Iran: Illegitimacy Bigger Than an Election Fraud (Part II)

With respect to Obama's statement: And what I would say to those people who put so much hope and energy and optimism into the political process, I would say to them that the world is watching and inspired by their participation, regardless of what the ultimate outcome of the election was.  And they should know that the world is watching.

One of the matters that needs to be watched, if only to assure sunlight remains on the matter to assure proper treatment, is the following, from an Iranian Human Rights group, and cross posted at a blog inside Iran following events.

Sources estimate that at least one thousand demonstrators have been detained in the past few days.  Given the space limitations of the Evin prison, these detainees have been brought in through the visitation hall instead of the normal front entrance.  The have been taken through the long corridor that leads to Section 240 of Evin prison.

Human Rights Activists News Agency reports that hundreds of protestors detained in the recent riots have been transferred to Evin and Kahrizak prisons.  Reliable sources have reported the number of detainees to be in the hundreds and some have estimated over one thousand. Given the space limitations of the Evin prison, the detainees have been brought in from a side entrance that normally leads to the visitation hall and taken through a long corridor to Section 240 of the prison.

Eyewitnesses report that most detainees had the name "Moussavi" written on their shirts using red or green ink and many have multiple signs of bodily injury from clashes with the authorities.  Due to limitations in space, multiple detainees are kept in each small cell in Section 240 and some in Section 209.  They are denied visitation and telephone rights, access to healthcare, and meals on a regular basis.

Several other detainees are also being held in the notorious Kahrizak prison.  This remote location has the unfortunate history of prisoner mistreatment and harassment and dire conditions during a previous operation to eradicate "street thugs" that led to the loss of lives of several prisoners. There is grave concern regarding the condition of the recent detainees in the Kahrizak facility because of its dark history and the lack of information and transparency.

And, to me, a great shot of the new face of democracy in our world — off the blog site, Revolutionary Road [link above].

 

I was much impressed by the President's response. For him to give too much support to the movement would be the kiss of death, since it could be written off as a tool of the U.S. and not an authentic voice of the Iranian people. But within those constraints, he was able to take a clear and unambiguous position in support of those who struggle for freedom. I was especially glad to see this since a brief update from CNN pretty much butchered the quote. Whatever CNN is doing these days it hardly qualifies as journalism!

"And particularly to the youth of Iran, I want them to know that we in the United States do not want to make any decisions for the Iranians, but we do believe that the Iranian people and their voices should be heard and respected."

Code - continue doing what you are doing.  Obama is no ordinary leader, that is for sure.  

To my mind, the key phrase of the President's was this:  "...there appears to be a sense on the part of people who were so hopeful and so engaged and so committed to democr acy who now feel betrayed..."  In other words, the robust presidential campaign lifted the people's hope that their voices would count, and now they feel betrayed, even violated.  Obama's test of a satisfactory outcome could therefore be defined this way, as if it were a statement to the regime:  If what you do from now on sharpens that sense of betrayal, you will lose the people's trust and thus your legitimacy.  How could another Ahmadinejad anointment be anything but a betrayal?  Everyone one of us with access to blogs or the medias should keep repeating Obama's equation and give it specific political content, because the part of the regime not glued to Ahmadinejad needs to see that they have only one way to regain the people's trust, and that's to order a revote. 

Right now the movement in the streets is based mainly on existential rage -- it doesn't have a concrete goal.  If the goal were a Guardian Council order for a revote, it would paint the regime into a corner -- courtesy of Obama's equation.

Bill Conroy:  Thanks for the photo and link.  

Trib Pleb:  Obama equation=Revote.  Brilliant.

Al:  Thanks. Again And Again.

$300. until $15K.  Can a few more folks donate today?

 

there is news floating that a 7point plan was circulating during the rally earlier today. the revote wasn't part of it. more like regime change, if the people they temporarily put in charge actually rework the constitution properly and not superficially. 

http://twitter.com/TehranBureau

it also includes putting Mousavi as president (I presume without a revote). 

I already contributed last week, but damnit, I can't let The Field come so close to its goal and still fall short. I can't make up all of the difference, but $100 will close the gap significantly.

Al, please consider extending your deadline just a little bit if you don't make it to $15,000 by midnight tonight. I'm sure another 24 hours will be all you need.

"And I want to start off by being very clear that it is up to Iranians to make decisions about who Iran's leaders will be."

 

LeaderS, plural. He understands this is bigger than just Ahmadinejad vs. Mousavi.

 

http://singcitychronicles.blogspot.com

Mousavi is not an outsider.  Mousavi is not a bomb-throwing radical.  Mousavi is part of the Iranian establishment.

If he legitimately won the election, the rest of the Iranian power structure could have worked with him.  Would he have changed the tone and inspired some reforms?  Very likely.  Did he have designs on revolution?  Not likely.

But by over-reacting to the perceived threat of a populist groundswell around him, the establishment may have over-reacted and set events in motion that could lead to just that kind of revolutionary change.

Interesting story out of the Washington Times stating that some member of the Revolutionary Guard have been arressed.  If true it seems as if the control of the state is indeed starting to show signs of severe stress.

 

http://www.washingtontimes.com/weblogs/watercooler/2009/jun/15/revolutio...

 

 

"...by over-reacting to the perceived threat of a populist groundswell around him [Mousavi], the establishment may have over-reacted and set events in motion that could lead to just that kind of revolutionary change."

That's exactly what happened in Poland in 1981, when the communist regime declared martial law and abolished Solidarity, the legalized trade union born in the Gdansk shipyard strikes.  As Lech Walesa, Solidarity's leader, was being dragged away to jail, he yelled, "You idiots, you've just lost. You've driven the nails into your coffin."  He knew they had just blasted away their remaining popular legitimacy. Eight years later Walesa was president of Poland.  (Delay factor: Not even cell phones, much less other movement communications in those days.)

 

This was mentioned on Twitter a while back by some Iranian twitterers, and now it shows up in an AFP wire story ... interesting.

Given Russia is a major ally of Iran, have to wonder what would be discussed at a "regional security summit" like this. Wouldn't you love to be a fly on that wall?

Reuters just posted it as well.

YEKATERINBURG (Russia) - IRAN'S President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Russia on Tuesday to attend a regional security summit, in his first foreign trip following his disputed re-election, an official in the Iranian delegation told AFP.

'Yes, yes, yes, his plane is now sitting' at the airport in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg in the Urals Mountains, the Iranian official said on condition of anonymity.

Mr Ahmadinejad was expected in Russia on Monday, but postponed his trip following unrest over his disputed election victory.

 

One other quick point that deserves mention alongside the administration's gradual shelving of "the global war on terror" as a shorthand for US engagement with the world is the President's refusal in the above statement to use the marginalizing and brow-beating term "regime" regarding Iran. Such language actually increases nationalistic sentiment. By overtly and purposefully using the word "government", Obama grants the Iranian protesters the legitimacy of working to change a government that by definition CAN BE CHANGED as opposed to a monolithic regime that must be "toppled" or changed with external force. By demonstrating subtly hard-hitting patience here, the President is actually potentially accelerating the pace of change.

The freedom to see in real time what is going on in Iran and to completely unplug from MSM for the information as an American goes beyond hope. Having the excellent comments here and at the Dish with Andrew and Twitters from Iran, well, I keep breaking into tears.  History unfolding, authentically reported by citizen journalists from around the world:  all I can say is "Wow and thanks."  

All I can do is keep reading and directing folks to this site. The organizer analysis of Obama as President continues to be worth far more than I have been able to give to the Fund for Authentic Journalism. 

Thanks to all who gave to keep Al and others going.  This authentic Mother and Grandmother is forever grateful.

President Obama.  President Obama.  I still often have to say those words out loud.  To remind myself of what we accomplished as a people in electing this person our President.  The relief I feel each time he handles a situation he faces with more and more skill, wisdom, understanding than I've come to expect in a President. What a different feeling it is to trust, and be proud of our President. He gets it.

Reminds me of Al's early article in the Boston Phoenix, and his reporting from the very earliest days of the campaign.

Yup.  Gives me Hope, for all of us.