Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 1 of 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
#340648 06/08/09 02:17 PM
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
OP Offline
The presidential campaign, now in its final week, has reached a level of passion and acrimony almost unheard-of in Iran.
...

Many people say a critical moment was last Wednesday's nationally televised debate, in which the president opened with a furious attack on Mr. Moussavi. Mr. Ahmadinejad seemed to spare no one, accusing his conservative and liberal opponents of being corrupt.

But the most shocking thrust, to some viewers, was when he held up a document with a small picture of Mr. Moussavi's wife, Zahra Rahnavard, and asked him in a derisive tone, "Do you know this woman?" Mr. Ahmadinejad then accused Ms. Rahnavard - a respected professor of political science - of entering a graduate program without taking the entrance exam and other, lesser violations of university policy.

On Sunday, a visibly angry Ms. Rahnavard held a news conference in which she threatened to sue if Mr. Ahmadinejad did not apologize within 24 hours.

"The way the president insulted me was an insult to everyone," Ms. Rahnavard said

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/world/middleeast/08iran.html?_r=1


===================

Iran's 'Macaca' Moment? Ahmadinejad's Rivals Circulate Video Highlighting His Bizarre "Light" Claim

A 2005 claim by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that a "light" surrounded him during a U.N. address was mocked Monday by his main pro-reform opponents in the latest barrage against the president's competence and another sign of the bitter tone dominating the election campaign in its final days.

...

Reformists _ sensing that Ahmadinejad's once-formidable lead has evaporated _ have increased their attacks seeking to portray him has erratic and eccentric. Ahmadinejad has struck back with accusations that Mousavi, who served as prime minister in the 1980s, is part of a clique of corrupt leaders who put their own interests ahead of the country.

The current reformist salvo is a video clip sent by e-mail and on CDs of Ahmadinejad telling a top cleric, Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli, that a "light" enveloped him during his address to the U.N. General Assembly in 2005 and that the crowd stared without blinking during the entire speech.

"A member of the (Iranian) delegation told me, 'I saw a light that surrounded you,'" Ahmadinejad said. "I sensed it myself too ... I felt the atmosphere changed. All leaders in audience didn't blink for 27, 28 minutes. I'm not exaggerating when I'm saying they didn't blink. Everybody had been astonished ... they had opened their eyes and ears to see what is the message from the Islamic Republic."

The clip was released after Ahmadinejad on Saturday denied making the comment.

Mousavi's daily newspaper, Kalemeh Sabz, or Green Word, said in a front-page report that Amoli's office confirmed the video is authentic. The headline called it Ahmadinejad's "halo."

Mousavi accused Ahmadinejad of being "superstitious" and "brazenly staring at the camera and telling lies to the nation."

On Saturday, Ahmadinejad said inflation stood at 15 percent, but Mousavi showed a report released by the Central Bank of Iran indicating it stood at 25 percent.

"Why do we lie to people? Why do we give people wrong information? Is this to the country's benefit? Is gaining the presidential chair worth lying to people this blatantly?" Mousavi said on Sunday.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/08/irans-macaca-moment-amhad_n_212654.html

Marty #340650 06/08/09 02:28 PM
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 890
Offline
Well then, he might not win with Saddam's usual 100%, let the guy have a few votes to make it look legit, but he'll win big.


I hope that someday we can put aside our fears and prejudices and just laugh at people.
Marty #340660 06/08/09 03:14 PM
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 890
Offline
I was curious if this meme was making the rounds of other leftie sites, and sure enough, from Democratic Underground:

"...Apparently, they heard the President in Lebanon and Iran as well...President Bush with his Axis of Evil bluster has been replaced by President Obama with his clear diplomatic message of resolve and hope. It seeems as though an American President may be affecting the Iranian elections again, this time positively. From the recent polls it looks like Ahmadinejad is in trouble. His main opponent, Hussein Moussavi, is a reformist who is running an Obama style campaign attracting a huge youth surge. Moussavi stands for equal rights for women and decries Ahmadinejad's foreign policy as "adventurism, illusionism, exhibitionism, extremism and superficiality." In this election, Obama appears to be helping the candidate who is real relations to America. The American President is a role model instead of a straw man.

Likewise in Lebanon. As the New York Times reports, until recently it seemed as though the Iranian backed Hezbollah party would win the majority. Now it looks as though the coalition that is more favorable to America will retain power.

We don't know the exact effect that Obama is having on these elections. But it appears from the 2004 results that the Cheney/Bush presidency bolstered the enemies of America. Four years later it looks like the Obama's presidency may do the opposite.

Americans would do well to remember this four years in the future in our own elections in 2012."

-----------------------------------------------------------

The light thing is subject of another thread there as well. The trouble with this is, it happened in 2005. Everyone's known about it for 4 years.

The other problem with the above analysis is, if they are going to give Obama credit for the Lebanon elections, they have to be consistent and blame him if Ahmaninejad gets "re-elected".

Besides, the analysis is flawed. The Lebanon elections brought back to power the supporters and son of the assassinated popular (and Bush ally) PM Hariri.




I hope that someday we can put aside our fears and prejudices and just laugh at people.
skippy #340664 06/08/09 03:53 PM
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
OP Offline
this is about IRAN. not the usa, not obama. IRAN. Iranian politics.
and thats eh-RAHN
not EYE RAN

the halo quote might not be new to google, but it sure it new to have it splashed all over Iranian TV and being used against the President, Mr. I'm a dinner jacket

Marty #341601 06/17/09 10:45 PM
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 62
A
Offline
A
The source seems questionable to me.

Joined: May 2008
Posts: 890
Offline
Agreed. Nice to see I was right, too. Obama's hands off attitude about commenting on the election is strange. He initially said it would be seen as meddling, but Iran today accused the US of meddling anyway. In the meantime France and Germany's leaders have condemned the election as a fraud.

There are two possible outcomes in Iran now. The regime may succeed in crushing the opposition, enhancing its own power at the expense of whatever pretense of legitimacy it might have had a week ago. Or it may fail to do so and be weakened or overthrown. The free world has every interest in encouraging the latter outcome, and someone ought to bring the leader of the free world up to speed on the events of the past few days.


I hope that someday we can put aside our fears and prejudices and just laugh at people.
skippy #341610 06/17/09 11:27 PM
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,891
H
Offline
H
I wonder how Americans would feel about Iran meddling in our politics? There is no "leader" of the free world.(except in the arrogant minds of a few)

H20dog #341619 06/17/09 11:44 PM
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 3,046
P
Offline
P
How about the oppressed people of Iran? Who looks out for them, particularly the women? It seems pretty certain that the military dictatorship has faked the election to give itself credibility. Do we just abandon all these decent people (which is what the majority of Iranians are) to indefinite tyranny?

Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,891
H
Offline
H
I think it's time the EU put their money (and men) where their mouth is.

Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 62
A
Offline
A
There are poor and oppressed everywhere in the world. I dont know that pretending america is the beacon for freedom and then imposing that view on independent nations is prudent. History would support the idea that the usa interferes with national elections on a regular basis; to boot, the middle east is prime real estate for US politics at this point.

And to the idea of 'faked' elections, we need look no further than the USA for that. To believe america is free of fraud is self-imposed blindness.

Page 1 of 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Link Copied to Clipboard
March
S M T W T F S
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31
Cayo Espanto
Click for Cayo Espanto, and have your own private island
More Links
Click for exciting and adventurous tours of Belize with Katie Valk!
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 297 guests, and 0 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Forum Statistics
Forums44
Topics79,199
Posts500,011
Members20,460
Most Online7,413
Nov 7th, 2021



AmbergrisCaye.com CayeCaulker.org HELP! Visitor Center Goods & Services San Pedro Town
BelizeSearch.com Message Board Lodging Diving Fishing Things to Do History
BelizeNews.com Maps Phonebook Belize Business Directory
BelizeCards.com Picture of the Day

The opinions and views expressed on this board are the subjective opinions of Ambergris Caye Message Board members
and not of the Ambergris Caye Message Board its affiliates, or its employees.

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5