Current Events in Iran

[cors8]

"Iran's Guardian Council has admitted that the number of votes collected in 50 cities surpass the number of those eligible to cast ballot in those areas. "

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id...onid=351020101


I'm not shocked by this at all. I think it undermines the government's assertion that the elections were fair even more.

[Shadow Kira01]

Originally Posted by Mushi

There's no way of knowing. I've read rumors of police joining protesters and divisions in the leadership. If that's even remotely true, this could turn into a prolonged struggle.

Here's an image that I find to be fascinating.

Spoiler:

Iran's got some tough women. She's wearing that shiner with pride.

That eye got to be painful.. However, backing down now would only result in bloodshed as that the dictators of Iran will most likely hunt and kill everyone who took part in the protest of now, not just Mousavi..

Where is Obama during this time? The American President Barack Obama, the star of hope who claims to side with justice and to use force when necessary isn't doing much.. In fact, I can't believe Obama is claiming to hope the better for these poor civilians fighting against tyranny when he is also hoping to keep the diplomatic channels open with Iran. Is that a joke?

Barack Obama should quickly declare siding with these protestors as that Iran's nuclear program is a threat to the safety of people living in Israel and parts of Europe in which are all American allies. Not mentioning that Iran may also be selling nuclear arms to Syria and have deals with North Korea, a bunch of enemies. There is nothing wrong with Barack Obama to side with justice at this time, send troops over to protect the civilians from bloodshed and slaughter. Keeping diplomatic channels open with Iran is meaningless as that they have no intentions of making peace. If they were interested to make peace, it would be done long ago.

Currently, the protestors in Iran, the ones who support Mousavi desire peace, desire good bilateral ties with the United States, they want to go against tyranny, dictatorship that has been achieved by a fradulent election, not mentioning that the current leader of Iran is making it sound like the protestors are an enemy and threat to the regime, his very own dictatorship, even though they were standing on the side of righteousness and justice. How can America under the leadership of the great star of hope Obama ignore their cries and the blood splatter by clinging to hopeless hopes of keeping the diplomatic channels open when the United States has long been known to be a protector of justice and peace, one who maintains balance and order in multiple countries. Iran is definitely one of those countries in which their people needs protection the most right now.

Its good to hear, however that some members of the Iranian local authorities have joined the protestors but handguns aren't going to do any better against AK-47s. If the Iranian army attacks, it would be problematic. I am also guessing that some members of the military will also be joining the protestors. Even so, it is difficult to see the end of this without bloodshed. If the protestors back then, then everyone involved will get hunted and killed. Its just worse..

Many European nations have already condemned the actions of Iran, yet American president Barack Obama have yet said anything of that sort. Although Iran is making claims that Europe is meddling with their affairs. However, truth is that whether Europe condemn them or not, they will still be labelled as meddling with their affairs one way or another, might as well do it. Thus, Obama should follow suit..

[Mushi]

Obama has called the violence against the protesters "unjust." It's not a direct condemnation, but the implication is there. Same as supporting the protesters. Not directly, but he said, "The universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected, and the United States stands with all who seek to exercise those rights."

I still think that approach is best at this time. Things are still unfolding and there needs to be a clearer picture of what's going on before a firmer stance can be taken.

An image has been posted that is supposedly Neda's passport photo. Further reports say she may have been 27 years old.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neda_(Iranian_protester)

I saw one report that said, on the street where she was killed, someone has spray painted her name over street signs.

This article explains the "cycle of mourning" in Shiite Islam and points out that day 40 can be the most important.

[iLney]

Originally Posted by cors8

"Iran's Guardian Council has admitted that the number of votes collected in 50 cities surpass the number of those eligible to cast ballot in those areas. "

Ah, Iran is more civilized than I thought. After some reading, I think that whether Ahmadinejad's victory was legitimate or not, people would protest.

Better stay away from this region....

[SaintessHeart]

The way CIA performed during the Cold War and how Hollywood glamorised it, not a wonder that people often overestimate its efficiency. Maybe their deeds have outshone their screw-up of the U2 Dragon Lady and 911.

It is interesting that Iran included Israel in its list of "perpetrators" but never specified the Shin Bet or Mossad.

[yezhanquan]

Originally Posted by bladeofdarkness

does anyone know the name "Muhammad al-Durrah"

if you dont remember the NAME
maybe the picture would remind you

Spoiler for thats him:

he's the kid who got killed during an exchange of fire between israeli and palestinian gunman in gaza in 2000
the video of him sparked a HUGE wave of protest all over the world and inflamed the already existing situation
he became a symbol
could this be the iranian Muhammad al-Durrah
if so, we could be in this for a while
becouse if history is repeating itself, they are going to cynically exploit this young womans death this for all its worth

Truth be told, neither the name nor the pic brings back much memories. I was 15 in 2000.

He became a symbol? Really? The Israeli-Palestine issue has enough symbols. 1 more or less doesn't change a thing.

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

The way CIA performed during the Cold War and how Hollywood glamorised it, not a wonder that people often overestimate its efficiency. Maybe their deeds have outshone their screw-up of the U2 Dragon Lady and 911.

It is interesting that Iran included Israel in its list of "perpetrators" but never specified the Shin Bet or Mossad.

I guess by mentioning Israel, the latter two are automatically on the list. Goes without question, if you go along with their train of thought.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Mushi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neda_(Iranian_protester)

I saw one report that said, on the street where she was killed, someone has spray painted her name over street signs.

Someone scrapped the page. Wikiscanner anyone?

Bad link. Here is the good one people. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neda_Agha-Soltan

Anyway, take a look at this :

Iran's Election Page On Ahmadinejad

The last two said "Pursuing uranium enrichment activities for civilian purposes" and "Open to talks with the US providing Washington shows practical policy change".

Yeah right. He tested MRBMs while enriching uranium, and all he does during the "Open talks" is demonise US and NATO for their "imperialist policies".

Originally Posted by yezhanquan

I guess by mentioning Israel, the latter two are automatically on the list. Goes without question, if you go along with their train of thought.

Probably it means to them that all Israelis (Zionists/Jews) are Mossad "infidels" who "routinely torture Muslims for fun". The younger generation seem to be forbidden to break away from that kind of thought by their elders and Guardians.

Regarding the shooting of that girl, is it a drive-by shooting by the military or the militia?

[yezhanquan]

On the shooting incident, it's still pretty much hearsay, as far as I can tell.

On Israel, yeah, it's a permanent smear campaign. The distraction has worked, until recently. It's so much easier to pass the buck than to address a problem head-on. Unemployment and inflation are going up by the year, and the regime chooses to do something else. As I said before, you don't want to piss off young people, especially if they form 2/3 of the population.

[Mushi]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Bad link. Here is the good one people. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neda_Agha-Soltan

Thanks for updating that. The link I originally posted was working, but they edited the page.

Regarding the shooting of that girl, is it a drive-by shooting by the military or the militia?

The two stories circulating is that it was a gunman hiding on a rooftop, or a drive-by on a motorcycle. Like this guy...

Spoiler for Basij:

"The man pulling out a pistol is identified as Hassan Mir Kazemi, the commander of Basij Force at Elhadi Mosque at Tehran’s Shams Abad district. He is also the director of Donya Felez plant situated on Tehran-Karaj Road."

http://uskowioniran.blogspot.com/

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by yezhanquan

On the shooting incident, it's still pretty much hearsay, as far as I can tell.

On Israel, yeah, it's a permanent smear campaign. The distraction has worked, until recently. It's so much easier to pass the buck than to address a problem head-on. Unemployment and inflation are going up by the year, and the regime chooses to do something else. As I said before, you don't want to piss off young people, especially if they form 2/3 of the population.

What is so difficult? Just cut of their pocket money or ground them. Or make them write, "I must not disobey my parents." in Arabic 10,000 times.

Oh wait. It doesn't work anymore in modern society. Bet their parents are flogging themselves over 10,000 times for not knowing how to deal with the impacts of computers on their kids.

Originally Posted by Mushi

Thanks for updating that. The link I originally posted was working, but they edited the page.


The two stories circulating is that it was a gunman hiding on a rooftop, or a drive-by on a motorcycle. Like this guy...

Spoiler for Basij:

"The man pulling out a pistol is identified as Hassan Mir Kazemi, the commander of Basij Force at Elhadi Mosque at Tehran’s Shams Abad district. He is also the director of Donya Felez plant situated on Tehran-Karaj Road."

http://uskowioniran.blogspot.com/

No need to thank me. You found the link first anyway.

Very unlikely to be a rooftop sniper, given how tall and close together the buildings are as seen in the photos, the sniper would have went for headshots, unless he is shooting at the frontline of the mob.

Also from the wound in youtube, it is a straight direct shot with the bullet lodged in the body, a sniper bullet (being more streamlined to go longer ranges) would have created an exit wound. Most likely to be a motorcycle strafing run, something of a pistol caliber.

It is interesting that Iran blocks Youtube, Facebook and Wikipedia, yet all these videos manage to get out.

P.S The gun that Basij guys are carrying looks like SIG P226s.

[yezhanquan]

Don't forget: A couple has to deal with 3 - 4 children, perhaps even more. If every household has two angry teens, it's more than enough to make heads spin.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by yezhanquan

Don't forget: A couple has to deal with 3 - 4 children, perhaps even more. If every household has two angry teens, it's more than enough to make heads spin.

I know of someone really, really close who went to bail out her son after attending a parents-teachers meeting for her daughter, despite not being skilled in computers and English and modern whatnots of society. But she keeps herself up to date with modern occurences at least through the newspapers.

This is what happens when the state implements hardcore censorship. It affects the minds of the adults too, and unintentionally, the next generation because the adults are less-informed on the changes of the outside world.

Thank goodness the Guardians finally got the short and sharp reminder that the world does not revolve around them, and that censorship has its own destructive effects.

[yezhanquan]

Well, after the '79 revolution, the regime faced off against Iraq in a war which lasted 8 years, and killed anywhere between half a million to 1 million people. It's a bit like Vietnam: the trauma which war brings makes the leadership hyper sensitive/paranoid. At least in Vietnam, the leadership didn't take too long to loosen up.

[Mushi]

This is good...

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by yezhanquan

Well, after the '79 revolution, the regime faced off against Iraq in a war which lasted 8 years, and killed anywhere between half a million to 1 million people. It's a bit like Vietnam: the trauma which war brings makes the leadership hyper sensitive/paranoid. At least in Vietnam, the leadership didn't take too long to loosen up.

Vietnam didn't have a choice. Like what an ASEAN PM said at that time said, "They have the men, but they don't have the factories to produce arms and equipment." It would wind itself out within 5-10 years if they don't open up.

Iran is different, they have their own military industry (though it is mostly reversed-engineered American technology...) and factories to build their stuff, like the Zulqifar MBT and the Khaybar AR. They also have the most important resource in the world : oil.

I will watch the video when I get home. The firewalls are getting on my nerves.

EDIT : I thought it was a real report! But nvm, THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS.

[Oppius]

I'm not sure about this but my country's newspapers and telecasts said that Jews caused this riot. Please don't call me racist because I'm not on their side either.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Amex_Yohko

I'm not sure about this but my country's newspapers and telecasts said that Jews caused this riot. Please don't call me racist because I'm not on their side either.

I only have two things for your tabloids,

1. Prove it

2. If not, ST*U.

I wish they wouldn't take the ENTIRE damned context of Islam into their bloody damn politics. I got tons of Muslim relatives as well as non-Muslim ones, and it isn't fair to people like us who are on the religious middle ground, neither is it on our moderate religious relatives.

How can the Jews/Israelis/Zionists cause such a riot when they are miles away?

[yezhanquan]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Vietnam didn't have a choice. Like what an ASEAN PM said at that time said, "They have the men, but they don't have the factories to produce arms and equipment." It would wind itself out within 5-10 years if they don't open up.

Iran is different, they have their own military industry (though it is mostly reversed-engineered American technology...) and factories to build their stuff, like the Zulqifar MBT and the Khaybar AR. They also have the most important resource in the world : oil.

I will watch the video when I get home. The firewalls are getting on my nerves.

EDIT : I thought it was a real report! But nvm, THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS.

The oil industry in Iran is clearly not creating enough jobs, and the non-oil industries have been in decline. In '79, they started strong, but now, they are mere shadows.

[Throne Invader]

Originally Posted by Amex_Yohko

I'm not sure about this but my country's newspapers and telecasts said that Jews caused this riot. Please don't call me racist because I'm not on their side either.

What country are you from Mr Amex? Maybe they could just be speculations.

Someone needs to calm down a bit

[Vexx]

Okay, geniuses ... "young people" includes pretty much anyone under THIRTY years of age. The specific reference to Iran having a lot of "young people" counts anyone under TWENTY FIVE as young. Just a little more reading please before spouting, eh?

The power here resides in all the "young people" who make the economy run - all those 20-somethings. It seems to be getting too dangerous to street protest--- to REALLY smack the government, it seems much more prudent to call a General Strike. Everyone just stay home - don't go to work. Employers who sympathize should just shut down.

Oh, but the street youth should keep up their "Hunt the Basij" game.... that appears to be putting more terror into the Basij than the Basij can create in the populace.