Iran in chaos!!!!!!!!!!1

strandinthewind · #1 06-20-2009, 04:55 PM

Revolution is happening as we speak. The Iranian Militia is killing the citizens. Sporadic violence is happening. Those poor people in that horrible place run by those horrible people.

At least 19 dead in Iran unrest, hospital sources say

* Story Highlights
* NEW: Hospitals say 19 killed; unconfirmed reports put toll as high as 150
* Police use water cannon and batons on crowds of demonstrators
* Facebook page of Mir Hossein Moussavi says he's ready for "martyrdom"
* Obama urges Iran to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people

TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Thousands of defiant protesters clashed with police in the streets of Tehran on Saturday in protest of last week's presidential elections, and opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi reportedly said he was ready for "martyrdom."

The unrest left 19 people dead, hospital sources said. Unconfirmed reports put the death toll as high as 150 on the seventh day of post-election demontrations.

Police were using tear gas, clubs and water cannon as they tried to disperse the demonstrators.

A stream of videos posted on social networking Web sites appeared to show demonstrators who had been shot.

One video showed a woman trying to protect a man being beaten and kicked by protesters. A motorcycle lies on its side nearby, and another is in flames.

The protests were held in open defiance of warnings issued Friday by Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the Islamic Republic Security Council. They had said protest organizers -- specifically Moussavi -- would be held accountable if the protests led to bloodshed. VideoWatch helicopters hover above protesters in Tehran »

The message on Moussavi's page on Facebook urged Moussavi's supporters to "protest" and "not go to work." The social networking Web site has proved to be a key source of information in a country whose government has banned international journalists from newsgathering.

The authenticity of the information could not immediately be established, but its posting coincided with growing unrest by demonstrators, who say President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's election victory was rigged. VideoWatch Khamenei deny allegations of vote-rigging »

Witnesses in Tehran told CNN one crowd was chanting "Death to Khamenei!" and "I will kill whoever killed my brother!" -- a chant that dates to Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution that brought Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to power.

In a story posted Saturday on the Web site of the government-run Press TV, Iran's deputy police commander said 400 police personnel had been wounded since the opposition rallies began last weekend.VideoWatch police and protesters clash Saturday »

"Families of those killed or injured in the events since June 12 have filed 2,000 complaints so far," acting Police Chief Brigadier General Ahmad-Reza Radan told Iran's Fars news agency.

Radan said 10,000 complaints had been filed by people asserting that their daily lives had been disrupted, adding, "They have called on the police to deal with rallies firmly."

"The recent rallies destroyed 700 buildings, burst 300 banks into flame, damaged 300 cars and 300 public properties," Radan said. iReport.com: Share images from Iran

Meanwhile, the head of Tehran's Emergency Center, Reza Dehqanpour, said more than 50 ambulances had been reserved to help the wounded.

Demonstrators gathered in major cities in France, the United States and Germany to condemn Iran's crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Tehran.

In Washington, President Obama urged the Iranian government to stop the violence against its own citizens.

"The Iranian government must understand that the world is watching," Obama said in a written statement. "We call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people."

Obama received intelligence briefings throughout the day and discussed the situation with senior advisers, an administration official told CNN.

On Saturday night, the Iranian state-run news agency IRINN said an attacker had been killed earlier in the day outside Tehran at the entrance to the Khomeini's mausoleum. The agency said the man "carrying the bomb" was killed, and there were no other casualties.

Press TV had said earlier that three people, including the bomber, died at the shrine to Khomeini, the father of the Islamic Revolution that swept the shah of Iran from power in 1979. Khomeini is regarded as the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

In a related development, a witness reported a fire near the French Embassy, apparently caused by debris that had been set ablaze nearby. The location is near the intersection of Vali Asr Avenue and Noufle Chateau, named for where Khomeini lived when he was in exile in Paris, France.

With international journalists restricted from covering events in the capital, Iranians were using cell phones and social networking sites to get news out. CNN was told that many protesters removed the SIM card, or memory chip, from their cell phones to prevent the government from tracing their calls. VideoWatch an iReporter's images of fires and violence in the streets »

Witnesses reported that cell phone service was cut off in the area after 5:30 p.m.

Saturday's protests began later than had been predicted. Rallies that were to have begun about 4 p.m. (7:30 a.m. ET) did not materialize.

Many who said they planned to attend the rallies wrote early Saturday to one another on the social networking site Twitter. Some wondered whether there would be violence at the protests.

"Let the Qu'ran shield you. It's a mortal sin to kill anyone holding the Qu'ran. BRING your Qu'ran to protest!!!" one person wrote on Twitter. VideoWatch an Iranian studies professor discuss protest tactics »

"We will try 2 keep this rally peaceful/silent as usual at every cost. Cant give them excuse 2 use force. Hope they wont," another said.

CNN is not publishing the posters' names for safety reasons. Both said they were in Iran, but CNN could not verify that.

Reliable information was hard to come by.

The Ministry of Culture on Saturday banned international media from reporting on the demonstrations unless they receive permission from Iranian authorities. A freelance journalist said it was "very dangerous" to take pictures. PhotoSee images of the clashes Saturday »

Meanwhile, the Iranian government said Saturday it is ready to randomly recount up to 10 percent of "ballot boxes." The government agency that oversees elections, the Guardian Council, said it had received more than 600 complaints of irregularities from the three candidates.

Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/...ion/index.html

shackin'up · #2 06-20-2009, 05:48 PM

Will it be bigscale revolution, or will these people back off on the longer run, simply becuase they're raised that way?..... fascinating history-in-the-making if they pull it off seriously....

**mylittledemon** · #3 06-20-2009, 06:41 PM

The pessimist in me says "BIG DEAL"...even if they succeed in overthrowing the current president, they'll just replace him with another loon and nothing will change. But, I'm still hopeful that it'll change for the better of the people there.

Stew_Matthews · #4 06-22-2009, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Revolution is happening as we speak.

I don't think it is. I've seen more reaction in France, Greece and Turkey to national elections than is happening in Iran.

Quote:

Those poor people in that horrible place run by those horrible people.

You have never been there so you don't really know what it is like. Tehran is a much cooler and relaxed place than you'd think. It is also one of the most attractive countries in the middle east. It is more 'Western' than most of its neighbours except Jordan I guess. Ok it is a bit right wing on gay issues but is probably more liberal than Texas

! Don't believe all you hear on CNN. Stick to worrying about North Korea - that is a country run by horrible people!!

gldstwmn · #5 06-22-2009, 06:26 PM

I think Reza Shah Pahlavi is sexy.

strandinthewind · #6 06-22-2009, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stew_Matthews

I don't think it is. I've seen more reaction in France, Greece and Turkey to national elections than is happening in Iran.

Maybe France during the revolution - but many people are dying for this, albeit and sadly doomed, cause in Iran

I agree though that although it appeared at first that perhaps the people were onto something, it kind of has turned out to be no more than a large riot in the street. Hopefully, there will be lasting results though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stew_Matthews

You have never been there so you don't really know what it is like. Tehran is a much cooler and relaxed place than you'd think. It is also one of the most attractive countries in the middle east. It is more 'Western' than most of its neighbours except Jordan I guess.

I mean horrible in the sense that it was a horrible place where people were dying at this time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stew_Matthews

Ok it is a bit right wing on gay issues but is probably more liberal than Texas

! Don't believe all you hear on CNN.

There are no gay people in Iran

strandinthewind · #7 06-22-2009, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

I think Reza Shah Pahlavi is sexy.

Get out the key to your uterus and invite him over

BTFLCHLD · #8 06-22-2009, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

There are no gay people in Iran

I believe they are there; openly being slaughtered. I have read of some escaping to other countries.
Horrible to read such things.http://www.globalgayz.com/country/Ir...reports-2009-2

gldstwmn · #9 06-23-2009, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Get out the key to your uterus and invite him over

I love you.

strandinthewind · #10 06-23-2009, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BTFLCHLD

I believe they are there; openly being slaughtered. I have read of some escaping to other countries.
Horrible to read such things.http://www.globalgayz.com/country/Ir...reports-2009-2

Agree. I was quoting was their fukctard Pres. said.

Stew_Matthews · #11 06-23-2009, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Agree. I was quoting was their fukctard Pres. said.

My initial sarcasm was generated by your lack of balance or insight in this thread.

Iraq is in an appalling mess that will take a generation to heal and as a result of that, several other states such as Pakistan are close to collapse. Israelis and the Palestinians have reached new levels of barbarity. Do you really want Iran in the same mess? What purpose does it serve anyone? Do you see it as payback cos they brought down Jimmy Carter’s ‘administration’

? But seriously, I can see why the oil men would like it to collapse.

If Iran is on the brink of embracing democracy then that is to be welcomed. But changing the election result as most Iranians know would have little impact. There isn’t an opposition in Iran – fact!. There are six parties that stand for election on exactly the same manifesto that are all approved by religious clerics. It makes no difference to Iranians who won the election because the policies are identical. Most of the people demonstrating don’t give a **** who won – all they want is to have some say in how they live their lives. In my view, as with the old ‘eastern block’ states, this could be achieved though incentivising Iran to change – opening up trade opportunities and allowing more of its people to work overseas. Sanctions don’t work. Seldom also has the tank done the trick. I suspect China and Korea would have developed differently had it not been for Vietnam and Iraq has made Syria for example, more insular than one would wish.

You may think that Iran’s leader is a fuktard (as you put it) – maybe he is. But to start dictating your values to another nation could make you sound arrogant. Why is America better – why are your values batter? I see enough poverty, illiteracy and crime in Chicago to recognise that the values here more often talked about rather than delivered.

North Korea, Burma, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Congo and Armenia are killing their citizens every day of the week. No one seems to give a **** about the people in those countries but time and again we see the US press/media dictating how the Middle East should change.

(I may have misinterpreted the seriousness your original post so sorry if I have.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by BTFLCHLD

I believe they are there; openly being slaughtered

We could debate all afternoon what is the most hideous treatment of a minority group. What is going on isn't right but it needs a more skilfull intervention to put it right - not shroud waving.

strandinthewind · #12 06-23-2009, 04:39 PM

^^^

1. Any mistreatment by any govt. is wrong.

2. The situation in Iran hardly compares to any situation in the US, where, although things are bad, people are not shot in the streets by the govt. The comparison of the two is incorrect.

3. I never dictated my values on anyone. The situation is res ipsa loquitor.

Note on edit - I typed this in a hurry and in a difficult medium. No condescending tone implied by the terse nature of the post.