Iranian democracy

[3 Body No Problem]

'Guardian Council'? What is this, fucking Star Wars?

Here is an overview, commented upon here.

 

[scottdisco]

thanks for that Auntie link, 3 Body No Problem, very nice.

from the same page

 

[Mr. Tea]

Here is an overview, commented upon here.

Cool, thanks for that.

 

[vimothy]

 

[scottdisco]

few comment pieces

Fisk (check out the description of the meal he takes )

Cole

Gary Sick

 

[vimothy]

Iranian democracy.

 

[vimothy]

Live-blogging the protests.

 

[padraig (u.s.)]

christ it's really kicking off huh? sounds like the Iranian riot cops (no idea who that is - regular police, Revolutionary Guards???) are really catching it too.

I'm out the door (gotta hit the gym before it closes), but real quick - this seems like the key question in the near future *EDIT - IR-wise, obv Iranians on the street have more pressing concerns*, from one of the linked articles:

...I argue that the outcome of the presidential elections does not and should not affect Obama's policies toward that country-- they are the right policies and should be followed through on regardless.

 

[padraig (u.s.)]

(check out the description of the meal he takes )

yeh but then did you see the bit where a cop offered to share his lunch & Fisk turned him down? Robert Fisk doesn't break bread with baton-wielders, you see. also, this;

Palestine Street, it was called, only fitting since the Iranian police were behaving in exactly the same way as the Israeli army when they turn into a rabble to confront Palestinian protesters

way to work in an awkward potshot at the Israelis.

speaking of which, I'll bet Israeli hawks are positively giddy.

 

[padraig (u.s.)]

speaking of which, Netanyahu's big speech* from Bar-Ilan (location says everything). the rundown; "support" for a Palestinian state but no right of return (which, let's admit, will never happen in a way that matters), a united Jerusalem, it has to be totally demilitarized. so, nothing. oh, & a demand that they recognize Israel as "the state of the Jewish people". sure, that's forthcoming. plus some stuff about Israel's economy.

*I know, wrong thread, but he mentioned Iran 5 times.

re: Iran - "the greatest danger confronting Israel, the Middle East, the entire world and human race, is the nexus between radical Islam and nuclear weapons."

transcript

live-blogging from Ha'aretz
this sums it up nicely:

The speech was like a nod to the old pre-intifada way of looking at the Palestinians, but at the same time mentioning two states.

the White House's ambiguous reaction

 

[padraig (u.s.)]

you have to give it to Netanyahu tho - sure, he's a bit (well, quite) a blunderer but he's got that stall & evade, offer up just enough to appease the Americans shit down pat.

 

[scottdisco]

way to work in an awkward potshot at the Israelis.

what else do you expect from Robert Fisk?


the points Cole and Sick raised were interesting.

 

[scottdisco]

yesterday the BBC editors wrote

BBC audiences in Iran, the Middle East and Europe may be experiencing disruption to their BBC TV or radio services today. That is because there is heavy electronic jamming of one of the satellites the BBC uses in the Middle East to broadcast the BBC Persian TV signal to Iran.

Satellite technicians have traced that interference and it is coming from Iran. There has been intermittent interference from Iran since Friday, but this is the heaviest yet.

yup. and

It is important that what is happening in Iran is reported to the world, but it is even more vital that citizens in Iran know what is happening. That is the role of the recently-launched BBC Persian TV which is fulfilling a crucial role in being a free and impartial source of information for many Iranians.

still, i'm sure their final call will be heeded

Any attempt to block this channel is wrong and against international treaties on satellite communication. Whoever is attempting the blocking should stop it now.

Cole has a couple up here, respectively entitled Class v. Culture Wars in Iranian Elections: Rejecting Charges of a North Tehran Fallacy and Terror Free Tomorrow Poll Did not Predict Ahmadinejad Win.

elsewhere, Jeff Weintraub has been keeping abreast of reflections on topic, including hipping former British ambassador to Iran ('03-'06), Richard Dalton, and some of his take.

 

[droid]

so, nothing. oh, & a demand that they recognize Israel as "the state of the Jewish people".

And sorry to further derail things, but talk about raising the bar! This first surfaced a few months back. Israel must now be recognised as a 'Jewish' state, not just a state.

 

[crackerjack]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/15/iran-opposition-rally-banned-mousavi

No doubt they'll conduct a rigorous inquiry into just how Mousavi managed as much as 34%.

 

[crackerjack]

Guardian reporting that pissed off officials in the Interior Ministry have been leaking the real results - which show Ahmad. below 30%. Meanwhile, there are some pretty shocking scenes here and the Pres re-elect has cancelled his Russian trip. This isn't over yet.

 

[vimothy]

Michael Totten and Andrew Sullivan have good coverage.

 

[vimothy]

Lots of shocking scenes. I'm watching insane stuff on YouTube, and looking at pictures of bullet riddled dorms on Flickr.

 

[vimothy]

E.g. http://25khordad.wordpress.com/

 

[crackerjack]

ahmad came 3rd, say the torygraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...sults-show-Mahmoud-Amadinejad-came-third.html