Nice progress in Iran
Tuesday, September 22, 2009 at 1:28AM ARTICLE: Despite Warning, Thousands Rally in Iran, By ROBERT F. WORTH, New York Times, September 18, 2009
Very nice showing two months after the election, proving to the ruling leadership that the opposition has both legs and a capacity to disrupt events normally highly advantageous to the government.
Very impressive, indeed:
Coming a day after President Obama announced a revised missile defense system that aims to check Iran's military ambitions, the rallies underscored the continuing vitality of the domestic opposition movement, which has rejected the election as fraudulent and fiercely criticized the violence that followed it.
In a striking contrast with earlier rallies, the police often stood on the sidelines as protesters faced off against huge crowds of government supporters -- many of them bused in from outside the cities -- and chain-wielding Basij militia members. There were reports of arrests in Tehran and the southern city of Shiraz, but no shootings or deaths, with the police apparently showing greater restraint than during earlier protests.
Yet another good reason to keep our missile defense responses as temporary and flexible as possible.
Especially sweet:
The protesters, ignoring stern official warnings not to use the annual pro-Palestinian rally as a pretext for demonstrations, showed up in large numbers wearing the trademark bright green color of the opposition.
When government men shouted "Death to Israel" through loudspeakers, protesters derisively chanted "Death to Russia" in response. Many opposition supporters are angry about Russia's quick acceptance of Mr. Ahmadinejad's electoral victory.
Most important, the students seem highly energized and not intimidated:
In the capital, the police and huge crowds of government supporters blocked most protesters from approaching Mr. Ahmadinejad as he arrived in a bulletproof car at Tehran University to deliver a speech before the formal Friday Prayer sermon. But as he began his remarks, chants of "Resign! Resign!" could be heard, according to witnesses cited on opposition Web sites.
All in all, this is progressing nicely.
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