MioMyo
2009-06-17 02:03:06 UTC
Well maybe like the moment Reagan took office, Iran would shudder at the
thought and straighten their shit up.......
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSEVA14340720090616?sp=true
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's top legislative body on Tuesday ruled out
annulling a disputed presidential poll that has prompted the biggest street
protests since the 1979 Islamic revolution, but said it was prepared for a
partial recount.
(Editors' note: Reuters coverage is now subject to an Iranian ban on foreign
media leaving the office to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.)
In what appeared to be a first concession by authorities to the protest
movement, the 12-man Guardian Council said it was ready to re-tally votes in
the poll, in which hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the
runaway winner.
But the powerful Council rejected reformist calls to annul Friday's
election, which set off swift-moving political turmoil, riveting attention
on the world's fifth-biggest oil exporter.
And Ahmadinejad's supporters appeared to have denied the opposition the
chance to keep up the momentum of mass street protests by mobilizing
thousands of demonstrators in central Tehran where Mirhossein Mousavi's
supporters had planned to gather again.
State television said the "main agents" in post-election unrest had been
arrested with explosives and guns.
U.S. President Barack Obama, who has sought to engage Iran and asked its
leadership to "unclench its fist," said he was deeply troubled by the
post-election violence, and that protesters who had taken to the streets had
inspired the world.
Seven people were killed on Monday on the fringes of a vast opposition march
through the streets of central Tehran.
But authorities banned another opposition rally on Tuesday and state
television showed live pictures of thousands of Ahmadinejad supporters, some
waving Iranian flags, gathering at the Vali-ye Asr Square before any Mousavi
supporters arrived.
At the rally, a former parliamentary speaker, Gholamali Haddadadel, drew
cheers by saying that Tehran, where Mousavi won the most votes, did not
represent all of Iran. He added:
"I would like to tell Mr Mousavi:... Before the election was held it was not
right for people close to you to say that if you see Mr Ahmadinejad
victorious there has been electoral fraud."
CALL TO STAY AWAY
Mousavi urged his supporters to stay away from the square "to protect lives"
and avoid confrontation with security forces and Ahmadinejad backers. They
appeared to have heeded his call.
Further protests, especially if they are on the same scale as Monday's,
would be a direct challenge to the authorities who have kept a tight grip on
dissent since the U.S.-backed shah was overthrown in 1979 after months of
demonstrations.
Discord within Iran's ruling system has never been so public. The Mousavi
camp is backed by traditional establishment figures, such as former
presidents Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami, concerned about
how Ahmadinejad's truculent foreign policy and populist economics are
shaping Iran's future.
The United States and its European allies have also found Ahmadinejad
implacable in asserting Iran's right to enrich uranium, a program that Iran
says is purely peaceful but that they fear could be used to make an atomic
bomb.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, supposedly above the political fray,
has favored Ahmadinejad, who is also supported by the elite Revolutionary
Guard and the Basij militia.
Intelligence Minister Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei said his ministry was
chasing two types of people over the unrest.
"One wanted to achieve its goal through explosions and terror, and in this
connection 50 people were arrested and more than 20 explosive consignments
were discovered. They were supported from outside the country," he told
state radio.
"The second category was made up of counter-revolutionary groups who had
penetrated election headquarters (of the election candidates) ... Some 26
such elements have been arrested," he added. Iran often accuses Western foes
of stirring instability.
FOREIGN JOURNALISTS BANNED
Illustrating Iran's sensitivity to world opinion, authorities on Tuesday
banned foreign journalists from leaving their offices to cover street
protests.
France, Germany and Britain have led an EU campaign to persuade Iran to
clarify the election results, but Iran on Tuesday summoned a Czech diplomat,
representing the EU, to protest against "interventionist and insulting" EU
statements.
A spokesman for the Guardian Council, which groups clerics and Islamic law
experts as a constitutional watchdog, said that it was "ready to recount the
disputed ballot boxes claimed by some candidates, in the presence of their
representatives."
"It is possible that there may be some changes in the tally after the
recount," spokesman Abbasali Kadkhodai said. "Based on the law, the demand
of those candidates for the cancellation of the vote - this cannot be
considered," he told state television.
In the Mousavi stronghold of northern Tehran, his supporters gathered in
small groups, wearing wristbands in his green campaign colors, amid heavy
traffic, residents said.
"We only want cancellation of the election result," said one of them, Ali
Akbar Mohtashamipour.
There have been arrests across the country since the election protests broke
out. ISNA said on Tuesday that around 100 people were arrested in unrest
near a university in the southern city of Shiraz.
Despite the turmoil, Ahmadinejad traveled to Russia for a summit of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which includes Russia and China, where he
was congratulated on his re-election.
Iran's English-language Press TV said seven people were killed and several
wounded at the end of Monday's rally -- a mainly peaceful gathering attended
by many tens of thousands -- when "thugs" tried to attack a military post in
central Tehran.
An Iranian photographer at the scene said Islamic militiamen opened fire
when people in the crowd attacked a Basij post. He said one person was
killed and others wounded.
The Basij is a volunteer paramilitary militia fiercely loyal to Khamenei,
who has the final say on all matters of state and replaced revolutionary
leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini when he died 20 years ago.
During the past three days of violence, police have accused "bandits" of
setting buses on fire, breaking windows of banks and other buildings, and
damaging public property.
thought and straighten their shit up.......
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSEVA14340720090616?sp=true
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's top legislative body on Tuesday ruled out
annulling a disputed presidential poll that has prompted the biggest street
protests since the 1979 Islamic revolution, but said it was prepared for a
partial recount.
(Editors' note: Reuters coverage is now subject to an Iranian ban on foreign
media leaving the office to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.)
In what appeared to be a first concession by authorities to the protest
movement, the 12-man Guardian Council said it was ready to re-tally votes in
the poll, in which hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the
runaway winner.
But the powerful Council rejected reformist calls to annul Friday's
election, which set off swift-moving political turmoil, riveting attention
on the world's fifth-biggest oil exporter.
And Ahmadinejad's supporters appeared to have denied the opposition the
chance to keep up the momentum of mass street protests by mobilizing
thousands of demonstrators in central Tehran where Mirhossein Mousavi's
supporters had planned to gather again.
State television said the "main agents" in post-election unrest had been
arrested with explosives and guns.
U.S. President Barack Obama, who has sought to engage Iran and asked its
leadership to "unclench its fist," said he was deeply troubled by the
post-election violence, and that protesters who had taken to the streets had
inspired the world.
Seven people were killed on Monday on the fringes of a vast opposition march
through the streets of central Tehran.
But authorities banned another opposition rally on Tuesday and state
television showed live pictures of thousands of Ahmadinejad supporters, some
waving Iranian flags, gathering at the Vali-ye Asr Square before any Mousavi
supporters arrived.
At the rally, a former parliamentary speaker, Gholamali Haddadadel, drew
cheers by saying that Tehran, where Mousavi won the most votes, did not
represent all of Iran. He added:
"I would like to tell Mr Mousavi:... Before the election was held it was not
right for people close to you to say that if you see Mr Ahmadinejad
victorious there has been electoral fraud."
CALL TO STAY AWAY
Mousavi urged his supporters to stay away from the square "to protect lives"
and avoid confrontation with security forces and Ahmadinejad backers. They
appeared to have heeded his call.
Further protests, especially if they are on the same scale as Monday's,
would be a direct challenge to the authorities who have kept a tight grip on
dissent since the U.S.-backed shah was overthrown in 1979 after months of
demonstrations.
Discord within Iran's ruling system has never been so public. The Mousavi
camp is backed by traditional establishment figures, such as former
presidents Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami, concerned about
how Ahmadinejad's truculent foreign policy and populist economics are
shaping Iran's future.
The United States and its European allies have also found Ahmadinejad
implacable in asserting Iran's right to enrich uranium, a program that Iran
says is purely peaceful but that they fear could be used to make an atomic
bomb.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, supposedly above the political fray,
has favored Ahmadinejad, who is also supported by the elite Revolutionary
Guard and the Basij militia.
Intelligence Minister Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei said his ministry was
chasing two types of people over the unrest.
"One wanted to achieve its goal through explosions and terror, and in this
connection 50 people were arrested and more than 20 explosive consignments
were discovered. They were supported from outside the country," he told
state radio.
"The second category was made up of counter-revolutionary groups who had
penetrated election headquarters (of the election candidates) ... Some 26
such elements have been arrested," he added. Iran often accuses Western foes
of stirring instability.
FOREIGN JOURNALISTS BANNED
Illustrating Iran's sensitivity to world opinion, authorities on Tuesday
banned foreign journalists from leaving their offices to cover street
protests.
France, Germany and Britain have led an EU campaign to persuade Iran to
clarify the election results, but Iran on Tuesday summoned a Czech diplomat,
representing the EU, to protest against "interventionist and insulting" EU
statements.
A spokesman for the Guardian Council, which groups clerics and Islamic law
experts as a constitutional watchdog, said that it was "ready to recount the
disputed ballot boxes claimed by some candidates, in the presence of their
representatives."
"It is possible that there may be some changes in the tally after the
recount," spokesman Abbasali Kadkhodai said. "Based on the law, the demand
of those candidates for the cancellation of the vote - this cannot be
considered," he told state television.
In the Mousavi stronghold of northern Tehran, his supporters gathered in
small groups, wearing wristbands in his green campaign colors, amid heavy
traffic, residents said.
"We only want cancellation of the election result," said one of them, Ali
Akbar Mohtashamipour.
There have been arrests across the country since the election protests broke
out. ISNA said on Tuesday that around 100 people were arrested in unrest
near a university in the southern city of Shiraz.
Despite the turmoil, Ahmadinejad traveled to Russia for a summit of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which includes Russia and China, where he
was congratulated on his re-election.
Iran's English-language Press TV said seven people were killed and several
wounded at the end of Monday's rally -- a mainly peaceful gathering attended
by many tens of thousands -- when "thugs" tried to attack a military post in
central Tehran.
An Iranian photographer at the scene said Islamic militiamen opened fire
when people in the crowd attacked a Basij post. He said one person was
killed and others wounded.
The Basij is a volunteer paramilitary militia fiercely loyal to Khamenei,
who has the final say on all matters of state and replaced revolutionary
leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini when he died 20 years ago.
During the past three days of violence, police have accused "bandits" of
setting buses on fire, breaking windows of banks and other buildings, and
damaging public property.