Government forces continued to use brutality to try and disburse and crush the protesters who turn out again today (http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D98VSLR80&show_article=1 and http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-06-22-iran-military-protests_N.htm). The Revolutionary Guards has once again warned the protesters while calling the "Saboteurs" (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aTMTGmuvvDkM).
Videos embedded below. The first one is relatively mild compared to some of the really disturbing images we have been seeing. The second falls into that Graphic Warning category. You see the protesters desperately trying to save their compatriots who appear to have been shot. You can hear the gunfire in the background as they keep moving the wounded back leaving a trail of blood. Right at the end it appears that they were unsuccessful in saving one of the wounded.
They are also calling the protesters "terrorists".
Video embedded below. (hat tip to http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/34004_Video-_Iran_Cracks_Down_Harder)
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Videos embedded below (from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/13/iran-demonstrations-viole_n_215189.html). The first is an inspirational compilation of people all over the supporting the protesters in Iran. The second is people protesting by turning on their car brights and honking to make noise.
Slight aside; it appear that the creator of the fist video is a Berman Post reader using my pictures from Berman Post: Iranian Election Fraud Protest at Union Square (NYC). Assuming I am correct, they should have credited me or not trimmed the bottom of the pictures to remove my mark. Jump to 2:14 in the video and compare those images to the following in order to see for yourself (using compact links to keep this 'slight aside' compact); first, second, third, fourth. I will try to contact the creator and let you know what I hear back if anything.
In what could be among the most proposing signs yet for the protesters; "Al-Arabiya reports that Iran’s Rafsanjani is working to replace Supreme Leader Khameini with a governing council, and Iraq’s Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani is involved." (http://patterico.com/2009/06/22/irans-rafsanjani-and-iraqs-al-sistani).
The Iranian government is creating a special court to try the protesters (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iran23-2009jun23,0,4158764.story?track=rss).
Gateway Pundit has an interview with "Iranian Hero & Leading Activist Ahmad Batebi On Obama" (http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/06/iranian-hero-leading-activist-ahmad.html).
CNN had a special segment on the woman protesters in Iran who are estimated to make up about 40% of the people marching. Perhaps most interesting is that this high level of involvement by females in a middle eastern country is not surprising.
There are pleas from the protesters for the United States and the world help (http://amfix.blogs.cnn.com/2009/06/22/iranian-protestor-plea).
Some are calling for a nation wide general strike starting tomorrow (http://www.irantracker.org/analysis/letter-iran-general-strike-tuesday-june-23). Unions may be siding with the protesters (http://hnn.us/blogs/entries/93615.html). The real advantage of a strike over group protests is that they are much harder to disrupt by force. In response, the government is saying that anyone who participates by not showing up to work is automatically fired (http://hotair.com/archives/2009/06/22/video-iranian-protesters-rout-police).
That last link also has an English translation of an interview with Neda’s fiance. Neda was the young women who was shot and killed dieing on camera and has now become a rallying cry. Stirring further outrage, all mosques in Tehran were banned from holding a memorial service for her (http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/20090622/neda-angel-iran-voice-mourning-rally.htm). The protesters held one anyway which was attacked by the government thugs (http://ace.mu.nu/archives/288859.php). More on Neda at http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2009/06/all-our-brothers-and-sisters-in-iran-you-are-not-alone.html.
Paul Wolfowitz (Deputy Defense Secretary for President Bush) believes that Obama should should reach out to the opposition leaders in Iran (http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/06/22/iran.us.wolfowitz/index.html). As far as we know he has not does so.
Despite the bloody crack down, Iranian diplomats are still invited to the White House for the Fourth of July barbecues (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hMtZsaQT4cTxcgA51WrpiUS6cWGg);
"President Barack Obama's administration said earlier this month it would invite Iran to US embassy barbecues for the national holiday for the first time since the two nations severed relations following the 1979 Islamic revolution.
"There's no thought to rescinding the invitations to Iranian diplomats," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters." (video at http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2009/06/22/us_will_continue_hot_dog_diplomacy_with_iran.html)
Unlike the United States, other countries are taking stronger actions.
Britain's Foreign Office has issued a warning against traveling to Iran unless absolutely essential as it evacuates embassy staff families (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/22/iran-embassy-staff-families-evacuated).
"The Czech European Union presidency asked the bloc's members on Monday to consider summoning the heads of Iran's missions in Europe to express "deep revulsion" over post-election violence there." (http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSPRG001479).
The European Union will consider a proposal to get aid for the wounded Iranian protesters (http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/06/22/EU-may-coordinate-aid-to-Irans-protesters/UPI-49051245677007).
Israeli leaders are openly voicing their support for the protesters (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-israel-iran22-2009jun22,0,1848962.story?track=rss).
Here is Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
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Reza Aslan on how Khamenei "unwittingly turning a protest into a revolution" (http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-06-22/irans-supreme-revolutionary/full).
Iran has begun three days of military exercises. Specifically Air Force maneuvers that had been announced a month ago (http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSHOS233576).
Glenn Reynolds (of Instapundit) opines on how technology is impacting the revolution (http://ideas.theatlantic.com/2009/06/interview_with_glenn_reynolds_part_i.php [via http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/80592]).
The Iranian governments web crackdown has been helped by Western technology (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124562668777335653.html).
Roger Simon calling on Siemens and Nokia to jam their own equipment to help the Iranian protesters or be boycotted (http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2009/06/22/iran-siemens-and-nokia-should-jam-their-own-equipment-or-be-boycotted). Info on the sale in question that led to this need for self jamming at http://yidwithlid.blogspot.com/2009/06/nokia-and-siemens-broke-emargo-to-help.html. They issued a response that can be seen at http://www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com/global/Press/Press+releases/news-archive/Provision+of+Lawful+Intercept+capability+in+Iran.htm, though it looks to me like at least a partial admission trying to offer some justification.
Show you support for the protesters on Twitter or see many other that already have at http://iran.greenthumbnails.com.
Great social media timeline for the protests in Iran at http://mashable.com/2009/06/21/iran-election-timeline.
Astute Blogger says that Iran proves that Bush (and the neocons) were/are right (http://astuteblogger.blogspot.com/2009/06/iran-proves-that-neocon-agenda-is-still.html).
Past related posts:
Berman Post: Iranian Election Viewed as Rigged
Berman Post: Iranian Election Fraud Protest (NYC)
Berman Post: Iranian Riots Continue
Berman Post: Iranian Election Fraud Riots (Day Three)
Berman Post: Iranian Election Fraud Riots (Day Four)
Berman Post: Iranian Election Fraud Protest at Union Square (NYC)
Berman Post: Iranian Election Fraud Riots (Day Five)
Berman Post: Iranian Election Fraud Riots (Day Six)
Berman Post: Prayer Vigil For The Fallen Iranian Protesters (NYC)
Berman Post: Iranian Election Fraud Riots (Day Seven)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Eight)
Berman Post: Iranian Revolution (Day Nine)
Commander of Revolutionary Guard refuses orders:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/20090622/revolutionary-guards-iran-iranian-protests.htm