289 Comments

1. Alireza:

I find what President Obama has said so far to be very well worded and addressed.

Additionally, I also find this letter coming from Mousavi to be also very beneficial for what is going on in Iran. If for a nano second—and not for a second, but NANO second—pro Ahmadinejad and regime get a feel that Mousavi is the preferred guy from U.S. perspective that is kiss of DEATH to Mousavi.

So in REAL actual way what is being said, and the very fact that Dr. Ledeen criticizes Obama for not being more direct in supporting Mousavi’s side, and P. Obama’s refusal to do so are ALL PERFECT and EXCELLENT way to move forward. It looks like everyone knows how this chess game being played and all players are taking their role seriously and passionately. Now: Action!

Jun 20, 2009 - 5:15 pm 2. Ban:

Mr. Obama has been clearly taken off guard and shows signs of uncertainty…what we were warned by the unsinkable Joe Biden would happen and VOILA! So when the man talks out of the both sides of his mouth and on the one hand says that he is “worried” about the people of Iran but then in the same statement…a few sentences later says: oh but we want to dialogue with someone regarding the nukes…you’ve got to go, HUH? I’m sorry but doesn’t that smack of a mixed message to you? PLUS aren’t you the LEAST bit suspicious of that behavior given Mr. Biden’s YEARS of sending his staffers do footsi-playing with Mullah reps throughout the years of his having headed up the Senate Foreign Relations Committe…meetings in Rome between his staffers, Mullah reps & the disgusting Baroness Emma Nicholson of Winterbourne, fundraisers for Mr. Biden’s senate reelection campaigns at the houses of millionaire Iranians who were known for their support of the regime…come on…you cannot just give an emtional and p.c. response to these issues. Especially that even the flakey Europeans have spoken tougher than “O”!

Jun 20, 2009 - 5:28 pm 3. Ban:

Oh my above comment is a response to Alireza…to be clear!

Jun 20, 2009 - 5:29 pm 4. Dero:

I like the fact that what Obama does has put the onus on Mousavi to validate himself rather then on Obama to not be anything other than Obama. This is something else another Mousavi spokesman said while addressing what Obama said on this issue:

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=5018

“In order to resolve the problems between the two countries, we should have two Obamas on the two sides. It doesn’t mean that everything depends on these two people, but this is one of the main factors.

…

Mousavi is the Obama of Iran”

I’d read the whole interview, because like I said, it mirrors this letter.

As a sidenote, it’s worth pointing out that for all intents and purposes, unless Khamenei is overthrown, Our policy towards Iran is not dependent on whoever is the Iranian president.

Jun 20, 2009 - 5:56 pm 5. Professor Guvinoff:

Mr. Obama has waited an awful long time before saying anything in unequivocal support of the insurrection. Whatever his reasons were, each US citizen will decide for himself or herself whether this attitude was a good reflection of their own personal convictions.

Personally, I think the supposedly wise reserve was misguided, for many reasons, the most important one being the fact that this show of courage and determination of the Iranian people is in great part a result of Mr. Bush’s efforts to bring personal freedom and government responsibility in the Middle East. First the defeat of the Taliban in Afghanistan, then Iraq, then positive movement in Lybia and Lebanon, and now, revolution in Iran!

The war on terror is real, and the people of Iran are its brave soldiers right now, God bless them! This war benefited from American leadership, and can be rendered more difficult by lapses of American leadership, but cannot be stopped!

Jun 20, 2009 - 6:08 pm 6. Alireza:

After reading the letter written by Ibrahim Nabavi to Khamenei, it appears that Rafsanjani is under house arrest. In this public letter he mentions this. If that is the case, Khamenei has removed all breaks and is going all the way.

It is no wonder that Assembly of Experts could not convene and bring the members for a meeting and a vote to confirm Khamenei or remove him from leadership position. So I take it that whatever said before that Rafsanjani has traveled to Qum is not the case, since he has been under house arrest.

Jun 20, 2009 - 6:15 pm 7. lc:

If the situation wasn’t so serious, if so many weren’t risking their very lives, if so much weren’t at stake, that letter would be funny.

Why can’t O even mouth the appropriate words? And, what does he have against democracy? It gives me the creeps.

Jun 20, 2009 - 6:27 pm 8. jsilverheels:

Alireza,

You are absolutely correct. In any case Obama didn’t say that Moussavi and AN were “two of a kind” he said that the differences between them were not as great as is being made out, which is 100% true.

Ledeen and his fellow neocons are crazy.

Jun 20, 2009 - 6:41 pm 9. Sunday Morning in Iran, A Letter from Mousavi’s Office « Inzax:

[...] leave a comment » Faster, Please! » Sunday Morning in Iran, A Letter from Mousavi’s Office. [...]

Jun 20, 2009 - 6:42 pm 10. winston:

I believe Obama has come to our aid very late. It’s too late now. I am not sure what he can do, unless he wants to send F-15s and B-52 over to Iran to protect the people.

Jun 20, 2009 - 6:44 pm 11. candi:

When will the Secretary of State Hilary Clinton speak out? She should be on the phone to Nabavi and Mousavi checking on their welfare. The US and the UK should make it clear that the world will not stand idly by and watch Iran kill and/or torture dissident political leaders. Or are the governments of the US and the UK too busy setting up a one world government? Maybe freedom and democracy is the last thing they want to promote.

Jun 20, 2009 - 6:51 pm 12. flickervertigo:

Mousavi got sucked into sacrificing himself on the neocon altar, just like saakashvili, the egomaniacal georgian, sacrificed himself when he attacked ossetia.

saakashvili gave the neocon media another opportunity to stage an orgy of anti-russian propaganda, mousavi gives the neocon media an opportunity to wallow in an orgy of anti-iranian propaganda.

and while russia is a little too big a bite to chew (absent a nuke first strike on russia as per the neocons’ “nuclear primacy”), this smarmy whining about iran will give the neocons a bigger lever to pry israeli america into a war with iran.

war with iran is necessary, if for no other reason that to close hormuz to force pipeline construction to israel from the persian gulf.

set up a straw man, knowing full well he’ll be knocked down, then cry buckets of crocodile tears when your straw man gets his lumps… all of which, theoretically, and in the best tradition of ledeen’s beloved “creative destruction”, leads to a better propaganda story when you’re setting up for war with iran.

ledeen’s whining is particularly amusing in view of his role in lying us into the iraq war… but according to ledeen, we’re supposed to, every few years, “pick up some small crappy little country and throw it against the wall, just to show the world we mean business”

might makes right, two wrongs make a right, and the end justifies the means.

ledeen, the posterboy of neocon warmongers.

Jun 20, 2009 - 6:52 pm 13. Steve:

Alireza, Obama does not have to support Mousavi, but he should be standing up for democracy and freedom. He need not be afraid of offending a dictatorship. That is an recipe for paralysis not for change.

Jun 20, 2009 - 6:59 pm 14. Steve Schippert:

Fortunately for things going forward, Mousavi appears to be transforming himself into the face of this revolution – responding to the cry of the people and not the other way around. Time only will tell the depth.

unfortunately for things going forward, Rafsanjani most surely remains the man at the controls behind the curtains. his quest? Supreme Leader. And this is a very very bad thing.

Why? It’s basic. the problem for the Iranians under the Shah wasn’t the Shah. Likewise, the problem for Iranians under Khamenei isn’t Khamenei. It’s the system.

It doesn’t matter whether the Supreme Leader is Khamenei, Rafsanjani or Muhatma Ghandi. It’s quite dimply that the people will have selected neither of them.

And so here we are today, with a brutal Khamenei sitting atop both Iran and global terrorism. he doesn’t need to be replaced. His position needs to be eliminated, and with it the Guradian Council and the Expediency Council, all stocked with men, good or bad, that have nothing to do with the will of the people.

Sans that change, we will be here again. And again. And again. 1979. 1999. 2009. ????. ????.

What I am hearing is that Mousavi is being seen as a first step. A conduit. Remember, Iranians dis not put him on the ballot, he was just the least bad from among those to choose. And the Iranians I hear from are willing to accept him until the day they can choose their own. Perhaps, by then, Mousavi. perhaps not. But the choice must be theirs and not a tailored list from men whom they have conferred no authority.

I do not think this is salvageable for the regime. The question is, what’s next? Shuffling Ayatollahs seen as the permanent fix, or the will of the majority of the people?

Jun 20, 2009 - 7:03 pm 15. flickervertigo:

overview, PNAC project

you are going to need a war with iran, period… unless you can install a PNAC puppet regime that will voluntarily surrender khuzestan province and its oil to a PNAC puppet shia state, and voluntarily surrender balochistan province to a new puppet state that will block chinese access to gwadar, pakistan.

all this per ralph peters, who is, by ledeen’s admission, “one of my favorites”.

peters map of the new middle east

Jun 20, 2009 - 7:13 pm 16. El Duende:

As someone hoping he fails I am giddy today thinking about the campaign commercials of him eating Ice cream superimposed with the dead Iranian students superimposed with him shaking hands with Ahmadinejad when they meet soon. Beautiful. EPIC FAILURE! LOL!

Jun 20, 2009 - 7:25 pm 17. Iranians Betrayed by Obama Administration - Politics and Other Controversies - Page 12 - City-Data Forum:

[...] Faster, Please!

Jun 20, 2009 - 7:25 pm 18. wheelers_cat:

Again, it is not our business.
Obama’s statement is true….from an American perspective, in american interests, we will deal the titular head of the country. Both Nejad and Mousavi, indeed the majority of the population support nuclear Iran.

Mousavi’s statement
This is a struggle between two versions of Islam in an Islamic republic.
“democracy” does not enter into it. Nejads pious, rural, socially conservative fundies versus Mousavi’s urban, hightech, educated socially liberal reformists.
Why….its just like conservatives and liberals in america! But both sides are muslims.
I am surprised at you Dr. Leddeen…you seem to be offering advice when you have not read the problem statement.
That is unlike you.

It is immaterial anyways….the regime is done.
The major networks have become rabid twitter enthusiasts……the youtube of the dead girl in the chadoor has gone viral.
It is just a matter of time.
If Khameni even can get the army to pull a Tianaman (I don’t think he can get them to it) he would be deposed by the Assembly of Experts.
For a muslim to kill another muslim is the greatest sin.

Jun 20, 2009 - 7:39 pm 19. flickervertigo:

“For a muslim to kill another muslim is the greatest sin.”

…but a million deaths in iraq, mostly muslims killing muslims, in support of a neocon project, is okay.

Jun 20, 2009 - 7:45 pm 20. Paul M Hupf:

No guts! It is our business! Nuclear weapons in the hands of Khameni (not elected to office) and Ahmadinejad (not elected to office) represent a threat to Israel, Europe and the United States! The President’s response: See first line above.

Jun 20, 2009 - 7:51 pm 21. flickervertigo:

please post evidence of an iranian nuke weapons program.

please explain why no one is able to relay evidence of iran’s weapons program to elbaradei and his inspectors so they can confirm all these wild-eyed neocon stories.

please explain why we should believe the same lies from the same people who lied us into war in iraq.

Jun 20, 2009 - 7:54 pm 22. El Duende:

21. flickervertigo:

Iran seeking nuclear weapons technology: ElBaradei
Wed Jun 17, 2009 1:51pm EDT

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE55G21V20090617

Now please do some research before you come here spouting your sycophantic and cowardly Obama talking points…

Jun 20, 2009 - 8:00 pm 23. Steve Schippert:

Flicker, you genius, you could not have shown me evidence of a North Korean nuclear weapons program either until they had a parade and turned a small hole into a much larger one. Go sell crazy someplace else. We’re all stocked up here.

Jun 20, 2009 - 8:11 pm 24. flickervertigo:

i’ve got a gut feeling you need war with iran to close hormuz so you can grab iran’s gas, oil, and pipeline routes, so you post an article about elbaradei’s “gut feelings”.

i cant prove it, but like elbaradei, i’m gonna retire soon, and if i voice my “gut feelings” in absence of evidence, like elbaradei, someone’s gonna pay me enough to make the down payment on that nice villa in the south of france.

Jun 20, 2009 - 8:16 pm 25. flickervertigo:

“you could not have shown me evidence of a North Korean nuclear weapons program either”

was north korea a signatory to the NPT, and subject to inspections like iran has been?

Jun 20, 2009 - 8:18 pm 26. Ran:

“…and we look forward to stronger support for the rightful struggle of the Iranian people against the actions of a regime that is your enemy as well as ours.”

Yeah, well, we know fully well how Obama speaks to his real enemies… “My administration,” the president will tell the Mullahs, “is the only thing between you and the pitchforks.“

Jun 20, 2009 - 8:21 pm 27. flickervertigo:

a million dollars doesnt go nearly as far as it used to, but i’m sure tony blair is pleased with his leadership award from israel… presumably for leading america into the iraq war by lying his doggy little ass off.

Jun 20, 2009 - 8:28 pm 28. Winston:

flickervertigo

Have you taken your meds? If not, take them and get some rest. Also call Ron Paul’s office. He may have some advice for ya.

Jun 20, 2009 - 9:26 pm 29. Winston:

@Steve

I think Rafsanjani is the most hated man in Iran. He has earned the hatred of the Iranian people by being corrupt. Hatred for him in Iran is on par with that of Khamenei. So I think the people won’t trade Khamenei for someone less evil but as corrupt. And I do believe the Iranian regime joined the rest of dictatorships of history in dustbin of history on Friday June 20th, 2009. The future of Iran, I HOPE, is of plural democracy and secular civil society. Time will tell!

Jun 20, 2009 - 9:29 pm 30. jharp:

Shame on you.

You have no credibility as a direct result of posts like this.

For the love of God, why wouldn’t you wait to post until the facts can be verified.

You are a disgraceful human being. I’m ashamed to have you as a fellow American.

You know as well as I know that this post is most likely nonsense,

But as long as it inflames the less educated and the stupid and generates traffic to your website, you somehow think it is justified.

Jun 20, 2009 - 9:35 pm 31. Emery:

Obama is a complete idiot. He started off saying this is a robust debate. Stealing an election is a robust healthy debate according to him. Then he insults Mousavi and the Iranian people as the letter indicates. Now finally he issues a half-ass statement on twitter that leaves us wondering how this idiot got to be the leader of the free world. How about being the leader of the free world you spineless coward. Your worse than Carter. They are murdering people in the streets because they want freedom and thats all you’ve got to say? In 8 days you crabwalk from a healthy and robust debate to wimpy statement of moral cowardice?. Obama is moral coward. The people of Iran have real courage. That is a pathetic example of leadership. Thats what you get when you select a pretender like Obama. There’s your New World Order. Sucking up to dictators and letting Iranians die in the streets. “This for the Iranian people to decide.” What a jackass……..

Jun 20, 2009 - 9:46 pm 32. El Duende:

flickervertigo:

The irony of people like you is that you empower people like Obama who throw away these once a generation chances for peace on grandiose but flawed plans based on appeasement.

The truth is that a real warmonger would be encouraging Obama to continue his policies because they will fail and then war will only be a matter of time. So by supporting the myopic policies of Obama you are in effect supporting a nice big war.

Jun 20, 2009 - 10:23 pm 33. flickervertigo:

“The irony of people like you is that you empower people like Obama… “

looks to me obama’s playing his part in the neocon scheme of things…

the neocons get this Mousavi to stick his neck out, he predictably gets his neck chopped off by the ayatollahs, and ahmadinejad, the guy the neocons love to hate, remains in power to serve as the object of more orgasms of neocon propaganda in prep for war with iran.

meanwhile, you people jump on the propaganda bandwagon, do all this sanctimonious handwringing about the poor downtrodden people of iran as you plan on bombing them to kingdom come.

wonderful.

Jun 20, 2009 - 10:46 pm 34. shwa?:

Jeez flickervertigo you must really be a psychopath. Do you really think that anybody *wants* to bomb Iran you useless POS? Or for that matter that anybody wanted to bomb Iraq?! You dimwit douchbag, if it wasn’t for W’s “neocon” actions, none of the outpouring of freedom you are currently witnessing would have happened. Iraq is now the free-est, most democratic Muslim state on earth (although Iran will soon be joining them God-willing). From the Orange Revolution to the Ceder Revolution, from the purple stained fingers to the green stained fingers, the middle east is slowly but surely transforming from the worst hell on earth to something future generations would want to live in.

Jun 21, 2009 - 12:04 am 35. flearoditus:

Is ‘flickervertigo’ actually Mark Knoller, CBS News White House correspondent? The tone is identical. Knoller today said “what do you want Obama to do? Attack? War?”

I guess among these people saying a few words in support of basic American values, as the vast majority of your predecessors did, is ‘war’

They’re so invested in their narrative its just spectacular to watch.

Jun 21, 2009 - 12:28 am 36. Pajamas Media » Sunday Morning in Tehran: A Letter from Mousavi’s Office:

[...] Read the entire piece here. [...]

Jun 21, 2009 - 1:27 am 37. Myno:

Sigh… so many trolls, so little time…

Jun 21, 2009 - 2:33 am 38. Ellen K:

It appears that Team Obama has embraced a policy of “if you don’t know what to do, do nothing.” Unfortunately, while his team waits for the opportune media moment, lives are being lost and security is being breeched. But then again, simply saying and doing nothing has worked so well in our dealings with North Korea….as they move toward Hawaii with a missile. I hope it doesn’t take another 9/11 style tragedy for Americans to wake up to what they have chosen and the consequences. This is one problem that Oprah can’t fix with money or gifts under the seat.

Jun 21, 2009 - 3:24 am 39. tdh:

Describing Mousavi as the Obama of Iran is an extreme insult to Mousavi.

If the communique is truly from the heart of Mousavi, a more accurate comparison would lie in describing Mousavi as the Ataturk of Iran.

Jun 21, 2009 - 3:38 am 40. Roger Godby:

“For a Muslim to kill another Muslim is the greatest sin.”

For all those brave liberals/progressives/statists who allowed just that under Saddam, following Iranian Revolution (v1, hopefully), in Sudan, in Muslim lands almost everywhere.

Flickervertigo, you should be arrested for straw man abuse.

Jun 21, 2009 - 3:41 am 41. Mongoose:

Mousavi got sucked into sacrificing himself on the neocon altar,

WHqat absolute nonsense! When were neocons supporting him?
When were these “neocons” ever engaged in internal politics of Iran?

And just who are these “neocons”? Bill Kristol?

Is it too much for decent people around the wrld to expect that the “Leader of the Free World” would decry tyranny, particularly from a regime that held Americans hostage, supports terrorism worldwide, seek the destruction of a neighbor state and hopes to have a nuclear hegemony in the ME?

What balderdash. I swear you liberals have to scapegoat conservatives for every thing that happens under the sun. You cannot face the failures, incompetence and cowardice of your own leaders. What are we going to hear next, its the Jooos?

(Which is realy what “Neocon” is a code word for in the first place.)

It was that ultra-liberal idiot Jimmy Carter that got us all into this mess in the first place. The whole Islamicist war against the USA starts with his stupidity with the Mullahs. Clinton made it worse and now Obama may have in his cowardice has made a profoundly stupid and dangerous blunder.

What nonsense.

Obama’s performance thus far has been pathetic, and the world knows it even if his supporters do not. A smarmy coward is what he is.

This will now send a message to all of our enemies that the president of the USA is a pushover and mere political opportunist. American lives may one dat be lost because of this display of loony mulitcult kowtowing to third world dictators.

In this regard, the forward leaning posture of “neocons”, to the extent “neocons” actually exist, will be proved to be the correct response. Bush’s formulation of the Axis of Evil is being proved right every day and the Iraqi theater of the WOT is likewise being show to be the right move with each passing day.

But in reality, the whole notion of “neocon” is just a leftist construct.

My goodness, what fools you Leftist are.

The WTC were knocked to the ground and 8 years later we are reduced to this.

Our father were astride the world 6 years after Pearl Harbor. this is what 50 or so years of Leftist dominance in this culture has wrought. What a pathetically sad business.

Jun 21, 2009 - 3:52 am 42. Ed Wallis:

FROM YESTERDAY:

Statement from the President on Iran
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Statement-from-the-President-on-Iran/

The Iranian government must understand that the world is watching. We mourn each and every innocent life that is lost. We call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people. The universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected, and the United States stands with all who seek to exercise those rights.

As I said in Cairo, suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away. The Iranian people will ultimately judge the actions of their own government. If the Iranian government seeks the respect of the international community, it must respect the dignity of its own people and govern through consent, not coercion.

Martin Luther King once said – “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” I believe that. The international community believes that. And right now, we are bearing witness to the Iranian peoples’ belief in that truth, and we will continue to bear witness.

COWARDLY PRATTLE from SOBama.

Going for ice cream while Iran boils.
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/06/obama-tells-killer-iranian-regime-world.html

Someone else said it best: “Someone please dig up Reagan.”
http://www.dailygut.com/?i=4225

Am I an old f*rt or am I right to be p*ssed that some jack*ss is skateboarding down the halls of the White House while all this Iranian sh*t is going down?

We truly have succumbed to the idiocy of the MTV/Mountain Dew/Road Rules backward hat and baggy short culture. Did I miss something, or is the White House the future set for the next Real World? Where are the wallet chains? Is Hot Topic handling our foreign policy? Obama should be grounded for a week for letting Tony Hawk play in OUR house. Where in hell are the adults?

Look: Tony Hawk is in his mid forties. He’s a grown man…and he skateboards. Could you imagine your dad or anyone who lived during World War II treating a man who skateboards with anything less than scorn and ridicule?

Right now, people are risking their lives for the glimmer of freedom, and Tony Hawk is in the White House tweeting about Frosted Flakes.

Someone please dig up Reagan. I’d take a dead leader with balls over a living camp counselor who wants all the cool kids to like him.

What a screaming joke.

Jun 21, 2009 - 4:06 am 43. Mongoose:

WHeelers_cat:

This is a struggle between two versions of Islam in an Islamic republic.
“democracy” does not enter into it. Nejads pious, rural, socially conservative fundies versus Mousavi’s urban, hightech, educated socially liberal reformists.

A thoroughly Left-wing construct. A complete projection.
And it shows what contempt you leftists have for real Americans.

Who are these “urban geniuse” of yours? Inner city welfare bums? Unionized college professors indoctrinating kid on their leftist cant on the government teat? Members of Leftist Democrat Nomenklatur? Democrat apparatchiks? Immature and ill-educated “activists”? Media people? Investment Bankers? Labor Bosses? Certainly no one that does real and productive work.

You associate good hard working Americans that want to uphold the Constitution, cleave to the great classical liberal traditions of the 18th and 19th centuries–the fruits of centuries of brutal travail–and protect and preserve their civilization for collectivist outrages with “rural religious islamicists in Iran”. Complete and utter slander. It is wholly dishonest rhetoric and the vilest sort of agitprop.

It is the totalitarian Islamicsist that are the similar to you Left-wing Democrats, not
decent Americans, no matter where they live, that wish to return to the rule of law.

It is you that share the same “revolutionary zeal”, and it is you that support tyrannical and cynically opportunistic leader with misguided and unexamined idealism, navel gazing narcissism, intellectual dishonesty and the vilest fanaticism.

In your madness you yet again stand reality on its head and you project your vileness onto decent people. You are quite out of your minds.

And, of course, it is “our business”, it is the business of all people in the so called “free world”, but it is particularly America’s business as a leading nation. It is particularly our business when it invovles a regime that is a sworn enemy of the USA and is hell bent on acquiring nuclear weapons. You can bet that our enemies are making it “their business”.

None of our business, indeed. What a silly formulation. What do you think this is about, High school politics?

Jun 21, 2009 - 4:17 am 44. Terry Gain:

Barack Obama can’t afford to water the seeds of democracy planted by George Bush in the Middle East. It would completely destroy his presidency.

Jun 21, 2009 - 4:23 am 45. tanstaafl:

From illusion of Republic to full blown Emirate.

Amir Taheri (Iranian by birth) in today’s Times of London…

Iran’s dictator gives up pretence of democracy

(flicker-troll, you’ve got all the buzz words in there, neocon, pnac etc….caution, you may babble yourself into oblivion)

Jun 21, 2009 - 4:25 am 46. AzB:

I wonder when and who will say that Bush was right. It never was about the oil. Freedom and democracy in Iraq, and now Iran wants some.

Jun 21, 2009 - 4:28 am 47. Mongoose:

Flicker: Just who are these “neocons” that you keep railing against?

This “neocon” business is just a construct of the the Left and the Nancy-boys over there in Taki-land.

“Neocon” is just a term applied by the Left to formerly “liberal”, (mostly Jewish) pundits, writers and media types that left the Marxist faith when they finally grew up, and then had the temerity to stand up to it and write about it. Either that, or it is applied their children who follow in their parents’ footsteps. You are talking about maybe 300 people. It is a Left-wing construct, and pretty much a product of European Marxists and it was picked up by their epigones here in the USA. It is a way of saying “Dirty Jew” in polite left-wing society.

Show me how it is anything else but this. Show me the political and intellectual leaders, its constituencies and its political organization? What are their stated beliefs and political platforms? Who does it differ from anything that has been in the mainstream of American Foreign or defense policies of the last 70 years.

And please to not proffer GWB, The Heritage Foundation or the like, or the GOP. Bush is barely right of center. His program in the ME would have been approved by FDR, Truman, JFK or LBJ. Would that the GOP were conservtives of any stripe. Think tanks like The Hertiage Foundation are pruely within the current of traditional American conservative thought, which is to say that they are mostly classical 19th century liberals.

But then you really cannot begin to comprehend any of this, can you? You are just mouthing the propaganda that the media feeds you.

Jun 21, 2009 - 4:43 am 48. billy:

See article: “Iranians: I’m ready to report!” constact la@lamarzulli.net website: http://lamarzulli.wordpress.com/

Jun 21, 2009 - 4:58 am 49. carson:

This Iran stuff is cool but have you seen that Obama tell jokes? He’s really funny. Check it out.

Jun 21, 2009 - 5:43 am 50. ShowsOn:

If this statement is authentic, then it is of course gamesmanship from Mousavi distancing himself from any real or implied connection with Obama.

Mousavi knows why Obama said what he did, and Obama knows why Mousavi would write a letter attacking his comments. Both of them don’t want any implication real or imagined that they are allied to each other.

Jun 21, 2009 - 6:00 am 51. Harry:

What are the next steps Alireza? This world we live in has a funny habit of running on reality after words have been spoken. Obama states his semi-empathy for a free Iran while offering no direct aid: how do unarmed civilians actually wrestle power from a government that is expert in exerting control by the most treacherous of ways? Iran reminds me of the plight of the Gaza Palestinians. Gaza is controlled by Hamas who are Iranian backed and has all the weapons and control. They wage war gainst its neighbor while hiding behind their mother’s skirts. The Palestinian people have no control over their destiny and will not until a more munificent government were to miraculously appear. Obama’s utterings are not comforting. It may to people looking through kaleidoscopes and singing around a campfire but to realists it only makes it easier for the treacherous to maintain control and even expand uncontested. There may have been instances in history of peaceful revolutions but it doesn’t apply here. Ultra-violence and raw power count much more than words in the region, so when I keep reading about peace love and understanding it makes me want to scream. Where is Mousavi going to take you? Is the army going to back him? What of the Revolutionary guards? And the hired Hamas and Hizballah mercenaries? Any and all of these groups will no doubt have a say. You will need leaders with a plan and a group to carry out the plans. You will need ties to a force capable of defending themselves and perhaps defeating a merciless well armed opponent. Is Mousavi just Mullah-lite or is he an entirely different brand of leader? Will Mousavi strike a deal with any of the above powers in order to remove the Khamanei faction yet keep a theocratic government? Basically Mousavi is contesting the vote and nothing more. He wants to nullify the results and have a new election. His definition of democracy may not agree with those demonstrating in the streets. His goal may be to obtain a new election and throw the old bums out only to replace them with new bums. In that case Iranians will find themselves back to square one. There is no proof Mousavi will install a Western type Democracy and renewed ties with the West. He can’t or else he’d be tried for treason. So you must ask why is he being allowed to continue speaking? It is now reported Rafsanjani’s relatives have been arrested, perhaps Khamanei has had enough talk. In that case Mousavi will be next. Without Mousavi who will lead the revolution if it was a revolution to begin with? The best Iranians can hope for under the current conditions is a new election. Hope and Change Iranian style.

Jun 21, 2009 - 6:02 am 52. Peter:

Don’t you folks realize what’s happening in Iran isn’t about America? There’s no chance Moussavi is writing letters to Obama right now, he’s got other things to worry about.

Jun 21, 2009 - 6:03 am 53. JGNY:

It is clear, that Iran sees how lives has changed right next door. Bush caused the Iran uprising by showing the people in Iran that they could also be free. This is what he was talking about but was laughed at by the media and major networks. Now, in full view, the desire to be free is taking hold in the middle east and the backward thinkers who dominate that region are probably scared to death. To bad, in our own country, our population is willing to lose its freedom to government control via healthcare or whatever plan Obama is willing to shove down our throats. One day we the People in this country will be on the streets protesting and trying to regain our freedoms that the administration is taking away.

Jun 21, 2009 - 6:16 am 54. Michael Ledeen publishes Mousavi open letter to Pres. Obama « X Contra:

[...] 21, 2009 · Leave a Comment MICHAEL LEDEEN publishes a letter that appears to come from Mousavi or his people, viz. I’ve received what [...]

Jun 21, 2009 - 6:22 am 55. X Contra:

Thanks for the letter and your evaluation of its validity.
I blogged it up and link back here.

Jun 21, 2009 - 6:25 am 56. Musavi’s Open Letter to Obama « Medius Oriens. Middle Eastern History, Politics and Culture:

[...] Michael Ledeen has published a letter from Musavi to Obama. The letter is printed here, but go read Ledeen’s caveat. From

Jun 21, 2009 - 6:39 am 57. This ain’t Hell, but you can see it from here » Blog Archive » Responsibility for Iran:

[...] place “They killed Neda but not her voice.” At Pajamas Media, Michael Ledeen’s A Letter From Mousavi’s Office. More video at Reihl World View. Paul Craig Roberts at Infowars finds a way to blame Bush and [...]

Jun 21, 2009 - 6:44 am 58. SAF:

Nothing will change, there will just be more dead Iranians. No one appears to be challenging the Mullahs. If they are left running the country, as they will be, nothing will change no matter who becomes president.

Once a country is internally subjugated it appears that they remain that way forever. East Europe became free of the Soviets because they were an external controlling force and over extended. Iran is under strong internal control and no external force will free the people.

When I see Mullah heads rolling in the street I will believe that change is possible. Until then this is a moderately interesting news story.

Jun 21, 2009 - 6:47 am 59. Bohemond:

Mongoose #43:

Well said.

I would add that Ahmadinejad’s support is *not* rural and provincial, but largely urban; his support lies with the apparatchiks, the Islamist ‘intellectuals’, the urban dole queue. Not unlike Obama’s supporters, come to think of it.

Things in Iran have *already* changed, irrevocably, and it doesn’t matter who Mousavi really is or what he believes. The fact is, this is the Man Who Would Be King Moment where Sean Connery is seen to bledd- and thus isn’t a god after all. Similary, the Khomaeinist doctrine that the Supreme Leader is Allah’s viceregent is toast, gone, done and dusted. The pretence is gone- at best Khameini is left with going Tienanmen and becoming nothing more than a conventional tyrant.

Jun 21, 2009 - 6:52 am 60. Jay:

Unlike “Axis of Evil” Bush, President Obama listens to the experts on the Middle East instead of the NeoCons.

“The United States should wait until the election has played out domestically before commenting on or reaching out to the Iranian government.”

http://carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=23262&prog=zgp&proj=zme

Jun 21, 2009 - 7:07 am 61. Jay:

“‘Whereas the Bush administration united Iran’s disparate political factions against a common threat, Obama’s overtures have accentuated the deep divisions and incongruities among Iran’s political elites,” said Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8111290.stm

Jun 21, 2009 - 7:10 am 62. Jay:

“During the Bush years, Iran’s regime was able to coalesce support by uniting the country against a common enemy: President Bush, who called Iran a pillar of the “axis of evil” in a speech that alienated many of the very reformers whom the United States was trying to woo. For much of his administration, even as he strengthened Iran by toppling Iran’s nemesis Saddam Hussein, Mr. Bush struck a confrontational public line against the Iranian regime.

The result, according to many experts here and in Iran, was that Iranians, including reformers, swallowed their criticism of the hard-line regime and united against the common enemy. Iranians with reformist sympathies even began advising Americans to stop openly supporting them, lest that open them to attack as pawns of America.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/weekinreview/21cooper.html?hp

Jun 21, 2009 - 7:11 am 63. GClarke:

Guns and Special Forces is what the Revolutionaries not need. And a leader with strategic and tactical sense.

If only we had the foresight to have American troops on Iran’s borders at this time.

If only we had the foresight to have elected a president with the tactical and strategic sense to use those troops as a conduit for the arms and special forces that the Iranian people need.

Sadly it is not to be. I guess the leftists who run our government are just too fond of torture.

Jun 21, 2009 - 7:15 am 64. Mehdi:

“the Office of Mr. Mir Hossein Mousavi”??!!
Why they didn’t publish this letter on the official website then?

Jun 21, 2009 - 7:24 am 65. Delia:

Jun 21, 2009 - 7:30 am 66. Delia:

“If the high volume of cheating and vote manipulation, that has put a fire to the foundations of people’s trust, is itself introduced as the proof and evidence of the lack of fraud, the republicanism of the regime will be slaughtered and the idea of incompatibility of Islam and republicanism would be practically proven.”

No wonder DohBama doesn’t want to touch this with a ten-foot pole. Too close to home.

Jun 21, 2009 - 7:32 am 67. KenJ:

Obama did not speak immediately because he and his staff are incompetent. There was no plan to speak or not to speak as part of any great plan. They simply did not know what to do, therefore did nothing. When they do do something, it’s been wrong, and harmful to our country.

Jun 21, 2009 - 7:43 am 68. Delia:

67. KenJ, are you saying that every time DohBama speaks a devil gets his horns?

Jun 21, 2009 - 7:49 am 69. Jay:

“Of course, Iranian hardliners lambasted Bush. Iran Radio, quoting Expediency Council chairman and former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, strongly criticized him for flagrant interference in Iranian internal affairs, echoing the objection of other authoritarian regimes, who know that calls for democracy strike a responsive chord at home. Meanwhile, Khamenei’s complaints implicitly acknowledged the attraction of Bush’s words: “In the propaganda and the remarks by the Americans . . . they talk about reform in Iran. Reform is a nice word. . . . In the eyes of the Americans [however,] reform means the elimination of the Islamic Republic. . . . Sometimes one hears that . . . such and such opportunity was lost. What opportunity? Surrender before the bullying and greed of a world-predator and an arrogant power is no honor.”

http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=1525

Rafsanjani heavily backed Mousavi and even participated in the protests. He would never have done that if some nutcase Republican was in office spouting off Iran should reform before we talk to them.

Jun 21, 2009 - 7:53 am 70. Jay:

“On the other hand, [Obama] had already put in play a tool that the reformists could use in their internal debate — the notion that this could be the best time in many years in which to seek better relations with America.

Even before he was elected, Mr. Obama struck a conciliatory note towards Iran, saying that the idea of not talking to adversaries was “ridiculous.” And while the substance of his Iran policy does not vary that much from Mr. Bush’s — the United States still seeks to rein in Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, still criticizes Iran’s support for militant Islamist organizations, still allies itself staunchly with Israel — he has taken pains to flavor that policy with different atmospherics.

He has offered direct talks between his administration and the Iranian regime, without preconditions. He has videotaped a message directly for the Iranian people, on the celebration of Nowruz, the 12-day holiday that marks the new year in Iran. In the video, with subtitles in Persian, he directed his comments not just to the Iranian people but to Iran’s leaders, and referred to Iran as “the Islamic Republic,” further flagging a willingness to deal with the clerical government. He even went so far as to quote from the vaunted Persian poet Saadi, dead for 700 years now.

Mr. Obama has also removed the ban against American diplomats around the world consorting with their Iranian counterparts. And in his Cairo address June 4, he accepted responsibility for America’s part in the enmity between the United States and Iran.

“In the middle of the cold war, the United States played a role in the overthrow of a democratically elected Iranian government,” Mr. Obama said — a reference to the 1953 coup in which an Iranian prime minister, under whom Iran had nationalized its oil industry, was overthrown and the now-despised Shah was restored to power.

The response to Mr. Obama’s overtures from the Iranian alliance of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and President Ahmadinejad has been, largely, silence.

But Afshin Molavi, an Iran expert at the New America Foundation, said that the vast majority of Iranians today want better relations with the United States, and middle-class Iranians in particular, he said, were hoping that the Iranian regime would capitalize on Mr. Obama’s much talked about unclenched fist.

Even though Mr. Moussavi shared the leadership’s commitment to Iran’s nuclear program, many middle-class Iranians believed that he would be better able than Mr. Ahmadinejad to strike a warmer relationship with Mr. Obama, said Mr. Molavi, author of “Persian Pilgrimages: Journeys Across Iran” (Norton). “When the election results were announced, for the Iranian middle class, it was not only an insult and an injustice, but it dashed their hopes for a U.S.-Iran rapprochement and told them that they would continue to be isolated in the world.”

In his campaign, Mr. Moussavi used many tactics that echoed Mr. Obama’s. He pledged to re-engage politically with the United States; he used posters of himself and his wife side by side, and he hired a young chief strategist who said he looked to the Obama campaign for ideas. Mr. Moussavi, like Mr. Obama, even used social networks on the Internet to campaign. And once the count was in, his supporters found new uses for the networks in their uniquely Iranian fight.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/weekinreview/21cooper.html?hp

Jun 21, 2009 - 8:00 am 71. Jay:

The Mullahs themselves are not the enemy:

‘Montazeri’s support, if these reports are accurate, is big news. He is widely respected and is one of the most senior, if not the most senior, religious scholars in Iran. He is also the leading “dissident” scholar who has suffered for his principled stands against state power. He deserves a tremendous amount of respect, and is yet another sign of the idiocy of those who claim “all clerics” in Iran are “the same.”‘

http://occident.blogspot.com/2009/06/grand-ayatullah-montazeri-calls-on.html

Jun 21, 2009 - 8:12 am 72. Mongoose:

Jay, what buffoonery. You are using the BBC as a source for rational ME policy? Too funny.

Who are these “experts”? how did they become “experts”? Who are these “neocons”? Why are they not “experts”?

Is Bernard Lewis an “neocon”? Is Edward Said an “expert”? How about HIllary? Is she an “expert”?
Is Condoleezza Rice not an “expert”? If so, why is she not?

How do the opinions of the “experts” diverge from those of the “neocons”?
Is that divergence a matter of knowledge or wisdom or merely one of political beliefs?

Then tell me, how could it be that what is going on in Iran would be possible without the WOT, and in particular the Iraqi and Afghanistani theaters of that war?

If Obama has so many “experts” around him why has he and his whole government been caught so flat-footed by all of this? Why is it the Democrat controlled Congress had to issue the first official government statements in solidarity with the Iranian people? Do they have a different set of “experts”?

If he is surrounded by “experts” then why did he make that bizarre speech in Cairo and then within two weeks look down and see the whole of the ME move under his feet and undo all of hs cogitations and make a mockery of his rhetoric? Some experts he surrounds himself with, eh?

Liberals, particularly of the “useful idiot” variety, place great store in so called “experts”, but these “experts” are generally just mediocre academics that regurgitate the Leftist propaganda line, pervert their fields with Marxist cant, false history and agitprop, or spend their days indoctrinating young minds with their Marxist swill. Often they do all three. And if they are not academics they are the government versions of these frauds squatting over at Foggy bottom or Langley, and these buffoons are prone to even more idiocy that their academic coreligionists: They do not even have to come close to some one possessing real world knowledge or common sense. They do not have to come within a mile of an undergraduate or their parents, or someone that actually does something real for a living.

Both groups are only concerned with grabbing some cash (at the taxpayers expense), wrapping themselves up in “prestige jobs” and furthering the agenda of the Left wing “Nomenklatur” and “Apparat” that the Left has developed over the years inside and around the Federal Government. That and striking their nose in the air at anyone that actually knows something, has one lick of common sense in them or actually does something productive for a living.

If you ran a private company this way you would end up, well, like GM.

Seems to me that the only things that these people are “expert” in are bilking the public and indulging in their narcissistic fantasies of “superior knowledge”.

But yu tell me, Jay, you seem to knw so much about them.

Jun 21, 2009 - 8:26 am 73. Jay:

Rafsanjani the hardliner decided to risk EVERYTHING for the protest to get a revote. Now his son and daughter and some other relatives can’t leave Iran. He did it because Obama didn’t make any hints of regime change. If the United States doesn’t propose regime change, there is a chance the clerics in Iran will back Rafsanjani and Montazeri as well as the other more reform minded clerics. Basically the traitor NeoCons need to shut up for that to happen instead of doing everything they can to undermine grassroots change in Iran.

Jun 21, 2009 - 8:28 am 74. Jay:

I’m saying that the NeoCons need to shut up about asking for regime change and taking the mullahs out of power. That is NOT what the protesters are asking for. They are asking for a revote and reform so that democracy is protected in Iran.

If we go in and try to eliminate the mullahs, we asking for something more costly than the $3 trillion Iraq war.

Jun 21, 2009 - 8:32 am 75. Jay:

Allah O Akbar!

Why do the protesters keep saying that from the rooftops as was done in 1979? Because they are not asking for regime change. They are not asking to eliminate the cleric system of power. They are asking for a revote and reform to preserve what was already specified in their constitution.

The NeoCons need to SHUT UP.

Jun 21, 2009 - 8:34 am 76. Mongoose:

Jay, Of Course they want the mullahs out of power, of course they wnat an end to the whole Islamic Revolutionary regime. That is what this whole thing is about.

What are you, Sheesh’s roommate or something?

What looniness.

Jun 21, 2009 - 8:44 am 77. destined:

My immediate thought on Obama’s stance, was that he was going to stand byidly to see how the regime in place would handle the demonstrators. Call me skeptical, but I’m convinced that Obama is so corrupt that he is wondering how he’s going to “pull off” his vote stuffing using ACORN and others in 2010 and 2012. He has “no comment” on this situation because he’s wondering what he’ll do to “tamp down” riots over the election results. He is corrupt to the bone.

Jun 21, 2009 - 8:47 am 78. Mongoose:

And Jay, why do you have the right to tell other Americans to “shut up”?

And who are these “neocons” of yours?

See above. Neocons are really a left wing construct.

Any democrat administration prior to Carter would use this moment to push the mullahs over.

How do you think we got into the stage in the first place? It was the “neocon” Carter over there “meddling”, that is how.

Seems like you are a lot like the Mullahs.

Jun 21, 2009 - 8:48 am 79. Jay:

This is the one chance that the United States can help Iran get out of an oligarchical system and into a more democratic sy
stem by not interfering in their grassroots politics or saying anything to scare the Iranians into siding with the hardliners.

One chance. But if the United States messes up by continuing to hint at regime change then we’ll lose Iran for a very long time under Ali Khamenei because grassroots will be crushed soundly because the popular opinion will view the United States is the enemy who wants to tarnish their Islamic customs.

Jun 21, 2009 - 8:49 am 80. Jay:

If the voters wanted to get rid of the cleric system of government Mousavi and Rafasanjani would have accepted the recount instead of staking their lives on a revote and protest even after the Assembly of Experts announced support of Supreme Leader Khamenei last Friday.

Jun 21, 2009 - 8:54 am 81. ella:

Jay

The shouts “Death to Amerika” were heard long before Bush presidency, they started to be heard at the time of Clinton presidency. As for consolidation against common enemy – USA and in the lesser way EU were always enemy of IRI, so Bush has nothing to do with that.
I think that “axis of evil” is as good slogan as “death to US”, in fact it is much better because in that slogan nobody wanted Iran or Iranians to die but in Iranian slogans IRI wanted Americans to drop dead..
So Jay BBC as always is spining, even after its reporter got expelled today from Iran.
You probably don’t know but right now the biggest government slogans are against the UK……………….. the IRI began with the slogans against British and American (economic) interests in Iran and it may end with the slogans against British and American (broadcasting) interest in Iran.

Jun 21, 2009 - 8:57 am 82. Paige:

as an iRanian-american,who lived in iran and knows the brurttality of the hard liners, have to say Obama’s policy is right on track & well calibrated. the last thing reformists need to be branded is to be connected to the america & Cia & west & etc . it dooesn’t help the the independent movement of iranian people.

Jun 21, 2009 - 8:59 am 83. Delia:

Jay,

So, you’re in favor of women and men being beheaded because one ‘hair’ was shown, or she was raped and the rapist ‘blames the victim’ or a man loves another ‘man’ in an ‘unseemly’ way?

You’re one sick mutha-F**ker.

BTW, the PJM header reads: “PJM in solidarity with the Iranian democracy movement”. Think about it, and there are Jewish people who are bloggers here too. THINK about it FulGore.

Jun 21, 2009 - 9:01 am 84. ella:

@ 79 Jay

Execuse me jay, but are you for real?!!!
You mean recount would not have been falsified?
Hmm………….I always thought that some, although not majority, of (North)American people are somewhat lacking in their brain powers, my theory was that they have too much of a good life and it spoiled them and their brains…….completely. You are, I think, the best example of my theory.

Jun 21, 2009 - 9:06 am 85. Mongoose:

Jay your post is just nonsense all around. Why is it “the last chance”? Why will staying out of it help? Jay, face it, you have swallowed a bunch Leftist hokum. This is all just multicult anti US BS coming from you, right down the the “neocon” propaganda. It is pure BS. There is no “neocon cabal”, it is just a Marxist hobgoblin. You have not thought it out. The left promotes this nonsense because they well know that when the USA gets involved, freedom can actually be a real outcome, and that is precisely what they do not want. That is why they spread that “neocon” nonsense, which is just a way of repackaging the historical American response so it wiil look more recent, “experimental” and unreasonable. Thus they can attack it. But this is all just a propaganda maneuver.
There is nothing new about it.

And I can guarantee you that the Russians, the Chinese, the Regional ME powers and the EU will be sticking their noses on this. How is it a good thing if they are left unchecked?
Syria, Hamas and Hezbollah have all sent thgs over there. How can our sittting out if it possibly help here?

The Nork launch in a few weeks is most likely supported by Iran technologists, and they have promised to launch a missile toward Hawaii. How is that none of our business?

How can it be that the sort of craven response that Obama has thus far given will do anything else but embolden our enemies?

By having the USA sit this out, you are just increasing the likelihood of more bloodshed, and some of that blood may well be Americam.

Oh and Iran will most likely always be an oligarchy, that is the way of the world over there, and most everywhere. Heretofore we have mostly managed to avoid that in the USA, but Obama looks well on his way to changing that. Must be those “experts” of his.

Jun 21, 2009 - 9:15 am 86. Jay:

Yes, I support the Democracy movement but not by telling my government to advocate regime change as the NeoCons do because that would backfire as it did during Iran’s 2005 elections.

It’s better if reform clerics such as Grand Ayatollah Montazeri became Supreme Leader as is requested by the protesters so that the brutality by the Iranian regime is moderated and declines. But again, support for the reform coalition among the clerics weakens if the United States hints at regime change. Again, that is not what the protesters want.

Demands from the protesters

1. Dismissal of Khamenei for not being a fair leader
2. Dismissal of Ahmadinejad for his illegal acts
3. Temporary appointment of Ayatollah Montazeri as the Supreme Leader
4. Recognition of Mousavi as the President
5. Forming the Cabinet by Mousavi to prepare for revising the Constitution
6. unconditional and immediate release of all political prisoners
7. Dissolution of all organs of repression, public or secret.

http://www.fark.com/cgi/comments.pl?IDLink=4451899

Jun 21, 2009 - 9:17 am 87. Mongoose:

elle, those chants were heard during the rCater administration and even as far back as the 1950’s. Standard fare for Soviet political direct action operations. Whenever you here those chants, you can bet that there is some marxist politicla front out there somewhere giving them the words to mouth. This is not less true in Iran.

Jun 21, 2009 - 9:18 am 88. condera:

To be perfectly clear, I hav eno use for Obama or his programs. Secondly, I have no use for anyone that expands government powers. I certainly have no use for anyone in government who picks winners and losers, including the Bush admin. That being said, Obama looks like a “cream puff” on the world stage. I believe he is taking the right approach with the Iranian issue. GASP!! yes, I give credit where credit is due. His problem was he got too far behind the curve. He should have made his Wednesday statement on Sunday evening. But, his entire focus has been on nuclear negotiation with the Ayatollah. The only thing Obama could do to stop the Iranina nuclear issue is finish shredding our constitution and install Sharia law as the law of the land right here and place us under direct authority of the Ayatollah. Then the Ayatollah might consider some kind of agreement. Every admin since Carter has tried in vain to negotiate with Iran. Iran does not negotiate unless the end result is meeting all of their requests. So, unless cream puf fis willing to sisgn our deed over to Iran, don’t expect anything out of his negotiation either. The statements from the Ayatollah at Friday prayers seem to have gotten the attention of the Obama admin. Since those statements they have shifted their position ever so slightly in support of the revolution. Maybe they are finally beginning to understand the Ayatollah does not negotiate. Aside from timing and naivity the rhetoric coming form the Obama admin has been on the money. They couldn’t throw their full weight of support behind the revolution because that would only give the Ayatollah the necessary key to squash the revolution with brute force. Since they don’t have that luxury, the Ayatollah is forced to find another scapegoat to use to squash the revolution and he chose that scapegoat on Friday. His direction went completely after Mousavi.

Jun 21, 2009 - 9:27 am 89. Jay:

“If it hopes to tame Iran, the United States must rethink its strategy from the ground up. The Islamic Republic is not going away anytime soon, and its growing regional influence cannot be limited. Washington must eschew superficially appealing military options, the prospect of conditional talks, and its policy of containing Iran in favor of a new policy of détente. In particular, it should offer pragmatists in Tehran a chance to resume diplomatic and economic relations. Thus armed with the prospect of a new relationship with the United States, the pragmatists would be in a position to sideline the radicals in Tehran and try to tip the balance of power in their own favor. The sooner Washington recognizes these truths and finally normalizes relations with its most enduring Middle Eastern foe, the better.”

http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/62444/ray-takeyh/time-for-d%C3%A9tente-with-iran

Jun 21, 2009 - 9:30 am 90. jharp:

“By having the USA sit this out, you are just increasing the likelihood of more bloodshed, and some of that blood may well be Americam.”

By 83. Mongoose:

If we’d listened to your guys we’d be bombing Iran.

What is it with you guys? It’s OK for Americans to kill Iranians but when Iranians kill Iranians we need to be the world’s police?

Jun 21, 2009 - 9:30 am 91. Jay:

“For Takeyh, there is no question that change is coming to Iran. The country’s “sophisticated and youthful populace can be neither appeased by cosmetic concessions nor silenced by threats of coercion,” he writes. But he thinks change will come from Iran’s internal dynamics and at its own pace. External powers eager to shape or accelerate reform must recognize, Takeyh cautions, that crude appeals for regime change undermine local proponents of transformation by making them look like imperialist lackeys; the forces of repression seize on such statements to stifle the opposition on grounds of national security.”

http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/62105/gary-sick/a-selective-partnership-getting-u-s-iranian-relations-right

Jun 21, 2009 - 9:32 am 92. Delia:

jharp,

“If we’d listened to your guys we’d be bombing Iran.

What is it with you guys? It’s OK for Americans to kill Iranians but when Iranians kill Iranians we need to be the world’s police?”

Who is ‘your guys’? I’m all for bombing strategic points with minimal/0 collateral damage.

How many 9/11 ‘events’ will it take for YOU to understand that we need to protect ourselves and also encourage and protect the liberty of those LIKE ourselves? If the WORLD could be more like AMERICA, are you saying that’s a BAD thing?

Jun 21, 2009 - 9:34 am 93. condera:

@Mongoose: The only meddling Carter did in Iran was the Desert One fiasco. When the Shaw asked Carter for assistance, Carter said no. The result was an overthrow of the Shaw and the installation of the regime we have in place today. The uprising in Iran today is not about regime change. It started out as a revolt against an obviously rigged election. Now it has morphed into a question about the right to protest. The election in Iran is like having a choice between Obama and Saul Alinski. Either way you go you have socio-communism. The same can be said between A-Jad and Mousavi. Actually, Mousavi is more hard line than A-Jad, according to his record. Mousavi simply saw an opportunity to garner votes in the election and he exploited it to its fullest potential. The Supreme Council, who actually runs Iran, will not give up power without being completely wiped out. I seriously doubt anyone over there is going to attempt that.

Jun 21, 2009 - 9:41 am 94. Mongoose:

Jharp: stop putting words in my mouth.

Who said anything about bombing Iranian civilians?

Complete Lefty troll BS.

But I will remind you that of those throngs of Iranians outside of the US Embassy cheering on the Mullahs during the Carter years. Emabssy personnel were tortired and murdered. take your crap to their families.

It was listening to idiots like Carter that got us here in the first place.

And What is it with you guys? Why do you stand with every anti-american dictator in the world? Why are you constantly mouthing this anti-american marxist propoganda?

Why are you constantly opposed to American interests? Why are you so callous to the fates of yur fellow citizens? (or to the fates of the Iranians for that matter?)
Why can’t you think striaght? Why do you think that vomiting out the leftist cant that has been fed you by the media or you teachings is “thinking”? It isn’t even decency.

Why are you so indecent and immoral?

If we listen to people like you we will have a hell on earth, and that is just where Obama is willfully taking us.

Jun 21, 2009 - 9:41 am 95. Jay:

If we bomb Iran then we’ll be playing right into the hands of the hardliners who will start saying the protesters are traitors and then the REAL purge will start on all the reformist clerics!

Jun 21, 2009 - 9:45 am 96. condera:

@Delia: Unfortunately, there are too many people here in our country today that truly believe America is a bad thing. They think we need to be like France, or Germany or Belgium or Canada. Bear in mind, these are countries of 0 opportunity. If we continue down the path Obama has set us on, we will be just like them in a few years, the land of opportunity that was.

Jun 21, 2009 - 9:48 am 97. Delia:

Mongoose,

I’m a ‘nuke ‘em before they nuke us’ person but, the Iranians protesting their oppression has put a human face on their agony but, I highly doubt they want to be as ‘free’ as Americans because that would mean ‘religion’ would not rule.

Oddly enough, “In GOD we trust” is still on our dollar bills and there is still prayer in Congress as well as prayer in the House of Representatives.

Jun 21, 2009 - 9:51 am 98. Iranian police beat protesters and fired tear gas on Saturday – Woman murdered in cold blood by Basij | Fire Andrea Mitchell!:

[...] This still hasn’t been verified yet, but according to Pajamas Media, the Office of Mr. Mir Hossein Mousavi has sent Obama a letter. The letter basically states how offended Mousavi is at the outrageous comparsion that Obama made, [...]

Jun 21, 2009 - 9:55 am 99. Jay:

As all the experts I have quoted have said, it is best for the United States to not make any hint of wanting to interfere in Iranian politics such as hinting at regime change. That is the absolutely worst thing to do at this time while the Iranian populace are not asking for regime change and only Constitutional reform. The most senior cleric in Iran who was there during the 1979 revolution who was even put under house arrest because of his complaints about Khomeni’s brutality has a chance to become the Supreme Leader. Talks about regime change are counterproductive that change from within and a lot more will be lost if we interfere.

Jun 21, 2009 - 9:57 am 100. Delia:

Jay [88.],

If they bomb ‘us’ first, who’s hand will we be ‘playing’ into then? When they sell their weapons of mass destruction to neighboring ‘great satan haters’…what then? Too little too late, homey?

Jun 21, 2009 - 9:58 am 101. Delia:

Jay [90.]:

“As all the experts I have quoted have said”
~

So, does quoting ‘experts’ make YOU an expert and have you thoroughly read every word written by the ‘experts’ you espouse?

Please, enlighten me, Yoda. I don’t want to turn to the dark side…just yet.

-And, who decides an who is an expert?

The DohBama administration thinks ‘experts’ are ’speech writers’ [aka 'glorified fiction writers], and so, who qualifies an ‘expert’? Grandiosity and hyper-stupid knows no bounds.

BTW, my I.Q. is really 67. I’m a sub-par blithering idiot. Oops. Gotta wipe up my keyboard, my drool-cup over-flowed.

Jun 21, 2009 - 10:03 am 102. A Letter from Mousavi’s Office To Obama « Goodtimepolitics:

[...] Your statement misled the people of the world. By such statements, your administration and you discourage the Iranian people, who believe and trust in the values of democracy and freedom. Read More [...]

Jun 21, 2009 - 10:05 am 103. flickervertigo:

who are the neocons?

well, there’s a building at 1150 17th St NW, washington dc that’s infested with neocons, starting with the likud puppets of the AEI, of which mr ledeen was a member until pletka dumped him… our previous president, crusader bunnypants, bragged about the prowess of these likud puppets, and hired twenty of them to serve in his administration.

then, in the same building, is the weekly standard, owned by ruppert murdoch of faux new corporation and run by bill kristol, who dreams of “benevolent global hegemony“, and he’s already demonstrated that “benevolence” by lying us into a war that’s already caused the deaths of maybe a million iraqis, another 70 or 80 today… some benevolence, huh?

then, in the same building, is PNAC, composed of likud israeli americans, deathwish christians and corporate fascists… this outfit had the misfortune to publish their need for “a new pearl harbor” in september of 2000, just a few months before they were installed into high government positions that would enable them to stage their “new pearl harbor”.

.

here’s an article written by a jewish american, jim lobe…

“Contrary to appearances, the neoconservatives do not represent a political movement, but a small, exclusive club with incestuous familial and personal connections.

What do William Kristol, Norman Podhoretz, Elliot Abrams, and Robert Kagan have in common? Yes, they are all die-hard hawks who have gained control of U.S. foreign policy since the 9/11 attacks. But they are also part of one big neoconservative family — an extended clan of spouses, children, and friends who have known each other for generations.

Neoconservatives are former liberals (which explains the “neo” prefix) who advocate an aggressive unilateralist vision of U.S. global supremacy, which includes a close strategic alliance with Israel.”

All in the Neocon Family

here’s another list that appeared in haaretz, a leading israeli newpaper.

“In the course of the past year, a new belief has emerged in the town: the belief in war against Iraq. That ardent faith was disseminated by a small group of 25 or 30 neoconservatives, almost all of them Jewish, almost all of them intellectuals (a partial list: Richard Perle, Paul Wolfowitz, Douglas Feith, William Kristol, Eliot Abrams, Charles Krauthammer), people who are mutual friends and cultivate one another and are convinced that political ideas are a major driving force of history.”

White man’s burden

.
so now you know who neocons are.

if you need more study of neocons, here are some links… 8,660,000 of them.

click on my name for a map of the overall neocon plan for the middle east, europe, central asia and north africa.

Jun 21, 2009 - 10:07 am 104. Harry:

Jay is a shill for the Mullahs, pay him no mind.

Shill
NOUN:
One who poses as a satisfied customer or an enthusiastic gambler to dupe bystanders into participating in a swindle.

VERB:
1. To act as a shill for (a deceitful enterprise).
2. To lure (a person) into a swindle.

Jay is full of deceit. Obama does not want regime change. The people of Iran do. The people of Iran cannot vote in a new system when the voting is rigged from the start. It must overthrow the system and that will only occur after much blood is shed. The seeds of revolt is spreading. Soon it may reach a point where mass strikes will be had. People will refuse to work, production will sink to near nothing. Hope that the common Iranian has enough food to eat. They should be well stocked with food staples in case of a prolonged strike. A nationwide prolonged strike is probably the most peaceful method of regime change. Funny I hear no one mentioning that. Not Obama, not Ledeen, not even America’s illustrious Unions. A nationwide strike may gather momentum. Bit by bit Army personnel and others may join the protestors but the protestors must have a focal point. Someone ready to take charge and administer directions. Is it Mousavi? Does he really want change or just control of the existing government. Someone must have loyal followers with arms to back it up or else it will fail. Does Mousavi have loyalists with power? I don’t think so. But I really don’t have the knowledge of the inner workings of Mullahcracy. Could Iranian generals stage a coup? It might take a courageous General who has loyal troops behind him. Is anybody thinking of solutions or are we just going to rebut idiots like Jay?

Jun 21, 2009 - 10:08 am 105. Teleprompter Jesus:

In the name of the Iranian people, we want you to know that when you recently made the statement “Achmadinejad or Mousavi? Two of a kind,” we consider this as a grave and deep insult, not just to Mr. Mousavi but especially against the judgment of the Iranian people, against our moral conviction and intelligence, especially those of the young generation that comprises a population of 31 million.

What Mr. Mousavi doesn’t seem to understand is that I am a graduate of Harvard, and by definition, the superior of those 31 million people. Of course, I can insult their intelligence. Yes, I can!

Iranians are just like typical white people. They’re all the same. They cling to their religion and their guns. F’em.

Jun 21, 2009 - 10:10 am 106. flickervertigo:

here’s another link for kristol’s benevolent global hegemony, to replace the bad link above.

Jun 21, 2009 - 10:12 am 107. flickervertigo:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=kristol+%22benevolent+global+hegemony%22&aq=f&oq=&aqi=

Jun 21, 2009 - 10:13 am 108. Jay:

Where do you get the idea the people of Iran want regime change instead of a revote?

Show me a legitimate poll?

Jun 21, 2009 - 10:14 am 109. Professor Guvinoff:

@46 AzB:

I wonder when and who will say that Bush was right. It never was about the oil. Freedom and democracy in Iraq, and now Iran wants some.

You are not alone, AzB. Whatever disagreement one may have had regarding some of Bush’s policies should not render one unable to recognize what he has done right, at great political cost.

He did the American thing, against the yelling of the liberals, who still cannot explain the betrayal of their former support of freedom.

Bush’s initiative in Iraq flipped Ghaddafi, got the Syrian army out of Lebanon, and provided support for today’s counter-revolution in Iran. The chances of the brave demonstrators are limited, but let’s not forget they were null, as was the case for the people of Iraq, by the way.

Jun 21, 2009 - 10:16 am 110. flickervertigo:

i spose i should mention that one of the tenets of neocon belief is that government should lie to the governed… strauss’ “noble lies”.

how exactly this is supposed to work in a democracy is unclear, seeing as democracy is supposedly based on voters being well-informed.

i guess the neocon version of democracy works like this: the tame media propagates neocon lies that are calculated to elicit the desired response, then the voters vote for people who will run the country according to neocon policies.

neocon policies and beliefs apparently include: “might makes right”, “the end justifies the means”, and “two wrongs make a right”.

anyone not adhering to the dictates of the neocon kommissars will be vilified by neocon handmaidens in the media.

pretty slick system.

Jun 21, 2009 - 10:24 am 111. Teleprompter Jesus:

Somebody needs to swat some flies in this thread.

Jun 21, 2009 - 10:27 am 112. flickervertigo:

my post currently numbered 93 on my screen is “awaiting moderation”.

it names names, and gives you a little background on neocons’ operation, and gives you a nice little clickable link to a google search of neocons that gives over eightt million returns.

i guess all that is too rich for our neocon mods… guess i’ll have to put that post on twitter.

Jun 21, 2009 - 10:39 am 113. flickervertigo:

…but on the other hand, it’s likely you all know all that stuff already, seeing as how this is a neocon board.

so the moderators have to defend neocon lies, seeing as how lying is a matter of neocon policy, this is a neocon site, and one of the biggest lies told on this thread, so far, is that neocons dont exist.

Jun 21, 2009 - 10:43 am 114. Theo Goodwin:

Republicans and all of the right are suffering through an incredible crisis. Apparently, Obama’s propaganda machine has so steamrolled all opposition that obvious and substantial criticisms of Obama are not being made. The case in point for this past week is Obama’s claim that he did not denounce the election fraud or the government crackdown on protestors because to do so would be meddling. Yet Obama has been meddling in Iran since he was candidate Obama:

1. As a candidate, he promised unconditional talks with the existing government of Iran. That statement is meddling. It conferred some legitimacy on Ajad and Kham.

2. After being elected, Obama again said that he wanted talks with Iran. More meddling. That conferred serious legitimacy on Ajad and Kham.

3. In his Cairo speech, he said that Iran has a right to be nuclear and he said that he supports extreme limits on settlements in Israel. More meddling. More legitimacy for Ajad and Kham.

Ajad and Kham hold elections which only an Ajad/Kham shill could possibly view as not stolen. Yet no one suggests that Obama gave them the green light. His meddling, points 1-3 above, amounted to a wish that Ajad/Kham stay in power and negotiate with him. He signalled to them that he would not oppose a crackdown by Ajad/Kham thugs. More meddling.

4. The election is stolen. Obama refuses to comment. More support for Ajad/Kham. More meddling.

5. Ajad/Kham’s thugs start killing people, live, on the internet. Obama is silent. More meddling.

Someone the Right must criticize Obama on these matters. It is too early to charge him with treason but it is not too early to ask him if some of his actions support a nation at war with us, Iran. Ask him if some of his actions harm our closest ally in the Middle East, Israel. Finally, ask him if his several acts of conferring legitimacy on Ajad/Kham did not harm the democracy movement in Iran. Ask him if his commitment to multiculturalism forbids him from supporting revolutionary movements in foreign states.

Jun 21, 2009 - 10:44 am 115. Jay:

Note: the spokesman is saying “democratic Islamic country”. There is no word from the reformists if they are giving up aspirations for restoring ideals of a democratic Islamic country and just want foreign help to build a democratic country.

“So as a result, it’s not only an internal matter — it’s an international problem. If Iran could be a democratic Islamic country, that would be a pattern, a role model, for other Islamic countries. And even if Iran has a terrorist image [today], it would be a model for other countries [in the future].

Mohsen Makhmalbaf is the official spokesman for Mir Hossein Mousavi outside Iran. He is also an award-winning filmmaker based in Paris.”

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=5018&page=1

Jun 21, 2009 - 10:50 am 116. Delia:

“seeing as how this is a neocon board”

Hardly.

By the by…

A lot of my ’stuff’ doesn’t make it past moderation. There are ‘key-words’ and ‘red-flags’ that cause a post to go into moderation oblivion. I post something that doesn’t make the ‘cut’, change one word or phrase and voila, it goes through.

Jun 21, 2009 - 11:19 am 117. Ed Wallis:

#95 “Jay” (too stupid to ignore): HEY BUDDY…do all those photos/videos floating around out there LOOK LIKE THEY JUST WANT A “revote”?!

YOU FRAUD.

You and “boogerflicker” #97 (funny but sick fantasy) belong together, swimming in the bilge water of your own DKos barrel.

Jun 21, 2009 - 11:20 am 118. Ed Wallis:

HEY “boogerflicker” #99 –

You mean “neocons” at PJM like “El Ruben Navarrette”?!
I think your vocabulary got stuck on one word.
Go upstairs and ask mommy for a new one.

Jun 21, 2009 - 11:23 am 119. Mongoose:

Fli9cker: Those are childish responses

You have no idea what you rae talking about. Prove to me that Stauss has had any impact at all upon American Government. And stop taking his “noble lie” argument out of context. That was a philosophical discussion; it was not a political policy. The Left always throw Strauss up.
Why? because he so shrewdly dices up their agenda. Oh, and he is Jewish.

But the point still stands? How was Bush’s foreign policy and different than that of FDR, Truman, JFK or LBJ? It is not substatially different; it is completely i line wuth that post war “tradition”. Are these people “neocons” too? No they are not.

This is just Marxist rhetorical legerdemain to make it appear that Bush has done something radically different from what America has done in the past. But it is the Left that as done something radical here: They seek to stop America from fulfilling her obligations as a leader and protector of Western Civilization. That is what this whole “neocon” dodge is all about.

Kristol? He has about as much influence as Captian Kangaroo. In fact, considerably less, all things considered. You just prove my point.

These pople are Jewish intellectuals, they are not a part of any political movement.

This a conservative blog, not a “neocon” blog

Oh and do something about that prose. It is terrible. Almost as barren as your thoughts.

Jun 21, 2009 - 11:28 am 120. Self-hating Boomer:

A lot of my ’stuff’ doesn’t make it past moderation. There are ‘key-words’ and ‘red-flags’ that cause a post to go into moderation oblivion.

I’ve noticed the same thing. I wish Roger would publish the no-go neighborhoods of the blog. Or is this more Calvinball?

Jun 21, 2009 - 11:28 am 121. Self-hating Boomer:

Even weirder, that past comment didn’t even spend any time in moderation purgatory.

Jun 21, 2009 - 11:29 am 122. flickervertigo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrPEM2qc-j8

Jun 21, 2009 - 11:29 am 123. Mongoose:

Jay: Of course they want the mullahs out. That is the whole point. Are you not following what is going on over there? My goodness, how obtuse can you be?

Jun 21, 2009 - 11:30 am 124. flickervertigo:

as far as i can tell, none of this is my fault.

Jun 21, 2009 - 11:31 am 125. flickervertigo:

the stink of desperation is thick in here.

you’ve tried to duck dive out of the line of fire, but if oil goes up to $150 or $200 a barrel, people are gonna start connecting the dots.

better gas up the gulfstream.

Jun 21, 2009 - 11:33 am 126. flickervertigo:

i love the smell of flop sweat in the morning.

Jun 21, 2009 - 11:34 am 127. KenJ:

flickerv #107. If you voted for Obama, a lot of things are your fault.

Jun 21, 2009 - 11:42 am 128. Ed Wallis:

#8jsh,

Here’s the money quote:

“It’s important to understand that although there is amazing ferment taking place in Iran, that the difference between Ahmadinejad and Mousavi in terms of their actual policies may not be as great as has been advertised.”

So you, ALireza, Jay and boogerflicker can all please take a one-way ticket to Teheran, and profess all your liberal America-hatred…as long as you live.

Jun 21, 2009 - 11:43 am 129. Alexis:

Touchy, touchy, touchy, Mahmoud. You are getting upset that anybody dare criticize you and your tyranny. You threaten us with death every week, and yet if we don’t do what you tell us to do like good boys and girls, you get wildly upset. You swagger with your nuclear threats to cover up how much of a wimp you really are.

Mahmoud, has anybody ever told you how you’re acting like a crybaby? Mahmoud, didn’t your parents raise you to be tougher than tissue paper? Mahmoud, you may puff yourself up like a big balloon, but you are no tougher than hot air.

Jun 21, 2009 - 11:46 am 130. flickervertigo:

as far as i can remember, i’ve voted twice in my life… once at the insistence of my ex-wife, and once at the insistence of band members.

but it’s all my fault because i didnt vote, right?

“democracy” is the best system yet devised for the ruling elite of a large country to blame their victims.

Jun 21, 2009 - 11:49 am 131. flickervertigo:

you vote, everything turns into a shit sandwich.

you dont vote, everything turns into a shit sandwich, but you get blamed because you didnt vote.

what a marvelous system.

Jun 21, 2009 - 11:55 am 132. kabud:

While many Western leaders have condemned the Iranian regime of rigging the vote in the June 2009 presidential elections in favor of incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and for using brutal force to suppress protesters, Russia and China, as could have been predicted, congratulated the Iranian dictator on his “victory” and lambasted the United States and its allies for having doubts about the final results of the vote.

“The issue of elections in Iran is an internal affair of the Iranian people,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters in this Urals city of Yekaterinburg where Russia is hosting a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which was attended by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad…“We welcome the holding of elections in Iran, and we welcome the newly re-elected president of Iran on Russian soil

Jun 21, 2009 - 11:56 am 133. kabud:

That what Kremlin stand on IRAN is

Jun 21, 2009 - 11:56 am 134. Delia:

flickervertigo,

You are such a sweetheart. Have a wonderful Papa’s day. *SMOOOOOOOOOCH*

[Anyone buyin' that?]

Self-hating Boomer, it’s a crap shoot. I really need to make note of ‘key-words’ that don’t make it past mod-status and post it here for us.

Jun 21, 2009 - 11:59 am 135. Mongoose:

the stink of desperation is thick in here.

you’ve tried to duck dive out of the line of fire, but if oil goes up to $150 or $200 a barrel, people are gonna start connecting the dots.

better gas up the gulfstream.

You are projecting here. And what is the gulfstream business> It is democrats that own gulfstreams. Conservatives are mostly middle class and non-union working class.

The very rich went left 50 years ago.

and once at the insistence of band members.

but it’s all my fault because i didnt vote, right?

Now that explains everything.

Jun 21, 2009 - 12:00 pm 136. Harry:

Jay I doubt any polls would be legitimate enough to give us a realistic figure. Mousavi does not represent true change just a vote recount or a new election. But answer this: If the public were able to vote for the candidate of their choice would it be for any Mullahcrat? The Iranian candidate process is narrowed down to a few choices out of hundreds. Candidates are pre-screened by the Mullahs. Mullah’s have the final say. What makes you think Iranians after 30 years of Mullahcratic authority wish to continue with Mullahcracy? How were Iraqi’s able to vote for anyone but Saddam. Saddam received 99.99 percent of the vote. According to you he was an overwhelming favorite. Same with the midget in North Korea. That’s the problem with totalitarian governments elections are all rigged. In fact most of the Middle east is rigged. Even in Eqypt Mubarak has been President for 30 years and is ready to hand over the reins to his son. Is that Democracy? Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the rest of Arabia suffer from autocratic rule. We have to wait and see how the violence in Iran plays out. The revolt could be crushed, the Mullahs could be ousted or several other scenarios can happen. But what’s happening in Iran has been festering for years and the election fraud was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Rafsanjani and Mousavi are retreads, their policies go back to Ayatollah Khomeini himself. What is new with them? They are Mullah-Lite as opposed to regular Mullah. I can assume with great certainty that the Iranians would love total regime change. Let’s say you are correct and the Iranian people only want a fair count and that they prefer Mullah rule. That means they favor the policies of Ahmadinejad and Khamanei. That means if the Mullah policies threaten the world the entire population of Iran must also be held accountable. For example Ahmadinejad’s policy for Israel to be wiped off the map means all Iranians agree that Israel be wiped off the map. I doubt it. In fact Israel transmits to Iran programs in the language of Farsi. Iranians have pleaded for Israel’s help. Not exactly a vote of confidence for the Mullahs. Let’s see if a general strike occurs in the forthcoming week. Let’s see if an Iranian Lech Walesa exists somewhere in Iran.

Jun 21, 2009 - 12:03 pm 137. flickervertigo:

when the voters are deliberately lied to, what kind of democracy are you gonna have?

you’re gonna have a routine “democracy”, in which the voters are manipulated into voting in the interest of the people who control the flow of information.

it’s just too bad that neocons have been so upfront about their philosophy, starting with strauss, his acolyte wohlstetter, and the people he taught at the university of chicago, including perle, wolfowitz, abrams and chalabi.

if the government had started telling us the truth in 1970, when america oil production peaked, we would have had a chance at a graceful transition to post-oil.

Jun 21, 2009 - 12:07 pm 138. flickervertigo:

so what we got now is american policy enslaved to the likud party of israel, and israel must secure itself before its american armies run out of gas.

the unconventional oil sources, tar sands in canada and venezuela, and the oil shale in the rockies, will produce more co2 than conventional oil production… and producing those sources will soak up energy that could have been better spent in generating electricity.

in the meantime, the only hope of controlling co2 levels, global warming and sea level rise resides in “benevolent global hegemony”, which will restrict china’s and india’s access to oil.

if the neocon project to grab all the oil fails, israel faces an eventual 70- or 80-meter rise in sea level, which explains why israel pulled out of the low ground in gaza but continues nibbling at high ground of the west bank.

this is not rocket science… if you’re ignorant of all this, it’s only because you’ve been deliberately lied to.

Jun 21, 2009 - 12:24 pm 139. Delia:

What part of A-C-O-R-N do you not understandddddddddd?

*duelling banjo moment*

Jun 21, 2009 - 12:24 pm 140. flickervertigo:

so that post of mine that was “awaiting moderation” has now appeared as post 103.

Jun 21, 2009 - 12:30 pm 141. flickervertigo:

the PNAC

Jun 21, 2009 - 12:39 pm 142. flickervertigo:

as i started to say, the PNAC project smacks of such lunacy that i’m beginning to think there’s a very large faction that’s only interested in loot, and the “war on terror” is nothing more than a ploy to enhance opportunities to loot.

when you look at a map, and the obstacles, and the idiocy, and the immorality…

there’s got to be lots of people who are thinking… “stack up as much as you can, when the heat becomes intolerable, bail out.”

Jun 21, 2009 - 12:43 pm 143. David W. Lincoln:

flickervertigo, you accuse people who do not agree with the alarmism surrounding climate change, of being lied to. Well, I would say those people, of which I am one, haven’t been lied to: we have checked on what the climate change alarmists demonize.

I live in the province of Alberta, where one can find oil sands, and the lands which produced oil from sand, one would never know that mining took place there.

Jun 21, 2009 - 12:59 pm 144. flickervertigo:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=oil+sands&sll=57.012422,-111.584873&sspn=0.283379,0.686646&ie=UTF8&t=h&radius=12.94&rq=1&ll=57.012422,-111.584873&spn=0.283379,0.686646&z=11

Jun 21, 2009 - 1:02 pm 145. flickervertigo:

you have to deny global warming, and peak oil, because they were the reasons the 9/11 operation was necessary.

Jun 21, 2009 - 1:04 pm 146. flickervertigo:

do you think it’s a coincidence that exxon and the AEI are the most prominent deniers of global warming?

do you think it’s a coincidence that exxon and CERA are the most prominent deniers of peak oil?

Jun 21, 2009 - 1:05 pm 147. Delia:

flickervertigo needs a group hug and a rubber room stat.

Are you for real, dude? Seriously? Please don’t tell me you’re a kos-kiddie or a huffpo reg.

GAAAAAAAAA

Jun 21, 2009 - 1:25 pm 148. Frumious Falafel:

#13 Steve: You took the words right out of my mouth in answering #1 Alireza. The words of a US President *are* in fact powerful — especially insofar as boosting the morale of a weary people trying to overthrow the chains that have been around their necks for a very long time. But again, #13 Steve, you said it quite succinctly.

Now as to all the miserable flotsam and jetsam I had to wade through (the rest of the comments): the unending display of narcissistic blatherings by “flickervertigo” and the equally conspiratorial nonsense by “Jay” were enough for me to propose that there be a 5 comment rule on these talk-backs. Otherwise the rest of us are taken on a forced merry-go-round ride of self adulatory ramblings and “brilliant” insights into how “neo-cons” are behind every bush (pun intended), sneaking around the back of your house, and are generally up to no good.

It would be funny if in fact the reality wasn’t. Since as most of us are now aware the label “neo-con”has become a thinly veiled label for “Jews” and other people who support Israel (this came about in part because many neo-cons were in fact Jewish, but so what). It has become a way of allowing Juedo-phobes to publicly explain, in polite company, their tales of twisted conspiracy whereby the Jews take over the world and do other dastardly things.

Anyway, I just wanted to clarify that point for those of you who, when reading these posts chock-full of “neo-con” references, are saying to yourself (as well as out loud in comments), “what is all this about ‘neo-cons’? — who are they anyway? — and since when did they become such a big and scary group?”

With this equivalence under our belts (Neo-Con = Jews), these posts become far easier to decode and understand. Whenever a comment references the word “neo-con” — and does so far out of proportion with other words that could have been just as easily used in its stead, the author is probably expressing his obsession with the Jews. And he uses the word “neo-con” as a way to stay out of “trouble.”

Jun 21, 2009 - 1:29 pm 149. Don:

My, Fickervertigo, did we forget our meds today?

Jun 21, 2009 - 1:30 pm 150. flickervertigo:

too bad, delia, that you cant defeat the logic.

Jun 21, 2009 - 1:32 pm 151. Delia:

For all the whack-adoodles:

Like ta here it? Here it go:

Our ‘government’ has been running us into the ground on BOTH sides of the supposed ‘isle’. Repugs and DonkyTard have been raping of us our prosperity, dignity, humanity and our ability to think for ourselves [thanks, public sK00l].

So, what do we do? Do we fight each other while the big ‘elites’ play golf, eat fancy dinners, cheat on their taxes, fly ‘toxic emission planes’ on a whim but, hey, it’s the Statue of Liberty and wtf when all they wanted was a ‘photo-op’, Liberty?, she’s toast, tell you to turn down your heat while people die in freezing temps in gawd forbid ‘flyover’ country, admit you’re really a ‘Muslim’ to the muslim world when anyone with half a brain-cell already knew it but was called a ‘racist’ for even ‘mentioning’ it.

Yeah. You IDIOTS got a lot of ’splainin’ to do for voting this cretin into presidency.

Jun 21, 2009 - 1:33 pm 152. flickervertigo:

it’s kinda hard to defeat the logic of 9/11…

…especially in view of the fact that the prime suspects controlled the investigation, the media and the political system.

…and i spose you could also speculate on the necessity of getting the oil acqusition project started early enough so peak oil would still be deniable…

…not the mention the necessity of grabbing oil for israel’s proxy american armies so israel can be secured before those armies expire from peak oil.

.
motive, means, opportunity… it’s all there… and when you throw in character and prior convictions… well, what the hell?

Jun 21, 2009 - 1:35 pm 153. Delia:

flickervertigo, I knew you loved me. *chirp-chirp-chirp-burp-fart*

Jun 21, 2009 - 1:35 pm 154. Delia:

“especially in view of the fact that the prime suspects controlled the investigation, the media and the political system”

Bahahahahaha!

-And, you think there was some ‘change over’ that took place once ‘Bamboozle’ took office? Bahhhhhhahahahahaha.

The media made sure to always paint ‘rebubs’ in the worst light.

Sorry, not all of us ‘conservatives’ are toofless, gallywankered and modfollered.

Jun 21, 2009 - 1:38 pm 155. Delia:

flickervertigo, please try to dimweasel your verbotinhosinconstin. I seriously want to douchenhosin’ my eyes when I readinconstan your ridicudouchin’ crappolauntin’ verbiaginbatin’.

Jun 21, 2009 - 1:42 pm 156. Self-hating Boomer:

Normally the staff is about 80, but today, Sunday, only 26 had made it to the office.

Pointing out the obvious, but still in case not everyone understands this, Sunday is their Tuesday. The Islamic week runs from Saturday to Wednesday. Today is an ordinary work day.

Jun 21, 2009 - 1:44 pm 157. Barry 0351:

It’s all coming together or apart on the Fourth.
Grab some beer and chips it’s gonna be some show!

Jun 21, 2009 - 1:45 pm 158. Delia:

Numero 154, STOP with your truthtellinheimerin’, the trolldoucherins do not like your factellinerisms.

NO alphabet soup for YOU!

Jun 21, 2009 - 1:51 pm 159. Frumious Falafel:

Mongoose — I saw you unveiled the “neo-con == Jews” shell game that many are now playing so that they can write in respectable forums. Thanks for beating me to that!

It was really pointed out in the blog-sphere already a few years ago at least if my memory serves me. It was just after the *actual* neo-cons lost power in Bush’s government. From then on it was open season on neo-cons.

Nevertheless, after some “normal” duration of time elapsed during which one would expect people to criticize a weakly structured (if at all) political group (really just like-minded people — no actual structure), the criticisms and the “outings” of “neo-cons” kept going at full speed.

That’s when some began to suspect that the word was being used for another purpose. Furthermore only Jewish names were mentioned as being part of this “neo-con” cabal. That and the tone made it sound as if these neo-cons were a den of thieves.

Finally a few brave men would — probably in Commentary — make the obvious connection and pointed out how “neo-con” was indeed being used simply as a mask for the intended word, namely (the) “Jews.”

After that it seemed to go out of favor for a while — probably had to do with the election of Obama.

Jun 21, 2009 - 1:52 pm 160. Delia:

Barry, throwwwwwwwwww another shrimp on the barbayyyyyyyyyyyyy.

Not to be confused with ‘Barbie’ which is a plastic ‘icon’ who causes young girls to think they must grow up with 14 inch waists and doubble dd breastacles.

I can’t pop some popcorn and laugh while people are being shot, beaten and cruelly treated by their ‘leaders’. No. No can do.

Jun 21, 2009 - 1:55 pm 161. Mongoose:

FLicker: You should listen to yourself, you sound like a paranoid schizophrenic.

A few more months of this and you will have a real break.

This is all in your head. It has no basis in reality at all.

You should go out and get a real job, get around real people and do somethng that is socially productive. That echo chamber is rotting your mind.

You are growing delusional.

Oh, and quoting the Left’s notions of a “neocon” conspiracy most precisely DOES NOT answer my questions. I asked you to show me the “neocons” themselves, from their own words, political organizations and such, and show me them as either a broad polity or an influential “cabal”, not quote some paranoid nonsense from the Left. You have not done this; you have just gone back to the agitprop sources where you get these loony notions in the first place. Cannot you see how intellectually dishonest that is? Guess not.

You are just proving my point. I have to say, I am really amused by your belief that Kristol has had any clout at all in the political life of the country. If you knew him, you would know that his major problem is that no one takes him seriously. Kristol is a light weight, and most conservatives really do not pay any attention to him. He is a token media pet used when ever they want to trot out a “neocon voice” on TV, much like David Brooks is used by the NYT or Buchanan is used by the networks as “conservative voices”.

Conservatives find the “media conservatives” to be problematic at best, and most find the whole business loathsome and vaguely traitorous. Do not imagine that these people speak for anyone but themselves.

Again there is no political movement or cabal in this nation called “neocons”, it is just a label that is placed on a group of pundits that were formerly “Liberals” (read pre McGovern left of center ) who grew sick of the growing Marxism in the Democrat Party. In fact, their points of view are very much in line with the Democrat Party before the hard Left took that party completely over during the Viet Nam War era–the McGovern Crowd and the “New Left”, etc.

People Like Kristol would be right at home in the Democrat Party of Truman or JFK, and that is really what they are, Moderate, Cold War Warrior Democrats. The Democrat Party got hijacked and out they came. The Left has never forgiven them for it, hence all the “Neocon” slander. Flicker, do yourself a favor and try reading other sources that all the Marxist psuedo-intellectual bilge you imbibe.

And Jay, quoting from “Foreign Policy”? Really, now, those are your “experts”?
You must be under 40. Those clown NVER got anything right induring the Cold War.

That is just the “professional” FP Georgetown crowd and their epigones and minions talking amongst themselves. They rarely make it out of the lecture hall or the faculty lounge. We are lucky if they ever even hit the campus library. You really think that these people know anything? These People impress you? Where did you go to school, UCLA? These are the folks that got us into this mess in the first place, and the ones that Clinton listened too. You show your own naivete here.

You might as well consult Bail-bondsmen about “fixing the justice system”.

Too funny, the both of you. No wonder the country has a Bozo like Obama in charge with folks like you two running around.

Jun 21, 2009 - 2:16 pm 162. goodangel:

I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT SOME PEOPLE FELT OBAMA WOULD UPHOLD THE CITIZENS IN IRAN, YES HE SHOULD, BUT LOOK AT WHAT HE IS TRYING TO DO TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE & AMERICA, TAKE AWAY THEIR RIGHTS OF FREEDOM ETC. OUR TEA PARTIES WERE REFERRED TO AS TERRORISTS ACTIONS, LMAO. IF OBUMMER DOES A TURN ABOUT FOR THE CITIZENS OF IRAN IT WILL ONLY BE DUE TO THE PRESSURES FROM CONGRESS & THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. OBUMMER IS SUCH A ARROGANT HYPROCRITE, HE DOESN’T REALLY CARE ABOUT ANYONE BUT HIMSELF.

Jun 21, 2009 - 2:55 pm 163. Stuart:

You want to know who the REAL “two of a kind” are? Ahmadinejad and Obama! Both are dictators who care nothing for the liberty and freedom of their country. I am ashamed that this narcissistic Marxist is our president. God help the USA! God help the people of Iran!

Jun 21, 2009 - 3:03 pm 164. Bohemond:

“The only meddling Carter did in Iran was the Desert One fiasco.”

Oh, if only that were so.

Jimmy the Clueless *actively* facilitated Khomeini’s takeover. Let’s not forget that, rather like Russia, Iran had two revolutions in quick succession: the first removed the Shah and installed a secularist democratic government government under Bakhtiar: Iran’s Kerensky. Khomeini’s Islamist thugs moved quickly to overthrow him in turn.

And this happend with the active connivance of Jimmy Carter, who in his dim-bulb way viewed Khomeini as ‘a holy man,’ and who unbelievably pressured the Bakhtiar government into allowing that fiend back into the country.

It didn’t hurt that Khomeini hated Jews almost as much as Carter does.

Dhimmah (who also *insisted* on the installation of Mugabe in Rhodesia) has the blood of tens of thousands on his hands.

Jun 21, 2009 - 3:12 pm 165. Mousavi Asks Obama to More Forcefully Stand With the People of Iran | Friends of Talk Radio:

[...] us who have been critical of Obama’s handling of the Iranian situation. Here is a part of his latest report: I’ve received what purports to be a statement from Mousavi’s Office in Tehran. Like everyone [...]

Jun 21, 2009 - 3:20 pm 166. john joseph jay:

what does flickervertigo mean exactly? what does flickervertigo mean exactly, exactly?

anybody want to take a stab at it?

just curious. he’s way too smart for me.

Jun 21, 2009 - 3:22 pm 167. Richard Bloom:

Obama is weak on Iran because he wants to vote Present and he can’t. He is inexperienced and the TelePrompTer can’t take care of everything. He acts brave to the people in the USA as he is destroying our country. He won’t stick up for America, he only knows how to apologize. Soon we are going to be oppressed with Dictator Obama.

Jun 21, 2009 - 3:22 pm 168. Aimilie:

I hope the Iranian people do not expect too much from Obama. Obama is not for freedom, he is working very hard to turn America into a FASCIST country, and has since Day 1 that he has been in office. How can he speak up for freedom for the Iranian people when he is taking it away from the Americans as I speak? How can he condem murder in the streets by military forces when he plans the same for Americans for the future? Obama has deceived America, not only the entire world outside of America. He is a FRAUD.

Americans better watch him closely, and examine every thing he does. Take NOTHING he says as truth. Pick it apart and you will find it is all a fraud, all smoke and mirrors. He has pulled off the largest and most significant fraud — one of massive historical proportions! If you are not aware of this yet, you are asleep. Drink a pot of coffee and get to work on your review. You will be SHOCKED at what you find.

Best wishes to the Iranian people, but don’t expect anything from Obama the Fraud.

Jun 21, 2009 - 3:23 pm 169. Margo:

How about first you confirm if the statement and what allegedly prompted it is real or not. I won’t read anything that follows the words “purports to be.” Nothing said after that has any credence.

Jun 21, 2009 - 3:25 pm 170. Bruce Majors:

>
> > If anyone is on twitter, set your location to Tehran and your time
> > zone to GMT +3.30. Security forces are hunting for bloggers using
> > location/timezone searches. The more people at this location, the more
> > of a logjam it creates for forces trying to shut Iranians’ access to
> > the internet down. Cut & paste & pass it on. Thanks to YSS for the
> > info!

Jun 21, 2009 - 3:30 pm 171. john joseph jay:

p.s. i think george bush’s perception of a thirst for participation in their own rule, if not exactly full fledged democracy, is holding up pretty well.

first, the purple finger thing, which seems to be working out moderately well. some other positive stuff. and, now these protests in iran.

i am pretty sure (actually, less sure than i was two days ago) that the theocracy will survive. but, the longer this goes on, the more likely that a shaking out of the more radical elements of the theocracy may occur.

i am curious about several issues.– 1.)if the theocracy does have a little shifting of power from within, will it be of a kind that will see iran stop her quest for nuclear weapons and a delivery system for same? 2.)if the theocracy is shaken up, and presumably moderated somewhat, will it be sufficient to halt iran’s support of the islamic jihad against the west, and terror in the form of hamas & hezbolla against israel and the united states? 3.)the potential impact upon stability in the region, especially the iraqi experiment?

anybody got any thoughts on that? (that doesn’t involve some sort of cabal of neo-cons and western imperialism, and pipelines and that sort of thing.)

Jun 21, 2009 - 3:30 pm 172. john joseph jay:

p.s. (that doesn’t involve some sort of cabal of neo-cons and western imperialism, and pipelines and that sort of thing.) well, it sorta begins to kind of make my head ache a little bit.

Jun 21, 2009 - 3:33 pm 173. Amrie Rose:

The President needs to be silent and not interfere. A fool shows wisdom in keeping silent. Yes Our government should be vigilant to make sure there is no threat to us. But We need to keep out of Iran’s business.

Jun 21, 2009 - 3:36 pm 174. Mousavi Accuses Obama of ‘Misleading the World’ « Northern Virginia, Richmond, VA and DC Metro Chapter:

[...] Michael Ledeen’s blog post on the Mousavi letter – – Click Here Now Leave a [...]

Jun 21, 2009 - 3:43 pm 175. FictionWriter:

Are you people blind? Obamessiah’s response to the massacres in Romania had stronger wording and censure of their actions but he steps back and offers a mealy-mouthed hope for the Iranian people without censuring the Iranian government. Don’t you see the hypocrisy?

Jun 21, 2009 - 3:52 pm 176. John McCullough:

What would Ronald reagan have said?
Figure that out and say it!!
J. McCullough

Jun 21, 2009 - 3:53 pm 177. John McCullough:

Can you fix my failure to capitalize ‘Reagan’ in my post that is under moderation?
JM

Jun 21, 2009 - 3:56 pm 178. Eileen Pressler:

PUHLEEZE!! The “Not-President+ Obama is not interested in helping Iran achieve democracy or anything else. He IS interested in destroying freedom and democracy in the U.S. Please Iranian freedom lovers, do not expect or hold your breath for anything but self-serving B.S. from the Kenyan pretender. Do a little historyical study of the Romanian revolution and see how they finally freed themselves of their tyrant leader. They did it with a ton of prayer and action by their own people. Obama is a totally self-absorbed man-child. He will lead no one anywhere except to bowing at his feet.

Jun 21, 2009 - 4:04 pm 179. Frank Waterstraat:

Too bad,For young naive Iranian people
who thought OBAMA is truthful when he speaks.When in reality he is a LIAR and
rose out of the corrupt political garbage
DUMP of CHICAGO!

Jun 21, 2009 - 4:06 pm 180. ptown:

Look, it is so obvious that Obama is right up there with Jimmy Carter. . Remember the apologies and the mia culpus that Obama gave on his Middle East trip? He is like- minded to the Iranian Regime, just look at what he has done or is attempting to do to Isreal. If a man can sit and listen to a man like Rev. Wright, for 20 years, who is the biggest Semite, don’t you think some of it has rubbed off? What if Obama doesn’t want Iran’s President overthrown, because then he wouldn’t have a proxy government taking out Isreal? Why would he say it was okay to have Neclear Energy when we can’t have it in or own country? Obama was too slow to react to the people of Iran. I think he is to busy running our own country into the ground to be to concerned with what is going on in the Middle East.

Jun 21, 2009 - 4:09 pm 181. Monday June 22 – the daily story « Iran Election 2009:

[...] 21, 2009 · Leave a Comment – I have just seen flagged upby this website what is said to be a message from Moussavi’s office to President Obama criticising his [...]

Jun 21, 2009 - 4:16 pm 182. Frank Waterstraat:

06/21/09
I call a spade a spade when i see a
spade

Jun 21, 2009 - 4:18 pm 183. Mongoose:

No Bohhemond is quite Correct-in fact he is being exceedingly polite. It is Carter and his gang of “experts” that cause this whole mess. Some of them are still around and advising the Aholeatolla in the WH now. Much of the war with Islam that we have experienced since then can be traced to carter and this bunch of ivy leage clowns.

(Not to mention the loss of the Panama Canal.)

These are the “experts” that Jay seems to think should be telling us what to do.

IT is always a disaster when Democrats get in the cat0bird seat. Always.

“Experts” indeed.

What buffoonery.

Jun 21, 2009 - 4:20 pm 184. SChalice:

How can Americans even begin to talk smack about rigged elections and police crackdowns in Iran and suggest its different in their country?

Jun 21, 2009 - 4:28 pm 185. Curly:

Obama doesn’t dare say much about the Iranian situation, as these are the same tactics that he’ll be using to try and stifle American dissension. How long can it be until we have to demonstrate against rigged elections and our own petty dictator?

Jun 21, 2009 - 4:29 pm 186. John McCullough:

Why does this remind me of the DNC in Chicago in 1968? (televized)
Once the Genie is out………!
Of course the Russian and Chinese leaders congratulate and offer support to the “winner”. They are next if they don’t finally succeed in reflecting their publics’ sentiment. They have put on the ‘happy face’.
All remaining despots in the world today are remembering the Romainian leader that was hauled out of an escaping heliocopter and shot shortly after the Berlin Wall fell.
CNN was then so intrusmental in publicizing the ‘Fall of The Wall’ just as twitter is shining a light into the totalitarian rathole in Iran as we speak.
The electronic age is simply not controlable these days. The power of the press is now literally in the hands of the populace. (Power to the people has come true?)
The spirit of the old qoute …” The pen is mightier that the sword” has just been combined with another old witicism..”A picture is worth a 1000 words.” A multiplicative, or even an exponetial effect of these age old sayings must be scaring the C*** out of all totalitarian dictators.
Even Hitler,Goerbels and the Gestapo could not have have survived a constant barrage of cellphone pictures and twitters from a Nazi death camp.
As far as dictaors go I’d have to speculate that if Hitler couldn’t have pulled it off in todays world, then all of todays comparatively-speaking ‘wannabe’ bad guys better go into another line of work.
Maybe they could start selling life insurance!
J McCullough

Jun 21, 2009 - 4:38 pm 187. Frank Waterstraat:

I have information from people whose job
it is too record,Ethnic group birth
ratio’s.If there are any Judeo Christain
survivors,They will think they have gone
to the biblical hell.

Jun 21, 2009 - 4:43 pm 188. Bill:

Jesus will bee returning soon check out http://www.rapturealert.com being who (O) is this is a real point of concern~~~it’s more than obvious when he wass elected USA was overthrown, therefore the Hebrews Have lost their last ally which is foretold!!! What does this have to do with the middle east situation (EVERYTHING)

Jun 21, 2009 - 4:48 pm 189. Robin Graysmith:

We the people of the United States are going to Impeach Obama for Treason,We have a big protest on the 4th of July in Washington DC and in all the rest of America called Tea Parties
We firmly believe in democracy and our constitution ,The Americans are behind your cause and are praying for you .We have been hi-jacked by Obama the illegal president and we are taking back our country also.We have no say because the democrats will not let us have a say .This will change and because of what you are doing we are stronger.Democracy is the only way !!!
May the grace of God be with you all.

Jun 21, 2009 - 5:00 pm 190. PEDRO CABRERA:

HE WILL NEVER BE ON FAVOR OF DEMOCRACY, OBAMA IS ONLY OBAMA, HE CHOOSE THE DICTATOR OVER THE IRANIAN PEOPLE, REMEMBER HE IS A PRESIDENT WHO CALLED HIS OWN COUNTRY ARROGANT, AND A PRESIDENT THAT WANTS TO CHANGE THE MOST SUCCESFUL NATION OF THE PLANET TO A SOCIALIST NATION.
PEDRO CABRERA

Jun 21, 2009 - 5:25 pm 191. A Dot in a Vacuum.:

158 Mongoose, good post on why the so-called Neocons came to be. Way back in the late 60’s and early 70’s the Democrats took a wicked tire squealing zig to the Left on the political highway leaving millions of people like me without representation. We had a Devil’s choice between the new Radical Left and the old Conservative Right. That a phony like Obama can seize power here is no mystery to us when you consider just how far Left the Media has gone. Obama and the Left have the Media acting as nothing more than a Leftist propaganda machine. Yes, we know what it’s like being a colorless dot in a sea of red and blue dots and in the complete vacuum of that space between Left and Right. Who represents us? Not the far Left, not the far Right. In fact, nobody. As one lonely dot, I wonder just how many little dots like us are caught in the middle of extremism in Iran and other places? Most of the posts here seem to come from the distant poles of the issues. Frankly, I’d ask the Iranian guy on the street what HE wants before catering to what the big noises want. It’s those people who always surprise the Great Thinkers.

Jun 21, 2009 - 5:26 pm 192. picomanning:

Obama’s an isolationist. If he gets involved in Iran’s freedom fight, he’ll have to answer to the wacky left. Politically, he’ll lose his base if he does more than pay lip service to the problem. There’s NOTHING Obama will do to save the freedom loving Iranians. So consider it done. Iran, is on it’s own.
Thanks BO.
For this reason Obama’s much closer to being a Jimmy Carter president.
Americans are stuck now, having to protect and defend individually to the extent Obama practices moral failure. He can’t get that as he’s a moral relativist. But you can sense what I’m talking about in just about every conversation you hear or involve yourself in, about the future of our culture. For this growing reality we ought to consider a seemingly, yet not at all, radical response. Consider purchasing ammunition! Lots of it. This is the simplest and probably the most effective individual statement and act of protection you can make for your own safety at the individual level.
There are several good arguments for making this investment.

1.) Our enemies abroad gain power and feed on the weaknesses of America. Boy are they getting fat! Similarly our internal defensive strengths under Bush is being undermined by our current leftist leadership. (Borders, etc.) We fall apart internally as our national leadership directs our national conscousness (via the main stream media) to rationalize away from firm moral foundations upon which to defend our internal institutions. Moral decay continues to justify itself. Protection against the ensuing deadly fruit of this decay is easily seen as a personal issue for by most Americans.

2.) Our Fed Reserve forces our own currency to walk the plank in a desparate bid to dilute the poison of the present economy for a survivable ‘hope and change’ future!
The Fed does not know how far it can go, or the full consequences of its current actions! These are very desparate times folks. As long as you can pay your bills you will not feel the temperature rise in the frog pot. (Google for these answers – find out the truth for yourselves.)

3.) So if for no other reason inflation will cause the value of ammo (pick the most popular calibers) to rise like gold! Buy it by the case or however you can. You will not lose your investment! You’ll at least feel that your situation is not entirely hopeless. Hunt, trade, and defend, and Buy American. Think about it.

Jun 21, 2009 - 5:30 pm 193. Self-hating Boomer:

Speaking of experts,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assembly_of_Experts

Another reason for 0bama’s affinity for the Iranian system: the highest authority, the only power able to install and remove a Supreme Leader, is, you guessed it, the Assembly of Experts.

The Iranian government is the donkey’s wet dream. Could you imagine the Harvard faculty having the exclusive authority to appoint and remove supreme court justices? That’s enough to make any American leftist go off in his undies.

Jun 21, 2009 - 5:37 pm 194. Donna:

As an American my heart is crying for the Iranian people. I am not knowledgeable enough to say or to know what should be done. To all you Iranian people my prayers go out to our higher being to be with you(it does not matter what religion or what he is called by the different cultures).

Jun 21, 2009 - 5:39 pm 195. Folklight:

Wading thru all the self justification is what hinders most honest discourse in these forums.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.”

– John F. Kennedy —
{1962 White House Speech}

Jun 21, 2009 - 5:40 pm 196. LSR:

The President (Obama) and his Chicago gang in the White House haven’t yet seen a stolen election they don’t love.
Neocons – give me a break. It’s time for you conspiracy clowns to run a reality check.

Jun 21, 2009 - 5:45 pm 197. Folklight:

NEWSWEEK Reporter Detained:

Journalist and filmmaker Maziar Bahari was taken into custody without charge on Sunday morning in Tehran.

NEWSWEEK Magazine issued the following statement on June 21:

On Sunday morning in Tehran, Newsweek’s Maziar Bahari was detained without charge by Iranian authorities and has not been heard from since. Mr. Bahari is a Canadian citizen and a renowned journalist and filmmaker, who has been living in and covering Iran for the past decade. Newsweek strongly condemns this unwarranted detention, and calls upon the Iranian government to release him immediately.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.newsweek.com/id/203036

Jun 21, 2009 - 5:49 pm 198. Silly Me:

Obama says nothing because he can’t. HE cheated the American people to win. The USA should be auditing our own 2008 presidential election and public campaign funds should always be audited? Why Obama gets a pass is beyond me but at least the Iranian people are smart enough to realize from day one they were cheated and have the back bone to do something about it. America is still sitting on the side lines watching Obama and his thugs power grab businesses and make everything Government owned and operated the very thing Iran is fighting to free themselves from. Stupid Americans. God bless the Iranian people and Thank God they are wiser than Westerners.

Jun 21, 2009 - 5:49 pm 199. BARB:

The 1953 street demonstrations, together with the Cold War claim that the US had to grab Iran before the Soviets did, served as the US government’s justification for overthrowing Iranian democracy. What the Iranian people wanted was not important.

Today, the street demonstrations in Tehran show signs of orchestration. The protesters, primarily young people, especially young women opposed to the dress codes, carry signs written in English: “Where is My Vote?” The signs are intended for the western media—not for the Iranian government.

More evidence of orchestration is provided by the protesters’ chant, “death to the dictator, death to Ahmadinejad.” Every Iranian knows that the president of Iran is a public figure with limited powers. His main role is to take the heat from the governing grand Ayatollah. No Iranian, and no informed Westerner, could possibly believe that Ahmadinejad is a dictator. Even Ahmadinejad’s superior, Khamenei, is not a dictator, as he is appointed by a government body that can remove him.

The demonstrations, like those in 1953, are intended to discredit the Iranian government and to establish for Western opinion that the government is a repressive regime that does not have the support of the Iranian people. This manipulation of opinion sets up Iran as another Iraq ruled by a dictator who must be overthrown by sanctions or an invasion.

On American TV, the protesters who are interviewed speak perfect English. They are either westernized secular Iranians who were allied with the Shah and fled to the West during the 1978 Iranian revolution or they are the young Westernized residents of Tehran.

Many of the demonstrators may be sincere in their protest, hoping to free themselves from Islamic moral codes. But if reports of the US government’s plans to destabilize Iran are correct, paid troublemakers are in their ranks.

Some observers, such as George Friedman, believe that the American destabilization plan will fail. However, many ayatollahs feel animosity toward Ahmadinejad, who assaults the ayatollahs for corruption. Many in the Iranian countryside believe that the ayatollahs have too much wealth and power. Amadinejad’s attack on corruption resonates with the Iranian countryside, but not with the ayatollahs.

Amadinejad’s campaign against corruption has brought Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri out against him. Montazeri is a rival to ruling Ayatollah Khamenei. Montazeri sees in the street protests an opportunity to challenge Khamenei for the leadership role.

Jun 21, 2009 - 6:06 pm 200. mike:

just let them kill each other before there here killing all of us

Jun 21, 2009 - 6:24 pm 201. augustus howard:

WITH ALL OF THE PROBLEMS THE OPPOSITION ARE HAVING IN IRAN, STAYING ALIVE, HOW CAN THEY GET A LETTER OUT TO PRESIDENT OBAMA? IF I WERE OBAMA I WOULD NOT COMMENT UNTIL I KNEW FOR CERTAIN THAT IT WAS FROM MOUSAVIS. TOMORROW ALL OF THE LIMBAUGHS AND PALINS OF THE WORLD WILL BE COMMENTING ON SOMETHING THAT HAS NOT BEEN AUTHENTICATED. BUT, THIS IS WHAT THEY DO BEST, NOT GOVERN!

Jun 21, 2009 - 6:25 pm 202. RockIt:

Obama lied, Iranians died in Tehran
Obama lied, American soldiers died in Iraq
Obama lied, gays cried
Obama lied, Guantanamo survives
Obama lied, Auto workers unemployed
Obama lied, Wall St. slimes on
Obama lied, Bush is retired not still president
Obama lied, America fell for it, McCain still a senator
Obama lied, N Korea, Iran, Pakistan threaten America more than ever
Obama lied, Israel, Americas only friend in Middle East for 60 years on their own now
Obama lied, Deficit soars
Obama lied, Democratic congress steals America’s future
Obama lied, ACORN stole America’s voting process
Obama lied, fires Inspector Generals without cause

Jun 21, 2009 - 6:26 pm 203. David Bercutt:

Obama is a very pragmatic man who knows what he has to do to stay alive. In one way or another, Kennedy rocked some boat too hard and
That is why he is six feet under. We must remember that none of us knows what is really going on behind the scenes. But one thing is for sure: his failure to oppose the fascist and fanatical rule of Khomeini and protect, at least in word, 31 million young Iranians longing for freedom, shows a distinct lack of character and gut. Democracy and it’s promotion around the world are what America is supposed to stand for.

Perhaps Obama wants a war with Iran, or the most powerful people in the land – the Military Industrial complex – do not want to see peace in Iran, but war. But for the president of the United States to not make any stand, even verbal, in strong support of these young freedom fighters is disgusting, or it shows a hidden agenda, one or the other. If it is a hidden agenda, I wonder what in hell it is.

Power to the freedom fighters in Iran, and may they know where the true center of their oppression lies: in the religious/criminal bipolar domain of Khomeini. Not in Islam, but in a crook, as usual, under the facade of beard and wrappings. My father taught me to understand anything n this world with a simple technique: FOLLOW THE MONEY. I doubt this is an exception, there aren’t any.

Jun 21, 2009 - 6:31 pm 204. dave:

If this letter is legitimate, then I have to apologize to the Iranian people for this POS, MF’ng ashsole who now occupies the White House. This is not what the REAL America wants for the Iranian people. He has given this Country a Black Eye. Obvioulsy SLOW JOE, the EXPERT in Foreign Policy, doesn’t have any influence on the Savior while he’s sitting under BHO’s desk like a little puppy dog.
If the American public weren’t like Fcuking sheep, we’d be in the streets now telling that non-citizen to get the hell out of town and out of the country.
Certain words have been purposely mispelled to get by the censors. A-hole liberals.

Jun 21, 2009 - 6:35 pm 205. delight:

There is no democracy in Iran, despite what the Obamas and Clintons say.

Only a few hand-selected candidates are “licensed” by the Mullahs to participate.

The Iranians are fed up because even their sham elections are bogus while their Shia bretheren in Iraq, thanks to the neocons, are having real elections.

Multiculturalists use a pretzel logic to insist on extreme forms of separation of Church and State in the U.S. while conveniently witholding their zeal when it comes to the Middle East.

Jun 21, 2009 - 6:57 pm 206. Gunny1:

The John Birch Society was right they were warning the American people as far back as the late 1950,s of the communists who had infiltrated the US government.

The commies now control the educational establishment,the media, and now the US government. What is an old Marine to do we killed them overseas all the while they were ensconcing themselves into positions of power here at home and I was sworn to defend the country and against ALL ENEMIES Foreign and DOMESTIC.

We have long past the point where America can save Iran or any other nation from tyranny when fifty percent of our electorate just voted for a communist. We have only two choices another civil war or a separation of the states constitutionally. A Communist Socialist Blue States or A Southern Christian Confederacy that exp ells the communist jobs.

Jun 21, 2009 - 7:07 pm 207. Dave McLucas:

Hussein is too busy hiding his real birth certificate to become involved with the election results in Iran.

Jun 21, 2009 - 7:15 pm 208. David W. Lincoln:

flickervertigo, why not take a look at the writings of Lawrence Solomon, or for that matter Bjorn Lomberg, and then make up your mind, instead of the other way around.

As long as you accuse others of what you are doing, you are wasting your time, and the time
of those who pay attention to you.

Jun 21, 2009 - 7:27 pm 209. Ryaine:

Obama is simply a plebe in foreign affairs and is totally over his head. So are his advisors. Here is an opportunity to see change in the war on terror and a chance for solutions to work in the Middle East and he has failed badly. He doesn’t have to support one side or the other in the conflict in Iran, just speak out for the rights of the people and the injustice of the regeme in power. He speaks now, only after others have made their voices heard. He is a follower not a leader.

Jun 21, 2009 - 7:29 pm 210. David W. Lincoln:

What I find interesting is the pattern of successful revolutions. The velvet revolution saw the coalescing of students, labour and academics.

It looks like the same three are coming together, because the students would have been influenced by academia, so all they had to do was wait for the third element.

Which goes to explain that there are more three legged stools, rather than two legged stools.

Jun 21, 2009 - 7:31 pm 211. James Thompson:

President Obama displays mental laziness by treating all sides to every moral dispute as moral equals; something learned from the persons with degrees in John Dewey’s Evil, Immoral System of Education, supported by the John D. Rockefeller Jr. and the Rockefeller Fortune. The Rockefellers, guilty of Monopoly Oil Price Fixing, of course want to destroy peoples sense of morality. The Iranian Mullahs are the Rockefeller’s Partners in Oil Price Fixing! Obama is a Rockefeller Man, elevated to the level of White House Servant. When Julius Cesar took power he kept the traditional Roman Tribunes (Presidents.)

Jun 21, 2009 - 7:43 pm 212. Over 230 Links to Iran Election News/Photos/Videos:

[...] A letter from the office of Mousavi to President Obama (newest link) [...]

Jun 21, 2009 - 7:48 pm 213. Jay:

The Grand Ayatollah Montazeri has declared 3 days of nationwide mourning next week and a few other things. What is the impact of inflation and devoting more and more days to mourning?

Jun 21, 2009 - 7:55 pm 214. Mike Brody:

The overthrow of the tyrannical government in Iran should be the fervent goal of the American people and it’s government. The world-wise and courageous young people in Iran want freedom, not religious dictatorship. We should be doing everything in our power to help them get rid of the murderous Mullahs!

Jun 21, 2009 - 7:59 pm 215. Mike Brody:

why is my comment awaiting moderation?

Jun 21, 2009 - 8:05 pm 216. Mike Brody:

Tkhe world needs the tyrannical government in Iran to be overthrown. Does this comment need modration?

Jun 21, 2009 - 8:07 pm 217. Delia:

I think you’re onto something. -But, does revolution require war and death?

Yes. That’s a rhetorical question.

Jun 21, 2009 - 8:31 pm 218. Max Baxter:

I have a feeling that either none or very few posters herein have ever been “on the other side” in the course of events like those currently happening in Iran. Have you ever had to face water cannons, riot police and tanks? If you have not, please keep your comments on what’s good for those who are now fighting for freedom to yourself. It would be better if Obama did just that as well – instead embarrassing himself with another absurd statement – like the recent one that showing support for those who risk their lives in the fight for freedom would endanger them and compromise their cause. Well, ask them. The absurdity of this all, experienced from the “other side”, is overpowering.

But if you have invested all your political capital in making nice with dictators without pre-conditions how can you now take a more principled position?

I would like Obama to answer the following question today: are you willing to engage Amoud Ahmajinedad without preconditions?

Jun 21, 2009 - 9:31 pm 219. Dan:

Block the roads.

Set up road-blocks and when the cops arrive to break it up, flee elsewhere and establish a road-block there. This is a game that can have the cops responding to road-blocks all day long.

Establish gangs to ambush and capture the gangs that move by night terrorizing and torturing the people. Ambush those trying to do the ambushing. Blow up their cars, poor acid on them in apartment stairwells, lure them into stairwells which are then closed off, while gangs and gangs of reinforcements arrive to capture them.

Start knee-capping all over the place. It doesn’t kill, but it takes the guy knee-capped off the streets for over a year. It’s a perfect way for whittling down numbers, and it will make sure that the gangs never let themselves get isolated, which curtails their effectiveness. if they’re frightened of getting away from their pack, that alone sends a signal of fear that the people will pick up on.

So start carrying 2-by-4s, and start knee-capping and breaking elbows all the way.

Have snipers shoot the motorcycle guys, while they’re moving, which will then send the motorcycle flying out of control and hopefully into the other motorcylce riding goons.

Start burning things.

Especially symbols of the regime.

Any symbol will do.

Jun 21, 2009 - 9:42 pm 220. Dan:

For every casualty, exact a casualty.

For every girl shot in the streets, execute one of the goons you’ve captured.

Prefer that it be the goons, not particulary the cops. You want to exact vengance on the goon paramilitary. So for every single citizen killed, line up one of their own goons, and execute him in the name of the people, and do so on camera.

You have to make it clear to them that for blood, blood will be exacted.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life. Lex Talonis. It works.

Carry ropes, and start roping in paramilitary goons off their motorcycles, and drag them off. Have guys on your own motorcycles, attached to the rope, so that when you get some fat goon roped up, you can drag him away from his pack, and do it right in front of their eyes. That will scare the hell out of ‘em.

Start grabbing them, then start executing them on camera. And make sure the ones you execute are fat, snarly types, oozing evil.

Make sure they’re perfect poster children for that regime, and start executing them live in the name of the people.

That will tell the world that you’re serious.

The people have rights, those trying to crush the rights of the people are enemies of the people. Those goons, especially the foreigners, and enemies of the Persian people. So dispense immediate and summary justice on them.

They’re killing you, they’re torturing you, they’re breaking into your homes in the dead of the night.

So start grabbing them, start luring them into traps, and start executing them. ESPECIALLY expose on film the foreigners you’ve captured, especially the Palestinians.

That will expose the terror supporting ways of that regime

Jun 21, 2009 - 9:48 pm 221. LILIA:

To flickervertigo:
You are sick in your head with your hatred to Israel and the Jews. In the Sovetic Republics there was such a joke: “If there is no water in the faucet, it means that Jews have drunk all of it. If there is water in the faucet, it means that the Jew has urinated in it.” This joke is about patological anti-Semits. No matter what you are talking about, you turn it to Jews. They are the main problem in your life. Islamic HAMAS says the same. Fascists said the same. Hitler said the same. People with defective state of mind and declining mental degeneration say the same. Those, who are obssesed with black envy for the Jewish accomplishments in the fields of medicine, science, arts, inventive labor, say the same. Guess, who you are, flickervertigo? Buy the way, flickervertigo, the Internet was invented by three Jews and now you use it for your anti-Jewish propaganda. Who would know about your delirium without those three Jews? The best and the most needed for the mankind was discovered,invented and given to people by the Jews. Jews gave ten moral comandmends to the mankind, they were the first teachers, who taught people to wash their hands before eating.
But the conversation is not about you, but this coward Obama. Reagan would not hesitate to say what he needed to say. He was a real, strong world leader. American people made no mistake when voted for him. Now we have Obama. He extended his hand to Iranian religious leader, who in squemish anger did not accept his hand. Obama thinks that the previous leadership of America was not as smart as he is. He got his lesson, this coward. The Iranian police kills people only for their protest against falcified results of election, and our president is very caushes in expressing his opinion, or he has one? His speach in Cairo was a disgrace. He did not mature to a real leader yet. But this is the fault of those who voted for him. As in the French say “Every people deserve their government.”
So, flickervertigo, has you taken your medications yet? By the way, your medications were invented by the Jews. Where would you be without them, ah?

Jun 21, 2009 - 10:00 pm 222. Dirk:

when you recently made the statement “Achmadinejad or Mousavi? Two of a kind,”

Just out of interest, did Obama ever say anything of the kind or did Michael Ledeen make it up?

Jun 21, 2009 - 10:06 pm 223. greenway:

Holy shit, what a bunch of f–k–g idiots.While Barry O. is stealing our democracy your all pissing and moaning over a bunch of “unmetionables”

Wake up numnuts Barry O. is the problem not the solution….

Jun 21, 2009 - 10:14 pm 224. jimmygb:

After reading this entire blog I think it would be much more educational and interesting if you people would forgo the personal attacks and stick to the facts as you understand them.I am an 80 year old vet of 3 wars and do not fully understand the Politics of the Middle East nor do I think anyone in the Current Administratio does.It is a fact I believe that the Carter and LBJ admins did irreprible harm to this country I Dearly Love.All of these politicians have only one goal–to be reelected. I FEAR THAT our current leader Mr Obama is the same.The scarey part is that the man knows nothing and is depending upon his idiot,failed before,retread advisors for guidance. God help the USA. JIMMYGB

Jun 21, 2009 - 10:16 pm 225. greenway:

Moderation, is that what you do to me or is it what I do to you?

Jun 21, 2009 - 10:17 pm 226. Val:

How disappointing this real world must seems to be now to Obama, once he started to face it in the post-campaign setting… Neither Ahmadinajad, nor the Mullahs, nor any other of the bad tough cookies of the world, whom he tried to charm with his words and shining teeth smiles, do not get his spell, and do not fall hypnotized as easy as his feeble-minded naive American admirers…

Jun 21, 2009 - 10:46 pm 227. Freddie L Barnett:

Our president, Barack Obama, is weak on foreign policy. He will not stand up for the rights of the people of Iran and that is sad. Any free minded induvidal that has half a brain would say it is our business to stamp out tyranny no matter wear it is. I think President Obama is wrong and weak. I pray for the ones in Iran who have died for there freedom and the ones who will die because we stood idly by “Saying it is not our concern.” Ha! Right is all Gods peoples concern. Even Obama, although he will hide like Jimmy Carter did so long ago when these fascist took control of our people in our embassies. I rember it took a strong man as our President (Ronald Ragan) to bring them home. That is what we need now. The people of Iran deserve better.
Fred B.

Jun 21, 2009 - 11:13 pm 228. Freddie L Barnett:

What would you have me say.
Fred B.

Jun 21, 2009 - 11:16 pm 229. John Glube:

It is troubling, but not surprising that the Obama administration has made a number of fundamental mistakes in its dealings with Iran.

Common sense tells us that honey attracts more flies than vinegar. It also tells us that a bully is basically weak, feeding on his victim’s fear. But, a bully will retreat in the face of strength.

Iran wants respect, but because the Iranian Government has acted like a bully it must be dealt with from a position of moral strength.

The Obama administration’s opening gambit to have the President speak directly to the Iranian people through the Arab media was a good start.

On the topic of Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons, the Obama administration may have thought the Cairo speech was nuanced and sophisticated.

However, the present Iranian administration likely perceived this part of the President’s remarks as being weak, because in essence the President was beseeching the Iranians not to pursue nuclear weapons to avoid a nuclear arms race within the region.

From the perspective of the Iranian regime, the American message was that the Obama administration was willing to appease the Iranian desire for nuclear power, providing the issue of nuclear weapons was dealt with under the appropriate “diplomatic cover,” essentially leaving it up to the Iranian regime to decide whether to pursue nuclear weapons or not.

(It is unclear whether this is the actual position of the Obama administration. As a young man, President Obama was “weaned” on Saul Alinsky’s “Rules for Radicals.” He is a committed Statist. While a very charming individual, in pursuing an objective Obama is ruthless. He is a master of misdirection. He has the ability to lie without any moral qualms. He is willing to take morally relative positions. When dealing with confrontational situations, he often tends to act above the fray, using his words as a cover for his actual objectives.)

President Obama may have believed that the Cairo speech helped open the door for change in Iran (as evidenced by his comments on election day in Iran).

In reality, Obama’s Cairo speech and his public remarks in Paris to the press (and more importantly his beseeching demeanor during that press conference), in stating American willingness to negotiate with the Iranian regime without pre-conditions, (while sitting beside Nicolas Sarkozy, the President of France) likely aided Ayatollah Ali Khameni (the “Supreme Leader” or “Khameni”) in ordaining Ahmadinejad the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, irrespective of the actual vote count.

————-

The Obama administration needed to go further than it did in the Cairo speech. The President needed to use the words of Khamenei in making the case as to why Iran can not pursue nuclear weapons.

What are these words?

Iran is an Islamic Republic. According to the guidance of Khameni, under sharia (Islamic religious) law, Iran is prohibited from developing, stockpiling or using nuclear weapons.

Iran professes that it is an Islamic Republic lead by a religious leader whose role is to dispense justice in the name of God.

Yet, the Iranian regime continues to act in a manner that is contrary to this vision:

- In 2006, a conservative Iranian cleric stunningly held that under sharia law, Iran can have nuclear weapons.

- Despite this view being in direct contradiction to the position previously announced by Khamenei, he has not publicly disavowed this interpretation of sharia law.

- Due to this contrary position, the Iranian Parliament has refused to pass a law prohibiting Iran from having nuclear weapons.

- Despite protesting that it has no intent to possess nuclear weapons, the Iranian regime has deliberately ignored and flouted the United Nation Security Council sanctions concerning its nuclear program.

The speech should have pointed out that these and other actions of the present Iranian regime, being contrary to sharia law, bring disrespect upon Iran and its people.

President Obama should then have concluded this portion of his remarks by saying that out of consideration for the Iranian people, the United States was prepared to discuss these and other issues with the Islamic Republic of Iran to achieve a mutually respectful resolution.

By taking this approach, the Obama administration would have put the United States on the moral high ground and in a position of strength in any subsequent dealings with the Iranian regime.

————

Subsequent to the Cairo speech, the Obama administration made a series of additional blunders:

- As noted above, the first mistake was the President’s remarks in Paris indicating an American willingness to negotiate without pre-conditions with the Iranians were unnecessary. The Iranians had already gotten the message. More importantly his personal demeanor in making those remarks indicated that he was beseeching the Iranians to come to the table to discuss the issue of nuclear power.

- On the day of the Iranian election, the President made certain comments about the election, suggesting in essence that he thought “change was in the air.” These remarks showed that he and his administration had little understanding of the Iranian regime lead by Khameni as Supreme Leader and Ahmadinejad as President.

After Khameni announced the re-election of Ahmadinejad as President as being of “divine providence” in spite of the actual vote, it was correct for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to state the American position that it was withholding its acceptance of the results, pending further inquiries.

- After it became clear that Mousavi was going to challenge the results and the street protests started, the President should have left the matter in the hands of the Secretary of State, (for tactical and political reasons).

Instead, he made a series of remarks in response to press inquiries which suggested that:

- The Obama administration was willing to talk with the Iranian regime, irrespective of the legal challenges and street protests concerning the election outcome; and

- Ahmadinejad and Mousavi were essentially the same, when such is not the case. Ahmadinejad is part of the hard-line conservative group. Mousavi is part of the reformist camp.

(Side note: In 2003, when the reformists previously held power in Iran, the Iranian government made a secret proposal through the Swiss Embassy to the US which included a peace offer to Israel and significant toughening of oversight and controls of Iran’s nuclear project to prevent any proliferation or development of a nuclear weapon – http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=33348. The Bush administration rebuffed this overture, although it is unclear whether it had the full backing of both the conservative and reformist “camps” in Iran.)

Frankly, President Obama has a tendency to “talk too much” forgetting the admonition that “silence is golden.”

While the remarks in the press release issued on Saturday afternoon by the Obama administration, in response to the brutal suppression by the Iranian regime of the street protests earlier that day, showed some “stiffening” of the administration’s position they do not go far enough in staking out the moral high ground.
Some may suggest that the President is weak. He is not. Others suggest that he needs to walk a “fine line” to avoid allowing the Iranian regime to make the United States the story, or out of fear that the Iranians will refuse to negotiate. These are false restraints.

The Iranian regime has already labeled the protestors as “terrorists” while claiming that the United States is interfering and we know that the Iranians want to negotiate with the Americans.

Rather, his mistakes show his lack of experience in dealing with foreign affairs.

Worse, his actions and statements show that due to his background, his training and his Statist ideology, while President Obama professes obeisance to the “American dream,” the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, along with individual liberty and that power ultimately vests with the People, he is not able to use these ideals in forming his positions.

Rather, as a Statist and contrary to the ideals enshrined in the American Constitution, his core belief is that the State’s purpose is to ensure economic and social justice; that individual liberty must be subject to the collective good in this quest and to that extent the People must be subject to the State in the pursuit of peace and order.

As such, although various commentators have urged that President Obama emulate President Regan, this is not possible.

President Regan firmly believed in the ideals of the American declaration of independence and the American constitution.

In the face of a bellicose regime, this allowed President Regan to deal forcefully with the Soviet Empire based on these ideals, while inspiring its citizens to throw off the yolk of Soviet oppression and ultimately being able to hold out his hand when the Soviets expressed a willingness to negotiate under Gorbachev.

President Obama does not hold these ideals as supreme.

Being a Statist, he is part of that group in American society that believes it is their duty to pursue a counter revolution against the ideals originally expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the American constitution for the greater good of American society and the world.

He is therefore unable to use America’s founding ideals and its strengths to stake out a moral position in his dealings with Iran.

Instead because of his Statist ideology, he must “guard his language,” while walking a “fine line” out of concern that the Iranian regime will “make America the story.”

So, instead of staking out a forceful and morally just stance in response to the brutal actions of Khameni and the Iranian regime he leads, which would give America the moral high ground in any subsequent negotiations with the Iranians, the Obama administration is left with appeasement, beseeching and lofty statements.

Jun 22, 2009 - 12:08 am 230. hanzi88:

I seriously doubt the authenticity of this letter. C’mon, Mousavi would not have written such a letter, much less using such language. Do yourself a favor, whatever objectives u are hiding behind, don’t spread nonsense. Iranians are struggling against odds to have better lives for themselves, don’t screw it up for them with whatever your ideological leanings might be.

Jun 22, 2009 - 12:45 am 231. P Newsmen:

Pres. Obama can’t be serious to entertain dialogue with these barbarians women killers -these so called Supremes have no balls to be killing children and women, beating them up on live TV cameras – the world is watching indeed.

What they are watching is a country going down the toilet because of greed, crime, corruption -what else is new – do you not think Obama has that kind of government also?
He does. You have politicans in bed with drug companies who are fattening their wallets, Wall Street screwing Main street, and obama sits there with his majic wand to make it all go away? He will not.

Jun 22, 2009 - 12:45 am 232. 84Danny:

To Emory:

Your posting of Obama as a coward and “half-ass” remarks are spot on…all these obama zombies and wannabe socialists dont deserve to live in America…if you want to live in socialism and in a welfare state, please move to any western european country…leave the the United States as a free democracy with capitalism to lead the way again for a greater America.. Obama either has no idea of American and World history or frightingly worse, he does have an idea but doesn’t give a damn…America made a grave mistake by electing this communiity organizer with no real world experience….isn’t it so obvious now…we stand with the people of Iran who want freedom and basic human rights…down with the mullahs and one world order…

Jun 22, 2009 - 1:22 am 233. AzKckr:

This uprising in Iran and the support it is receiving from America (that would be support from the both left & right peasantry to all you partisan imbeciles) is about honest elections and the Iranian people’s right to choose who leads, not have some turban & pajama wearing clown decide for them who “rules.”

Jun 22, 2009 - 1:25 am 234. pm:

the liberal’s definition of an “expert” is someone like me.

Jun 22, 2009 - 5:15 am 235. Bill the red:

since both candidates were “approved” by the Guardian Council, undoubtedly both have similar credentials. This has to be the basis for President Obama’s position.

However, as we have seen since the collapse of the Soviet Union, and other totalitarian governments, sometimes people who wear the coat of one party suddenly reveal their inner and different selves, when given the light of freedom.

President Obama has lacked the courage to stand up for the Iranian people in his statements to date. While he has been “troubled” Iranians have been dying in the streets. Maybe the Iranian people know something we don’t know about their candidate.

Jun 22, 2009 - 5:32 am 236. Chandler:

Give back Obama’s telepromter. It is obvious he has Joe Biden’s “foot in mouth” disease. O-b-a-m-a = “One Bad Ass Mistake America”

Jun 22, 2009 - 6:18 am 237. Chandler:

Give back Obama’s teleprompter. It is obvious he has Joe Biden’s “foot in mouth” disease. O-b-a-m-a = “One Bad A_ _ Mistake America”

Jun 22, 2009 - 6:26 am 238. wobble&gyrate:

flickerv is right at 138: If catostrophic global warming fails to materialize, that will be proof of HallibExxon’s machinations to further enslave China, etc. Future dissertations from soft-headed academe will fill in the details.

Jun 22, 2009 - 7:24 am 239. A. Terranova:

Is this the 3a.m. call we’ve all been waiting for? Guess The Big Guy is all show and no go after all. Calling a coward’s bluff is a reward in itself. My own opinion is that Obama is playiing the waiting game because he doesn’t want to commit himself so that later on when the Muslim world comes after the Israel’s with a vengeance he can extricate himself again without having to make a commitment in full support of Israel. Netanyahu, take notice.

Jun 22, 2009 - 8:21 am 240. Linda:

Why can’t Hillary Clinton negotiate a peace plan among the Iranians just like she allegedly did with the IRA? She should go there and meet with the ayatollah and Mousavi leaders. The muslims might listen to a woman. Hillary could make it an all-woman negotiation team of Clinton, Pelosi, Boxer, Feinstein, and Napolitano. A dream team!

Jun 22, 2009 - 9:07 am 241. Last:

Candi – I think you hit the nail on the head!!! We are next people – if we lack have the guts to stand up and say ENOUGH! We should be protesting just like the Iranians are now doing. See how long it takes the police or the military to start gunning us down – or imposing house arrest on the populace. Check it out people – Posse Comitatus – they are as we speak – working around this protection!
Why WOULD the anointed one fight against the very process that I hope is close to his own doorstep? That process being the voice of the common people being heard and fought for! Today we languish in leisure. Tomorrow we will writhe in tyranny if we fail to pick up our own battle and take this great nation back! I for one – do NOT want the government that is Constitutionally suppose to represent me – telling me how to run my life – wake up people – that is where we are headed!!!

Jun 22, 2009 - 9:27 am 242. shiraz:

Greetings to all of our supportive friends. The latest news coming from Iran is that about 70% of the killers and razor cutters and baton beaters speak Arabic and are Palestinians, Syrians, Lebanese Hezbollah, and the regime has even imported many from Sudan to beat up the people since numerous people have seen many tall black men along with the Palestinians attacking innocent Iranian people. Again this news is from my contacts in Iran and not any official news agency but again we are getting all the facts from the real sources these days which are the actual people who are fighting barbarity and fascism all alone with the help of the videos they have been providing to the world to watch.

Jun 22, 2009 - 9:34 am 243. Lee - Florida:

I find that Obama is again showing how really the most Socialist thinking, well educated dumb bastard that we elected. The man has “NO” knowledge how to act as a President insuring that “OUR” Constitution and our allies, or other individuals seeking democracy, are encouraged or followed.

This “President” should be “IMPEACHED” and those other congress men and women serving or violating the Constitution of which they SWORE to uphold and defend FORIEGN AND DOMESTIC enemies.

Wake up America!

Jun 22, 2009 - 10:20 am 244. Mashhad:

And Shiraz offers no actual evidence, other than anonymous and probably fabricated “sources”.

Jun 22, 2009 - 10:24 am 245. Sunday Morning in Iran, A Letter from Mousavi’s Office « GOODNESS WORLD LIFE BLOG:

[...] From the Office of Mr. Mir Hossein Mousavi to President Obama [...]

Jun 22, 2009 - 10:39 am 246. shiraz:

Another possible break through: The bus driver Union may join the freedom fighting Iranian people in their fight against the fascist Islamic regime! You all can read the link below:
History News Network

Jun 22, 2009 - 11:01 am 247. shiraz:

Sorry! The link is missing in my previous comment.
This is the actual link to read the article: http://www.historynewsnetwork.com

Jun 22, 2009 - 11:06 am 248. ray:

please tell the iraian people not all americans agree with obama. he is ruining our country ,and i fear if he keeps it up we may have an uprising in this country. i hope not for all the children an innocent people . most americans stand behind the iranian reveloution and the iranian people involved.also i did not vote for obama and he is not my president and never will be.

Jun 22, 2009 - 11:35 am 249. NOT MY PRESIDENT:

If anyone should know the muslims should – you can’t take what a muslim says at face value…obama and his oratory is just that – oratory (and he can’t do that without the teleprompeter) Support Dr. Alan Keyes in his efforts to get this sonofabitchfromafrica to comply with the US Constitution and produce a valid birth certificate – IF obama cannot then we have a great opportunity to get rid of him and his insane, idiotic appointments, robbing the US TReasurey, and “goddamning” of America

Jun 22, 2009 - 11:38 am 250. Richard Swanson:

Why has President Obama been so passive in his support of democracy in Iran and other parts of the globe and so affirmative with dictators? Think about it!

Jun 22, 2009 - 11:55 am 251. Alireza:

God protect Roger Cohen in Tehran. I’m pasting here the last section of his article in NY Times, and indeed it is moving:

“I received this from an anonymous Iranian student: “I will participate in the demonstrations tomorrow. Maybe they will turn violent. Maybe I will be one of the people who is going to be killed. I’m listening to all my favorite music. I even want to dance to a few songs. I always wanted to have very narrow eyebrows. Yes, maybe I will go to the salon before I go tomorrow!”

And she concludes: “I wrote these random sentences for the next generation so that they know we were not just emotional under peer pressure. So they know that we did everything we could to create a better future for them. So they know that our ancestors surrendered to Arabs and Mogols but did not surrender to despotism. This note is dedicated to tomorrow’s children.”

I bow my head to the youth of Iran, the youth that is open-eyed, bold and far stronger and more numerous than the near-beardless vigilantes.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/23/opinion/23iht-edcohen.html?_r=1

Jun 22, 2009 - 12:16 pm 252. dennis:

Dan, you are an idiot. Murdering captives is exactly the opposite of peaceful, non-violent mass protest. If it turns into a killing contest, the mullahs will win. Therefore, the protesters should do nothing to help make this into a killing contest.

Jun 22, 2009 - 12:42 pm 253. J.D.Brown:

Whatever Obama says, it is too little to late. Bless those who
are expressing a desire for freedom.

Jun 22, 2009 - 12:57 pm 254. Peggy Gill:

I agree with the leade of Iran. Obama is a disgrace to the United
States of America. Jesus will take care of him, and this country was founded upon God Almighty.

In the name of Jesus,
and one nation under God,

Peggy Gill

Jun 22, 2009 - 2:01 pm 255. JOSEPH:

I don’t know how anybody could possibly expect from President Obama with little experience in handling such matters as the current Iranian election crisis. It would be helpful if all former Presidents and Vice-Presidents plus people such as Henry Kissinger and Native Iranian experts residing in this country to have a summit on how to handle this situation. Condi Rice and high ranking members of the military should also be considered.

Jun 22, 2009 - 2:21 pm 256. Michael Ledeen:

don’t forget that the Deputy Secretary of State under Bush, Richard Armitage, called Iran “a democracy.”

Jun 22, 2009 - 3:19 pm 257. ABI:

I don’t understand…Mousavi was a hand picked candidate by the cleric..how would he have been better?

Surely Iran has imported people from other countries to fight their own people in the streets, why is the U.S., not covertly helping these people?

Jun 22, 2009 - 3:20 pm 258. Steynian 366 « Free Canuckistan!:

[...] Should Obama Speak Out on Iran? Let Me Count the Ways, by Victor Davis Hanson; Sunday in Tehran: A Letter from Mousavi’s Office …. [...]

Jun 22, 2009 - 4:07 pm 259. EDDIE DUNCAN:

President Obama is a weak and spineless leader of the United States of America. To have a person like this in the white house is a national disagrace for this country and the whole world. The American people are to blame for placing him in this position to begin with. He is not fit to be a leader of this country, and should not of been elected. The American people will soon realize the folly of their choice, but at what price! he will ruin this country and reduce our statue in the world and as a world power.

Jun 22, 2009 - 4:33 pm 260. Delia:

256. Michael Ledeen:

“don’t forget that the Deputy Secretary of State under Bush, Richard Armitage, called Iran “a democracy.”

Yup. Not a ‘Republic’ though.

P.S. I received your email. I’m still not sure why some ‘posts’ go through and some don’t but I’ll take your word for it that there aren’t certain ‘hot-button’ words. Oddly, the posts that I change aren’t ‘caustic’, sometimes it’s a post to a person that won’t go through so I remove the name and the post goes through.

Weird?

Jun 22, 2009 - 5:00 pm 261. Elly Derr:

It is amazing how so many Americans and our media are still looking at Obama as such a great leader. I compare this relationship to the picture of a very abused wife, really beaten up. But she doesn’t report him, nor prosecute him to the place where he could go to jail for a long time, because he has such a terrific personality, is good looking, and is great with her when he knows that she will report him. When she is pressured to go to court, she won’t speak against him, so he goes scot free. The abuse begins all over again, until the day when she is found dead.
It really is amazing that Obama’s personal ratings are high, but the rating regarding all that he is doing to our country are low, very low, and getting lower. He is just a deceitful, lying person, and cheated his way into the presidency. Why can’t we get his background out in the open? Where are his authentic papers; birth certificate, school papers, and all the information that has been asked of him? Why is he so surrounded with so much secrecy? It truly is amazing that he became president!! ALL THIS MUST STILL COME OUT!! We must not let our wonderful country be destroyed by this man. Where are all the Americans that will stand up to him. They Iranian people are a tremendous example of wanting to become free. We must keep in mind that we ARE a free people, and want to continue to be a free nation.
“Those who make peaceful revolutions impossible will make violent revolutions inevitable.” Pres. JF Kennedy. 1962 White House Speech

Jun 22, 2009 - 6:00 pm 262. Delia:

“Brute force may intimidate, but it cannot form the basis of an enduring society, and the ailing Polish economy cannot be rebuilt with terror tactics.”–Ronald Reagan

Jun 22, 2009 - 6:04 pm 263. Political Mavens » OBAMA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE NEW REALITY:

[...] Ledeen has a letter from Mousavi. He is not amused: From the Office of Mr. Mir Hossein MousaviTo the President of the USA, Mr. Barack [...]

Jun 22, 2009 - 6:20 pm 264. Over 250 Links to Iran Election News/Photos/Videos:

[...] A letter from the office of Mousavi to President Obama (newest link) [...]

Jun 22, 2009 - 6:53 pm 265. Robert Aluka:

The opposition in America will always fail because it is built on lies, misinformations and miseducation period.

Jun 22, 2009 - 6:57 pm 266. robert Prarie:

You know what!!! Why the hell should anybody care about Iran’s election. least they have them!!!! Please explain then why are we buddy buddy, best pals so to speak with Saudi Arabia and Egypt just to name a few countries were pals with that have NO REAL ELECTIONS EITHER!!!! And human rights abuses themselves. Bunch of hypocrites!!! You all just need to shut up and mind your own business and start paying attention to the UNITED STATES problems instead.

Jun 22, 2009 - 7:36 pm 267. Richard Maloon:

Justice BLack just after WWII explained ( paraphrased): ‘The U.S. bill of rights is based upon the conviction that individual religous liberty could be best achieved under a government which was stripped of all power to support or otherwise to assist any or all religions,or to interfere with the beliefs of any religous individual or group.’ Obama is correct, to support either of the two gentlemen is un-American.

Jun 22, 2009 - 7:52 pm 268. carolb:

Americans are with the Iranian people……..Obama is with the side that will win.
Always has been, always will be…..why else vote “present”? He has never chosen the moral high ground, only the political safe ground.

Jun 22, 2009 - 8:00 pm 269. Delia:

266. robert Prarie,

Golly, can’t you let loose and tell us how you reeeeeeally feel. Holding in emotions is bad for you, ya know?

Take a deep breath and spill, dude.

Jun 22, 2009 - 8:06 pm 270. lisa:

I never thought America would come to this place. The Bible says that in the last days that if possible even the elect would be deceived. It amazes me that so many people could not see through the lies and schemes of O. Even Christian people I know voted for him. He stands for everything that I do not believe in. With each day that goes by, our Country is sliding into a deeper and darker pit. It is becoming socialistic right before our very eyes. I pray that America will wake up and see what is really happening.

Jun 22, 2009 - 8:25 pm 271. robert Prarie:

Golly Delia, Spill? what? I’ll tell you what. I’m sick and tired of turning on the news no matter what channel and hearing about Iran. Iran this and Iran that. I say SO WHAT!!!! WHO CARES!!!!!!Now I’ve turned off the news for a week to give the morons time to change the topic.

Jun 22, 2009 - 9:48 pm 272. Delia:

robert Prarie,

First and foremost, we need to support people who are struggling for their freedom and hopefully creating Republic democracies throughout the world.

-And, as far as Saudi Arabia and any other countries which violates human rights, the President should speak out boldly and denounce their crimes, while also engaging their leaders, looking them straight in the eye, and telling them “The United States stands for freedom, liberty and justice FOR ALL.”

Jun 22, 2009 - 10:17 pm 273. aldo:

Don’t expect much from obama, he is on the job training

Jun 22, 2009 - 11:30 pm 274. kamarudeen:

Congratulations Ahmadenejad !!

You have won. That shows democracy is NOT DEAD in Iran. The American devils are trying very hard to discredit the results of the elections. Devils are always Devils. They will go to HELL. They are always trying to find ways to destablise Islamic countries particularly those who do not comply with their devilish behaviour. What devils they are !! Disgusting indeed !!

Jun 23, 2009 - 12:01 am 275. LeslieM:

“Achmadinejad” ? Since when would an Iranian spell his name “AChmadinejad”?

Jun 23, 2009 - 5:40 am 276. Delia:

kamarudeen:

NOT

Jun 23, 2009 - 7:23 am 277. Norman Murphy:

This is a farce. Obama simply said that he did not see any significant change in U.S. relations with Iran regardless of who was elected president in Iran. The presidents of Iran are subject to the whims of religious leaders who are not elected and not the elected president. This blogger as been had; but, since when hasn’t he? He is just a sh*t stirring muck raker who will use anything, even totally unauthenticated materials. This right wing nut is just that.

Jun 23, 2009 - 3:55 pm 278. A Dot in a Vacuum:

Me again, that little guy represented by nobody. The means to force Obama to live up to the laws of this country and his oath of office already exists. It’s called the United States Congress. Forget the Leftist Courts, that’s a lost cause. Forget the so-called news media, for the most part they’re nothing more than an Obama propaganda outlet. But! Those greedy, dissolute, self serving Rah-Rah Obama cheerleaders are elected. And there’s one coming up. If the pea-wits in the House and Senate are forcibly reminded that their allegiance is to We the People and not to the Demigod in the White House things CAN change. Just a thought I throw it in amid all this high-powered debate. Then after the Impeachment we can eventually get a President that knows what he or she is doing not a self-appointed Commander of the Universe. Hey, Barack Barry Obama Soetoro! Where’s the birth certificate?

Jun 23, 2009 - 7:28 pm 279. A Dot in a Vacuum:

Hmmm, A nut to a Conservative is anyone on the Left. A nut to a Liberal is anyone on the Right. Try being in the middle, I see nothing but nuts in BOTH directions.

Jun 23, 2009 - 8:49 pm 280. jerry sharp:

Obama is leading the USA down a oneway trip to Hell,and he will take down anyone dumb enough to follow him. So far there is not an agressive side to him. He appears wishy-washy and cowardous. He is afraid to even make a choise of yea or nea on international affares for fear that he may offend someone. Korea is standing Obama down with the threat nuclear war if he searchs their ship. Why can’t Obama possition our ship with our finger on the button and stand them down. Remember John Kennedy in the early 60’s when he put the world on nuclear alert standing down the Cuba and Russia threat. I say Obama, if he has any guts, he isn’t showing them and I don’t believe he will untill it’s Too Late!

Jun 23, 2009 - 11:51 pm 281. lookkool:

What kind of retards are you clowns at newsmax ? Do you hate Obama so much you will print anything to bring this country down in the eyes of the world.

Jun 24, 2009 - 1:06 am 282. lookkool:

“Achmadinejad or Mousavi? Two of a kind,”

Post where Obama said that News MAX . You cant ive gone over all his speeches and interviews the past two weeks and i dont find these words.

Jun 24, 2009 - 1:12 am 283. Jassem Othman:

President Obama MUST standing up for democracy and freedom in the MIddle East and STRONGLY. Mr Obama MUST stand up with Iranian people for the fanatical regime change and taking the mullahs out of power. But in fact, he will not stand up for the rights of the Iranian people or the rights of other people who look forward to freedom, because that President Obama’s policy, is a policy of pandering , appeasement and subservience.
The President Obama statements just DISCOURAGE the people aspirations for freedom!!!
Mr Obama, YOU MUST take the opportunity NOT by honeyed words and smooth, rather by “hard-line”.
Jassem Othman, Syrian

Jun 24, 2009 - 4:09 pm 284. michelle5publish:

In response to 250. Richard Swanson:

Why has President Obama been so passive in his support of democracy in Iran and other parts of the globe and so affirmative with dictators? Think about it!

Thanks Richard for encouraging us to think. I’ve thought about it and in reality it all goes back not to what we think or say but to what we BELIEVE. BHO can say a lot of crowd swaying words – look at his address in Germany, but in the final analysis, people will act out of what they BELIEVE. Why President Obama has been so passive in his support of democracy in Iran and other parts of the globe and so affirmative with dictators is because at heart he’s a Socialist and agrees with dictatorial style ideologies and as we increasingly see, is behaving this way himself. He cut his political teeth on Saul Alinsky – a Marxist – and author of the book ‘Rules for Radicals’ which he dedicated to the first revolutionary – Lucifer/Satan! in the Foreward I believe. Obama was a ‘Community Worker’ (a concept of Saul Alinsky’s) with ACORN which was based on the writings of Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals. As a lawyer he did pro bono work for ACORN and trained other up- and-coming ACORN workers. ACORN was involved with demanding bank loans for those with no credit rating, pushing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac which began the land slid with the sub prime mortgage debacle which fed into the current financial melt down. ACORN is currently under criminal investigation in 12 US States on charges of voter registration fraud. ACORN exists to promote and procure Democrats into Office.
Obama used ACORN workers and finances to help in his political campaigns. Draw your own conclusions. Since the financial melt down what amounts to billions of dollars is being made available to groups such as ACORN via Obamas ‘Stimulus Packages’. More money, jobs, positions for his cronies in Washington who will sure up his future re-election chances.
No wonder why they pushed through the Stimulus Package without ever reading the hefty document and no wonder he could fire the CEO of General Motors and install himself as its new head without loosing his job as President. Is this sounding like a President or a potential dictator in on-the-job-training. Quack! Quack!

Russia’s PM Vladimir Putin recently upbraided Obama for his Socialist politics stating that Marxism has failed as a political system and its people have failed as a result. With Russia being the birth place of Marx/ism PUTIN SHOULD KNOW. In his gullible arrogance Obama responded that he would do it better – I’m not holding my breath. It seems Putin was concerned that with Obama embracing Socialism it would contribute to the disslabilization of the global financial market, to the detriment of all – including Russia.
Given Obama’s back ground, influences – the Reverand “God dam America” Wright – over 21 years, his philosophical and pragmatic support for Marxist/Alinsky teaching and politics, and as Richard notes his “passive support of democracy” is it really any wonder why he is so “affirmative with dictators”? Having arguably used some of the same tactics, (and he’s still suppressing access to his original birth certificate). If Socialism requires a dictator, he’s supportive of Alinsky’s Socialsim and still actively connected with it’s front runner organization ACORN and funding the same, (not to mention his association with former terrorist Bill Ayres and his ilk), and given his current status as President of what is arguably the worlds most powerful nation, you have to catch you breath, pray and trust that somehow the power of prayer will over come these other influences and delusions – if not – may God have mercy on us all.

Jun 24, 2009 - 4:25 pm 285. Jassem Othman:

74. Jay:
The Neo-Cons are only who asking for change of tyrannical regimes and stand up for the rights of the oppressed people, those who look forward for freedom and democracy. For instance, Mr. Michael Ledeen as “advocate and philosopher of freedom”, he FOR LONG SAID: “that the Iranian people despise the regime” and that Mr Ledeen FOR LONG SAID: “that people in the Middle East wants peaceful future without tyrannical regimes and without fundamentalist Islam.” Yes, Mr. Ledeen is entirely right, of course we want peaceful future without tyrannical regimes and without fundamentalist Islam today a “good example is the Iranian street!!!”
Of course the Iranian protesters need the west help, they just need your help, they need you to stand up with them, but unfortunately “today” the US president is just “DISCOURAGE” the people aspirations for freedom!!!
President Obama also kills us along with the tyrannical regimes that despise and murder their people. For example, president Obama’s speech in Cairo was a disgrace; it was merely as a repudiation of Mr George W. Bush’s administration wrecking-ball approach to the Muslim world, in particular, the Middle East.
Most sadly today we hear the President’s rhetoric of the only Superpower on the earth are full of words of appeasement and subservience and garnished with honeyed words and smooth. Moreover, the president of Superpower extended his hand to leaders who extremely scorn you and kill you every single day since 30 years. That leader who extremely eager to martyrdom and extremely eager to destroy the USA and to wipe Israel from the face of the earth!!!
Mr. President Bush’s administration was taken to task for refusing to recognize or do anything about the nefarious role played by state sponsors of extremism such as Saudi Arabia, Iran and Pakistan in the spread of radical Islam and wasn’t absolves the evil regimes of evil intent, while President Obama administration unfortunately and surprisingly, has already gone beyond all that, with a policy of appeasement and subservience.
Mr. President Obama, do NOT absolves the evil regimes of evil intent and just stand up with the people in the Middle East. We do NOT want honeyed words; we just need a BIT of Hard-line against the evil leaders in the Middle East.

Jassem Othman, Syrian.

Jun 24, 2009 - 5:43 pm 286. Charlie:

Comrade Obama want’s to stay friendly with the Iranian regime to find out how they pulled off such a huge election fraud because he will need this info to stay in power in 2014

Jun 24, 2009 - 6:15 pm 287. Marilyn:

Just what do you people think Obama should do– end troops to Iran immediately to “free” the citizens there? If so, let the first responders be your sons and daughters. The countries in that region of the world have been fighting for centuries -the US is not that far behind- over their religious differences. All you want is some other lame exercise to lay at Obama’s feet. The God I read about did a lot of culling of people (not unlike your ilk) himself.

Jun 27, 2009 - 3:09 pm 288. janey:

We have a nightmare on our hands what ever way you look at it… Out of control spending, government not listening to the people… not following the constitution… God Help America..

Jul 15, 2009 - 9:06 pm 289. Sunday Morning in Iran, A Letter from Mousavi’s Office | Marinka Peschmann:

[...] the Office of Mr. Mir Hossein Mousavi to President Barack Hussein Obama according to Michael Ledeen’s Faster Please blog. Again caution, not yet [...]

Jan 9, 2010 - 7:40 am

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