The Will of the People

Hillary Clinton said we need to wait and see what the will of the people was going to be in Iran. I would say that we are seeing the will of the people. Many people in Tehran, at least, don’t want Ahmadinejad to continue to be the president. I am not sure that Moussavi is a far better choice as far as US foreign policy is concerned. Moussavi is just as committed to continuing the nuclear program as Ahmadinejad. The reality is Iran is led by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader.

Much was made during the election of President Obama in regards to a new direction for our foreign policy. The President wants to sit and talk to other countries that we don’t have good relations with. The events that are playing out right now are making that much more difficult. The President is being boxed into a corner. Part of this is his own doing, his silence is becoming deafening. We have thousands of troops in the region, and it is his job to protect them. I would venture to say this is part of the reason for his silence. It has been made pretty clear that the Iranians have, at very least, supplied weapons to kill our troops in Iraq.

The US has always been a beacon of freedom. We need to continue to be that beacon to the world. While I agree that our president needs to protect our troops, we also need not to keep repeating the same mistakes in this region. When desert storm ended in 1991 and we pulled out of Iraq, part of the expectation was that we planted some seeds to allow the Iraqi people to stand up to Sadam Hussein. The Kurds were under the impression we would stand by them in their fight for a better and freer government. The US stood by while they were gassed by their own authoritarian president. This is the type of thing that has long lasting effects on the peoples in these countries. The natural instinct of humans is survival. Why would you put yourself in harms way if you think no one is willing to have your back.

The images coming out of Iran are very alarming. People are being beaten and shot, police are using nightsticks, tear gas, and water cannons to quell the protesters. It is growing more violent by the day. Have you noticed that some of the signs are written in English? That is no accident. The people are crying out to be heard around the world, not just in Iran. The bravery of the people who are out on the streets is Tehran is something that deserves comment. These people are literally putting their lives on the line to have a better life for themselves and their families. How can our President not say anything?

The comments from the President have ranged from we’ll see what happens to we shouldn’t be meddling. While it is true that we don’t have the right to meddle in other countries elections, that fact is that we are going to be accused of meddling anyway. That has already happened. The Supreme Leader has said that the people in the streets are not Iranians and are outside agitators. The President believes that by making a statement he will be playing into the statements coming from the Iranian government. I beg to differ Mr. President.

Our government, I am sure, has CIA operatives in or around the country of Iran. These operatives need to do everything that they can ensure that the internet and cell phone connections stay open. The repressive government of Iran needs to know that the eyes of the world are watching. We need our leaders to stand up and clearly say to the people who are risking everything:

We are in awe of your bravery – We salute you – We will be there for you if succeed in over-throwing your oppressive government.

Mr. President how exactly do you sit down with the government of Iran now without pre-conditions? They are killing their own people in the streets, how much more proof do you need that they are not interested in peace?