June 23, 2009

Iran Vows To Teach Protesters "A Lesson"

State TV Says Those Arrested Will Pay Consequences For Their Actions As Smaller Demonstrations Continue

  • In this photograph posted on the internet, an Iranian protestor flashes the victory sign from behind a public trash bin set on fire at an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, June 20, 2009.

    In this photograph posted on the internet, an Iranian protestor flashes the victory sign from behind a public trash bin set on fire at an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, June 20, 2009.  (AP Photo)

(CBS)  Despite a vicious crackdown by Iran's authorities, CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips reports that there are more ominous signs Tuesday morning that the unrest is continuing.

Iran's official news agency says those arrested in the demonstrations, which have now gone on for a week and a half, will be "dealt with in a way that will teach them a lesson."

According to Iran's state TV, more than 450 people have been arrested and 10 have died in the post-election violence.

The demonstrations may be getting smaller, but those determined enough to continue to take to the streets are paying the price. New amateur video reaching the West via cell-phone and the Internet shows people who have apparently been shot.

IranWatch: Track the latest on the Iran election upheaval.

Security forces - including the hard-line Revolutionary Guards - have warned that any unauthorized demonstrations will encounter what they called a "revolutionary" response, which clearly involves the use force.

Tehran's streets have been flooded with security personnel in an apparent attempt to intimidate potential demonstrators.

And the political hard line continues as well. A spokesman for Iran's Guardian Council - the body appointed by Iran's supreme leader to oversee elections - has declared that there were no irregularities large enough to warrant calling a new vote.

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by tunaatlast June 25, 2009 9:27 AM EDT
The lesson Iran wants to teach protester is; this is not a democracy and we are all-powerful muslim dictators.
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by minlyng June 24, 2009 12:23 AM EDT
Did anyone else watch the video feed that goes along with this story? At one point there are two injured men being carried away from the protests and they are placing a tourniquet one man's leg. The front of his pants are ripped and I'm concerned about the screening of videos on The Early Show. Maybe I'm wrong but it looks a little interesting.
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by johnbrown8888 June 23, 2009 7:20 PM EDT
Sounds just like Ronnie Raygun did when he promised anti-Vietnam war demonstrators a "bloodbath".

Reagan and Ayatollah Assaholah--birds of a feather.

Ronnie even sent the Ayatollahs some high tech weapons because he felt so close to them.
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by PVperson2 June 23, 2009 6:45 PM EDT
Odd that so many of you neo-cons are upset over the demonstrations in Iran, after all, when a couple of hundred thousand people demonstrated against the Iraq war in America, you all said it was inconsequential. Also, your the same people that have called for the bombing of Iran for years and now your all sappy over the same people. Neo-con nit-wits
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by hungry1968-15 June 23, 2009 4:46 PM EDT
"Iran's official news agency says those arrested in the demonstrations, which have now gone on for a week and a half, will be "dealt with in a way that will teach them a lesson."




"...and we are in negotiations with the US and Cuba to lease Guantanamo Bay, since that place is exactly what we need, to teach them that lesson."
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by specialty8 June 23, 2009 2:29 PM EDT
What the clerics of Iran were saying about serious punishment for protesters, Obama said he was sending Hillary over and they must spend a week with her. Now that is serious.If thats not enough Botox Pelosi will be right behind her.
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by USASTILLONTOP June 23, 2009 12:45 PM EDT
hungry1968-15 - What kills me is bleeding heart liberals like you are self serving low lifes that care only about what's in their own best interest. Thank God you idiots weren't in charge when Hitler was marching across Europe or when Russia was a super power... You're pitiful.
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by HolyVoice June 23, 2009 1:55 PM EDT
Such irony. Conservatives are self serving, opportunists seeking their best interests. Liberals seek to assist others through the goodness that flows through their heart. I suppose you don't remember, but FDR was a democrat, and he led this nation through World War II, even helping Europe before congressional approval of sending supplies.

You're opinions are idiotic, and thank goodness you are not a leader of any sort because the people following you would be pitiful.
by CLoverNYC1 June 23, 2009 12:42 PM EDT
The Community Organizer-in-Chief has his hands full with his second 'endless war' in Afghanistan, giving Israel the cold shoulder while kissing and bowing to the muslims, and all the while trying to talk out of both sides of his mouth continually.

It's difficult not taking a stand on anything.

Good job.
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by TryTakingMyMoney June 23, 2009 12:28 PM EDT
Well...now that cries for freedom and democracy fell on deaf ears (no more "tear down this wall" events from America), I guess our liberal leader can now continue his diplomacy efforts with the Mullahs, Supreme Leaders, and "Axis of evil" around the world. Hopefully he has not offended any of these guys by what he said so far and can still cozy up to them. His experience with Bill Ayers and Rev. Wright should help in this case. WAKE UP AMERICA!
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by despido June 23, 2009 11:56 AM EDT
Iran Vows To Teach Protesters A Lesson....

What we need is a community organizer to open a dialogue, establish a common bond and talk this through.

.....Oh, we have that? Perhaps I've overlooked all that 'progress'.
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by credibility2 June 23, 2009 11:12 AM EDT
Mousavi would represent more of the same to Ahmadinejad. If they want change, they'll never achieve it, since the ruling religious clerics call the shots. Presumably the majority of Iranians don't object to this type of governance. They just seem to be questioning who won the recent election. That's the protesters view of democracy - voting for a new president, while leaving everything else in tact.
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by hamiltongrad June 23, 2009 11:17 AM EDT
This is grown beyond Mousavi, it is about freedom. Too bad we (USA) seems preoccupied with presidential golf, train wrecks in DC and becoming socialistic to help these brave people. This will go down like Hungary 1958 as a lost moment in time to bring good to this part of the world. President Bush, we miss you.
by hamiltongrad June 23, 2009 11:09 AM EDT
playing golf at a time like this ... In 1991 when all of Poland erupted with a freedom movement, R. Reagan went on the air and layed down the law, stating that any aggression toward the demonstrators would mean that all negotiations/ cooperation/ economic benefits to the USSR would end. Period. The USSR thugs dictators backed down and did not send in troops.

Well....
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by diver6911 June 23, 2009 1:22 PM EDT
Reagan wasnt handed a war on 3 different fronts with a bankrupt country. He was handed a bad economy but back then he forced companies to manufacture in the US which helped our country. Reagan jacked our countries debt up so high but he used it to build up our defense. Obama was handed a miltary that is strectched out and is used up. We have been fighting a war that we can't win and it cost tax payers trillions of dollars. No way can you compare the two situations. We aren't freedom fighters anymore we have turned into the agressors at a very high price.
by gravyboat3000 June 23, 2009 10:33 AM EDT
"teach them a lesson"?

Funny, it seems the protestors have schooled the Mullahs, in technology.

It's amazing to me, to think that these ruling clerics still think that the masses believe this is a democracy. With every,"lesson", they think they've taught, will only grow the ranks of those who know that this is no democracy, and that nobody, except the,"Supereme Leader", has a vote.
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by artorus June 23, 2009 10:05 AM EDT
Obama should tell the protesters the US is behind them and will assist them in securing their new state should they manage a coup. Aside from that, just wait and watch. Democracy cannot be exported.
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by venkata4--2008 June 23, 2009 9:48 AM EDT
" by USASTILLONTOP June 23, 2009 4:26 AM PDT
Hey Obama, way to help out here... Nice work"

Sure it is. See how well we have spread democracy in Iraq with 700K Iraqis dead (source Johns Hopkins) , 4300 US soldiers dead, 30,000 injured out of which 5000 are permanently crippled & we have spent 3 trillions on the war and veterans care. And big oil made 130 billions per quarter profit and huge profits for Halliburton and defense suppliers. All this in the name of spreading democracy when 3 trillion expenditure is met by increasing national debt from 5.7 trillions to 10.7 trillions when Bush left last December. What do you think? Apart from 20% world crude oil reserves Iran has 10% world oil reserves. Shall we spread democracy there too ? & by doing so big oil, energy companies , defense suppliers make billions of profits and national debt can be increased by another 5 trillions.

Rush, Shann & Richard Pearl, Woflwowich , Richard Armitige start the war drum beat now.
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by diver6911 June 23, 2009 1:15 PM EDT
Very well said it does amaze me how they think we have money to fight wars for other countries but we don't have money to help our own companies. I am not sure we are on the right path but doing nothing wasnt going to work either. I don't see Rush or any of the other rich cats that are promoting war going over there risking their lives. They use so many people as their personal puppets, while all at the sametime they are raking in the cash....It is brain washing at its best.
by hungry1968-15 June 23, 2009 9:45 AM EDT
by vistavermin1 June 23, 2009 6:35 AM PDT
Iran another example of Muslim love and understanding. Oh yes Muslims beat your wifes, force people to drink water that is used to clean up your rear end.






No response to my post from 6:22, Lars?
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by YrSoWrong June 23, 2009 11:01 AM EDT
Troubled people post very early in the morning because they can't sleep.
by hungry1968-15 June 23, 2009 9:22 AM EDT
by vistavermin1 June 23, 2009 6:16 AM PDT
The U.S. unemployment rate is likely rise from already high levels to 10 percent in the next couple of months, a White House spokesman said on Monday. (Snip) Earlier this year, the Obama administration had predicted the unemployment rate would peak at 8 percent before beginning to fall toward the end of 2009.

Just a reminder of Obama's mastery of the economy. Only months ago he was going to add and save all those jobs.







Really? Obama said that the unemployment rate was going to tap out at 8%?

Funny, the unemployment rate was OVER 8% when he took office, and I distinctly remember him saying it was going to get worse, before it got better.

I suppose you have a link to ACTUAL FACTS, that will back up your obviously BS statement, don't you?
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by zamorin44 June 23, 2009 9:19 AM EDT
The main reason why this attempt at a revolution is fizzling out is the continued strong influence of religion over the people.China will of course learn all kinds of lessons from this Iranian experience.It will curb the use of the internet further and tame its influence over the Chinese people.The days of the internet revolutions seem to be numbered.
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by 1notrub11 June 23, 2009 9:57 AM EDT
Your first statement may be accurate...... for today or this week or this year. However, curbing the use of something like the internet is a lost cause. Those who do not learn from (a similar) past, are destined to repeat. It is only a matter of time before the youth of Iran overcome this and install whatever they deem appropriate. The impact of technological revolutions can pretty much only be guided (somewhat) - you don't stop this kind of stuff.
by p94932 June 23, 2009 9:07 AM EDT
start killing, this is war against the people. send in the Lord of War, and start arming the protestors.
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by HolyVoice June 23, 2009 1:46 PM EDT
The Lord of War is busy.

You and your children will have to go instead. Ready to kill?
by mrs_trepidatious June 23, 2009 8:52 AM EDT
Good. That will teach those liberals. Bush should have done this after the 2004 election.
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