Iran's Green Movement Reaches Out to U.S.

Time Magazine ^ | 2009/11/23 | Robin Write

[FourPeas]

After more than five months of going it alone, Iran's opposition Green Movement is reaching out to the United States for help. Via public and private channels, the Obama Administration has received several appeals in recent weeks to take a stronger stand against human-rights abuses in Iran, avoid military action and impose more aggressive and rapid-fire sanctions against the Revolutionary Guards and its vast business interests.

[snip]

Washington has struggled since the disputed June 12 presidential election to figure out how to engage the regime without undermining the opposition. Now it has begun to hear answers from the Green Movement itself.

[FourPeas]

Ironically, however, one reason among others for Iran's reversal after initially approving the deal was that Green Movement leaders had criticized it. Mir-Hossein Mousavi, the opposition candidate who claims to have won the disputed election, criticized the proposal negotiated by Ahmadinejad's team at Vienna, warning that if implemented, it would negate the work of thousands of Iranian scientists. Opposition figures and analysts say his response was merely an attempt to play spoiler and prevent the regime from benefiting politically from a deal with the West. Still, nuclear diplomacy with the West has effectively become a political football in Tehran, complicating President Obama's quest for a diplomatic solution to the nuclear standoff.

I can't tell if the Obama administration is completely out of their league when it comes to Iran, or if they actually have a certain sympathy with the powers of their "republic".

[Turbo Pig]

I can't tell if the Obama administration is completely out of their league when it comes to Iran, or if they actually have a certain sympathy with the powers of their "republic".

Obama's admin to the Green Movement, "the mullah's won, get over it"

[SolidWood]

Imagine the possibilities, had McCain/Palin won the election.

Obama has made clear over and over again that he has no interest in supporting regime change in Iran. He is doing the utmost to appease Ahmadinejad and the mullah regime at all costs.

Wasted opportunity to make REAL history.

BTW isn’t it just cynical that Obambi said during the festivities for the fall of the Berlin Wall, that “America will always and everywhere side with freedom”?

FUBO!

[FourPeas]

“America will always and everywhere side with freedom”?

Except, of course, if it's too inconvenient or might possibly interfere with President Obama's attempts to remove said freedom from the people of the USA.

[alloysteel]

We of the real America should have nothing to do with this initiative from within Iran, as its objectives and tactics are antithetical to the ideals which have constituted the United States for well over the first half of our existence. They support all the wrong science, “junk science” at best, and a bald lie if not the result of mere ignornance.

If their intention is to bring down the Admadinejad-led regime, that is entirely an internal problem, and their success or failure should not alter our position one whit. They are still revolutionary anti-Americans.

And yes, the Obama regime is badly overmatched when it comes to dealing with the Iranians. After all, the Iranians have a great more experience in finessing enemies than the Obama regime has ever had.

At anything.

[FourPeas]

Meanwhile, the NYT reports:

[The Iranian government] is implanting 6,000 Basij militia centers in elementary schools across Iran to promote the ideals of the Islamic Revolution, and it has created a new police unit to sweep the Internet for dissident voices. A company affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards acquired a majority share in the nation’s telecommunications monopoly this year, giving the Guards de facto control of Iran’s land lines, Internet providers and two cellphone companies. And in the spring, the Revolutionary Guards plan to open a news agency with print, photo and television elements.

I'll say it again, this is a preview of coming attractions. The foundation is already built, all that's needed is the architect to instruct our puppet president to utter the appropriate dictates.

[chuck_the_tv_out]

Now it has begun to hear answers from the Green Movement itself.

So the real story is, "0 admin leaks iranian opposition overtures to media in attempt to undermine them"

[demshateGod]

Sorry Iran, we’ve got the wrong president, you should have done this when Chimpy McHitler was der Fuhrer.

[I Hate Obama]

Gee I wonder if they knew the people who blew up the Canadian oil pipelines.

[FourPeas]

I'm not sure we have any idea of the objectives of the Green Movement. It's not like they can, or even culturally would, be able to speak them aloud and certainly not put them in writing. I don't believe they *are* anti-American. In fact, I suspect it's exactly the opposite.

The protesters seek freedom, and I contend when they get a real taste of it they'll come to the realization that freedom and Islam are antithetical. We ignore what's going on in Iran at our peril.