The president reiterated Tuesday that he has no intention of “interfering with Iran’s affairs,” but he also dialed up his criticism of the regime’s crackdown from “it is of concern to me” to “I strongly condemn these unjust actions.”
Whatever the domestic political pressure to hurl insults Tehran’s way, Obama knows such actions would only undermine the protesters and fuel anti-Americanism. As he told reporters, the president speaks with a weight that other politicians are unburdened by.
Yet he appears to be moving ever so cautiously in the direction that many of his critics have been advocating.
White House:
THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody. Good afternoon, everybody. Today, I want to start by addressing three issues, and then I’ll take your questions.
First, I’d like to say a few words about the situation in Iran. The United States and the international community have been appalled and outraged by the threats, the beatings, and imprisonments of the last few days. I strongly condemn these unjust actions, and I join with the American people in mourning each and every innocent life that is lost.
I’ve made it clear that the United States respects the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and is not interfering with Iran’s affairs. But we must also bear witness to the courage and the dignity of the Iranian people, and to a remarkable opening within Iranian society. And we deplore the violence against innocent civilians anywhere that it takes place.
The Iranian people are trying to have a debate about their future. Some in Iran—some in the Iranian government, in particular, are trying to avoid that debate by accusing the United States and others in the West of instigating protests over the election. These accusations are patently false. They’re an obvious attempt to distract people from what is truly taking place within Iran’s borders. This tired strategy of using old tensions to scapegoat other countries won’t work anymore in Iran. This is not about the United States or the West; this is about the people of Iran, and the future that they—and only they—will choose.
The Iranian people can speak for themselves. That’s precisely what’s happened in the last few days. In 2009, no iron fist is strong enough to shut off the world from bearing witness to peaceful protests [sic] of justice. Despite the Iranian government’s efforts to expel journalists and isolate itself, powerful images and poignant words have made their way to us through cell phones and computers, and so we’ve watched what the Iranian people are doing.
This is what we’ve witnessed. We’ve seen the timeless dignity of tens of thousands of Iranians marching in silence. We’ve seen people of all ages risk everything to insist that their votes are counted and that their voices are heard. Above all, we’ve seen courageous women stand up to the brutality and threats, and we’ve experienced the searing image of a woman bleeding to death on the streets. While this loss is raw and extraordinarily painful, we also know this: Those who stand up for justice are always on the right side of history.
As I said in Cairo, suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away. The Iranian people have a universal right to assembly and free speech. If the Iranian government seeks the respect of the international community, it must respect those rights and heed the will of its own people. It must govern through consent and not coercion. That’s what Iran’s own people are calling for, and the Iranian people will ultimately judge the actions of their own government.
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By Purple Girl, June 24, 2009 at 6:52 am Link to this comment
Pavolovs War Dogs are Ginning Up the Rhetoric merely to instigate the 3rd War they have been drooling their rabid foam over for the last several years (3 decades?).
Report thisSongBird McCain suddenly gives a rats ass about the people he wanted to ‘Bomb bomb bomb”??How many of these proesters would have been lying in the streets if Johnny boy had his way a few years back. Lest we forget the Hell Bent Hagee, standing behind him on the Campaign trail- the ‘christian’ who wanted to pre-emptively strike Iran merely to get Armegeddon underway. The one who claims to be a ‘Friend’ iof Israel- who would have suffered the most from this reckless agenda. Was Hagee figuring there would only be 144,000 Israelis left to grant the golden ‘Rapture bus’ ticket upon their conversion to his Heretical doctrine.
McCain and his crew of cronies are Sociopaths who endanger not only our safety,but the World commuity’s.
They are nothing more than Rabid Feral War dogs who salivate profusely when ever they see an opportunity to create conflict,thus Fulfilling their Delusions of Graduer and padding their Overlords War profiteering bottom line.
Sit Dwon and Shut Up ‘Ol Yeller!!
By dihey, June 24, 2009 at 6:12 am Link to this comment
On the day when President Obama condemned the killing of civilians in the streets of Iran our drones killed numerous innocent persons in Pakistan during a burial ceremony.
Report thisFurthermore, during the press conference,President Obama championed “justice everywhere”, except of course here at home where he refuses to bring suspected torturers into court.
This man hast lost the last shreds of believability. As I have suggested so often, he is mainly producing hot air.
By tahitifp, June 24, 2009 at 1:19 am Link to this comment
This is on Pakistan and I’m sure dovetails into the rest of *Pipelinestan.”
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/06/22-5
In a new interview, Obama said he has “no intention” of sending US troops into Pakistan. But US troops are already in the country and US drones attack Pakistan regularly.
by Jeremy Scahill
snip (quote by Obama)
“Our primary goal is to be a partner and a friend to Pakistan and to allow Pakistan to thrive on its own terms, respecting its own traditions, respecting its own culture. We simply want to make sure that our common enemies, which are extremists who would kill innocent civilians, that that kind of activity is stopped, and we believe that it has to be stopped whether it’s in the United States or in Pakistan or anywhere in the world.”
“anywhere in the world. Now that’s chilling.
Report thisBy tahitifp, June 24, 2009 at 1:14 am Link to this comment
I have a Kurdish neighbor (lived in N. Iran) who said today that he’s very sure the CIA is involved in this, hoping to destabilize and divide loyalties in Iran. He’s a 28 yr old secular Kurdish student/engineer who thinks that new modern Persians want a secular democracy and that even Mousavi wouldn’t last long.
He said, “When they shout ‘God is Great’ from the rooftops, they don’t really mean it.”
Interesting statement but not surprising.
The question is, will the US allow a secular democracy in Iran that isn’t controlled by Washington?
Report thisBy brewerstroupe, June 24, 2009 at 12:51 am Link to this comment
“I’ve made it clear that the United States respects the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and is not interfering with Iran’s affairs…......that is sooo yesterday…...... well, last year actually and we haven’t yet allocated the budget for this year.”
http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts06192009.html
http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2009/06/23/has-the-u-s-played-a-role-in-fomenting-unrest-during-irans-election/
Report thisBy Roman, June 23, 2009 at 11:10 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Over 400 CHILDREN killed in Gaza by Israelis, Obama’s response, “Israel has a right to defend itself”.
Report thisBy trisha, June 23, 2009 at 8:58 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
We don’t have to intervene in this conflict, but it would be nice to let these protesters know we care, and we care about freedom, and we want their vote to be counted. Are we going to butt out and support the little man that is power now? I guess we will and more iranians will die. I say support the protesters by agreeing that their votes should be counted.
Report thisBy Clark, June 23, 2009 at 8:24 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
“Those who stand up for justice are always on the right side of history.”
I wonder what this liar thinks justice is -
unwarranted domestic spying,
“Don’t ask, don’t tell”,
making jokes about innocent people who have been wrongfully imprisoned for years,
bombing innocent people with nary a wisp of regret,
pouring hundreds of billions of dollars of hard working people’s money into the pockets of greedy criminals,
or perhaps it is being able to eliminate any semblance of HOPE while causing a SMUG CYNICISM to reign supreme.
Granted, He is only typical of the deceitfulness which controls this nation.
I can’t help but wonder if Obama is thinking that the mess in Afganistan and Pakistan can be resolved by taking out his “frustration” on Iran. I also suspect that this idea was probably on a back burner.
Report thisBy jean Gerard, June 23, 2009 at 6:02 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
We had better butt out of this. Already the mullahs are saying U.S. is responsible for the protests. If we say anything at all, it can be used as a sign of “encouragement” and would therefore corroborate the mullahs’ allegations. Why would we want to do that?
The US needs to learn to let other people run their own countries. Intervention makes matters worse because it usually leads to more resentment and violence.
Report thisBy Mary Ann McNeely, June 23, 2009 at 5:12 pm Link to this comment
Why don’t you invade Iran, Bub, and cover yourself in glory, like George W. Bush.
Report thisBy boggs, June 23, 2009 at 4:49 pm Link to this comment
Obama, for heavens sake ‘get a grip’. How many civilians did your warriors kill in Afghan/Pakistan today?
Report thisGive us a break, you must think the people who voted you into office are absolute idiots, will believe anything you say, a lot of your fans are becoming protestors, just like in Iran! Get it? You are no Saint, you are leading with bad american policy. Most of your electors did not know that you wanted to be a ‘war president’ like Bush!
As for Iran, you are rattling the sabers just like Bush.
Thought we were supposed to get change!