Guardian: Jubilation and resignation as world reacts to arrival of new US president

[Horse with no Name]

And...here it is:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/20/obama-inauguration-global-reaction
Saeed Kamali Dehghan in Tehran

Barack Obama took office amid fevered speculation that the moderate former president of Iran, Mohammad Khatami, was to announce his candidacy for Iran's upcoming presidential elections.

Khatami told aides that he would announce his decision in the next few days, local Iranian news agencies reported.

With the prospect of a renewed Khatami presidency, thousands of Iranians who were watching the inauguration ceremony via their illegal satellite dishes were given a glimmer of hope that three decades of Iran-US hostility might be about to end.

[leftstreet]

1. I remember when he got in trouble for shaking hands with a woman

In Italy? Or France?

:eyes:

[Sebastian Doyle]

2. So when is the Iranian election anyway?

Please tell me it's before the Israeli election. Getting Ahmadinnerjacket out, and keeping Netanyahu out, might be the only way of avoiding World War III.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. June 2009, so well after the Feb 10th date for Israel

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/59351.html
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2009/0120/1232059661870.html

This bit from the speech may be specifically aimed at getting Khatami to run:

"To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist."

[orleans]

4. i loved that line in his speech n/t

[KharmaTrain]

5. International Coverage Was Intense...

I'm part of a website that lets me listen to radios all over the world. This morning I was tuning around and all I heard, no matter what language, was the word "Obama". One station out of Ireland was doing a call-in show with a lady (thick, thick Irish brogue) saying how excited her little boy was about President Obama and how they couldn't wait to watch him being sworn in. ABC out of a station in Brisbane, Australia was doing a retrospective of the election. During the ceremonies, I was hearing President's Obama speech across the dial...EVERYWHERE...Australia, England, Germany, France, Venezuela, Canada, Poland and points inbetween. It truly felt like a global moment...all eyes and ears focusing in on Washington.

The key here is how quickly President Obama moves to restore a lot of frayed relations. Secretary of State Clinton has a tremendous opportunity to not only rebuild those ties but to use them to help get our troops safely out of Iraq and then to turn Afghanistan into a truly international, not unlateral action...and then reduce our presence there. The window is there, but it won't stay open indefinitely.