News from Iran? Good? Bad? Who knows?

[Neil]

Not really. I prefer antisemitic muslim fundamentalist retards killing each other, though.

I don't know how much control Mousavi has over the movement at this point.  It looks increasingly likely that in a post-Revolution Iran the Supreme Ruler and the Guardian Council might be less powerful (which would be true if the Revolution doesn't work, anyway), with honest elections and presumably increasing liberalism.

In other words, a total disaster.

[jimmy olsen]

Huffpo has linked to some video of militiamen firing on the crowd!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/13/iran-demonstrations-viole_n_215189.html

[Ed Anger]

Huffpo has linked to some video of militiamen firing on the crowd!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/13/iran-demonstrations-viole_n_215189.html

fap fap fap fap fap.

But I feel dirty visiting the huffington post. 

[The Minsky Moment]

Can't be arsed to read the entire thread, but I hope someone has already pointed out that Mousavi is a chauvinist antisemite who believes in the nuclear programme and destruction of Israel, right?

I think it was pointed out that he was cleared to run for President, yes.

[Martinus]

Huffpo has linked to some video of militiamen firing on the crowd!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/13/iran-demonstrations-viole_n_215189.html

fap fap fap fap fap.

But I feel dirty visiting the huffington post. 

Can't blame you. Try queerty.com for top news.

[Legbiter]

Who's stoning adultresses and homosexuals while this is going on? 

[Oexmelin]

Can't be arsed to read the entire thread, but I hope someone has already pointed out that Mousavi is a chauvinist antisemite who believes in the nuclear programme and destruction of Israel, right?

I think it was pointed out that he was cleared to run for President, yes.

Indeed; but while Mousavi isn't Obama's Second Coming, I get the feeling, from the interviews, that the movement threatens in a sense to get beyond Mousavi himself.

[Queequeg]

Can't be arsed to read the entire thread, but I hope someone has already pointed out that Mousavi is a chauvinist antisemite who believes in the nuclear programme and destruction of Israel, right?

I think it was pointed out that he was cleared to run for President, yes.

Indeed; but while Mousavi isn't Obama's Second Coming, I get the feeling, from the interviews, that the movement threatens in a sense to get beyond Mousavi himself.

Yup.  Like the Democratic Socialists at the head of the revolutions in Czechslovakia and Poland; the moment of their triumph, they realize how inadequate and outdated their views beyond sacking the establishment are. 

[Sheilbh]

There's reports that the Basij's base in central Tehran, in Azadi Square, has been stormed and is currently on fire, the commander's apparently dead.  The Basij are the militia of the Revolutionary Guard and have grown under Ahmedinejad's time in office.  It was speculated a while ago that he was building them up to repress any civil disorder.

By the protesters or by a rival militia group?
[/quote]
By the protestors.  Channel 4 had footage of the Basij shooting into the crowd, at least one death, while the protestors chanted 'we will kill those who kill their brothers'.  Then the compound was stormed and set on fire.

All foreign journalists have been asked to leave the country.  The night-time chants of 'Allah-o-akbar' which were used by Khomeini in 1979 to 'unify' the people are being used by the opposition now and, apparently, many of the chants used are based on ones used against the Shah.

I believe the regime tried to scare people a great deal last night.  Then the protest was officially cancelled, as well as being banned.  Still hundreds of thousands - some estimate a million or more - marched.  Tonight I've read that the secret police are warning people who attended the rally not to do it again.  There's another rally planned for tomorrow and a general strike.  It'll be interesting to see how turnout is at that.  Given that they're asking foreign journalists to leave I think they're getting ready for a clampdown that will make what we've seen so far seem positively benign.

However asking the foreign journalists to leave may not be enough.  I believe a lot of the film used by the BBC especially has been caught on mobile phone cameras by Iranians who are then sending the video to BBC Persia.

I can't find this anywhere, got a source?

Channel 4's correspondent, the wonderful Lyndsey Hilson mentioned it in her interview.  She also has this footage that's rather disturbing so be warned:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1184614595?bctid=26415347001
She also said 'this is huge.  It's not limited to one section of society'.  This is described as an image of the Basij compound I believe:
http://twitpic.com/7h5hb

Indeed; but while Mousavi isn't Obama's Second Coming, I get the feeling, from the interviews, that the movement threatens in a sense to get beyond Mousavi himself.

I think that's why they tried to fix it.  Mousavi was a safe pair of hands, his views aren't as clear as the other candidates because he's been in a very low key post since he was Prime Minister.  He wouldn't have been approved as a candidate if he were a dangerous radical - the most dangerously reformist is Kerroubi who is now wearing suits not clerical robes because he says that he feels his position as a cleric has been dirtied by the lies about this election, which is remarkably.  I mean the Islamic Republic doesn't rig elections by stuffing ballot boxes, historically they've rigged the election before the campaign can start.  Which is what's so striking.

The thing that scared the regime wasn't Mousavi it was this campaign.  Now that Mousavi, Kerroubi and, possibly, Rafsanjani have aligned themselves with the protestors it's difficult to know what's happening or what will happen.  As I say I think one of the reasons it's very difficult to see a way the two sides can back away from the edge and compromise is because it looks like a zero sum game at the top: either Mousavi wins or Khameini and Ahmedinejad do.

Already we've seen a number of unprecedented things.  The Supreme Leader has never gone back on himself before.  Two days ago these elections were a 'divine assessment' now they are under investigation for irregularities.  There has never been protests this large and certainly not any that have burned a Basij compound.  I can't imagine how terrifying it must be in Iran because I think everything's up in the air.

I think they're preparing a big crackdown.  Hence the expulsion of foreign journalists.  Incidentally, I think this has been a very good time for the BBC (though I'm not seeing their TV).  I'm very happy that they're reporting so heavily that they seem to have a number of people on the ground and that they're doing everything they can to keep BBC Persia online, on the radio and on the internet in Iran.  I'm very glad they're doing the best of what they're meant to be doing.

[jimmy olsen]

The BBC's done a good job, the news channels here aren't doing nearly as well in my opinion.

[Queequeg]

How much can the Secret Police clamp down now? The protesters have attacked the Basij headquarters, what are the headquarters of the Ministry of Intelligence like? 

[Admiral Yi]

The BBC's done a good job, the news channels here aren't doing nearly as well in my opinion.

Are (were) US reporters even allowed in the country?

[Queequeg]

The BBC's done a good job, the news channels here aren't doing nearly as well in my opinion.

Are (were) US reporters even allowed in the country?

There is a guy from John Stewart there, so is Cohen from TYNT. 

[Sheilbh]

The BBC's done a good job, the news channels here aren't doing nearly as well in my opinion.

Are (were) US reporters even allowed in the country?

Christiane Amanpour (sp?) is out there at the minute.  Americans are allowed to report from Iran, yeah.

Edit:  Though American journalists, possibly all foreign journalists, are limited to Tehran and Qom.  I think that's why we've heard little but rumours about the protests in cities across Iran.

[Queequeg]

The BBC's done a good job, the news channels here aren't doing nearly as well in my opinion.

Are (were) US reporters even allowed in the country?

Christiane Amanpour (sp?) is out there at the minute.  Americans are allowed to report from Iran, yeah.

She's half Iranian, and I'm almost certain she speaks it, she pronounces the names like a native speaker.