Posted on 06/19/2009 5:44:30 AM PDT by Fennie
TEHRAN - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday demanded an end to street protests that have shaken the country since a disputed presidential election a week ago and said any bloodshed would be their leaders fault.
He defended Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the rightful winner of the presidential vote and denied any possibility that it had been rigged, as Ahmadinejad's opponents have asserted.
"If there is any bloodshed, leaders of the protests will be held directly responsible," Khamenei declared in his first address to the nation since the upheaval began.
"The result of the election comes from the ballot box, not from the street," the white-bearded cleric told huge crowds thronging Tehran University and surrounding streets for Friday prayers. "Today the Iranian nation needs calm."
(Excerpt) Read more at alertnet.org ...
Many, many of those people in the auditorium were bussed in from outside Tehran. Iranian version of rent-a-mob.
"If there is any bloodshed, leaders of the protests will be held directly responsible," Khamenei declared in his first address to the nation since the upheaval began....then ordered troops and paramilitary police to continue to shed the blood of the protestors.
Freedom and liberty are words alien to Obama... he never uses them.... TOTUS won’t allow them in its programming.
Tomorrow’s forbidden demonstration is at 4 pm. That is about 8:30 tomorrow morning, tune in for the next exciting/tragic? episode.
Current conditions (Tehran-Mehrabad)
Description: Scattered clouds. Pleasantly warm.
Temperature: 77 °F Comfort Level: 78 °F
Wind: No wind
Last update: Sat 11:30 AM IRDT
Iran is not Iraq or Afghanistan (tribal society with lot's of arms). Indeed Iran has strict gun laws. The citizens are disarmed.
True.
In my mind it is a matter of whether or not the mullahs are able to control Moussavi. In the major cities, Imanutjob is not well liked and if the mullahs preceive that there could be more potential bloodshed over it.. they may dump him in favor of Moussavi. BUT... they still want assurances that Iran will remain an Islamic regime. What is interesting in the photos that I’ve witnessed, is not too many women wearing the hajib... which is contrary to the commands of the mullahs. It may be that the people are looking for more than just getting rid of Imanutjob, and demanding more freedom from the oppressive religious requirements.
The Iranians are smarter and more sophisticated than your average Arab. They’ve experienced the western cultural world and they like it... and they want it.
Just go on your equivalent of State Run ABC and declare, "The election's over. We won."
That works wonders over here.
Ouch. Sometimes the truth contained in my sarcasm is too painful even for me.
Then tells them something stupid like "Elections have consequences"...
Clue phone for Ayatoilet Khamenei:
They are not election protests anymore.
They are protests against the Islamo-fascist tyranny over which you preside.
Why didn’t they use that excuse at Kent State?
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They did.
President Nixon’s staff issued statements that clearly blamed the protesters at Kent State for the shootings.
A few of the National Guardsmen who fired on the students were later indicted, but all charges were dropped.
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