Iran calls for Bush poll apology (BBC)

[MaineDem]

Iran has called on US President George W Bush to apologise for criticising last week's presidential election.

Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said the high voter turnout discredited Mr Bush's allegations that the election was undemocratic.

...

He (Bush) said the polls ignored "basic democratic standards" and was a further example of what he called the regime's "oppressive record".

Mr Kharrazi said Americans should "wake up from their sleep and correct their position towards Iran and apologise".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4108452.stm

[maddezmom]

1. some of us are awake

just wish the others would come back from dreamland.

[niceypoo]

2. Smells like hypocracy

Perhaps Mr *Bush should worry about the polls (diebold) here first.

[Frederik]

3. It's ironic

that America's allies in Egypt and Saudi Arabia are actually less democratic than Iran.

[maddezmom]

4. don't forget Pakistan

Women's rights in Pakistan: The woman who dared to cry rape
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/story.jsp?story=646952

Getting comfy with the general
Pervez Musharraf may prolong his rule; America would be pleased

Get article background

“I DON'T believe”, asserts Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan's president, “in showing left and hitting right.” It is a characteristically combative metaphor from a man who presents himself, with charming affability, as a straight-talking soldier with no patience for artifice. What you see, his bearing insists, is what you get. Yet what you get is an enigma: a deft politician, who claims to stay aloof from the political fray; an exponent of a moderate, liberal Islam, who panders to extremists; a professed democrat, who at the end of last year broke a promise to shed his uniform and rule as a civilian; one, moreover, who now seems to want to hang on to power after his presidential term expires in 2007.

Relaxing in civvies, General Musharraf nevertheless received The Economist—as he does most visitors—at the home that goes with his day-job of army chief. Army House is in Rawalpindi, a half-hour drive from Islamabad, whose broad avenues swarm with politicians and diplomats. The general seems in no hurry to leave either milieu. This month Sheikh Rashid, Pakistan's information minister and one of General Musharraf's part-time trial-balloonists, said his boss would be a candidate for president in 2007. The general refuses comment, but nor does he deny it. Asked elsewhere whether he would remain president but stand down as army chief, he replied: “Yes and no”—which is either an answer, or a refusal to provide one.

~snip~
more:http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displayStory.cfm?story_id=4010467

[dArKeR]

5. And why no word from Whore Bush about Whore Arroyo's election

fraud? I guess that would cause problems since aWol has give a few speeches on how the PI is the "model of democracy for the world to follow"!

[Igel]

6. Local politics.

Stand up to the US, gain bonus honor points.

Manage to get the US to reject its own honor, gain more bonus honor points.

All risk free.

Sure beats "Death to America!"