Official: Obama Administration Skeptical of Iran's Election Results

[babylonsister]

Pardon the source.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/06/13/official-obama-administration-skeptical-irans-election-results/

Official: Obama Administration Skeptical of Iran's Election Results

U.S. analysts find it "not credible" that Mir Hossein Mousavi would have lost the balloting in his hometown, or that a third candidate, Mehdi Karoubi, would have received less than 1 percent of the total vote, a senior U.S. official told FOX News.

By James Rosen
Saturday, June 13, 2009


U.S. officials are casting doubt over the results of Iran's election, in which the government declared President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner Saturday.

U.S. analysts find it "not credible" that challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi would have lost the balloting in his hometown or that a third candidate, Mehdi Karoubi, would have received less than 1 percent of the total vote, a senior U.S. officials told FOX News.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khameini apparently has released a statement calling the results "final" and hailing the election as a legitimization of the regime and its elections.

Turnout appears to have reached 82 percent, an all-time high. But when asked if the turnout figures should be considered suspect, given the "not credible" counts for Mousavi and Karoubi, the official said the turnout clearly was questionable.

There already are reports of violence outside Mousavi's campaign headquarters and of huge demonstrations for both sides in central Tehran, with Mousavi trying to make his way to the one organized by his supporters. Even if widespread violence occurs, analysts see no prospect that this event would lead to a full-scale attempt at revolution or the toppling of the regime.

The dominant view among Obama administration officials is that the regime will look so bad as a result of whipping up Iranian hopes for democracy and then squelching them that the regime may feel compelled to show some conciliatory response to Obama's gestures of engagement.

[Uzybone]

1. These are clearly rigged results

They look like your classic banana republic elections. I don't think Iranians are going to stand for this.

[drm604]

4. Unfortunately, I think the military will suppress any attempt at revolt.

However, I think the regime will have a hard time being accepted as legitimate by their own people and most of the world. I wish that I could believe that this will somehow lead to better relations with a more cooperative Iran, but I suspect that they'll simply become even more belligerent.

[Hippo_Tron]

7. They didn't save the Shah

If the clerics have sufficient support the military will suppress the revolt. If they don't, they will just stand by and watch.

[Thrill]

2. He stole it just like Bush. Oh well

Nothing we can do here. We should have all known this would happen

[villager]

3. well, let's hope the same "experts" who thought the Shah couldn't be toppled, will be wrong again

...and the current group of fascists will be "shown the door." To put it politely.

[Arkana]

5. Obama's right to be skeptical.

Mahmoud Ahmadholocaustdenier is as crooked as they come.

[Jennicut]

6. The younger people are sick of the dictatorship crap

It won't last forever the older they get.