western opinion that the government is a repressive regime that does not have the support of the Iranian people. This manipulation of opinion sets up Iran as another Iraq ruled by a dictator who must be overthrown by sanctions or an invasion.

more @ link

not convincing argument!

lol

:rofl:

in different threads, you really should provide a link to that picture, and it needs to come from a totally credible source. Otherwise it appears as if you're engaging in the very activity you are accusing every other news source of: trying to manipulate public perception by sowing needless suspicion and doubt.

in Iran right now, given that we know our government allocated millions for destabilization and that the Saudis are pouring funds into the Mousavi campaign.

If that irks you, that's your problem. Facts can be irksome and shooting the messenger may feel good but doesn't change the facts.

I'll be happy to go fish for a link. But the sign was up during one of the demonstrations and likely will be up again. I'm not worried. :)

A Selection, Not an Election in Iran

by Charles Lemos, Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 02:50:49 AM EST

For the past fortnight, the world has been entranced watching the vibrancy of Iran's democracy in action. We witnessed joyful and heartfelt demonstrations on the streets on Tehran that were largely peaceful and spoke well of the Islamic Republic. The televised debate between the incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his main rival, the former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi, captivated tens of millions of people not only in Iran but across the world. There was a sense of amazement across the world as we watched Iran's Presidential campaign unfold. For many Westerners, the openness of the campaign seemed to have changed their views of the Islamic Republic from a closed and authoritarian regime to one that is fluid and dynamic. But as the election unfolded, there is cause for concern that what has taken place in Iran is little more than the thwarting of the popular will. We have had a selection, not an election.

Voting irregularities abound. There were last minute printing of ballots. Communication in the country was shut down. As day breaks in Iran, an international human rights group says that it has received unconfirmed reports that Mir Hoosein Mousavi may have been taken into custody by Iranian intelligence officials. The political intelligence website Stratfor has warned that Mousavi's campaign headquarters was surrounded by police as supporters gathered to celebrate his victory. A few press reports below the fold.


http://www.mydd.com/story/2009/6/13/25050/0813

this is about your credibility..not who is the best president for Iran..sorry..you are not credible.

my honesty. :)

" I don't think anyone anticipated this level of fraudulence. This was a selection, not an election "
Karim Sadjapour, Iranian analyst

TEHRAN/CAIRO (AlArabiya.net, Agencies)

Large scale violence not seen for a decade erupted in Tehran Saturday and Iranian authorities have asked some foreign journalists to leave the country as riot police beat reformist supporters protesting the disputed election results, killing three and wounding others.

http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2009/06/13/75853.html

Gee, no pattern here!

to see that was the meme they chose to frame this.

on a trigger.

It actually shocked the hell out of me because I'm pretty naive, at bottom.

lol

INTERNATIONAL PEACE:

"I don't think anyone anticipated this level of fraudulence. This was a selection, not an election. At least authoritarian regimes like Syria and Egypt have no democratic pretences. In retrospect it appears this entire campaign was a show: (Supreme Leader) Ayatollah (Ali) Khamenei wasn't ever going to let Ahmadinejad lose."

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSTRE55C0W620090613

Do I keep going or can you try to stop calling me a liar?

:)

by insinuating that they are not genuine grassroots actions but highly suspect events due to foreign agency manipulations. When called on it, you dodge and weave a tale that puts a different spin on what you've actually posted in the same thread.

No wonder, people aren't buying it.

when it is widely known that I came to DU to work election reform.

Have you read my responses to you regarding the "selection" meme? :)

Nobody. Your response is a complete non sequitur and exactly what I mean by dodging and weaving.

Yes, I read your posts and continue to be puzzled by the agenda you seem to pursue in the case of Iran.

Sounding unbalanced is not a usual characteristic of your writings here.

Passing the peace pipe around might a really good idea. Om, shanti, peace... puff, puff to us all. ;)

If you now need to try to discredit me as being high or something, well, that's what you have. :)

along with a misunderstanding of what I meant by passing the peace pipe. That was an offer to share a moment of mutual acknowledgment of what really matters here, not a snarky insinuation that you must be high.

I'll bow out of this conversation.

that you accused me of fabricating for my own ends.

I'm not confused in the least. Are you?

ETA: Sheesh. Seriously, can we tone down the accusations? This is a complicated situation.

You mentioned the other day that I've in the past uncovered disinformation. I want to point out that just because Ahmadinejad is a despicable human being doesn't mean that there isn't disinformation coming from other sources at this point. peace.

I could have done so much better.

even if the women DO carry signs aimed at the west..it is because the mullahs LIKE the veil...and want it to be continued...sorry I am not convinced by this shallow argument. though I am not convinced about anything in Iran YET!

Aside from that, though, I have no real issue with this article...

There are a LOT of layers to this situation.

Gotta watch out for the logical fallacies...

from somewhere. It's a honey pot.

I hope those opposition leaders are more careful with themselves than the outsiders are being.

Is there legit opposition? Of course. Everything is not black and white. I'm just hoping real reformists aren't crushed or suffer too severely in the current crackdown.