The Beginning of the End?
YNET NEWS: Young Iranians may topple Ayatollah regime in wake of elections fiasco

Upon the publication of the official results of the Iranian presidential elections in 2009, which showed incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the clear winner, regime rivals including the government of Israel can be satisfied.

Ahmadinejad’s victory, which most people believe was apparently achieved via a well-oiled machine of fraud, threats, the deployment of armed forces, closure of rival headquarters, and disconnected cellular phones, may mark the beginning of the end of the Ayatollah regime. This regime was established by the Ayatollah Khomeini 30 years ago, in 1979, after he led a revolution that toppled the Shah and the Pahlavi dynasty.

During the past 30 years, Islamic regime leaders made sure not to repeat the grave mistakes made by the previous regime. As they took advantage of the Shah’s mistakes in order to topple him, Islamic leaders knew precisely which errors to avoid. However, in the latest presidential elections they revived the well-known dictum that we are doomed to repeat our mistakes.

On several occasions during his rule, the Shah was accused of forging election results; large strata of society believed these charges and this laid the groundwork for the popular revolution against him in 1978-79.

Yet on Friday it was the Islamic regime which so blatantly forged the results of the Iranian presidential elections. >>> Soli Shahvar | Sunday, June 14, 2009

Al-Qaeda's American Member Talks of Jewish Roots
YNET NEWS: Adam Yahiye Gadahn, one of most known speakers of global terror organization, releases video in which he talks of his Zionist grandfather who tried to convince him to visit Israel

Al-Qaeda's American activist Adam Yahiye Gadahn released a new video on Saturday in which he denounces Israel and the United States and talks about his Jewish ancestry for the first time.

Gadahn, who is known as the American Azzam and is on the FBI's most wanted list, spoke about his Zionist grandfather, who used to encourage him to visit Israel.

"Let me here tell you something about myself and my biography, in which there is a benefit and a lesson…Your speaker has Jews in his ancestry, the last of whom was his grandfather," he said in the video. Gadahn grew up in California, converted to Islam in the 1990s, moved to Pakistan and joined the global terror organization.

Gadahn said his grandfather was a "Zionist" and "a zealous supporter of the usurper entity, and a prominent member of a number of Zionist hate organizations."

"He used to repeat to me what he claimed are the virtues of this entity and encouraged me to visit it, specifically the city of Tel Aviv, where relatives of ours live," said Gadahn, referring to Israel.

According to the terror operative, his grandfather gave him a book by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called "A Place Among the Nations" in which the "rabid Zionist" sets out "feeble arguments and unmasked lies to justify the Jews' rape of Muslim Palestine." >>> Ynet | Sunday, June 14, 2009

Tehran Youth: I'll Never Vote in Iran Again
YNET NEWS: Frustrated and outraged by election results they believe were rigged, Tehran's young take to streets, spread messages and videos on internet and via mobile phones calling on world to intervene

Iran's youth responded with frustration and anger to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad electoral win, which many believe was obtained by fraud. Some of them were able to voice their outrage through instant messages and video clips sent via mobile phones, or on blogs, forums, Facebook and YouTUbe before these websites were blocked by the authorities.

One of them, a young man from Tehran, told Ynet on Sunday: "I swear to God I'll never vote in Iran again. Mousavi received 25,000 million votes, but they changed the names (on the ballots)."

However he said that he was still hopeful in light of the great numbers of young Iranians who have taken to the streets in protest of the election results. Tens of thousands of people clashed with security forces in the capital of Tehran on Saturday, and at least two were reportedly killed in the violence. >>> Dudi Cohen | Sunday, June 14, 2009

YOUTUBE: Tehran – Vanak Square


YOUTUBE: Violence - Vanak Square


YOUTUBE: Clashes in Vali Asr Avenue

Die iranische Wahlfarce
DIE PRESSE: Der Triumph von Präsident Ahmadinejad riecht nach Betrug. Das wäre nicht nötig gewesen. Denn auch ein Sieg der Opposition hätte die wahren Machtverhältnisse in der „Mullahkratie“ kaum erschüttert.

Demokratie sieht im Iran so aus: Erst sorgt der Wächterrat dafür, dass zu einer Wahl nur Kandidaten antreten, die dem obersten Geistlichen, Ayatollah Khamenei, genehm sind und das islamistische System nicht infrage stellen. Dann dürfen die Bewerber Wahlkampf spielen; diesmal gab es sogar eine heftige Fernsehdiskussion zwischen den Präsidentschaftsanwärtern. Am Ende gewinnt aber immer der Richtige; da hilft das Establishment zur Not schon nach.

Es war ein ziemlich merkwürdiges Ergebnis, das der iranische Innenminister am Samstag dem etwas ungläubigen Publikum verkündete. 62,6 Prozent der Stimmen habe Amtsinhaber Mahmoud Ahmadinejad schon im ersten Wahlgang errungen, sein schärfster Konkurrent Mir-Hossein Moussavi lediglich 33,75 Prozent. Es ist daher nicht einmal eine Stichwahl nötig. Ahmadinejad wird schon seine Anhänger haben, vor allem auf dem Land. Aber gleich so viele? Der Sharia-Robin-Hood hat zwar in den vergangenen vier Jahren jede Menge Geld und Kartoffeln unters Volk gestreut. Als Erfolg ist seine bisherige Amtszeit jedoch nicht zu begreifen, zumindest nicht mit herkömmlichen Bewertungskriterien: Die Petrodollars des Ölbooms haben sich in Luft aufgelöst, die Inflation liegt sogar offiziell bei 15, die Arbeitslosigkeit bei schöngefärbten zehn Prozent.

Dementsprechend verdatterte Mienen löste nun das Wahlergebnis bei der Opposition aus, besonders angesichts der ausgelassen-jugendlichen Wendestimmung, die in den vergangenen Wochen in Teheran zu beobachten war. Sind die iranische Opposition und westliche Beobachter ihrem eigenen Wunschdenken auf den Leim gegangen? Oder inszenierten Ahmadinejad und seine Leute einen ungenierten Wahlbetrug monströsen Ausmaßes? Der Herausforderer Mir-Hossein Moussavi, bisher ein treuer Diener der Ayatollahs, wollte das Wahlresultat jedenfalls weder glauben noch anerkennen. Er sprach von einer gefährlichen Scharade. Als Ex-Premierminister sollte er wissen, dass die ganze scheindemokratische Kulissenschieberei, die seit der Islamischen Revolution 1979 praktiziert wird, eine einzige Scharade ist. >>> Christian Ultsch | Sonntag, 14. Juni 2009

Reza Pahlavi: Statement on the Latest Developments in Iran
Reza Pahlavi: (رضا پهلوی)
REZA PAHLAVI: Today the world is witnessing the demonstrated anger of millions of Iranians against a regime that denies their most basic rights, including the right to choose leaders who could improve their abysmal condition.

There is no exit from this condition, so long as one man appropriates onto himself the “power of god” and controls the judiciary, the media, the security forces and, through direct and indirect appointees dictates the only candidates claiming to represent an impoverished and disenfranchised people.

Today I stand united with my fellow Iranians and call for the end of the Islamic Republic, or any other prefix in front of the name of my beloved Iran that indicates theocracy or any other form of disregard for democratic and human rights.

I caution the world that offering any incentives or “carrots” to the theocracy under these circumstances is an affront to the people of Iran. This is not a time for short-sighted, self-defeating tactical games. This is the time for the free world to stand true to its principals and support the people of Iran’s quest for democracy and human rights. [Source: RezaPahlavi.org] Saturday, June 13, 2009

Election Clashes Erupt in Iran

Saturday Night Entertainment – Phil Collins: Another Day in Paradise

Saturday Night Entertainment – Joe Cocker: An Officer and a Gentleman

Saturday Night Entertainment – Celine Dion: My Heart Will Go On

YOU TUBE: Luciano Pavarotti & Celine Dion: I Hate You Then I Love You


YOU TUBE: Celine Dion: Because You Loved Me

Obama's White House Is Falling Down
SULTAN KNISH: In the sixth month of his presidency, Obama has turned an economic downturn into an economic disaster, taking over and trashing entire companies, and driving the nation deep into deficit spending expected to pass 10 trillion dollars.

Abroad, Obama seems to have no other mode except to continue on with his endless campaign, confusing speechmaking with diplomacy. It is natural enough that Obama, who built his entire campaign on high profile public speeches reported on by an adoring press, understands how to do nothing else but that.

While the press is still chewing over Obama's Cairo speech, this celebrity style coverage ignores the fact that Obama's endless world tour is not actually accomplishing anything. Instead his combination of ego driven photo op appearances and clueless treatment of foreign dignitaries have alienated many of America's traditional allies. Those who aren't being quietly angry at Obama, like Brown, Merkel or Netanyahu, instead think of him as as absurdly lightweight, as Sarkozy, King Abdullah or Putin do.

While his officials carry out their dirty economic deeds, Obama responds to any and every crisis as if it were a Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland musical, with a cry of, "Let's put on a show." Thus far Obama has put on "shows" across America, Europe and the Middle East. And what the adoring media coverage neglects to cover, is that Obama's shows have solved absolutely nothing. They have served only as high profile entertainment.

Neither alienating America's traditional allies, through a combination of arrogant bullying and ignorance, nor appeasing America's enemies, has yielded any actual results. Nor does it seem likely to. Islamic terrorism is not going anywhere, neither are the nuclear threats from North Korea and Iran. While Obama keeps smiling, the global situation keeps growing more grim.

At home, if Obama was elected as depression era entertainment, the charm of his smiles and his constant appearances on magazine covers appear to be wearing thin on the American public. Despite the shrill attacks on Rush Limbaugh or the Republican Enemy of the Weak-- the Democratic party of 2009, is polling a lot like the Republican party of 2008. The Democrats have suddenly become the incumbents, and the only accomplishment they can point to is lavish deficit spending, often on behalf of the very same corporations and causes they once postured against.

The European Union Parliament's swing to the right cannot be credited to Obama, though doubtlessly some European voters seeing socialist economic crisis management on display in the world's richest country decided they wanted none of it, but it is part of a general turning against federalism. And Obama's entire program is dependent on heavily entrenching federalism at the expense of individual and state's rights. Yet that is precisely his achilles heel with independent voters who are polling against more taxes and expanded government. And no amount of speeches by Obama can wish away his 18 czars or the national debt he has foisted on generation after generation of the American people. That leaves Obama with a choice between socialism and the independent voter. And thus far he has chosen socialism. >>> | Sultan Knish

Sieg des Populismus über die Vernunft: Kommentar zum Ausgang der iranischen Präsidentschaftswahlen
Bild: Google Images
NZZ Online – Kommentar: Der heisse Wahlkampf der letzten zwei Wochen und der grosse Aufmarsch der Wähler an den Urnen hatten bei vielen Beobachtern den Eindruck erweckt, bei den iranischen Präsidentenwahlen würde der bisherige Amtsinhaber Mahmud Ahmadinejad abgewählt. Doch wie sich nun zeigt, war der Wunsch der Vater ihrer Prognosen, Ahmadinejads prominentester Gegner, der ehemalige Ministerpräsident Mir Hossein Moussavi, würde das Rennen machen.

Die Konkurrenten des Präsidenten hatten dessen Politik einer vernünftigen und berechtigten Kritik unterzogen, auf die Ahmadinejad reagierte, indem er die Register des Populismus zog. Er bezichtigte seine Gegner der Lüge und warf eminenten Persönlichkeiten des politischen und religiösen Establishments vor, bestechlich und geldgierig zu sein. Mit der Verteilung von Geld und Vergünstigungen in den Vorstädten und auf dem Land hatte Ahmadinejad in den vergangenen vier Jahren sein Versprechen einzulösen versucht, die reichlichen Öleinnahmen auf den Mittagstisch der Armen zu bringen. >>> Von Jürg Bischoff, Beirut | Samstag, 13. Juni 2009

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Ahmadinejad Re-election a Blow to U.S.-Arab Allies

DUBAI--Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's announced election victory Saturday could deal a blow to Washington's Arab allies, who have been alarmed by Iran's regional ambitions and hoped his ouster might moderate them.

Officials in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and U.S.-allied Persian Gulf sheikdoms followed the elections in nearby Iran closely. Many have maintained cordial relations with Mr. Ahmadinejad. But tensions between Arab capitals and Tehran have escalated because of Iran's nuclear program and its sponsorship of proxies Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.

Friday's election had offered some hope that, should Mr. Ahmadinejad lose, rapprochement with Iran on a number of issues--from territorial disputes to business and trade ties--might be easier.

Mr. Ahmadinejad's biggest challenger, former prime minister Mir Hossein Mousavi, had criticized some of Mr. Ahmadinejad's foreign policy as adventurism on the campaign trail.

U.S. officials and those across the Arab world saw Mr. Mousavi, a sober, experienced statesman, as an attractive alternative to the erratic anti-American firebrand president.

"The continuation of Ahmadinejad certainly poses challenges for the U.S. and the Gulf states," said Hady Amr, director of the Brookings Doha Center in Qatar. Still, he said, Gulf officials--however hopeful--have been braced for his election victory. >>> By Chip Cummins | Saturday, June 13, 2009

THE TELEGRAPH: Iran Elections Commentary: Dreams of Change Turn to Dust

In the mass election rallies of the last few weeks, countless young Iranians have dared to hope that real political change was possible. Those dreams have turned to dust with remarkable speed.

An Iranian woman argues with members of a group protesting against the Presidential elections in Iran. Photo: The Telegraph
The announcement that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has won re-election with about 63 per cent of the vote sends an unmistakable message: the leaders of the Islamic Republic will not bow to the verdict of the ballot box.

The official result of this contest lacks any credibility. One consistent thread has run through every Iranian election, without a single exception, since the victory of Mohammed Khatami, a liberal cleric, in the presidential polls of 1997: high turnouts favour reformist candidates, low participation rates help the hardliners.

No-one disputes that turnout in this election was extremely high, with the authorities suggesting it may have exceeded 80 per cent. But the same officials are asking Iranians to believe that, for the first time in their electoral history, a massive voter response has delivered a convincing victory for a hardline candidate.

Mir-Hossein Mousavi, the former prime minister who was Mr Ahmadinejad's leading challenger, has already said that he cannot believe that all past experience of Iranian elections has suddenly been turned upside down.

Shortly after the results were announced, Mr Mousavi denounced the entire process. "I will not surrender to this dangerous charade," he said. "The result of such performance by some officials will jeopardise the pillars of the Islamic Republic and will establish tyranny."

In the past, the regime has manipulated elections by preventing reformers from standing – a method used to particular effect in the parliamentary polls of 2004, when thousands of candidates were disqualified en masse.

But allowing a contender to stand, only to announce an utterly incredible result, is without precedent in a presidential election.
The central question is how Mr Mousavi might respond. He has already signalled that he will not quietly accept the outcome, but he has only two options, both fraught with risk. >>> By David Blair, Diplomatic Editor | Saturday, June 13, 2009

iPride Brings Homosexuals Together in Time for Parade
Nitzan Horowitz – openly gay Knesset member. Photo: Google Images
THE JERUSALEM POST: Citing the "ongoing struggle" homosexuals face in areas outside of Tel Aviv, Meretz MK Nitzan Horowitz, the second openly gay elected Knesset member, was one of several speakers who met with 50 people at the Gay Community Center in Tel Aviv on Thursday to discuss the role and envolvement of gay rights and activism in Israel as part of the five-day program iPride, culminating in Tel Aviv's Gay Pride Parade next Friday.

"The main problem is that most of the gay rights achievements have been won in courts, not through law… Court rulings can be reversed, which is why it's so important to establish gay rights in the legislation," explained Horowitz.

As Tel Aviv prepares to celebrate its centennial, the gay pride parade is included as part of the celebration. "I feel that there has been a change. We are part of mainstream [society]," said Jonathan Danilowitz, a former El-Al flight attendant.

He filed a complaint with the Labor District Court in 1989 to procure an equal right for his then partner of 10 years to receive free flight tickets.

"I felt an outrageous discrimination against me as a gay man," Danilowitz told The Jerusalem Post. "I wasn't going to put up with it and now feel a sense of pride."

The court ruled in his favor, marking an Israeli precedent granting gay rights. Equality under law and inheritance rights for gay couples also were approved during the same period.

After finding their voice and gaining new rights, the GLBT community had another sector of life to face - the army. But unlike other militarized countries, homosexual members of the army do not face discrimination from the Israel Defense Force, according to Major Yoni Schoenfeld.

"If in America the policy is 'Don't ask, don't tell," he said. "Then in Israel, it's 'You can tell, but we just don't care.'" >>> By Stephanie Rubenstein | Friday, June 12, 2009

YOUTUBE: iPride Tel Aviv 2009 Gay Pride Parade

Opinion: Mousavi Bad for Israel
YNET NEWS: A reformist win in Iranian elections will bring Tehran closer to bomb

Many people will breathe a sigh of relief should Mir-Hossein Mousavi be elected as Iran’s president. The question is whether a Mousavi victory and Ahmadinejad defeat will indeed serve Israel’s strategic interests, and the answer is probably ‘no.’

The election victory of reformist candidate Muhammad Khatami in 1997 and again in 2001 took Iran out of isolation, opened doors that were previously closed, and in fact extended the life of the Islamic regime.

In the face of Khatami’s smiles and promising slogans in respect to civil society, the rule of law, and intercultural dialogue, Israel’s warnings that we were dealing with more of the same appeared delusional. By winning the elections, and throughout his presidential term, Khatami managed to a large extent to neutralize the explosive domestic element and blur external criticism.

Only after the radical Ahmadinejad’s victory in 2005, and paritcuarly [sic] in wake of his venomous statements against the State of Israel and his prominent Holocaust denial, the Western world starting seeing Iran in the light Israeli leaders hoped for. This prompted Western states to gradually intensify the moves they were willing to adopt against Iran, including countries such as France and Germany, which until then refrained from adopting a harsh approach vis-à-vis the Islamic regime in Tehran. >>> Soli Shahvar | Friday, June 12, 2009

The writer heads the Ezri Center for Iran and Persian Gulf Studies at University of Haifa.

HAARETZ: Analysis: U.S. to Face a Bolder, More Confident Ahmadinejad

According to reports emerging from Iran's election supervisory agencies, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad garnered at least twice the number of votes compared to that of his main rival, Mir Hossein Mousavi.

Even when factoring in the number of forgeries, irregularities, disturbances, and threats against voters, this statistic is testament not only to the potency of the conservative camp but also the political acumen of Ahmadinejad.

Ahmadinejad's landslide victory (barring any surprises in the counting of the remaining votes) is not expected to change Iran's policy vis-a-vis its nuclear program nor will it impact Tehran's developing ties with the United States.

On these two matters, final say is not in the hands of the president but rather the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. Even Iran's support for Hamas, Hezbollah, and Syria is determined by numerous figures, among which Ahmadinejad is just one among equals.

Nonetheless, the U.S. - which took great pains in not declaring its support for any of the candidates and even declared its intention to hold a dialogue with Iran prior to the elections - is now likely to face a more rigid, self-confident Iranian interlocutor, a leader who feels no need to rally public opinion to his side given the fact that he is legally unable to run for a third term as president in Iran. >>> By Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz Correspondent | Saturday, June 13, 2009

THE JERUSALEM POST: Hamas Hails Ahmadinejad's Victory, Urges World to Change Policy

Prominent Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum on Saturday said that the Iranian election results were proof of Teheran's success in protecting the Iranian people's interests and meeting all the challenges facing the nation, Israel Radio reported.

Barhoum said that in light of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's reelection, the international community must change its policy towards Iran. [Source: JPost.com] JPost staff | Saturday, June 13, 2009

New Dark Age Obamonomics! US Cities May Have to Be Bulldozed in order to Survive
THE TELEGRAPH: Dozens of US cities may have entire neighbourhoods bulldozed as part of drastic "shrink to survive" proposals being considered by the Obama administration to tackle economic decline.

The government looking at expanding a pioneering scheme in Flint, one of the poorest US cities, which involves razing entire districts and returning the land to nature.

Local politicians believe the city must contract by as much as 40 per cent, concentrating the dwindling population and local services into a more viable area.

The radical experiment is the brainchild of Dan Kildee, treasurer of Genesee County, which includes Flint.

Having outlined his strategy to Barack Obama during the election campaign, Mr Kildee has now been approached by the US government and a group of charities who want him to apply what he has learnt to the rest of the country.

Mr Kildee said he will concentrate on 50 cities, identified in a recent study by the Brookings Institution, an influential Washington think-tank, as potentially needing to shrink substantially to cope with their declining fortunes.

Most are former industrial cities in the "rust belt" of America's Mid-West and North East. They include Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Memphis.

In Detroit, shattered by the woes of the US car industry, there are already plans to split it into a collection of small urban centres separated from each other by countryside.

"The real question is not whether these cities shrink – we're all shrinking – but whether we let it happen in a destructive or sustainable way," said Mr Kildee. "Decline is a fact of life in Flint. Resisting it is like resisting gravity." >>> By Tom Leonard in Flint, Michigan | Friday, June 12, 2009

Iran Elections: Ahmadinejad Declared Winner as Mousavi Supporters Clash with Police
THE TELEGRAPH: Iranian officials say Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has an unassailable lead in the country's presidential elections, prompting angry claims of vote rigging from his reformist rival Mir Hossein Mousavi and sparking scenes of violence.

A female supporter of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad displays her hand painted with the Iranian flag, also used as a sign for his party. Photo: The Telegraph
In a statement on Saturday morning, the interior ministry said the incumbent president had won 65 per cent of the votes, with nearly 90 per cent of ballot boxes counted.

That would put him clearly past the 50 per cent margin required to secure outright victory, and deal a devastating blow to the hopes of those who had backed Mr Mousavi, a former prime minister.

But at a tense press conference at midnight on Friday, Mr Mousavi declared that he himself was "definitely the winner. He accused Iran's clerical establishment, which is thought to back Mr Ahmadinejad, of "manipulating the people's vote" to keep him in power.

Meanwhile, Iranian police and Mousavi supporters clashed in Tehran.
"It is our duty to defend people's votes," he said, hinting that he might urge followers to challenge the verdict. "There is no turning back."

The apparent landslide victory by Mr Ahmadinejad comes despite widespread discontent among even his own followers over his dismal economic record and aggressive foreign policy. Polls had previously put him roughly neck-and-neck with Mr Mousavi, with some even predicting he faced a heavy defeat. >>> By Colin Freeman in Tehran | Saturday, June 13, 2009

WELT ONLINE: Erdrutschsieg: Durchmarsch für Ahmadinedschad bei Wahl im Iran

Irans ultrakonservativer Staatschef Mahmud Ahmadinedschad steht bei der Präsidentenwahl im Iran vor einem Erdrutschsieg. Nach Auszählung von mehr als 80 Prozent der Stimmen entfielen auf den Hardliner knapp 65 Prozent – doppelt so viel wie für seinen aussichtsreichsten Herausforderer. Der spricht von "Unregelmäßigkeiten".

Durchmarsch bei der Präsidentschaftswahl: Irans Staatschef Mahmud Ahmadinedschad steht vor einer zweiten Amtszeit. Bild dank der Welt
Ahmadinedschad kam nach Auszählung der Stimmen aus 87 Prozent der Wahlurnen auf 64,88 Prozent der Stimmen, wie die Wahlkommission des Innenministeriums am Samstag mitteilte. Sein aussichtsreichster Herausforderer, der gemäßigt Konservative Mir Hossein Mussawi, erreichte demnach 32,6 Prozent.

Gegen 04.20 Uhr MESZ waren laut der Wahlkommission im Innenministerium fast 29 Millionen Stimmzettel aus dem ganzen Land ausgewertet. Den vorläufigen Angaben zufolge erzielte Ahmadinedschad fast 19 Millionen Stimmen und lag damit mit mehr als 9,5 Millionen Stimmen vor Mussawi.

Die beiden weiteren Herausforderer Ahmadinedschads, der frühere Chef der Revolutionsgarden Mohsen Resai und Ex-Parlamentspräsident Mehdi Karubi, landeten den jüngsten Teilergebnissen zufolge deutlich abgeschlagen auf dem dritten und vierten Platz. Insgesamt waren etwa 46 Millionen Iraner zum Urnengang aufgerufen gewesen. >>> AFP/AP/omi | Samstag, 13. Juni 2009

leJDD.fr: Iran: Ahmadinejad haut la main

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a sans nul doute remporté le scrutin présidentiel iranien. Alors que tous les bulletins ne sont pas encore dépouillés, la commission électorale a validé samedi la victoire de l'ultraconservateur, candidat sortant, contre son principal rival, le modéré Mir Hossein Moussavi. Crédité de seulement 32% des suffrages, contre 64,5% pour son adversaire, celui-ci crie à la fraude.

Un succès si large qu'il ne peut être suspect. Voilà en substance comment les partisans du modéré Mir Hossein Moussavi accueillent ce samedi le résultat de l'élection présidentielle iranienne. Selon les derniers chiffres disponibles et après dépouillement de plus de 30 millions de bulletins de vote - sur 38 millions de suffrages exprimés - le sulfureux Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a été aisément reconduit à la présidence du pays. D'après des résultats rendus publics samedi par la commission électorale iranienne, et alors que le scrutin s'annonçait serré, le président sortant, ultraconservateur, est crédité de 64,5% des voix contre 32% à peine pour son principal rival. Les deux autres candidats en lice, Mehdi Karoubi, (ancien président du parlement, réformateur) et Mohsen Rezaï (ancien chef des Gardiens de la révolution, conservateur), se partagent le reste des suffrages. >>> Par N.M (avec Reuters), leJDD.fr | Samedi 13 Juin 2009

Iran: confusion autour du vainqueur
LE FIGARO: Imbroglio vendredi soir autour des résultats à l'élection présidentielle. Le président sortant, l'ultraconservateur Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a remporté la présidentielle de vendredi en Iran, a annoncé l'agence officielle Irna, quelques minutes après que son principal rival, Mir Hossein Moussavi, eut revendiqué la victoire.



"Sur la base des informations réunies par Irna, le Dr Ahmadinejad a obtenu la majorité des voix et il devance de loin Mir Hossein Moussavi," a dit l'agence.
Quelques minutes auparavant, M. Moussavi, un conservateur modéré présenté comme le principal adversaire de M. Ahmadinejad, avait revendiqué une large victoire, dans un communiqué lu à la presse.



"Conformément aux informations que nous avons obtenues, je suis le vainqueur de cette élection avec une marge importante", avait déclaré M. Moussavi.
"Mir Hossein Moussavi a obtenu 65% des voix", avait clamé peu auparavant auprès de l'AFP un de ses proches collaborateurs, Ali Akbar Mohatshemi-Pour. [Source: LeFigaro.fr] AFP | Vendredi 12 Juin 2009

David Miliband Calls Hillary Clinton to Voice Anger over Guantánamo Inmates' Transfer to Bermuda
THE TELEGRAPH: A high-level transatlantic row has broken out over the Obama administration's failure to consult Britain over the transfer of four Guantánamo Bay inmates to Bermuda.

Bermuda has agreed to take in four Guantanamo Bay detainees. Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
David Miliband has telephoned Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State, to express the government's disappointment at the deal.

British officials were informed the four Chinese Uighurs were heading to the United Kingdom's oldest dependency only as they boarded their plane for Bermuda on Wednesday night.

A British diplomat said: "The Foreign Secretary registered his surprise. It was a regrettable mistake. Bermuda, the UK and the US now need to work together to fix it and make sure it doesn't happen again."

A senior State Department official said this diplomatic understatement masked a real anger over the Obama administration's oversight among British officials, telling ABC News: "They're pissed". >>> By Toby Harnden in Washington | Friday, June 12, 2009

Prince Charles Wins Fight with Qatar Royals over Chelsea Barracks
THE TELEGRAPH: The Prince of Wales has won his fight to halt a £1 billion modern flats development financed by the Qatar royal family in one of London's most historic areas.

The developers have withdrawn the proposals for 548 flats in contemporary steel and glass towers on Chelsea Barracks.

The decision to back down comes only days after planning officers on Westminster Council submitted a report which praised the modernist development by Lord Rogers, the architect, who has clashed with the Prince in the past.

In a further victory for the Prince of Wales the Qatar royal family has invited Hank Dittmar, 52, the chief executive of the Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment to become part of the new design team. Lord Rogers, who has made no public comment, is not expected to feature in the redesign. Clarnece [sic] House declined to comment. >>> By Andrew Pierce | Friday, June 12, 2009

Leading Muslim Cleric Killed in Suicide Bomb Attack in Lahore
Sarfraz Naeemi, whose father founded the madrassa where the bomber struck, was well known across Pakistan. Photo courtesy of TimesOnline
TIMES ONLINE: A prominent Pakistani Muslim cleric who founded a religious alliance against the Taleban was killed today in a suicide bomb attack on his Islamic college in the eastern city of Lahore.

Sarfraz Ahmed Naeemi appeared to have been the target of the blast in his office at the Jamia Naeemia madrassa, which he headed and where he had just conducted Friday prayers.

Dr Naeemi — whose father founded the madrassa and who was well known and respected in Lahore and across Pakistan — died on the way to hospital, according to his son, Waqar.

“I was still in the mosque when I heard a big bang. We rushed towards the office and there was a smell of explosives in the air. There was blood and several people were crying in pain,” Waqar said.

Geo TV showed Dr Naeemi’s body lying on a stretcher, his beard and hair covered in dust and blood stains around his nostrils. >>> Jeremy Page, South Asia Correspondent | Friday, June 12, 2009

European Voters Know What They Don't Want
SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Was it a swing to the right -- or just a return to reality? The result of the EU elections is not some terrible portent of doom. Instead, it is evidence that voters reward populists like Geert Wilders, who are not afraid to address issues that other parties don't want to touch.

There is always a certain amount of risk associated with any election. It is a truth recognized by dictators around the world -- leading them to prefer predetermined results. In the last elections for the North Korean "parliament," for example, the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland got 100 percent of the vote and all 687 seats. It was a result that was difficult to misinterpret -- and met the expectations of those involved.

The outcome of the European parliamentary elections was different. It was a disaster that became apparent as early as Thursday, when the results from the Netherlands became public. The right-wing populist Geert Wilders and his Freedom Party ended up as the second strongest party in the country behind the Christian Democrats.

Many were horrified. The correspondent for German public radio station ARD even called Wilders a "peroxide blond blowhard," a "sleazy provocateur" and a "petty patriot." In his commentary, the ARD correspondent went on to say that "his political program is focused entirely on demonizing Islam" and finished by saying that the Dutch should be ashamed of themselves.

Disdain for the Voting Public

But what looked on Thursday like a one-time lapse on the part of a single journalist had, by Sunday evening, become the mainstream message. The evening news wasn't just talking about a rightward shift in European politics. Rather, one got the impression that right-wing extremists were about to take over power. The presenters seemed not only to have expected a different outcome but saw no reason to hide their disappointment -- and expressed their disdain for the voting public accordingly.

On the German public television station ZDF, anchorman Claus Kleber spoke of the "renewed strength of the extreme right in Holland" as if it represented the reincarnation of the Nationaal Socialistische Beweging, the country's pre-World War II fascist party. Another ARD reporter, speaking of the 15 percent achieved by the anti-Semitic Jobbik party in Hungary, slid effortlessly into a report on Wilders' party in the Netherlands, as if the two results were somehow linked. Indeed, as the coverage focused on those parties that made gains, it was difficult to ignore the subtext of sympathy for the losses suffered by the center-left across the continent. How, the media seemed to be asking, could the social democrats have fallen so far? >>> By Henryk M. Broder | Tuesday, June 09, 2009