Saturday, June 20, 2009

Iran: Despite Police Crack Down Protests Continue

Iran: Despite Police Crack Down Protests Continue

Media: What Is Wrong With News Reporting?

Media: What Is Wrong With News Reporting?

Iran:The Protests Continue Despite The Crack Down.

Photo: Ayatollah Khomeini Shrine.


At least one person has been killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up near the shrine of Ayatollah Khomeini.

An Iranian police representative stated : " A terrorist detonated his explosive vest in the Ayatollah Khomeini shrine causing damage in one section of it."

Some protesters feel that the suicide attack was orchestrated by the government.

Today, the police used tear gas & water cannons against thousands of protesters in an attempt to block access to Revolution Square in Tehran. A protester said:" Now it is tear gas, I am sure it won't take them long to start using other kind of ammunition."

Mousavi declined to meet the Guardian Council, Iran highest legislative body, concerning the voting irregularities. The Council would have only be willing to do a partial sample recount representing not even 10% of the votes. Mousavi posted a message on his web site, today, requesting a re-run of the election.

Despite the crack down, it seems that the protests will continue. A sign of this came in the form of protesters screaming " Death to the dictator" from Tehran's roof tops at dawn today.

This is increasingly turning into a challenge of the Supreme Leader's autocratic authority and not only an opposition to Ahmadinejad.

Mousavi keeps his supporters informed by posting news updates on his web site. To read the updates click on the title of this post.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Iran Turmoil: Ayatollah Khamenei Threats Of Crack Down.

During his address to the Iranian people, last night, Iran Supreme Leader did not strike a tone of conciliation despite his call for " peace & tranquility".

As matter of fact, he was threatening in part of his speech. He said that the protests should stop immediately, and that the demonstrators would be held responsible for potential chaos and violence.

Despite numerous evidence of the contrary he claimed that the election were completely legitimate.

Mousavi called off any protest yesterday, but asked his supporters to protest again on Saturday.

In the power struggle seizing Iran, right now, the military and the Revolutionary Guard could end up playing the deciding role. As the Supreme Leader, Khamenei is the army commander in chief. His complete support for Ahmadinejad will tie his destiny to the one of Iran's current president.

Another problem facing Khamenei is his current rift with Ayatollah Rafsanjani. Rafsanjani heads the " Assembly of Experts ", the only Iranian legal body able to challenge the authority of the Supreme Leader.

By choosing not to compromise, Khamenei could jeopardize the very foundation of the theocracy.

Before the election, the reformists groups were talking about a velvet revolution.

Let just hope that the regime has the intelligence to compromise despite Khamenei's tone last night, and that the sea of green of Mousavi's supporters does not turn into a river of blood.

To read the coverage of AFP click on the post title.

Last Update: 6/19/2009 @ 11:30 AM ( PST)
PersianKiwi just reported, via Twitter, that the " situation is now critical, and the Revolutionary Guard has been mobilized". Stay tuned.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Ahmadinejad Defiant As Mousavi Supporters Plan Monday Protest

Ahmadinejad Defiant As Mousavi Supporters Plan Monday Protest

Abbas: Netanyahu ‘Disarmed’ Palestinian State Offer A ‘Deadly Blow’ to Peace Process

Abbas: Netanyahu ‘Disarmed’ Palestinian State Offer A ‘Deadly Blow’ to Peace Process

Israeli Opinion: Ahmadinejad Win Better For Israel.

Israeli Opinion: Ahmadinejad Win Better For Israel.

Twitter Users Shame CNN For Not Covering Iran Elections, Riots

Twitter Users Shame CNN For Not Covering Iran Elections, Riots

UN Security Council Unanimously Adopts Resolution on North Korea

UN Security Council Unanimously Adopts Resolution on North Korea

ACLU Files Lawsuit Seeking Disclosure of Secret Documents On Torture

ACLU Files Lawsuit Seeking Disclosure of Secret Documents On Torture

Iran’s Real Power Brokers: The Ayatollahs & The Revolutionary Guard.

Iran’s Real Power Brokers: The Ayatollahs & The Revolutionary Guard.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s Win of Iran’s Election Sparks Riots

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s Win of Iran’s Election Sparks Riots

Mousavi And Up to 100 Reformers Arrested. Many People Hurt In Riots By Police

Mousavi And Up to 100 Reformers Arrested. Many People Hurt In Riots By Police


The aftermath of the contested Iranian election on News Junkie.....

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

AP: Bin Laden Says Obama Inflaming Muslim Hatred.

The Al-Qaida figurehead broadcasts a new message on Arab television, claiming US pressure led to a campaign of "killing, fighting, bombing & destruction" in Pakistan's Swat Valley....

To read more click on the title.

BBC Report-North Korea: Tracking Kim Jong-il Successor.

Very little is know about Kim Jong-un, one of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-il's sons. Even his birth's year (1983 or 1984) is a mystery. This BBC report is tracking the young man that is groomed, by his father, to be North Korea next leader......

To read more click on the title.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Is What's Good for GM Still Good For The Country?


1973 Chevy truck
Photo by Gilbert Mercier/color infrared
All Right Reserved.


More than 50 years ago, then General Motors president Charles Wilson said: "What is good for GM is good for the country." In the light of GM's chapter 11 bankruptcy filing of today, this quote from Wilson is troubling. It seems that one can say today that: What is bad for GM is bad for the country. Is America on the brink of chapter 11 bankruptcy filing?

Of course there is another way( indicated in president Obama's speech today) to look at it, as any death can be viewed as a rebirth.

Until the mid 70's the Big Three had a comfortable lock on the US market. OPEC's move to jack up oil prices in 1973 changed the parameters all of a sudden. The Japanese car industry was quick to adapt and started building fuel efficient cars. On the other hand, neither GM, Ford or Chrysler had the intelligence to do the same. They just kept building gas guzzlers for 3 decades, and were never able to grab any significant share of the fuel efficient cars market.

In the late 80's GM had a potential winner in the form of the very first electric car available on the market, they failed in seizing this opportunity and stopped the production.

Quite simply the big 3 made cars that consumers did not want to buy any longer.

General Motors was once upon a time a symbol of America's economic success, it has now become a symbol of America's failure. President Obama today said that the US government has "become a reluctant share holder of GM". It is indeed as US tax payers have now 60% shares of the bankrupted company. We should just call it for what it is: General Motors was just nationalized today, and this not necessarily a bad outcome. President Obama claims it is temporary but, in any way you look at it, the collapse of what was once the biggest company in the world, is a blow to the American psyche.

Michael Moore lives in Flint Michigan; both the birth place of General Motors & the epicenter of the economic disaster triggered by GM's collapse. He wrote this touching farewell to GM today. To read it click on the title.