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POPSShowdown as Mousavi Attends Friday Prayers
In his sermon broadcast live on radio nationwide, Rafsanjani reprimanded the clerical leadership for not listening to the controversy over the election, which was declared a victory for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in results that Mousavi's supporters say were fraudulent. "Doubt has been created (about the election results)," Rafsanjani said. "There is a large portion of the wise people who say they have doubts. We need to take action to remove this doubt." Rafsanjani couched his sermon in calls for unity in support of Iran's Islamic Republic. But his sermon was an unmistakable " if implicit " challenge to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has declared Ahmadinejad's victory valid and demanded an end to questioning of the results. Rafsanjani said the people's voice must be considered. "We believe in the Islamic Republic ... they have to stand together," he said. "If 'Islamic' doesn't exist, we will go astray. And if 'republic' is not there,
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POPSAli Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Friday Prayer A caller to EPersianRadio.com says he is a former Revolutionary Guard member. Via a reader, "He said that mentally it's so hard, that the basiji forces may not be able to hold up. He said he served 10 years ago and he knows what goes in their mind and how much effect it has on them. Otherwise, why are they asking for volunteers now? He said when they were on alert he couldn't get any sleep and he knows how scared the forces are themselves." 9:01 AM ET -- Demonstrators reportedly swarming state media HQ. Iranians calling into EPersianRadio.com say that large crowds have gathered outside the headquarters of the state media outlet IRIB. One caller said the building was surrounded by thousands of people, and that demonstrators were trying to break in. 9:25 AM ET -- "Something profound has changed." "Iranians are losing their fear and mock the official line." http://www.flickr.com/photos/fhashemi (486 items)
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POPSMoussavi to Appear in Public in Tehran He has also called on authorities to release hundreds of people detained in the turbulent aftermath of the election, including leading reformists, journalists and rights lawyers. Rafsanjani will lead the prayers after two months of absence. Some of his relatives, including his daughter Faezeh, were arrested briefly for taking part in pro-Mousavi rallies. State media say at least 20 people were killed as protesters clashed with riot police and members of the Basij militia, but some rights activists believe the figure is higher. The authorities and Mousavi blame each other for the bloodshed. Hardliners have called for Mousavi to be put on trial. Iran has accused Britain and the United States, which have criticised a crackdown on opposition protests, of interfering in its internal affairs. London and Washington reject the charge.
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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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POPSThe Green Brief #21 (July 07) . . . Rafsanjani himself has so far not supported this statement and where he stands is still unknown at this time. 6. There are partially-confirmed reports that Mousavi met with one, mourning protester’s family on Monday night. The protester’s father told Mousavi that his son was not very political, yet had taken a great deal of interest in Mr. Mousavi’s message. He also claimed that his son was not violent. Mousavi told the grieving family that the blood of the innocent never goes in vain. 7. After US Vice President Joe Biden’s statement yesterday, that suggested the US would not interfere if Israel were to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, Saudi Arabia was reported as offering Israel its airspace for any future attacks on Iran. However, Saudi Arabia today denied that it had made such comments. In the meantime, US President Obama has vehemently denied that Biden’s statements implied that the US had given Israel “a green light” to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities.
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POPSFresh News From Iran - July 4-5 Confirmed reports indicate that protesters are quietly going through the city and writing anti-government slogans on city walls, using the storm to their advantage. 4. Recently, a lot of news has been circulating about IRG and military clashes over how to deal with protests. (the more reliable twitter sources have not been able to confirm anything in this regard.) 5. Mehdi Karoubi today stated that they will continue to fight even though it looks as if resistance will become more difficult. He mocked Ahmadinejad for ordering a probe into Neda Agha-Soltan’s death while many more people have been killed in the unrests. 7. Reliable sources have indicated that Mir Hossein Mousavi will be creating a new party in order to further their goals of nullifying the election. Among the many instances of fraud in the election that have been claimed by Mousavi is the alleged printing of 20 million extra votes by the government in order to fill boxes with votes for Ahmadinejad.
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POPS “"The Dignity That was Earned with the Blood . . . " The committee invoked powerful imagery, comparing the 20 protesters killed during demonstrations with the martyrs who died in the early days of the revolution and the war with Iraq, asking other clerics to save what it called “the dignity that was earned with the blood of tens of thousands of martyrs.” This is not over. It is just beginning.
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POPS Iran Uprising Live-Blogging 27 June, 2009 Jose Aznar, who was voted out of office in 2004, writes in today's Wall Street Journal: President Obama has said he refuses to "meddle" in Iran's internal affairs, but this is a poor excuse for passivity. If the international community is not able to stop, or at least set limits on, the repressive violence of the Islamic regime, the protesters will end up as so many have in the past -- in exile, in prison, or in the cemetery. And with them, all hope for change will be gone. Delayed public displays of indignation may be good for internal political consumption. But the consequences of Western inaction have already materialized. Watching videos of innocent Iranians being brutalized, it's hard to defend silence. More recently, it based a collection office in Los Angeles to take advantage of the Iranian expatriate community there. None of it, however, is a substitute for having CIA staff actually on the ground, says former CIA official Bob Baer.
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POPSLive-Tweeting The Revolution: Day 13 Reports: Army Helicopter droping Chemicals on ppl at Enghelab Sq. Reports: Bassij Opend Fire at a Group of Youth who Standing in the Place Neda Aghasultan shot dead...(not Conf.) A group of people went to Nedas grave today but the forces didnt let them stay or even pray. Mousavi is under House Arrest (Gooya News) Mousavi says access to supporters highly restricted & under pressure to abandon demand for election annulment Today on Neda's grave whoever had a green sign got arrested right away. Letter of Min. Interior to Mousavi: permit for rallies issued only w/ 1 week notice in person Javan paper says: The BBC reporter hired a member of the rabble to kill some for his documentary! Javan paper (pro-IRG) has announced Neda was killed by the expelled BBC reporter . Iran state tv says Saudi govt also behind #iranelection protests
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POPSLive-Tweeting The Revolution: Day 12 Head of National Security committee had a meeting w/ Rafsanjani, Mousavi, Rezaee today They send emails using addresses of detained journalists & political/HR activists 2 their colleagues. B careful Note that State TV has used the term "Bloody" for Bahar.Sq. clashes, (could also be an attempt at intimidation) More than 10 family members of detainess arrested in front of Rev. Court, Security forces crack down Protest. Gibbs: "Given the events of the past many days, those invitations will no longer be extended," Iran state media: Tehran mayor Qalibaf has asked officials to legalize rallies all shops was closed - nowhere to go - they follow ppls with helicopters - smoke and fire is everywhere Clashes at Sadeghie SQ continuing for more than 5 hrs. source, hearing from Iran: people are hoarding the injured in their homes because they’re afraid of going to hospitals
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POPSLive-Tweeting The Revolution: Day 11 Continued We can hear ppl shouting from balcony right now 'Allah Akbar - death to Khamenei' Obama's comments worth a read, v. strong words, tho delicate effort to avoid apprnce of meddling http://bit.ly/p9A4K Bad news for Iran tweets, govt better at slowing proxy servers http://tinyurl.com/n59tj5 Relieved to see Iran & #iranelection still out-trending Jon & Kate on Twitter Many asking why fewer Tweets from Iran. Ans. is internet access more and more restricted all foreign embassys surrounded by militia to stop ppl going in Anti-Riots Vans moving toward Narmak (East Tehran). Clashes at Baharestan Sq. we have report of large street battles in east & west of Tehran now The parks in north of city are closed at night and militia attacking any ppl in park or streets Iranian Govn't puts all efforts towards crackdown, as well as case creation for reformists. Rafsanjani holds the key. the only question now is how will the end happen peacefully or with c
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POPSTamim Ansary on the future of the Iranian regime Ansary believes that what he calls the "Khomeinist" regime has made such serious tactical mistakes in trying to control dissent that it is probably doomed at this point. Khamenei, in failing even to maintain the appearance of fairness and impartiality, has insulted the intelligence of the people and sacrificed his own legitimacy. Interestingly, Ansary remarks that only intervention from the West -- on behalf of the protesters, that is -- is likely to save the old guard at this point, by restoring their moral authority as the guardians of Iranian nationalism.
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POPSThe Uprising Is On and There’s No Turning Back But is it true that a strong U.S. position in favor of the Iranian democracy movement would create a backlash against America? The reality is that those who are advancing this argument are in fact trying to shield the Iranian regime in the West. The Khomeinist propaganda machine is unleashing all doubts possible about international support to the demonstrators. In fact, the tipping point against the ayatollahs’s militias is precisely a world outcry in defense of the uprising. Presently there are no neutral Iranians who could be irritated by American or Western verbal support to democracy in Iran. The argument is inserted in the debate to confuse the public and mollify outside solidarity. What can shift the ground against the oppressive Pasdaran is precisely this, if a wide majority of Iranians feel the international community is, at least morally, on their side.
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POPSKhamenei Warns Protesters to Stay Off Streets "Arm wrestling in the street must stop," he said. "I want everyone to put an end to this. If they don't stop this … they will be held accountable for all of this." "This is not a competition between outside and inside the establishment as Zionists, media in the UK, in the US, have been trying to say," he said. In an apparent attempt to acknowledge the concerns of Mousavi's supporters he admitted that Iran was not "without corruption," and said it needed to be tackled. He also acknowledged differences between Ahmadinejad and the former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who has supported Mousavi and been portrayed as a potential kingmaker, but at the same time played down the differences. Ali Larijani, the parliament speaker, Mahmoud Shahroudi, the judiciary speaker, and the mayor of Tehran, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf were present at the university, as were senior military officers from the revolutionary guards.
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POPS The 1979 Playbook And these things tend to get a little bit out of control, they often result in even more violence by the security forces and even more deaths, which then requires another mourning rally which is even larger, which then requires more violence from the government, and this just becomes an ongoing snowball that can’t be stopped. That’s how the Shah was removed from power, was these mourning ceremonies. And so Mousavi very smartly calling for an official " not a rally " but an official day of mourning tomorrow. I think we’re going to see crowds that we haven’t even begun to see yet, and then follow that, on Friday, which is sort of the Muslim sabbath, the day of prayer, which is a traditionally a day of gathering anyway. This is just beginning, Rachel, this is just the beginning.
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POPS Sending Iran's Regrets ~ Michael J. Totten The United States isn't going to abandon a long-standing ally just because terrorists, Jew-hating dictatorships, and a minority of disgruntled American radicals find it distasteful. Even if the vote goes his way and Obama wins the election, Jackson will still have to keep hope alive, as will the Iranians. Withdrawing all U.S. forces from the Middle East likewise is not going to happen. Obama may want to bug out of Iraq as quickly as humanly possible, but there isn't even a small chance that he'll shut down American military bases in Turkey, Kuwait, and Qatar. Iran's preconditions are unacceptable. Whatever preconditions Obama would have, if he had any, would almost certainly be unacceptable from the point of view of the Islamic Repubic. The interests of the U.S. and Iran are diametrically opposite, and they have been since 1979. Obama may not understand this, but at least Tehran does.
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