[FREE IRAN Project] In The Spirit Of Cyrus The Great

[Spenta]

Everyone said it for years. Reza Pahalvi warned amy times, but here it is straight from the horses mouth, Khatami came to save the regime!

"If I retreated, I retreated against the system I believed in," said Khatami to Tehran University students some openly angry with the man they once saw as the best hope for democracy in Iran. "I considered it necessary to save the ruling establishment."

"Either we had to hold the elections or face riots," Khatami said in the first of several farewell speeches. "I didn't consider it in the country's interests that riots erupt."

Khatami: Iran's Democratic Reforms Failed
Iran's Khatami Admits Democratic Reforms Failed, Says He Conceded to Hard-Liners to Avoid Violence
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=306171


Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, listens to Iran's national anthems as he stands under a large screen television during a ceremony to mark Student Day at Tehran university in Tehran, Iran Monday, Dec. 6, 2004. In his final months in office, Iran's embattled President Mohammad Khatami admitted Monday he failed to implement his program of democratic reforms but said he refused a head-to-head collision with his hard-line opponents to save the ruling Islamic establishment.(AP Photo/Hasan Sarbakhshian)

TEHRAN, Iran Dec 6, 2004 — Iran's embattled President Mohammad Khatami conceded Monday he had failed to implement his democratic reform program, claiming he had bowed to the will of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his hard-line allies to avoid riots and preserve the ruling Islamic establishment.

"If I retreated, I retreated against the system I believed in," said Khatami to Tehran University students some openly angry with the man they once saw as the best hope for democracy in Iran. "I considered it necessary to save the ruling establishment."

Some students chanted: "Khatami, Khatami shame on you!" Others yelled out: "Incompetent Khatami, may our vote not bless you!"

The reception was a stark change for the intellectual once so deeply admired among Iran's big population of young people. Many once carried his photograph in their purses or wallets.

Iran's Guardian Council, the conservative oversight body of Muslim clerics that can overrule parliament, banned many of Khatami's pro-reform legislators and candidates from a February election. Khatami has since been seen by many as an ineffective, lame-duck leader but he said he chose not to boycott the elections to avoid violence.

"Either we had to hold the elections or face riots," Khatami said in the first of several farewell speeches. "I didn't consider it in the country's interests that riots erupt."

Khatami has complained repeatedly that he was powerless to stop hard-liners who blocked reform legislation, detained pro-reform activists and shut down more than 100 liberal publications.
Khatami, whose term ends in June 2005, even said he looking forward to the end of his presidency.

"Fortunately, my tenure is coming to an end," said Khatami. But the soft-spoken president did not refrain from blaming hard-liners and some of his allies for undermining his proposals.

"I have claims against some reformers who … limited all demands of the people to certain political demands, provoking rigid hard-liners," said Khatami. "(I) have claims against rigid evil thinkers who failed to see people's demands for reform and instead of respecting (the) people's vote (they) began resisting them."

Khatami insisted that democracy in Iran would only come about if it was combined with an Islamic republic.

"The only way to save the country is to establish democracy," said Khatami. "The way toward democracy is through and within the Islamic Republic."

Khatami the optimist said he saw a relative victory in the heckling by the students.

"In Third World countries, powerful institutions stand against the people," said Khatami. "That the government is not seen as an arrogant body is enough of reforms."

Khatami said Iran's image has improved in the world after his 1997 election but anti-democracy measures by hard-liners disappointed the nation and helped prompt President Bush to include Iran in his "axis of evil" along with Saddam Hussein's Iraq and North Korea.

Khatami was voted into office by landslide majority in 1997 and again in 2001.

The Iranian parliament approved two of his reform bills seeking to check the power of hard-liners, but the Guardian Council rejected both.

Copyright 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[Spenta]

He came to save the regime like everyone said!

[Pasagarde]

It is true that some mullahs are power hungry, but with no momentum or leadership for change, it is impossible to overthrow them. Besides, I seriously don't want Americans taking them down because it will make the country like a living hell. I think the best solution is to work from within the system whereby changes are made.
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"May Ahura Mazda protect this land, this nation, from rancor, from foes, from falsehood, and from drought"

Koroush Kabir

[cyrus]

[Acidrain]

Its about time Khatami admitted that he hasn’t done a thing, he saved his own neck it the blood of the people with empty promise to change Iran for the better.

Perhaps the only way would be covert actions in dismantling the mullahs support base with counter support from the outside. Though what we have to worry about in covert actions is that we don’t want it to be seen as what happening in 1950-53 Coup, but can the Iranian people get so fed up with the Mullahs and have the strength to retake their government? I don’t think that they do, they want to work it out from within but the how can they when the guardian council and the mullahs that really control the government keep removing their elected people in the majles or disqualifying them during an election? Something needs to be done, such as Covert, Direct military intervention or the US needs to some how make overture towards Iran with positive replies back, over time lift sanction, work differences out between the two countries and allow capitalism to flourish and force the Mullahs to change such as how the government of China has changed. Though this approach is a long and drugged out and I don’t see that happening. Though I don’t see the new generation that was born shortly after the 1979 revolution rising up and having a revolution of their generation. It just doesn’t seem like they have the will to do so, more less want outside influence to do it for them.

Key to changing Iran is its people, though are they willing to spill that blood for thier freedoms that they want so bad?

Acidrain
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[Spenta]

Video of Khatami's speech at Tehran university, with Arabic narration and English subtitles.

http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2004&m=12&d=09&a=1#
http://www.iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2004&m=12&d=09&a=1

The video begins with a student getting violently beaten in the doorway, later in the video as Khatami is bragging about freedom a student takes the mike and tells Khatami about how they were beaten in the doorway. The crowd was clearly stacked with regime insiders, but still the anger, dissent and outcries of the students was remarkably impressive when you consider how hard it must have been for them to get in, the way they had the room filled with Khahr Zeynabs and Basij.

Khatami's speech made me want to puke, I can't believe anyone believes his bullshit!

[Spenta]

Here's a blow by blow eyewitness account of what happened sent from Iran:

Bitter goodbye party
Watching Khatami reacting to angry former supporters

December 7, 2004
iranian.com

History, never looks like history when you're living through it... but it is, isn't it? Everything we go through and experience ... all the pages of the BBC you open your eyes to in the morning... that's what history books are made of.

I remember when a man by the name of Mohammad Khatami entered the scene almost 8 years ago. I was young - even younger than I am today - and in my mind's eye, I didn't give a hoot. But I can still recall the daily debates out on the streets, at family gatherings, amongst Iranians of all ranks, and sizes - even twirpy 8th graders my age.

And so a new era was born. I myself wrote 4 years ago halfway through it: "There are those who call Khatami a faker, a fanatic who can only smile and mischievously make promises he doesn't intend to keep. A person who bears no difference from all the people in charge. Someone who by tomorrow will forget all the reasons people voted for him. I will not argue their point. But ask a simple question: what else was anyone to do?"

And although now, years later, we stand looking onwards, having not achieved even half of what we were promised, I would repeat it all over again.

Today is 16th of Azar, "Rooz-e Danjeshoo" (Student Day) born because of the three engineering students killed in demonstrations during President Nixon's visit to Iran decades ago. President Khatami is coming for a talk right where it all took place: The faculty of engineering at the University of Tehran's main campus.

This will be Khatami's last talk to the very students who brought him to power 8 years ago; the last time he will face them during his tumultuous political career as president of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Eight years ago he entered this very hall to face nothing but complete and total euphoria from the crowd. Today, as the president was leaving the lecture hall amidst a thousand angry, frustrated students chanting "Daaneshjoo bidaar ast, az Khatami bizaar ast" (Students are alert and loath Khatami). It seems his era has come to an end. What may be lurking ahead is not yet known.

As I run towards Tehran University's main entrance on Enghelab -- the notorious doors on 500 Rial bills -- I come to face large crowds of angry students ... and closed gates. They will not let anyone in. The guard standing outside tells me to enter via another door - a half mile away.

Tehran University stands on a huge campus that runs all across Enghelab Ave. And that does not include other campuses like engineering and the humanities which are situated elsewhere. I run, already late for my class. But even from afar I can see a larger crowd at the other gate. There are even more students there, shouting and yelling while a professor from the department of architecture is angrily arguing because they won't let him inside the campus.

"The gates are closed for now. Go on. The lot of you," the guard rudely yells. On "Student Day" students are forced to stand outside long, iron gates and freeze.

I stand there, not knowing what to do. The students are getting angrier as time passes. The guards pretend not to notice. Then, they slightly open the doors to let some people out and while everyone is shouting and yelling to be let inside, I quietly manage to quiver in. And I run for it.

As I come closer to the huge glass doors of the engineering building, all I can see is an ocean of dark heads and jackets. There goes my class.

The talk is being held in Chamran Lecture Hall on the second floor and I can't make out why there would be so many people standing outside. There is literally no room to throw a needle. The crowd is huge. As I squeeze my way in, I see a large group of men standing on the main stairway to the second floor. Some have beards and have the typical Basiji look. A few I recognize: guards from the engineering campus.

The students are angry. A student representative is yelling in the microphone with frustration. He was scheduled to speak a quarter of an hour ago but even he was not permitted to go in. He is shouting at "unidentified persnons on the stairs" to let the students come up. But alas, they indulge in confrontation - and occasional fights - with the students trying to make their way in.

There are five stairways to the second floor, all blocked. After a good half hour, I hear that one on the other end of the building, it's easy to get through. I take my chances, and sure enough, the rumors were true. I freely walk to the second floor and head towards the hall. From the top, I have a clear downward view of the crowd as well as those still outside. The sight and size of them is enough to bring you to complete and utter awe. Young, energetic, impatient faces ... and simply tired of waiting.

Outside the entrance to the main hallway, like cages at the zoo, they've set up a huge metal fence with wires across it. Large groups of men are standing behind the wires with torn clothes.

People are trying to get in through the space between the metal wires but the men standing on the other side do not let them. They literally beat the crap out of anyone who tries to go through, thus the torn clothes. One girl is beaten very badly. They kick her.

I manage to get out of the crowd, although not unscathed: I feel a blow to my head from somewhere. I guess now I can say that I too have been a victim in the suppression of the student movement.

The guards on the other side are not students. A student representative tells me later that no one is sure who they are. Or what the barbaric cage is supposed to mean.

I stand there for a good fifteen minutes, while one Basigi pretends to keep making calls on his cell phone, without breathing a word. He constantly turns the phone around, probably taking pictures with its camera.

Finally, I squeeze my way in without anyone noticing.

The crowd inside is huge. Chamran Hall is unbelievably crowded. Some faint under pressure and are carried away on the crowd's shoulders. Now I see why more people should not be permitted inside. But using wires and violent men? Why not use a larger venue?

Khatami is sitting amongst a large bouquet of red roses, talking. But the crowd does not let him speak for more than a few minutes at a time. They stop him with cheers and applause, boos, chants or shouts -- depending on what he is saying.

He tries to calm them. He tries to justify the things they are angry about: the parliamentary elections, their unsatisfied wishes.

When they stop him with loud chants of "Referendum" Khatami says: "This is the first time in recent history of this nation that you stand opposite a government representative and shout what you wish. If this government has not had any other success, this one alone is on and by itself a huge accomplishment."

To which chants turn into loud applause. They do the same when he tells them: "Those who claim a foreign power can be our only savior are clearly wrong and simply ignorant."

They boo when he mentions certain authoritative names in the establishment. When he starts speaking of the last parliamentary elections they stop him with loud chants of: "Jannati, to doshman-e mellati". (Jannati, you are the enemy of the nation)

At this point, Khatami thinks they are chanting against him. He says: "You all stand as representatives of the nation. If you think I am your enemy, then I have no choice but to agree." Then somebody goes to whisper something into his ear. Then he says: "I'm sorry. I think there was a misunderstanding. I thought you were talking about me." And that's the last word he utters about the elections.

Khatami does not stay very long. He leaves after a short while.

Once outside, people start going up the metal fence, despite shouts from the guards who tell them to wait for the fence to be brought down. Loud thuds echo as fences drop down everywhere. There is broken glass all over the place. I hear one boy's face was badly injured by the glass earlier in the day, when the main entrance to the engineering building was also closed.

Amidst thousands of hot, breathless students I just stand watching. Some are laughing with their friends, some are speaking on their phones. Eating lunch, singing "Yaar-e Dabetaani" - a song played on the speakers after Khatami leaves. But most are trying to digest what they had witnessed. They are not quite happy. But more than anything, they are confused; unsure of what has happened and completely uncertain of what tomorrow will bring.

[perzopolis]

The whole conflict between Khatami and the students was a publicity ploy anyhow. A big setup - orchestrated by the Mullahs and their lovely European counterparts.

Gotta love it!
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Freedom for the Iranian people! NOT EUROPEAN BUSINESS INTERESTS!