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| Axis of Evil |
| Khamenei denounces student protests |
| 2002-11-22 |
| Students, enraged by a death sentence imposed on reformist academic Hashem Aghajari for blasphemy, have staged almost daily rallies and class boycotts for the past two weeks in the largest pro-reform protests in Iran for more than three years. But Khamenei, who last Sunday ordered a review of Aghajari's case in an apparent effort to defuse the protests, said the students were being manipulated by those who wish to bring down Iran's Islamic political system. He's under pressure from the hard-liners. "At a time when people need unity a group is finding excuses to create chaos in the universities," he told tens of thousands of worshippers during a Friday prayers sermon at Tehran University. "Those who accuse the Islamic system of despotism and being against freedom and human rights is either the enemy himself or has been deceived by the enemy," said Khamenei, who has ultimate power in Iran. "Everyone knows who the enemy is. Today the enemy of the nation and the government and the system and of our country's independence and freedom is the arrogant American government," he said. You expected maybe, France? Worshippers, crammed inside the university and surrounding streets, responded with chants of "Death to America" and "Our leader, we are ready." Three years ago, a similar wave of student protests was brutally suppressed by security forces backed by radical militia groups and Khamenei warned that the same could happen again. "The people came onto the scene and prevented them (the protests) and they're ready to do the same again." But he added that nothing should be done which would give "the enemy an excuse to create chaos in the country." He's getting worried, folks. And that's when they are the most dangerous. The big crackdown is coming. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #3 El Id, who says that wasn't the plan all along? 1979 ring a bell? |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2002-11-22 23:36:33 |
| #2 Memo to Rumsfeld:Once you're through Baghdad,keep going. |
| Posted by: El Id 2002-11-22 16:45:21 |
| #1 "Today the enemy of the nation and the government and the system and of our country's independence and freedom is the arrogant American government." Riiiiiight... |
| Posted by: mojo 2002-11-22 14:32:32 |