Freedom of Speech in Iran Activist Gets One-Year Prison Sentence for SPIEGEL Interview Last week Iranian activist Abed Tavancheh was sentenced to one year in prison for giving an interview to SPIEGEL about student protests. His lawyer Naser Zarafshan says his client doesn't regret speaking out. more: CLICK This regime is simply a disgrace!
Freedom of Speech in Iran Activist Gets One-Year Prison Sentence for SPIEGEL Interview Last week Iranian activist Abed Tavancheh was sentenced to one year in prison for giving an interview to SPIEGEL about student protests. His lawyer Naser Zarafshan says his client doesn't regret speaking out. more: CLICK This regime is simply a disgrace! I'm waiting for @ Rostam's comment now... or is he only interested in reading & posting articles concerning Israel?
Iranian Green Movement Protest & subsequent weirdness in France: http://homylafayette.blogspot.com/2010/02/iranian-ambassador-scuffles-with-police.html [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM8sAPeYXDQ&feature=related"]YouTube- 2010 Iranian Revolution - Protest at 'Neauphle le Chateau' (Khomeini's exile place in France) jan 31[/ame] Reuters discusses tweeting: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fqwCEpQRyU&NR=1"]YouTube- The trouble with Tweeting about Iran[/ame]
Iranian Green Movement: Executions begin [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCd3H0AeX2E"]YouTube- Iran to execute nine protesters 'soon' Feb 2010[/ame] Next big protests likely on February 11: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57uCDi47Eoo"]YouTube- Iranian opposition leaders call for protest on anniversary of Islamic revolution[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c6ilVBr2NY"]YouTube- Iran police gearing up for Feb. 11 anniversary of Islamic Revolution[/ame]
I completely agree. But what troops would the US send? Wasn't there just a huge debate on how many additional troops the US needs to send to Afghanistan, which is a far more important immediate concern? What troops would go to Iran? That said I do agree with you and the guy above that a democratic Iran COMPLETELY alters the geopolitcal landscape. Not a democratic Iraq.
I wouldn't send any troops from any nation, though I would hope to see the US help the people of Iran perhaps with arms if needed to defend themselves from the govt.
This way the regime can say -- "look the opposition are tools of the hated Americans, British and Zionist entity (and probably those dasterdly Saudis too!") Looking at it from a pure realpolitik viewpoint, I am not sure that Mousavi is much better than the current crew. In any event, until the Army makes the decision not to support the government, the government is not going anywhere. In other cheerful news, the Iraqnian press agency is promising big news on February 11, which is Revolution Day or something and the British press is reporting that the US is sending anti-missile batteries and ships to the Gulf.
Well you are of course correct. naturally they are already blaming the US and the west for the problems anyway. LOL I just hope for the people of Iran that the change they want comes their way. It is not good news that we are sending more anti-missile batteries and ships to the gulf.
So what does "realpolitik" mean to you? Although Mousavi surely isn't a "saint" due to the executions happened during his time as prime-minister, I see HUGE differences between him and the current president! And he'd certainly not be Khamenei's puppet ... that's why the latter prefers AN. Mr. Mousavi is smart enough to notice that his country developed into a dictatorship (once again after the Shah era) and therefore decided to become the people's white hope. And I'm also very sure that he'd abandon the country's current confrontation style with the West...
Today is 22 bahman or February 11th in Iran. Today is a decisive day in Iranian history since it's the 31st day of the Iranian revolution and the green supporters today are expected to show their strength once again. The government has already disrupted the internet and mobile networks. The government also managed to gather 30k basijis and are prepared to kill innocent people once again. News reports coming out of Iran in early morning today indicate that a bomb has exploded, no details as of yet. Stay tuned because today will be a major event in Iran. Lastly, to those who think mussavi is the same as ahmadinejad, you guys don't know much about the internal politics of Iran and thus your making a false assumption. Mussavi is in many ways the opposite of the current leaders. If he was the same, he wouldn't have risked the lives of his family members and friends for this movement and the government wouldn't have killed his nephew and arrested nearly all of his friends. Mussavi has made statements challenging the establishment and recently said the revolution had failed . He truly wants a Democratic Iran governed by the people and will risk his life for this worth cause. The situation is interesting because he is leading this movement from inside Iran and the government is powerless whereas most other revolutionary movements were lead by exiled nationalist.
Iranian Green Movement: Fresh protests today http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8509765.stm "Web giant Google says its e-mail traffic in Iran has dropped sharply, even though its networks were working properly. Google said users of its Gmail service had experienced difficulties following a newspaper report about official restrictions." Will protestors be able to communicate with each other?
According to the Guardian, the demonstrations are smaller than last summer. Also, the Guardian notes that Amidinijhad made s speech that claimed they have enriched uranium. I guess that was the big announcement he promised that would mark the end of western liberal democracy. Seems kind of lame to me (but then again, I think that guy is lame anway).
Iranian Green Movement: Fresh protests today http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8509765.stm [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXT0uaiwt4Y"]YouTube- Amateur video of Iran protest rally[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsyTbfSNx5s"]YouTube- Iran Tehran 11 Feb 2010 throwing tear gas at people[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4cZWeP69Ak"]YouTube- Mass Rallies, Protests in Iran[/ame]
Iranian Green Movement: Fresh protests today [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLrgn-EnC3g"]YouTube- Iran Revolution Day clashes reported[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtY8P6W_YGo"]YouTube- 11 Feb 10. Vali Asr sq Tehran. Iranians protest against the government of Iran[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8jOOuRMcZE"]YouTube- Iran Exclusive - Tehran 11 Feb 2010 Protest P13[/ame]
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Midd...tests-fizzle-in-face-of-overwhelming-security Sounds like the government wasn't about to let things get out of control today. But at least they officially came clean on the nuclear question. No more cat and mouse.
I just don't get the propensity of certain leaders to make lofty claims and talk big when in actuality it is nothing more then a smokescreen. I mean does it really play that well in that part of the World? Did An make his obligatory "Death to America and Death to Israel" statements or was that left to the crowd?
Just as well that the protestors stayed away, no need for them to get bloodied on a day when the Govt. was ready for them. Better to build steam and move when the Govt. isn't ready. I do wonder how the attack on Khatami will affect the attitude of the Green Movement? And will it take a martyr to blow the lid off the movement and turn it from mostly peaceful to something more determined and forceful?
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p7aSXEpsyI"]YouTube- Regime of Iran distributes goods amongst people to drag them to state run march, Feb.10, 2010.WMV[/ame] Bread & circuses
Just saw a German tv report about Jafar Panahi's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jafar_Panahi) fate in Iran. Still sitting in jail for more than 1 month, is a disgrace and another evidence of the regime's violation of human rights & its paranoia!