US rejects victory claim by Iran's Ahmadinejad | Comcast.netUS rejects victory claim by Iran's Ahmadinejad
By CAROLYN THOMPSON, AP
3 hours ago
NIAGARA FALLS, Ontario — The U.S. on Saturday refused to accept hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's claim of a landslide re-election victory in Iran and said it was looking into allegations of election fraud.
Any hopes by the Obama administration of gaining a result similar to Lebanon's recent election, won by a Western-backed moderate coalition, appeared to be in jeopardy.
"We are monitoring the situation as it unfolds in Iran, but we, like the rest of the world, are waiting and watching to see what the Iranian people decide," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said at a news conference with Canada's foreign affairs minister, Lawrence Cannon.
Minutes after Clinton spoke, the White House released a two-sentence statement praising "the vigorous debate and enthusiasm that this election generated, particularly among young Iranians," but expressing concern about "reports of irregularities."
Despite the challenge from reformist Mir Hossein Mousavi to incumbent Ahmadinejad, many officials and experts thought a Mousavi victory would result in only incremental shifts toward the U.S.
Because real power in Tehran is still wielded by religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, some say an Ahmadinejad re-election may make it easier to build an international consensus against Iran.
US rejects victory claim by Iran's Ahmadinejad | Comcast.net
While nice to think Obama cares.... the reality of the situation makes this a rather stupid move.
Knee-jerk actually.
Its not very likely there will be ether a coup or civil war in Iran. SO...
If he's illegitimate to the USA how the hell is Obama going to justify talking with him?
...what 3 months form now we'll say oh its ok now he's the real illegitimate leader we can deal with......what?
Going to be fun watching the left justify that hypocrisy. Because the one thing that will not change is any hope of Obama getting a brain and realizing negotiations have failed.
I think it's better to wait and see how would the Iranian people react to the rigged elections first.Time to give Israel the go ahead.
Time to give Israel the go ahead.
There's really not much choice. If the Iranians do succeed in toppling the mullahs and Ahmadinejad, the US needs to be in a position to have positive relations with whatever government comes next.While nice to think Obama cares.... the reality of the situation makes this a rather stupid move.
That's easy....legitimate or no, he's the man who's soon going to have nuclear weapons. Ignoring him means a nuclearized and largely unchecked Iran. If he's illegitimate it merely puts the characterization of Iran in the same cast as North Korea--a rogue pariah state with nuclear capacity--and that's not exactly a huge difference from the characterization of the Islamic Republic right now.If he's illegitimate to the USA how the hell is Obama going to justify talking with him?
Going to be fun watching the left justify that hypocrisy. Because the one thing that will not change is any hope of Obama getting a brain and realizing negotiations have failed.
Time to give Israel the go ahead.
"We are monitoring the situation as it unfolds in Iran, but we, like the rest of the world, are waiting and watching to see what the Iranian people decide," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said at a news conference with Canada's foreign affairs minister, Lawrence Cannon.
Minutes after Clinton spoke, the White House released a two-sentence statement praising "the vigorous debate and enthusiasm that this election generated, particularly among young Iranians," but expressing concern about "reports of irregularities."
...
Administration officials remained silent out of concern that any comments might influence the results.
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Neither Clinton nor the White House mentioned Ahmadinejad or his chief rival Mousavi, by name, or acknowledged the incumbent's victory declaration.
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In brief remarks in Canada, Clinton cited "the enthusiasm and the very vigorous debate and dialogue" in the run-up to the vote. "We obviously hope that the outcome reflects the genuine will and desire of the Iranian people," she said.
Going to be fun watching the left justify that hypocrisy.
The Iranian people seem to care a great deal.Who cares? What's the difference between one person controlled by the mullahs, and another? The President of Iran is irrelevant since he doesn't call the shots. This is all just political theater, and the mullahs are the ones writing the script.
The Iranian people seem to care a great deal.
Of greater concern to the US is whether the mullahs continue to retain a veneer of political legitimacy, or if they will become merely yet another gang of authoritarian oligarchs--who just happen to be on the verge of nuclear weapons.
Tehran 1999 was another Tienanmen Square. This is looking more like Romania in 1989--something Ahmadinejad needs to consider (what started out as a few rights blossomed overnight into a complete rebellion).If the people controlled the military, that might mean something. Otherwise, it's just another Tienanmen Square.
Exactly that.What do you mean "become"?
Tehran 1999 was another Tienanmen Square. This is looking more like Romania in 1989--something Ahmadinejad needs to consider (what started out as a few rights blossomed overnight into a complete rebellion).
Exactly that.
One thing is certain: huge numbers of Iranians turned out to vote, in an election staged by the mullahs. Had Mousavi not been cleared to run, or if the results weren't so questionable (Ahmadinejad presumably won in Mousavi's home town--even Mayor Daley isn't that greedy for votes), the Iranian people likely would have accepted the result.
If the Iranian people were willing to accept the results of a mullah-staged election, that acceptance confers political legitimacy on the mullahs, just as the removal of that acceptance (which appears to be going on now) strips them of political legitimacy.
The people usually are. Which is one reason the realization usually leads to rebellion.Then the Iranians were the last ones to realize what the form of their government actually is.
The people usually are. Which is one reason the realization usually leads to rebellion.
What will be interesting is watching the left contend with the sobering reality that Iran has shown itself to have no compelling interest in negotiations, and the rioting and alleged election irregularities merely drive that point home.
Most likely, and what few shreds of credibility they enjoy today will be gone.They'll just blame the USA and everyone but Obama.
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