‘Ordinary Tehrani’ Praises Obama’s Response to the Uprising

[babylonsister]

http://washingtonindependent.com/48228/ordinary-tehrani-praises-obamas-response-to-the-uprising

‘Ordinary Tehrani’ Praises Obama’s Response to the Uprising
By Spencer Ackerman 6/22/09 4:46 PM

The National Iranian American Council publishes.” this email, describing it as authored by an “ordinary Tehrani.”

Dear friend, if you have any contacts within the American Administration, please send them this message on behalf of us, ordinary Iranians in Iran (whose interests and concerns are very different from those of the exiled Iranians in the United States and in Europe who do not yet understand the mentality here and who have been cut off from the Iranian society for too long). Tell your contacts in the Administration that their point of view regarding Iran is by far the best position that an American Government has ever taken. We appreciate this and thank the President.

During the last two or three decades not one American president had “understood” Iran. All of them got caught in the traps of the mollahs, despite themselves having to play the bad cop .. but this time the intelligent president has decided not to join in their game, bravo.

It is normal that he is criticized vividly by most of the Los Angeles Iranians (and by most Republicans): since a long time they have been asking for just one thing : that America attack Iran and change the regime so that they get their possessions and their former jobs and privileges back, without wanting to know what today’s young Iranian wants here and now. It makes me think of the Cubans in Florida … they don’t consider the interests of their country but only what is due to them.

I hardly want to get involved in internecine Iran-diaspora disputes, and it’s a bit surprising to see an “ordinary Tehrani” concerned about internal American political arguments. Maybe it shouldn’t be, considering that we in the United States have no problem commenting on foreign countries’ internal politics. But still.

Anyhow, NIAC also notes the latest op-ed from Trita Parsi. Parsi told me last week that the Obama administration has to stay firmly “two steps behind” the opposition in its public rhetoric so as not to undermine it by mistake. Here it looks like the opposition’s expanding positions allow President Obama some further steps in the direction of condemning the regime:

But here is one legitimate criticism , the Iranians are missing two words from Obama: “I condemn.” Protesters and political leaders I’ve spoken to in Iran want the US to speak out forcefully against the government’s human rights abuses and condemn the violence. Philosophical formulations about respecting the wishes of the Iranian people aren’t enough: The president should clearly condemn the Iranian government’s violations and use of brutal force against its own people.

Parsi notes that “condemning violence is different from taking sides in Iran’s election dispute.”

[Cha]

1. Good! Does this mean

the rw assholes on American tv will STFU?..as per even george will?

[Peacetrain]

2. We can only hope

[Xipe Totec]

3. Fat chance

The Overlard would be displeased.

[Cha]

6. Freakin' king dittohead?

[Xipe Totec]

7. Who else?

:evilgrin:

[babylonsister]

9. George Will is one of the few conservatives who

has praised Obama's handling of this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x327687

George Will calls right wing attacks on Obama's Iran response "foolish criticism"

[Cha]

12. Right..I said that funny..but I meant

that even george agrees with Prez Obama. george will gets himself out ahead of the pack on a couple of big things that I know of..i.e. before the election when mccain was doing his hyperventaling on the economy(suspending his campaign)..george will called him out.

[blm]

16. Sadly, behind the scenes some PROMINENT Dems side with McCain and Lieberman on this.

Even Pete Daou was carrying water for them in his HuffPo piece today. Now THAT is pretty damn sad to me....still lifting for the MACHINE.

There's an argument going on by some members of the cabinet and staff who actually side with McCain and Lieberman and against Obama and Kerry's position. I wish Obama would kick the MACHINE Dems to the curb. They are holding back progress on too many fronts.

[HopeOverFear]

4. Obama has said he condemned the violence

hasn't he?

[beachmom]

5. He told them to "stop". Here is his statement from this past weekend:

The Iranian government must understand that the world is watching. We mourn each and every innocent life that is lost. We call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people. The universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected, and the United States stands with all who seek to exercise those rights.

As I said in Cairo, suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away. The Iranian people will ultimately judge the actions of their own government. If the Iranian government seeks the respect of the international community, it must respect the dignity of its own people and govern through consent, not coercion.

Martin Luther King once said - "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." I believe that. The international community believes that. And right now, we are bearing witness to the Iranian peoples’ belief in that truth, and we will continue to bear witness.

[Joanne98]

8. I lived in Los Angeles for 25 years and I far as I knew most Los Angeles Iranians ..

were Republicans. They are business owners for the most part.

[4lbs]

14. Most of the Los Angeles Iranians are from the 1979 revolution. They were the rich people who

benefitted from the Shah, and when the populist takeover happened, they fled with their monies and set up shop in rich parts of Los Angeles.

[starroute]

10. And NED money has mostly been going to those Iranian exiles

I've been posting here repeatedly to say that Iran is not the same as the other "color revolutions" -- that is is not being manipulated by CIA or International Republican Institute masterminds, because they only know how to throw money at their pet Iranian exiles who are pumping for "regime change" and have no contact with the people inside Iran.

To me this seems to confirm that. There are great depths of misunderstanding of Iran in this country, and the would-be manipulators are among the most blinded.

[Uncle Joe]

11. I believe the Obama Administration is steering the best course in regards to Iran.

The worst thing he could do is give the Iranian hardliners propaganda ammunition to be used as a divider against the reformers; which ultimately would only weaken their position.

Thanks for the thread, babylonsister.

[TomCADem]

13. What If The U.S. Had Greenlighted An Israeli Airstrike On Iran?

It is really difficult to understand Fox news and the right wing these days. A few months ago, the talking point was about the threat posed by Iran, and uselessness of diplomacy, and the need to green light an Israeli attack on Iran.

What I wonder is what impact would that have had on events in Iran? Isn't it likely that Iranians would have rallied around the flag?

The point that is now never discussed is how many Republicans were in favor of military action against Iran or at least tacitly supporting Israeli military action, because Netanyahu certainly would not have been opposed to such a measure.

[Uncle Joe]

15. Had that occurred, I believe Bush's soul-mate in Iran would have won a legitimate election as a

natural result of rallying around the flag.

I also believe that would have been a FOX "News," Republican moist dream.

The opposing radicals; in both nations, empower one another by giving each other a boogie man; as an excuse to clamp down on their Peoples' freedom and privacy which only serves to cement the demagogues hold on power, all based on fear and hatred.

Had Bush Jr. of Iran legitimately won his election, Netanyahu's hard line polices would have been more palatable to the Israelis, the Republicans would have a firmer emotional/political ground to convince the American People that staying in Iraq forever as an occupying power so the oil/military/mercenary industrial complex could rake in mega-bucks was the prudent thing to do.

Of course if Bush Jr. of Iran stays in power, FOX "News" and the Republicans will still argue it, but demonizing the Iranian People as a whole has become infinitely more difficult and if nothing else positive in Iran occurs from the peoples' protest, that would be something, although I do hope and pray, the Iranian People find their own freedom.

[DLnyc]

17. Well put.

Hate- and fear-mongers create, and thrive on, more hate- and fear-mongers.