Will be interesting to watch the results of the elections in Iran today. Mousavi, the reformist candidate there is getting a lot of support and he wants better relations with the west among many other things.

 

There have been some statements by the Revolutionary Gaurd and the ruling clerics that lead to believe they would not support him... drawing comparisons to the "velvet revolution" that led to the ousting of the communist government of Czechoslovakia in '89.

 

In the closing hours of a campaign rally yesterday, they warned Mousavi that they would crush any attempt at a popular "revolution" inspired by the huge rallies calling for more freedoms.

 

Ayatollah Khamenei has been quiet on the issue.

 

There's always been a pretty big reform movement in Iran which made the demonizing sort of strange over the past several years.

It will be a HUGE victory for Obama's foreign policy, and the world, if Mousavi wins.

Obama started his policy in this case during the run-up to the election. Very carefully using his words to at first let the moderates know that America realized that "it's not clear who speaks for Iran". Of course his Cairo speech denouncing holacaust deniers. And finally, staying out of the way in the last couple of weeks was much wiser than Bush's policy of telling the Iranians what's best for them.

well the first #s that have been officially reported are showing president A. out ahead in a landslide

 

very believeable given the turnout they are seeing of youth and women

Get out there and vote.

This is what its like, We dont know anything about Iran or the President, were only told what they want us to be told, (ie Fox news) I dont trust the American or British News, and there is alot of propaganda out there. I say everyone needs to know the facts first. The situation is... dont belive a word Fox news says or any other news source say untill you have been to Iran first.

That was a fun sham of an election.

I'm calling shenanigans

Pretty crazy stuff going on over there now. Check out some of the photos:

 

link

Go student protesters, go!

Crazy stuff. It seems like the "police" over there are getting more and more violent(shooting into crowds, attacking with axes) and the protestors are still standing their ground. I don't see any side giving up any time soon. I heard on TV today that Mousavi is calling for a major demonstration that will take place either on Wednesday or Thursday.

The criticisms of Obama are really unfounded on this one, in my opinion. I'm no fan of Peggy Noonan, but I liked her take in the WSJ:

 

To insist the American president, in the first days of the rebellion, insert the American government into the drama was shortsighted and mischievous. The ayatollahs were only too eager to demonize the demonstrators as mindless lackeys of the Great Satan Cowboy Uncle Sam, or whatever they call us this week. John McCain and others went quite crazy insisting President Obama declare whose side America was on, as if the world doesn't know whose side America is on. "In the cause of freedom, America cannot be neutral," said Rep. Mike Pence. Who says it's neutral?

 

This was Aggressive Political Solipsism at work: Always exploit events to show you love freedom more than the other guy, always make someone else's delicate drama your excuse for a thumping curtain speech.

even George Will agrees. Is there anyone who honestly doesn't know how we feel about the Iranian leadership? Please. It's moronic to make an issue of this. All you'd be doing is feeding the leadership more ammo for blaming the U.S. as the backer of all this.

Noted and applauded, penguino. I am not happy with what is going on in Iran, but I do not want another warhawk president. That is why I voted for Obama.

Put it on CNN and wait for them to play the call they got from an Iranian women today. Absolutely chilling. The demonstrators were headed to a protest today, got pulled off the bus by authorites and beaten severely. She called it a massacre.