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POPSObama's Move: Iran and Afghanistan United States between April and September. In his speech to the Islamic world from Cairo, he planned to show a desire not only to find common ground, but also to acknowledge shortcomings in U.S. policy in the region. With the appointment of special envoys George Mitchell (for Israel and the Palestinian territories) and Richard Holbrooke (for Pakistan and Afghanistan), Obama sought to build on his opening to the Islamic world with intense diplomatic activity designed to reshape regional relationships. It can be argued that the Islamic masses responded positively to Obama’s opening " it has been asserted to be so and we will accept this " but the diplomatic mission did not solve the core problem. Mitchell could not get the Israelis to move on the settlement issue, and while Holbrooke appears to have made some headway on increasing Pakistan’s aggressiveness toward the Taliban, no fundamental shift has occurred in the Afghan war.
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POPSProtests Resume In Iran With The Government-Backed Quds Day Ceremony
11.57am: At least 10 protesters have been arrested, according to Reuters. "Supporters of Ahmadinejad are beating supporters of Mousavi near the Vali-ye Asr street. At least two protesters were injured," it quoted a witness as saying. 12.02pm: Al Jazeera's Alireza Ronaghi, reporting from Tehran, said the security forces were out in force, attempting to keep opposition demonstrators away from Tehran University where Ahmadinejad was speaking earlier. "I didn't expect the protests to be as big," he said Another video appears to confirm that thousands have been involved in the protests today. It also seems to show attempts to prevent filming taking place. 12.57pm: NBC has released more of its interview with Ahmadinejad. In the latest segment, he defended the detention of three Americans, who have been held for more than seven weeks. They "trampled the law, and in accordance with the laws, they need to be punished," he said. The full interview will be broadcast on Sunday.
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POPS A Profoundly Dangerous Message Because never at any time since the revolution has public criticism been as open and as bitter as now. The state television channel as the mouthpiece of the regime is increasingly mocked for its lies. We watched in disbelief as it broadcast cookery shows during the upheaval. Now we view staged confessions by some of the countless individuals rounded up after the election. A colleague quietly left a piece of paper on my desk tallying recent news items on IRIB. Neda Agha Soltan, the young woman shot dead during a street protest, was mentioned three times; Uighur Muslims in China eight times and the killing of an Egyptian-born Muslim woman by a racist in Germany 140 times. Until recently, it was almost unheard of to utter criticism and the name of the Supreme Leader in the same breath. But now, even Ayatollah Ali Khamenei does not escape, and I don't mean just in conversations between trusted friends. My own father, seriously mistrustful of talking about anything . . .
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POPSThe Green Brief #26 Josh Shahryar 7.12.2009 5. In a statement released today, Mohsen Rezaie " another candidate in the disputed elections " announced five points that everyone in Iran should realize in understanding the post-election problems. - The Iranian Government should KNOW the difference between peaceful protesters and people who're working to destroy the Islamic Republic. - The Iranian Government should KNOW the difference between politicians/people who merely have complaints, and those who may be "foreign meddlers." - Politicians should be able to pursue their rights and rights of the people through legal channels. Government organizations should seriously consider complaints from the people/politicians without the fear of persecution from someone else. - Negotiations should be held between those with complaints and the government for solving these complaints in order to safeguard national security and continue peaceful political participation in the country. - Government agencies should follow the law .
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POPSJosh Shahryar ~ The Green Brief #24 Government / International 4.Ayatollah Hashim Hashim-Zadeh Hareesi " a member of the Assembly of Experts " said today that people had started to distrust the system. 5.Tehran's Interim Fridays Prayers Leader Ayatollah Mohammad Emami-Kashani asked the Majlis of Iran to take measures in solving some short-comings that are present in the current electoral law. 6.The Guardian Council's spokesperson, Abbas Ali Kadkhodaie said today that the Guardian Council was currently going over the entire election. According to him, the Council will soon release a detailed report about the election. 7.The French Ambassador in Tehran met with Clotilde Reiss, the detained Frenchwoman who's currently being held in Iran on charges of espionage. According to the ambassador, Ms. Reiss looked in good mental health. It is not clear as of yet when she will be released.
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POPSAhmadinejad Says He Wants Public Talks With Obama.... Report: Ahmadinejad says he wants public talks with Obama TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he wants to engage President Obama in "negotiations" before international media, a semi-official Iranian news outlet reported on Saturday. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election last month sparked global protests and unrest in Iran. Speaking at a meeting of medical school deans, Ahmadinejad said Iran "will soon pursue a new round of diplomatic activity" amid a new position of strength for the Iranian government, the Iranian Student News Agency quotes him as saying. "I will go to the United Nations and will invite Obama to negotiations," Ahmadinejad said, adding that such talks would be "in front of the international media, not a sit-down behind closed doors in order to talk about matters." The Obama administration has sought dialogue with Iran but also criticized the government for its handling of unrest
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POPSBritish agitators arrested in Iran Of course, when you conspire with the USA to start a war based on deliberate lies...resulting in the murder of hundreds of thousands...it's important to keep up pretensions. This Clip Title is the actual headline. The idea that Iran's accusations are "absurd and outreageous," is the propaganda news we get fed.
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POPSIran Government TV: Local British Embassy Staffers Arrested At the time, the British foreign office said it was looking into the claims. It said it was aware that one of the arrested nationals was Washington Times reporter Iason Athanasiadis, who also goes by Jason Fowden. Athanasiadis holds dual British and Greek passports. “We understand Greek officials are providing consular assistance as he also holds a Greek passport. We are ready to assist if need be,” the foreign office said. Posted: 04:04 AM ET
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POPSU.S. is not the only accused meddler Many people may believe that Obama 'could do and say more.' Maybe nothing is the thing to do - while we sit and wait it out, seems Iran may be shifting blame to Britain by expelling diplomats.
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POPSIran Crisis: Live 6/24/2006 Salon has a powerful article, with disturbing images, about a 17-year-old student who it says was horrifically beaten by the police in Tehran. The torture of a 17-year-old in Iran A teenager's story, with graphic photos, of abuse at the hands of Iran's religious paramilitaries, the Basij 12.15pm: A group called Human Rights Activists Iran has more details (including photos) of the students arrested since the election. 12.20pm: The Iranian authorities and their lackeys in the state-controlled media are trying to launch a counter-offensive on the Neda phenomenon, writes Robert Tait. Javan, another pro-regime paper, http://english.farsnews.net/ blamed an even more unlikely source - my friend and recently expelled BBC correspondent Jon Leyne. It claims that Leyne hired "thugs" to shoot her so he could then make a documentary film. Meanwhile, the government has forbidden hospitals from releasing deaths certificates that give shooting as the cause of death.
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POPSIran Turmoil: live "The UK is categorical that it is for the Iranian people to choose their government, and for the Iranian authorities to ensure the fairness of the result and the protection of their own people." He also said Iran was trying to distract attention from its internal difficulties. 1.12pm: Fars News, a mouthpiece for the Revolutionary Guards, is reporting that the BBC Tehran correspondent, Jon Leyne, has been given 24 hours to leave Iran for filing "false news and reports, ignoring impartiality, supporting the insurgents, trampling the rights of the Iranian nation, fanning the unrest and also provoking public opinion". Meanwhile, he says the Balatarin website says that families of those killed in street clashes are being asked to pay between 10m rials and 150m rials ( 611 and 9,165) to retrieve their loved ones from the morgues.
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POPSOPERATION TWEET: Iran Election Unrest Fomented via Twitter Here is some powerful evidence. In addition to "Israeli interests" it also could be Mossad or even CIA operatives for that matter thru their "propaganda" wings. (The US has fomented revolutions in Iran before, as even Obama acknowledged publicly). The article continues: Why were these tweets in English? Why were all of these profiles OBSESSED with Iran? It became obvious that this was the work of a team of people with an interest in destabilizing Iran. The profiles are phonies and were created with the sole intention of destabilizing Iran and effecting public opinion as to the legitimacy of Iran’s election. Frankly the "private videos" now being shown by the US media (which piled on Ahmandinejad along with the neocon propaganda) look entirely spurious, and could be faked as well...blurry lines of people. It has all the credibility of a "bin Laden" video.
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POPS Iranian Opposition Calls for Rally therefore they can't trust their vote recounts, either," said cleric Ali Akbar Mohtashamipour, a spokesman for Mr. Mousavi's camp. The rallies in Tehran were mostly calm, following Monday's protest that left seven people dead. On Sunday, five students at Tehran University were reported killed, though that figure hasn't been confirmed by state media. On Tuesday, the two sides kept their distance from one another and the uniformed security forces stood at the sides of the rallies. Many opposition demonstrators said they had come out despite a government ban and warnings by Mr. Mousavi to avoid confrontation after Monday's bloody rally, to show they won't give in to pressure. "Now that our movement has started, it must continue. If they kill us, we will get more resolved,"said Mohamad Reza, a 24-year-old textile seller in Tehran's Grand Bazaar. "They just want Mousavi because he told them he will give them freedom," said one Ahmadinejad supporter.
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POPSObama, Iran and Gay Rights--yes they connect! This week’s outrage celebre has come from the nearly unbelievable amicus brief written by the Obama Administration in favor of a Defense of Marriage Act case. Ostensibly written as the Justice department’s responsibility to uphold rather than alter existing law, the letter went out of its way to compare same-sex marriage with incestuous marriages, and used rhetoric one would expect from only the most extreme right-wing anti-gay rights activists. The letter was so reprehensible that it has fostered criticism from the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, even the Wall St. Journal, as well as, of course, all over the web.
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POPSDear Iranians: Don't Count on the United States Governments from Asia to Europe voiced concern about the violence that erupted Monday during rallies protesting the hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election, with US President Barack Obama saying he had "deep concerns" while also not wanting to meddle in Iran's affairs. But while some governments tried to avoid taking sides, Sarkozy said the unrest was a direct result of Ahmadinejad's failings in his first term. "The extent of the fraud is proportional to the violent reaction," said the French leader.
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POPSUpdates From Iran: Liveblogging Post-Election Unrest 5:26 pm: Video of Basij firing into the crowds, which led to the attack on the Basij base mentioned below. http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1184614595?bctid=26415347001 In addition, the Guardian Council’s spokesperson said on a news show tonight that Mousavi’s letter of protest is too general, and if the Guardian Council does not find fraud in the election process, then based on section 3, article 80 of the election law, Mousavi could be sentenced to 3 years in jail for “Efteraa” (libel). Amazing. Even before the investigation begins, the threats are already starting. 4:58 pm: Larijani sets up a committee to investigate violence in parts of the country According to Hamshahri and other news sources, Ali Larijani, the speaker of the Majlis (parliament) of Iran, has assigned a committee to investigate the recent violent events around the country including last night’s events at the University of Tehran dorms.
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POPSDark Days Taken from the blog of an Iranian programmer, not a politicial operative. The original post is a firsthand account of election day.
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POPSAnother Lawsuit Demanding Verification of Obama’s Citizenship Status The complaint seeks specifically that the office of the Washington Secretary of State verify and certify that Mr. Obama is or is not a "natural born" citizen by producing original or certified verifiable official documents. The lawsuit argues that this certification should take place before the election to preclude a constitutional crisis and likely civil unrest should such certification, after the election, prove that Mr. Obama was not qualified for office. The Complaint argues that the Secretary of State has the authority and duty to not only certify the voters but also and most importantly the candidates and in so doing prevent the wholesale disenfranchisement of voters who would had had an opportunity to choose from qualified candidates had the certification preceded the election process. At this point, Mr. Obama has not allowed independent or official access to his birth records nor supporting hospital records.
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