Iran: The Fall Out

After the indignation and outrage, the rejections and the errors, there are emotions, opinions and peoples hedging their bets. A few wise men have written op-eds in support, among them former US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton - a keen observer as ever - and former Spanish PM, Jose Maria Aznar. Rejectionists talk of the geopolitical need for a stable Iran, as if an oppressive regime isn't inherently always instable.

Present blog has - reluctantly at first - endorsed the popular participation in the revolt. The de facto leader, Mir Hossein Mousavi, is after all a man steeped in the history of the bloody Islamofascist Republic.

On the other hand, thanks to the theocratic system, he's all they've got! If Iranians have entrusted him with their destiny, then so be it!

The alternative is the status quo. Only the most deluded libtard can believe nuclear war is still avoidable by parley with the regime.

Yeah, like Chamberlain: peace in our time. It has now become quite clear what Obama's 'negotiation rounds' with despots will lead to: nuclear extortion and the legitimization of evil regimes, while democratic movements and innocents are left in the lurch.

It beggars belief, but the most cynical of Postmodern nihilists even side with them. They believe in the Great and the Small Satan as much as the regime does. But it is not too late to let wisdom prevail over foreign policy by false emotion.

So, what the world is presented with here is a unique opportunity to change the course of history, which in its current trajectory may prove very ugly indeed. Almost inevitably we will find Mousavi wanting, but that does not warrant the cold rejection of this brave effort.

Pamela Geller has these observations (Brava! she also chased down the Swiss bank accounts):

American Thinker: "The Case for Iran: Fighting for Freedom"

Many people (including Barack Obama) have pointed out that Mir Hussein Mousavi, the defeated presidential candidate and a key figure in the Iranian protests, is scarcely different from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. After his numerous overtures to the mullahs, it is not hard to know why Obama is hoping the opposition will be crushed. But there are signs that many of the Iranian protesters are not fighting for Mir Hussein Mousavi. Mousavi is an Islamic Republic establishment hack. Are people in Iran dying for more of the same thing they have been getting from the Islamic Republic for thirty years? (...) 

The ultimate question is what a regime change, or even modification of the regime with a Mousavi as president, would mean to Iran's nuclear program. I am optimistic on this front for two reasons: one, because I do not hear Mousavi saying bad things about the U.S. and Israel to whip up the crowds; and two, if he wants rapprochement with the West, he will have to give up the bomb. And I think he does want the support of the West. If he becomes President, he will need the West as a bulwark in his defenses against a resurgence of Islamic fundamentalism.

He is a Muslim -- nothing much has changed about that, but he may bow to pressure from the Iranian people for a relaxation of Shari'a rule and a return to something like the way Iranian society was under the Shah. This could lead him to moderate things in Iran a bit: no bomb, and perhaps no Syria, Hezb'allah and Abbas as proxies by which to wage terrorism. It is conceivable.  This result would be wonderful in light of the ongoing radicalization of Syria, Turkey, and Pakistan. A moderate Iran could be a very stabilizing thing in the region. This is why Obama's failure to seize the moment is so shortsighted and stupid. (...) >>>

Amen to that. In his blog today Afshin Ellian writes that Makhmalbaf, the Iranian film director and Mousavi's representative in Paris called upon Mousavi not to send the people home, oppressed by loneliness and disappointment. "Do not demand from an illegal Government its permission to demonstrate. The majority voted for you and awaits your orders. Ask us to go onto the streets, for picketing and combat".

"Makmalbaf is a incisive intellectual. Yes, the people want a leader. They are not afraid for Basieej and other scum. (...) The entire Middle East is watching Persia closely. If the Persians can obtain a modicum of freedom and the rule of law, it may well spread like an oil spill all over the Middle East."

"One thing is for sure: the tyranny in Persia is collapsing on many fronts. The hegemony of Islamofascism can no longer be taken for granted. Mousavi will not forsake Iran's Nedas."

Just in: a young man molested yesterday by state thugs at a "legal" rally:



Mousavi site in English, more link ups. And honor where due, The Guardian has been very good during this entire episode. They're now putting faces to the missing, killed and detained. Report them with The Guardian.