Iranian Protests [Update]: Massacres in Tehran - Allah Akbar

Holy shit.

Quote:

2:01 AM ET -- Aslan: Rafsanjani calls "emergency" meeting of Assembly of Experts. If true, this is a bombshell. Appearing on CNN last night (video below), Iran expert Reza Aslan reported this:

There are very interesting things that are taking place right now. Some of my sources in Iran have told me that Ayatollah Rafsanjani, who is the head of the Assembly of Experts -- the eighty-six member clerical body that decides who will be the next Supreme Leader, and is, by the way, the only group that is empowered to remove the Supreme Leader from power -- that they have issued an emergency meeting in Qom.

Now, Anderson, I have to tell you, there's only one reason for the Assembly of Experts to meet at this point, and that is to actually talk about what to do about Khamenei. So, this is what I'm saying, is that we're talking about the very legitimacy, the very foundation of the Islamic Republic is up in the air right now. It's hard to say what this is going to go.


Aslan's scoop is also reported by the Farsi-language Rooyeh.

The reader in Iran who tipped me off to this sent a follow-up note:

jesus christ dude,

I'm [in my 30s] and never thought of it, let alone witnessing it as it unfolds.

I'm going nuts.

HOLY SHIT !!!


An informed Iranian-American had a different take. "I think Rafasanjani is not going to ask for Khamenei's removal, but is bluffing to force Khamenei to drop support of Ahmadinejad."

Jam it back in, in the dark.

It's a trap, get an axe.

A lot of reports are now saying that the riot police are protecting the protesters from the Basij and there are unconfirmed reports that many are wearing green armbands. On that note, it was fucking brave of the Iranian football team to wear green armbands for their match against Korea yesterday. They all took them off by the second half but to show such support for the opposition as such a high profile (And therefore traceable) person shows real courage. Their families are probably missing already...

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Well most people aren't objecting to the Islamic Republic, just the Ayatollah and President. That said, the last time the Riot Police refused to beat up opponents of the state was the last revolution, making their actions all that more symbolic. There's certain to be change of some sort after this but Mousavi is advocating peaceful protest still so unless the crowds get away from him, it looks unlikely there'll be a bloody revolution and the state wields far too much power for a peaceful one to have any success. I read some rumours that high ranking military officials had been arrested for planning a coup but they were just unconfirmed rumours, as so much of the information coming out of the country is at the moment.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

They had all the European ambassadors in yesterday accusing them of the same thing. At least it looks like Obama isn't looking to invade just yet. Despite Mousavi being seen as a reformist, there's not a huge amount of differences between the two of the candidates policy-wise and almost none in terms of foreign policy so human rights issues aside, there's not really anything to be gained by America getting involved, other than providing a polarising force for the whole of Iran to rally against. If you sent a few tanks rolling over the border from Iraq I imagine the two factions would reconcile their differences really quickly.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Ahaha, I was basing that on this quote

Quote:

"In the elections, voters had different tendencies, but they equally believe in the ruling system and support the Islamic Republic,"

Forgetting it was Ayatollah Khamenei who said it...

Brady, I was only joking about invading Iran. Still, I think that the US is better off completely out of this for the time being as any interference would inevitably give Khamenei more leverage over the people, turning their dissent against you rather than his regime.

I was speaking idiomatically.