Iran Election June 09

[captain]

Depends on bad for who. For the US, or for the West, or for Israel?

I think all of the above and inevitably the Iranian people if as the article suggests, an elected president who was less outwardly antagonistic but still followed the same couse that has been set by the supreme Guardian.

Cheers.

[Merlin]

Israel is watching the Iran election results with concern.

Israel: Iran results intensify threat

(CNN) -- Israel warned Sunday that the apparent re-election of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad represented "an intensification of the Iranian threat," and called for redoubled international efforts to halt its nuclear program.

"After Ahmadinejad's re-election, the international community must continue to act uncompromisingly to prevent the nuclearization of Iran, and to halt its activity in support of terror organizations and undermining stability in the Middle East," Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said.. ....

[Oscar]

So what makes you think so?

Stalin said that it matters not who people vote for; what matters is who counts the votes. This regime looks like being quite capable of something like that.

Look at the people in the pictures, they could be from Madrid. So I don't know the situation in the rural areas, but these people don't come out of the blue, it seems awkward that A-jad should represent them.

What makes you think the contrary? Because the White house spokesperson said so ?

These protesters come mostly from the enlightened urban elite. And they are extremely pissed off to see this man who represents everything they hate and despise reelected. But they are the urban elite, not the whole nation.

After Bush won the elections in 2004 the European Media were so stunned, how could the Americans, these "Liberal" Americans who were all over the place in interviews on European televisions, reconduct this man? Simple, because Americans are not European progressives.

Its hard to when he's working on a nuke.

I feel for the Iranian people. Hopefully this is the sign of them being fed up and not willing to take it anymore. They deserve better.

Kim Jong Il is even more insane. North Korea is the last living Stalinian regime on earth. He's working on a bomb too. You don't make such a fuss about it and negociations are still preceived as the only way to solve the problem. So why not Iran?

[Guest]

Supposedly, 24 millions voted for the A-jad. If that is so, then where are they?

Why arent they expressing their happiness?

[Traxus]

Supposedly, 24 millions voted for the A-jad. If that is so, then where are they?

Why arent they expressing their happiness?

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Crowds join Ahmadinejad victory rally

Tens of thousands of people have joined a rally in central Tehran to celebrate the re-election of Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Crowds thronged the main thoroughfare, Vali Asr street, waving Iranian flags and chanting in jubilation.

The president's closest opponent in the election, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, has lodged an official appeal against the result amid continuing angry protests.

Mr Ahmadinejad denied any vote-fixing, saying the result was "very accurate".

Streets sealed off

He told the rally that elections in the Islamic republic had never been healthier and that the people alone had decided the outcome.

"Some people want democracy only for their own sake," he said, referring to his critics both inside and outside of Iran.

"Some want elections, freedom, a sound election. They recognise it only as long as the result favours them."

He said Iranians were united, but with 40 million people taking part it in the election it was natural for some to be disappointed.

Clashes between the police and anti-Ahmadinejad protesters continued on Sunday, with several parts of the city sealed off by the authorities to prevent the unrest spreading.

US doubt

Earlier, Mr Ahmadinejad told reporters that the debate over
"belongs to the past", and that Iran had "embraced" the idea of an international effort to eliminate nuclear weapons.

Global reaction to the election has been muted, but US Vice-President Joe Biden told broadcaster NBC he had doubts about the result.

"There's an awful lot of questions about how this election was run, but we'll see, we're just waiting to see, we don't have a enough facts to make a firm judgement," he said.

Mr Ahmadinejad's closest rival in the election campaign, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, announced on Sunday he had lodged an official appeal appeal against the result to.

"I urge you, Iranian nation, to continue your nationwide protests in a peaceful and legal way," he said in a statement.

Mr Mousavi has called several times for his supporters to avoid violence, but angry protesters have been setting light to vehicles and throwing stones in Tehran.

Reuters reported that police charged a 2,000-strong group of students who were protesting at the University of Tehran.

Leader's endorsement

Dozens of activists have been arrested, with reports saying those detained were members of pro-reformist political parties which had backed Mr Mousavi during the election campaign.

IRANIAN ELECTION
# Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: 62.6%
# Mir Hossein Mousavi: 33.8%
# Mohsen Rezai: 1.7%
# Mehdi Karroubi 0.9%
# Turnout: 85% Source: Interior ministry

Those held were said to include Mohammad Reza Khatami, brother of former President Mohammad Khatami.

Many of them are reported to have been freed since.

The state news agency, Irna, said those arrested were involved in orchestrating Saturday's protests in Tehran.

The controversy flared after a high turnout on Friday - estimated at 85% - led Mr Mousavi's supporters to expect a close result.

But official results gave Mr Ahmadinejad a landslide victory. His final share of the vote was almost 63%.

The result was quickly endorsed by Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader.

Our correspondent John Simpson, in Tehran, says the truth about the election may never be known.

But many observers in Iran feel that the final result did not reflect the extraordinary numbers of people who turned out to vote, our correspondent adds.

Besides, Ahmadenijad supporters are mostly rural anyway. Its the Mousavi supporters (young, educated and excited) that have been out on the street before the elections in large numbers. Its to be expected that its them that are on the streets now, if the vote was rigged or not.

[Aryajet]

Iranians in rural areas don't really matter, majority of Iranians live in the cities and all major decisions of recent Iranian history have taken by the people in big cities.
Here is my own reasoning why this election was fraudulent:

At the end of 2005 run off Islamic Ripofflic claimed A-jad had about 17 and Rafsanjani had 12 mil. votes. Lets presume all #s are legit.
Now the same Gov. claims A-jad has over 24 mil.
Considering level of the grave misery this creature has inflicted on the country within this past 4 years in which millions of his own initial supporters have turned their back to him and join his massive critiques/opposition camp, how the heck in the world not only he hasn't lost a single supporter but he has managed to accumulate over 7 million more?
Comparing to the last Selection, 13 million more Iranian cast their votes just to make sure A-jad will not remain in the office.
Around 6 PM Friday afternoon all news coming from people observing ballot boxes including the Representative of candidates in voting areas indicated Mousavi has won by a landslide.
A-jad's own advisores were preparing his soon congratulatory phone call to Mousavi but every thing changed when the boxes were sealed and transferred to Ministry of Interior a sealed building by well armed guards.
Mousavi lost in his homtown. ya right!!
Friday night Supreme Tyrant gave the green light to Mahsooli (minister of interior and A-jad's long time buddy) to go ahead with contingency plan and orchestrate the soft coup de'etate.
Time and time I've read in WAB that "Why Iranians don't rise up for their freedom and get rid of this rotten oligarchic theocracy ". Well! Time is up.
Now that Iranians have put their lives on a silver plate by protesting this murderous regime I'm expecting the Free World not remain indifferent and support Iranians who have been struggling for their inalienable civil liberty for over 100 years.

[Aryajet]

1980s
Appreciate your hard work. Thank you Hammeehan.
I also checked your work in I.D, outstanding.

[Aryajet]

Supposedly, 24 millions voted for the A-jad. If that is so, then where are they?

Why arent they expressing their happiness?

Fraudulent papers have no emotions.;)

[Traxus]

So I'm hearing lots of interesting rumours via twitter:

Tanks in Tehran infront of the Interior Ministry
The Revolutionary Guard and/or Armed forces declared neutrality (which one?)
Lots of refromist politicians arrested
Street protests ongoing.

I sure don't know what to believe, but its safe to say there is quite a lot happening in Iran right now.

[Steezy]

What makes you think the contrary? Because the White house spokesperson said so ?

These protesters come mostly from the enlightened urban elite. And they are extremely pissed off to see this man who represents everything they hate and despise reelected. But they are the urban elite, not the whole nation.

After Bush won the elections in 2004 the European Media were so stunned, how could the Americans, these "Liberal" Americans who were all over the place in interviews on European televisions, reconduct this man? Simple, because Americans are not European progressives.



Kim Jong Il is even more insane. North Korea is the last living Stalinian regime on earth. He's working on a bomb too. You don't make such a fuss about it and negociations are still preceived as the only way to solve the problem. So why not Iran?

You'd have to be naive to think that A-jod won it fair and square. Apparently there's some very funny voting "irregularities" that's happened. Can't find a proper list/news article but it goes along the line of areas having the exact same vote count for A-jod etc.. and that even the other guy's homeland somehow voted for A-jod too and there's absolutely no way that he won this fair and square. I feel sorry for all those Iranians but at the end of the day it's their country, they let themselves down when they let the CIA/West mess them around and install the Shah, from their point of view they managed to finally do what they wanted with their whole revolution but now it seems like they're gonna have to do some shit all over again.

What is it with that country

[La_Piovra]

The Revolutionary Guard and/or Armed forces declared neutrality

If this particular one is true, then it is very significant because it opens the door for a revolution.

[Aryajet]

So I'm hearing lots of interesting rumours via twitter:

Tanks in Tehran infront of the Interior Ministry

The Revolutionary Guard and/or Armed forces declared neutrality (which one?)

Lots of refromist politicians arrested
Street protests ongoing.

I sure don't know what to believe, but its safe to say there is quite a lot happening in Iran right now.

Traxus,
I don't believe they are remaining separate anymore all regular armed forces commanders including chief of the staff are all former thoroughbred IRGC generals.
IMHO they have to choices,
Either support the regime even if they have to slaughter Iranians,
Or as Zraver always mentions just move in and completely take over the system and mount their own temporary military government. I tend to believe the latter will happen sooner or later, new and massive uprising might just hasten the cause.
Why should an armed forces who receive annual operating budget from Gov. accumulate so much civilian assets? L.A time claims that IRGC has close to $65 billion asset just in hard currency.

[zraver]

Traxus,
I don't believe they are remaining separate anymore all regular armed forces commanders including chief of the staff are all former thoroughbred IRGC generals.
IMHO they have to choices,
Either support the regime even if they have to slaughter Iranians,
Or as Zraver always mentions just move in and completely take over the system and mount their own temporary military government. I tend to believe the latter will happen sooner or later, new and massive uprising might just hasten the cause.
Why should an armed forces who receive annual operating budget from Gov. accumulate so much civilian assets? L.A time claims that IRGC has close to $65 billion asset just in hard currency.

Look at the pics from Ajads victory speech- few women, no kids or elderly, lots of military aged men. 1. it was a staged demonstration 2. put on the uniform and you have 10,000 troops in Tehran.

[Merlin]

This is how Times analyses the next four years.

Commentary: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's hold on power is weak

15 June [Times] o one seriously doubted that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his hardline supporters in the Iranian regime had the muscle needed to hold on to power — with or without a fresh mandate from the country’s voters.

But keeping it for the next four years in the face of a powerful opposition movement could be much harder.

Iran may be entering one of its most dangerous and unstable periods since the revolution 30 years ago, with reformists and hardliners within the regime in open conflict.

Since he came to power in 2005, the Iranian President has strengthened key alliances in the Islamic Republic and consolidated his control over the State. With the tacit backing of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Mr Ahmadinejad increased the power of the Revolutionary Guards — the shock troops of the revolution — and the Basij, a paramilitary force with members in every corner of the country. .....

But as the demonstrations over the weekend showed, Iran is not a stalinist dictatorship. Trying to rule exclusively by force is not feasible over an extended period.

For a start, Iran is now part of the global community. People have mobile phones, access to the internet and satellite television. The state monopoly over the media has been broken and young Iranians are better informed than ever before about what happens in their country and better able to communicate with one another.

Then there is Iran’s unique constitution, which was deliberately created to avoid the rise of a new shah. ....

Keeping a lid on this dissent will be a huge challenge for Mr Ahmadinejad, not to mention the looming showdown with the West over Iran’s nuclear programme, which will come to a head by the end of the year.

[Skywatcher]

It's almost as if the Ayatollahs are going out of their way to make sure the election is illegitimate, which they have never done before. And to top it off, the post of President isn't really significant when you consider that the Supreme Ayatollah runs the show.