Obama Harshly Condemns Iranian Crackdown

[Frodo]

Obama Assails Iran for Violent Response to Protests

By JEFF ZELENY and PETER BAKER
Published: June 23, 2009

WASHINGTON — President Obama harshly condemned the Iranian crackdown against demonstrations on Tuesday, declaring the rest of the world “appalled and outraged” and dismissing what he called “patently false and absurd” accusations that the United States instigated the protests.

In his sharpest and most expansive comments on the crisis in Tehran since the June 12 elections that the opposition called rigged, Mr. Obama deplored the violence that has killed some protesters, including a young woman whose death was captured on a video that has been played around the world.

“While this loss is raw and painful,” the president said, “we also know this: those who stand up for justice are always on the right side of history.”

The president’s forceful comments, delivered during prepared remarks opening a midday news conference at the White House, came after 10 days of more restrained response by Mr. Obama, who expressed concern that a more prominent role would play into the Iranian government’s hands. Even as he employed tougher language on Tuesday, he emphasized repeatedly that the protests in Tehran have nothing to do with the United States and rejected Iranian allegations of American involvement.

“They are an obvious attempt to distract people from what is truly taking place within Iran’s borders,” he said. “This tired strategy of using tensions to scapegoat other countries won’t work anymore in Iran. This is not about the United States and the West. This is about the people of Iran, and the future that they, and only they, will choose.”

[Хahar 🤔]

Ugh...

[GMantis]

Ugh...

Why?

[phk]

Ugh...

Why?

[Kaine for Senate '18]

About time.

[Mechaman]

Where's all the noobs who were griping about Obama doing nothing?

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Where's all the noobs who were griping about Obama doing nothing?

I don't know about the noobs, but this Obama character, the same one who thinks he can negotiate with the Iranian dictators, is way ahead of the learning curve when it comes to appeasement and naïveté.  He demonstrates basically no idea of whom he is dealing with, almost to the point of being in bed with them.  He has linked the actions of freely elected Israelis with the actions of this Iranian regime - basically equating the two - while ignoring the sovereignty of Israel by demanding from the Jews concessions, then turning right around and barely offering a word of condemnation of Iran’s tyranny over it’s own people.

Is this guy for real?!
 

[Хahar 🤔]

Ugh...

Why?

Any action at this point is still too early.

[GMantis]

Ugh...

Why?

Any action at this point is still too early.

So when will it be time? After the deonstrations have been crushed Tiananmen style?

[??????????]

Ugh...

Why?

Any action at this point is still too early.

So when will it be time? After the deonstrations have been crushed Tiananmen style?

Don't worry us Americans won't be seen as meddling at least!

[jokerman]

Where's all the noobs who were griping about Obama doing nothing?

I don't know about the noobs, but this Obama character, the same one who thinks he can negotiate with the Iranian dictators, is way ahead of the learning curve when it comes to appeasement and naïveté.  He demonstrates basically no idea of whom he is dealing with, almost to the point of being in bed with them.  He has linked the actions of freely elected Israelis with the actions of this Iranian regime - basically equating the two - while ignoring the sovereignty of Israel by demanding from the Jews concessions, then turning right around and barely offering a word of condemnation of Iran’s tyranny over it’s own people.

What the f**k does Israel have to do with this?  Why did you bring Israel into this thread?

[Sbane]

Ugh...

Why?

Any action at this point is still too early.

So when will it be time? After the deonstrations have been crushed Tiananmen style?

And how would we be able to prevent that by speaking out loudly? The only other way I see is through an invasion and we all know how that's gonna turn out.

[GMantis]

Ugh...

Why?

Any action at this point is still too early.

So when will it be time? After the deonstrations have been crushed Tiananmen style?

And how would we be able to prevent that by speaking out loudly? The only other way I see is through an invasion and we all know how that's gonna turn out.

Well, I oppose an invasion but something must be said. What are you suggesting? That the US government stays silent the whole time, whaetever happens, because it won't do any good?

[??????????]

Wow, GM and I agree on something.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Where's all the noobs who were griping about Obama doing nothing?

I don't know about the noobs, but this Obama character, the same one who thinks he can negotiate with the Iranian dictators, is way ahead of the learning curve when it comes to appeasement and naïveté.  He demonstrates basically no idea of whom he is dealing with, almost to the point of being in bed with them.  He has linked the actions of freely elected Israelis with the actions of this Iranian regime - basically equating the two - while ignoring the sovereignty of Israel by demanding from the Jews concessions, then turning right around and barely offering a word of condemnation of Iran’s tyranny over it’s own people.

What the f**k does Israel have to do with this?  Why did you bring Israel into this thread?

That's a question that should be asked of Obama, because Obama has linked progress on the Israeli "occupation" as a requirement to progress on convincing Iran to give up nukes.

[Хahar 🤔]

Ugh...

Why?

Any action at this point is still too early.

So when will it be time? After the deonstrations have been crushed Tiananmen style?

Precisely. The best course of action would be to covertly arm a pro-democratic militia (much of Iran's terrain is good for this sort of thing), and see how much it takes for the government to collapse.