Posted on 05/28/2004 3:29:22 AM PDT by F14 Pilot
TEHRAN -- In a display of anti-U.S. anger not seen in parliament for years, Iran's conservative-dominated legislature chanted "Death to America" and hardliners clashed with reformists yesterday in the first day of the house's new session. The tensions signalled a tough year ahead for President Mohammad Khatami, after fellow reformists lost control of the parliament in contentious February elections. The ballot was boycotted by reformists and largely spurned by voters because the hard-line Guardian Council disqualified thousands of reformist candidates.
In a speech to legislators, reformist Interior Minister Abdolvahed Mousavi Lari accused the clerics of the Guardian Council of acting without justification when it barred candidates from running in the election.
A number of conservative legislators shouted in protest, and, in a bid to end the bickering, hardline legislator Mahdi Kouchakzadeh asked parliament to condemn the U.S. occupation of Iraq.
"To attract the attention of everybody to what is our main task, I invite you to pray for the devastation of the American belligerent occupiers," he said.
Fellow conservatives responded by chanting "Death to America."
It was a sign of how much the new parliament, in which conservatives hold about 180 of 290 seats, differs from the previous one, dominated by reformists. Before, only a few would have shouted anti-American slogans.
With the election, the reformists lost an important forum for challenging hardline policies and supporting Khatami's foundering campaign to ease social and political restrictions. His term as president is in its final year.
Reformists had promoted political freedoms and the lifting of restrictions imposed after the 1979 Islamic revolution. But the clerical establishment saw these moves as undermining the principles of the revolution. It used its control of bodies such as the Guardian Council, which vets legislation and electoral candidates, to thwart reforms.
Khatami, who watched the shouting and chanting in silence, later called for tolerance.
"Through respect and avoiding tension, while taking the country's supreme interests into consideration, we can demonstrate co-operation," Khatami said.
Later, Khatami told reporters he remains critical of the way elections were conducted. "Preparations for elections were not appropriate. Our protest still stands," he said.
Khatami said in February the elections were not democratic but that his government was holding them because it had been ordered to do so by the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
We still owe these clowns payback for 1979.
Another 9/11 on American soil, and Damascus,Tehran, and Pyongyang should disappear.
We need to tell the Islamofascists to pipe down and reform militant Islam, or there won't be a need to.
I prefer decapitation of the Syrian leadership with the attendant power struggle and bloodletting. Maybe do this for 2 or 3 iterations, or until the name Assad is gone from the public lexicon.
That's why I can't understand how this little pisser Sadr is able to wield so much power.
Sistani may not have the heavy duty weaponry, but he sure as hell has the authority to tell him to go take a hike.
Couple this with the creation of a "world wide marytrs recruitment unit" and state sponsored terrorism continues apace.
I am mad at the State Department!
What the hell they are doing there?
""We still owe these clowns payback for 1979. ""
http://rescueattempt.tripod.com
Should I go on?
It's just good to know that we'll always be #1 in their eyes.
I can't tell you how heartening it is to know that I live within "the Great Satan.
Eating a pork sandwitch singing Jesus Loves me and and wearing a Bush 04 pin as I grin at the Iranian camera man.
Report: Iran establishes unit to recruit suicide bombers
Haaretz ^ | 28/05/2004 | Yoav Stern
Posted on 05/28/2004 5:31:44 AM PDT by F14 Pilot
Iran has set up a new unit to recruit suicide bombers from around the world, the London-based Arabic newspaper A-Shark al-Awsat reported Friday.
According to the report, the secretary-general of the new unit began by drawing up a list of names of people who support suicide attacks in Iraq, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1143757/posts
Us "Satans" should renew our alliances, don't you think ?
Unfortunately, it's not going to happen anytime in the near future.
LOL another earthquake in Iran just reported on FOX News.
They weren't named to the original "axis of evil" for nothing.....
Then again, the commercial airlines there are no prize pig either!
We should send a couple divisions to 'help' them out. ;-)
Yeah?
They continually harp on the fact that the percentage of gov't revenues devoted to foreign aid is so minuscule; yet they never mention the fact that we fund these NGO's-not to mention the fact that the U.N. would not exist without us-to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars each year.
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