Protests in Tehran Iran
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- ukit0
BBC Radio says Tehran Police estimate between one and two million protestors on the city's streets.
That's a pretty wide ranging estimate but I guess it's a lot
- ukit0
Pretty mind blowing account of what happened in Forbes magazine of all things...
http://www.forbes.com/2009/06/15…
The delegates from the office of the supreme leader, the highest authority in the Islamic Republic of Iran, reached Mir Hossein Mousavi's residence around midnight on election day, Friday, June 12th. Mousavi knew he was not the supreme leader's favorite candidate, yet he expected nothing but good news. All day long the proceedings and monitors had reported a big win for him, a three-to-one victory resulting from the enthusiastic participation of a large number of young voters from densely populated urban centers. His nearest rival would have been another reformist candidate, Mehdi Karubi. But a 7 million to 8 million margin over his opponent meant he was a favorite to win the runoff.
But the men from the office of the supreme leader had other things on their mind. It was that odd combination of good-news-bad-news that provided most of the midnight irony. Surely they had come to congratulate him on his landslide victory. But they also carried a somber note from the supreme leader that it would not be in the best interest of the country for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to step aside. They informed Mousavi that the incumbent Ahmadinejad would be declared the victor, and that Mousavi was to fulfill his duties by abiding by the supreme leader's wish and accepting the new plan in the interest of national security. I don't know how long exactly it took Mousavi to make the most important decision of his political life. But the next fateful morning, he emerged defiant and uncompromising. He declared victory and demanded that the government respect the people's vote and that Ahmadinejad step aside.
- ********0
Mousavi has a leg up
- TheBlueOne0
@georgesll
I get your point, but it seems to me that you're continuing to couch your discussion in light of what the US did to Iran 30+ odd years ago. Sure I know all about the Shah, the CIA and SAVAAK. I did my undergraduate work on the Iranian revolution. Well aware of how the revolution then gained grip through Islamic channels, using religious meetings in mosques to build the revolution. It's also a fact that the largest generation in Iran has now grown up post-revolution. The territory and map no longer fit, and no I don't judge a country as pro-or-against the US by how many US flags it burns, but while the older islamic revolutionary forces were content to use the US as a scapegoat for it's political grip on the country this new generation sees through it, just the way many in the US finally woke up and realized that the "terror" thing was trotted out for political purposes. Just like islamic terrorism is still a threat to the US, the US itself has strategic influence on Iran, but there's no reason to blame the US for everytime someone sneezes in Iran anymore...I'm saying these people in the streets won't be bullshitted to anymore. If they succeed they might come around to burning a US flag or two in the streets, but there's no fooling them as to who's boot heel is currently stomping on their face, and it ain't ours. It's the forces that are supporting Almadinejahd.
- on the other hand, Iran is surround by countries occupied by US. its very tempting to destabilize it). You don't know what is happening.********
- what is happening.
also, it was SAVAK not SAVAAK,******** - So a) you think the US is behind these protests and B) your being a pussy cause my "A" key stuck?TheBlueOne
- No. I don't know what is happening and I'm not sure anyone does- the situation is fluid. What I would like to see is irrelevant.********
- irrelevant. You should know Persians do many things in private they do not do in public.********
- I think the CIA would be stupid not to be on the ground there.********
- If for nothing else than to establish a ratline.********
- I guarantee they are.zenmasterfoo
- Oh, I am certain they are there, but as to being a player? Not sure...I'm thinking they'd be just as confused as to which way to jumpTheBlueOne
- jump with events...TheBlueOne
- no one said they were shaping events. Foolhardy to try.********
- on the other hand, Iran is surround by countries occupied by US. its very tempting to destabilize it). You don't know what is happening.
- ernexbcn0
So far it seems it's only the secret police and Ahmejinedad's armed thugs doing the violence. According to some tweets from people in Iran the army said they weren't going to fight against their own people...
- ernexbcn0
These guys have been covering the events since the elections:
- mikotondria30
Everyone I've met from Iran has been really cool, hated the regime and been desperate for a solution that would not smash the country to pieces.
- TheBlueOne0
- The generational nature of this uprisingTheBlueOne
- How old is Mousavi?********
- ohhhh i thought he was beating her with a stick.pango
- ukit0
The first deaths...captured by the AP
- ernexbcn0
Another very graphic picture, this one on the right ->
- http://twitpic.com/7…ernexbcn
- sadCALLES
- same victim from above pic.zenmasterfoo
- ukit0
An interesting aspect of this is the green motif the protesters are using
Previously there was the "Rose" Revolution in Georgia and "Orange" Revolution in the Ukraine.
Is there a connection or just inspired by the others?
- ukit0
Seriously watch this video and you will see how paranoid the Iranian gov is. It seems like a joke but it's actually an official public service announcement done by Ahmadinejad's government.
- Corvo20
Indeed it's a bit weird to see 2 million in the streets. It is a bit improbable to have such numbers of protesters and 65% 35% ratio in polls, given that Tehran has about 8 million people and that the reported turnout numbers were heavy.
- nobody counted them, I just read they were 1 million, orther say two, almadin says zeroGeorgesII
- yeah - but there's a thing called gaussian curve in statistics. Such numbers don't agree with it. Not even zero.Corvo2
- Anything that concerns large numbers with complex factors is likely to be normally distributed on a bell curve...Corvo2
- ... theory goes.Corvo2
- GeorgesII0
TBO I understand your view and for once we can say that we're walking on the same line,
I'm just sick of the cheerleading taken by some of my friends and lots of ignorant people on the net. I'm not pro or against the results of the election,
I'm just not trying to blow on a fuse and encourage certain behaviors that will create more chaos than peace. I find it difficult to understand how the only way to obtain peace is going to war.
anyways my basic persian history doesn't allow me to pull any conclusion, so for once I'll just stfu. :)- Sorry about being touchy with you man...TheBlueOne
- "I find it difficult to understand how the only way to obtain peace is going to war. " really?rayborn3000
- ukit0
More pix
- dbloc0
some good photos....
