Iran hardliners call for killing rivals at rallies

[StarfarerBill]

Source: Associated Press

TEHRAN, Iran – Tens of thousands of hard-liners poured into the streets in support of Iran's clerical rulers at state-sponsored rallies Wednesday, some chanting calls for the execution of opposition leaders as the country's internal strife turned more bitter.

Some wore white funeral shrouds to symbolize a willingness to die in defense of the ruling system. An ominous online threat in the name of a previously unknown group said suicide squads were ready to assassinate the opposition leaders should the judiciary fail to punish them within a week.

The display of popular support for the government and the stirring, violent rhetoric from the crowd appeared to be a genuine outpouring, though some supporters were bused in by the government. The rallies showed Iran's rulers could forcefully take back control of the streets after opposition demonstrations Sunday that triggered the worst bloodshed since the height of the unrest over the summer.

Iran's official news agency reported that the top two opposition leaders fled Tehran. But the son of one of the men, Mahdi Karroubi, disputed that report and told The Associated Press that Karroubi and the other leader, Mir Hossein Mousavi, were both at their homes in Tehran.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091230/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iran

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[janx]

3. Yes, we are. After 11 months, we want results, dammit!

:rofl:

[EmeraldCityGrl]

4. He's doing it by minding his own business.

Let the Iranians decide how their country will be lead.

[SkyDaddy7]

8. You are watching the smarter better way!

I guess you want Obama to do the Cheney/Bush method and invade, huh? I swear the Tea Bagger like gang bang on Obama gets more insane everyday! I always thought we on the left were rational and thought things through but that is obviously not the case!

Obama should have cured all Americas problems and the world in 11 months, huh? Folks are simply absurd!

[HuckleB]

12. That's correct.

[janx]

2. From what I've read about this,

"Iran's official news agency reported that the top two opposition leaders fled Tehran," it seems as if Iran's news service was being deliberately vague. It didn't say "the" top two opposition leaders; it said that two opposition leaders had fled. People are now wondering if this propaganda wasn't put out to gauge reaction, to see what the green movement would do. But Mousavi and Karroubi family members discredited the account in short order.

[msongs]

5. religion is wonderful nt

[timefortherevolution]

7. I will pay a "religion tax" that pays for therapy for religious zealots.

Part of their treatment is that they take a certain number of Science classes and
they learn about the complexities of the universe.

This will burst the bubble surrounding the 76 virgins. Or whatever the number is.

Religion is the scourge of this planet.

[Atticus]

6. How 'bout that? Iran has teabaggers, too! nt

[Downwinder]

9. Amazing how much more coverage there is for Iran than there was for Honduras.

Sure makes it smell like something is rotten.

And after seeing AP's coverage on Honduras, I question the validity of anything they put out.

[Freddie Stubbs]

10. Venezuela blames U.S. for destabilizing Iran

CARACAS, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela on Wednesday blamed the United States for destabilizing Iran by instigating violent protests in the Asian country.

The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Venezuela rejects the destabilization attempts "promoted by the government of the United States against the government and people of Iran."

"Venezuela is surprised that a group of countries led by the North American Empire are echoing a campaign to divide and spread violence among Iranians, in contravention of the fundamental norms of peace, non-interference and respect for sovereignty," the foreign ministry said.

Venezuela also expressed its solidarity with Iran "for its fight for the consolidation of the Islamic Revolution."

[Downwinder]

11. What surprises me, is that the U.S. is not blaming Cuba. n/t

[EmeraldCityGrl]

14. In all fairness there were reports a couple years ago

when Cheney appointed Elizabeth Cheney as deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs.

Cheney daughter leads ‘cold war’ on mullahs

THE war in Iraq is her father’s business but Elizabeth Cheney, the American vice-president’s daughter, has been given responsibility for bringing about a different type of regime change in Iran.

Cheney, a 39-year-old mother of four, is a senior official in the State Department, which has often been regarded as hostile territory by Dick Cheney’s White House team. Nonetheless father and daughter agree it would be better for the mullahs’ regime to collapse from within than to be ousted by force."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x577982

I'm not so sure Cheney isn't still pulling the strings of some of the staff they left behind.

[aquart]

16. Did she cause the government to abuse women for wearing lipstick and nail polish?

American egotism knows no bounds.

[unblock]

13. hey, their hard-right wackos are just like our hard-right wackos!

although i suppose coulter wasn't specific about WHERE liberals should be killed.

[aquart]

15. The Green movement is nonviolent.

How are these hardliners supposed to die if no one kills them?