Well, it looks as though the Iranian ruling clerics have found someone to blame for the recent protests over the fraudulent presidential election. Since they can't blame the U.S. (the Great Satan), the finger is pointed at Britain. "The enemy made made an effort to poison the people" according to Ayatollah Ahmad Janotti, head of the Guardian Council. So the poor Iranians who had been working in the British embassy have become the scapegoats. They will be put on trial for these alleged crimes. It looks as though the EU will present a united front against Iran. They may recall all 27 ambassadors from Tehran. This is the part of the struggle we can follow. What is harder to follow is what is going on within the Guardian Council. Does Janotti's statement mean the moderate clerics have been silenced? A moderate cleric had been scheduled to give the sermon on Friday, but he was replaced by Janotti. And, Rafsanjani, the former president and main suppporter of the opposition, has not preached since May 22. The struggle behind the closed doors may be more important than the struggle which occurred in the streets. Janotti also proclaimed, "We have a global mission." Very scary.
There have been very mixed reviews on Obama's handling of this. Has he been right with his very muted reaction so that the protests can not be tied to the the U.S.? Has he been right to let the EU take the lead in the criticism? Some people think he should have come out strong and quickly against the violent crackdown on the protesters and the obvious fraud in the election.
Any thoughts?
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As an American citizen, I couldn't care less what happens in Iran so long as 1. U.S. citizens aren't being harmed 2. they're not making nuclear weapons and 3. they stay in their own borders.
ReplyDeleteAs a lover of freedom, I find the whole thing distasteful and more than a little disturbing.
On Obama: I'm fine with him letting the E.U. take the lead on this one so long as he is paying very careful attention behind closed doors. If some sort of action needs to be taken anywhere in the world, I expect the president to be ready to pounce like puma when the time comes. Until then, talk is just talk and the last president did enough of that for the next three presidents.