Assessing the Iranian Election -Daniel Pipes
According to the authorities, Ahmadinejad received 63 percent of the vote, Mir-Hossein Mousavi 35 percent...
Ahmadinejad symbolizes the rejection of Barack Obama's overtures to Iran and, as such, his selection represents a slap in the face of the American president's policies. Ahmadinejad also determines the social mores, which he has tightened to the point of rebellion, assuring that his subject population grows more alienated from the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Supporters of the opposition candidates have not accepted the results, leading to riots in Tehran. Yesterday's sham election may be a turning point, the moment when the much-suffering population found its collective voice against the regime. It bears noting in this regard that the Iranian population in 1978-79 mounted what was perhaps the largest-scale rebellion ever against a government. It could do so again.
[DanielPipes.org]
UPDATES:
Iranian Election Complicates Obama's Plan -Farah Stockman
Obama has said he will try to engage Iran, regardless of the election results. Now Obama will be making his outreach to a regime that a wide swath of Iranians believe stole the election.
(Boston Globe)
Khamenei's Coup -Mehdi Khalaji
By declaring incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei conveyed a clear message to the West: Iran is digging in on its nuclear program...
The U.S. should condemn the election and back the Iranian people's demand for a free and fair revote under the supervision of international observers. Iranian society is watching to see how the free world reacts.
(Washington Post)
Ahmadinejad Wins, Protests Erupt -Robert F. Worth & Nazila Fathi
The Iranian state news agency announced that Ahmadinejad had won by a vast margin just two hours after the polls closed. The timing provoked deep suspicion because the authorities have never before announced election results until the following morning.
Ahmadinejad was said to have won by large margins even in his opponents' hometowns.
(New York Times)
Tehran Is Running Scared -Martin Fletcher
Scarcely had polling ended than Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's cronies declared him the winner.
They gave him nearly two-thirds of the vote and claimed that the main challenger, Mir Hossein Mousavi, lost heavily even in his own village.
The crackdown began instantly. Mobile phone and text messaging systems were taken down so the opposition could not organize. Baton-wielding security forces flooded onto the streets as the regime showed how evil it is. All protests were ruthlessly suppressed.
On the surface everything will gradually revert to the status quo ante, but below the surface a lot will have changed. Millions more Iranians will now seriously question the legitimacy of the regime.
(Times-UK)
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According to the authorities, Ahmadinejad received 63 percent of the vote, Mir-Hossein Mousavi 35 percent...
Ahmadinejad symbolizes the rejection of Barack Obama's overtures to Iran and, as such, his selection represents a slap in the face of the American president's policies. Ahmadinejad also determines the social mores, which he has tightened to the point of rebellion, assuring that his subject population grows more alienated from the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Supporters of the opposition candidates have not accepted the results, leading to riots in Tehran. Yesterday's sham election may be a turning point, the moment when the much-suffering population found its collective voice against the regime. It bears noting in this regard that the Iranian population in 1978-79 mounted what was perhaps the largest-scale rebellion ever against a government. It could do so again.
[DanielPipes.org]
UPDATES:
Iranian Election Complicates Obama's Plan -Farah Stockman
Obama has said he will try to engage Iran, regardless of the election results. Now Obama will be making his outreach to a regime that a wide swath of Iranians believe stole the election.
(Boston Globe)
Khamenei's Coup -Mehdi Khalaji
By declaring incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei conveyed a clear message to the West: Iran is digging in on its nuclear program...
The U.S. should condemn the election and back the Iranian people's demand for a free and fair revote under the supervision of international observers. Iranian society is watching to see how the free world reacts.
(Washington Post)
Ahmadinejad Wins, Protests Erupt -Robert F. Worth & Nazila Fathi
The Iranian state news agency announced that Ahmadinejad had won by a vast margin just two hours after the polls closed. The timing provoked deep suspicion because the authorities have never before announced election results until the following morning.
Ahmadinejad was said to have won by large margins even in his opponents' hometowns.
(New York Times)
Tehran Is Running Scared -Martin Fletcher
Scarcely had polling ended than Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's cronies declared him the winner.
They gave him nearly two-thirds of the vote and claimed that the main challenger, Mir Hossein Mousavi, lost heavily even in his own village.
The crackdown began instantly. Mobile phone and text messaging systems were taken down so the opposition could not organize. Baton-wielding security forces flooded onto the streets as the regime showed how evil it is. All protests were ruthlessly suppressed.
On the surface everything will gradually revert to the status quo ante, but below the surface a lot will have changed. Millions more Iranians will now seriously question the legitimacy of the regime.
(Times-UK)
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