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Monday, June 15, 2009

News Nuggets 176


Today in Tehran -- looks like the reformers are not going to go quietly.  Lots of developments -- see below.


MUST-SEE UP-FRONT VIDEO NUGGET!!

AMAZING IMAGES from the streets of Iran!!  The Huffington Post has been an exception collection place for stories, photos and video from Iran.  Check it out!

The crowds in the streets of Tehran have reached a "critical mass." from Sky News via Huffington Post


Opposition Leaders Join Thousands Protesting in Iran from the Telegraph [of London]

The Telegraph of London also seems to be ahead of the pack in keeping up with what's happening in Iran.

"Defeated Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi has joined tens of thousands of supporters who defied a ban to stage a mass rally in Tehran."


Iran Protest Cancelled as Leaked Election Results Show Ahmadinejad Came in Third from the Telegraph [of London]

The demonstrations have apparently proceeded anyway.

"Mr Mousavi's cancellation of the protest came as sporadic disturbances continued around the Iranian capital, and reports circulated of leaked interior ministry statistics showing him as the clear victor in last Friday's polls."


Tehran is Running Scared of the Uncontrollable Forces of Freedom (Martin Fletcher) from the Times [of London]

We'll see.  I am not convinced (yet) that Tehran's youth movement can really alter the outcome.

"The surge of revolt threatened to become a tidal wave. So the Islamic republic responded with ‘a coup against the coup."


Iran's Anger Will Not Fade Fast (Editorial) from the Guardian [of London]

"These are the broadest protests since the 1979 revolution. Ahmadinejad and Khamenei face a crisis of authority."


Iran's Day of Anguish (Roger Cohen) from the New York Times

Cohen has been in Tehran this week.

"She was in tears like many women on the streets of Iran’s battered capital. “Throw away your pen and paper and come to our aid,” she said, pointing to my notebook. “There is no freedom here.”"


The Revolution Will Be Tweeted (Marc Ambinder) from the Atlantic

"It's too easy to call the weekend's activities the first revolution that was Twittered, but when histories of the Iranian election are written, Twitter will doubtless be cast as a protagonal technology that enabled the powerless to survive a brutal crackdown and information blackout by the ruling authorities. "


Further analysis along these lines can be found at High-Definition Democracy at Daily Kos.

"The concept of citizen-selected leadership itself is ancient, but we are witnessing today the latest chapter in how technology is strengthening that democracy, one byte at a time."


Why is Dennis Ross Being Ousted as Obama Envoy to Iran? from Al Haaretz [of Israel in English]

"The Obama administration will announce that Ross has been reassigned to another position in the White House. In his new post, the former Mideast peace envoy under President Bill Clinton will deal primarily with regional issues related to the peace process."

An interesting, significant development.  Not sure what it means.  One thing it suggests though is that Obama has some urgency around moving forward on the various peace initiatives in the Middle East, and he's not tolerating whatever isn't working for any length of time.


The World is Moving Beyond the Al-Qaeda Moment (Editorial) from the Daily Star [of Lebanon in English]

"We can no longer say accurately what Al-Qaeda stands for."


Obama Open to Reining in Medical Suits from the New York Times

This makes sense if done right -- and it will get the AMA folks aligned on Obama's program potentially.

"In closed-door talks, Mr. Obama has been making the case that reducing malpractice lawsuits — a goal of many doctors and Republicans — can help drive down health care costs, and should be considered as part of any health care overhaul, according to lawmakers of both parties, as well as A.M.A. officials."


Obama and the Politics of Short Memories (E.J. Dionne) from the Washington Post

"That's why last week's announcement by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce of a new "Campaign for Free Enterprise" could be one of the year's most consequential political developments. Now the real resistance to Obama begins."


Obama, W.H. Woo the Gray Lady from Politico

They'd better hurry while the 'Gray Lady' is still around -- it's future doesn't look good at all right now.

"Where George W. Bush’s team made a show of not caring about the Times, aides in this White House treat the paper with a deference that James Reston himself would have appreciated. "


The Good Soldier: Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State from New York Magazine

"She has turned herself into Obama’s greatest asset, on Capitol Hill as much as around the world, in fashioning a national-security policy that has closed off all policy differences between the former Democratic rivals, co-opted many Republicans, and left the rest of the administration’s opponents astoundingly marginalized"


FINE ARTS NUGGET!

Nude Mona Lisa-Like Painting Surfaces from MSNBC

"Could Leonardo have painted a version of the iconic Mona Lisa in the nude? As comical as that might sound, a painting that recently surfaced and is on exhibition at the Museo Ideale in Vinci, the painter's birthplace, suggests this might just be the case."


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