Posted on 12/17/2009 7:56:55 PM PST by Ooh-Ah
When massive numbers of Iranians took to the streets following the sham election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June, the regime hoped to quash the protests with intimidation and force. It has failed. The latest evidence of the democratic movement's force? Student Day earlier this month.
The roots of Student Day go back to Dec. 7, 1953, when Iranian students protested the coup that ousted Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh. The Shah's regime responded by attacking Tehran's Polytechnic University, murdering three students.
Every year since, Iranian students have observed "16 Azar" (Dec. 7) to commemorate the three students killed by the Shah. But after the 1979 revolutionand with the blessing of the governmentStudent Day was turned into a useless, perfunctory occasion.
Yet in December 1991, students who believed in what they saw as the true ideals of the Islamic Republic began to once again use Student Day to protest against the regime's oppression. The government and its military branch of studentsthe student basijreacted with violence.
Despite the regime's repression, as time passed, the importance of Student Day grew among student leadersfrom the left to religious democrats to pro-Western democratseven as they lived in constant fear of the government's ruthlessness. Many were repeatedly sent to prison where they were tortured.
...
One thing is certain: Dec. 7 proved that the movement for a free, democratic Iran is robust and only growing in strength. If the government continues to opt for violence, there very well may be another revolution in Iran. One side has to step down. And that side is the governmentnot the people.
Related article, also from WSJ:
Iranian Scorecard
The Administration opposes a bipartisan sanctions
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704541004574600274098469020.html
In his Inaugural address, President Obama promised the world’s dictatorsâwith Iran plainly in mindâthat he would “extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.” Here’s a status report on the mullahs’ knuckles:
— Weapons of mass destruction. On Wednesday, Iran tested a new version of its Sajjil-2 medium-range ballistic missile, a sophisticated solid-fuel model with a range of 1,200 miles - enough to target parts of Eastern Europe.
....
So let’s see: Iran spurns every overture from the U.S. and continues to develop WMD while abusing its neighbors. In response, the Administration, which had set a December deadline for diplomacy, now says it opposes precisely the kind of sanctions it once promised to impose if Iran didn’t come clean, never mind overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress. For an explanation of why Iran’s behavior remains unchanged, look no further.
Pray that we vote out and affect regime change here in 2010 and 2012.
And then Obeyme will, of course, take credit for toppling the regime with his Carter-esque foreign policy.
(just like Slick Willie took credit for a decent economy during the Dot-com boom and Repub congress lowering taxes and the Reagan/Bush Cold War Peace Dividend).
pong
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