Tunisian Revolution and the Middle East--And Now, The Withdrawal From Afghanistan (M.E.T.)

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(There isn't much ISIS in Libya these days, though I'm sure Russia can find enough people to kill anyway)

Edited March 14, 2017 by visionary

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As they huddled up by the thousands, during one of the few times when Iranians can legally organize in large numbers, there was no shortage of daring slogans. Hard-liners, with their tendency to put security before everything, were the target.

 

“No judge, no commander! Law-abiding government!” they shouted. “No to segregation of men and women!” and, “Shame on you IRIB,” an attack on the hard-line-dominated state television broadcaster, the most powerful propaganda organization in the country.

 

Some people had made posters. Three young women held up handwritten placards calling for the freedom to travel. In Iran, wives need permission from their husbands for that privilege.

 

Another held up a poster directed at Mr. Rouhani. “Please have a clear stance, what is your position on the political prisoners?” it read. And a reminder, “Article 23 of the constitution guarantees the freedom of thought.”

 

Many said they wished for much more than Mr. Rouhani could promise them, but they insisted they would vote for him nonetheless.

 

“I want to prevent a return to the days where authoritarians ruled,” the time of Mr. Ahmadinejad, said Omid Zare, a 26-year-old college graduate, who, like many of his age, is unemployed. The two terms of Mr. Ahmadinejad were marred by controversy, and the police were constantly present on all main squares of Tehran. “We need a better future,” Mr. Zare said.

 

When Mr. Rouhani finally arrived, there were victory signs, but also shouts of support for Mohammad Khatami, a more liberal former president whose portrait is not allowed to be printed or shown on television in Iran.

 

Mr. Rouhani’s campaign video showed Mr. Khatami sitting with Mr. Rouhani, which led to more cheers. “Long live Khatami!” people screamed.

 

Edited May 11, 2017 by visionary

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https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/20/world/middleeast/iran-election-hassan-rouhani.html?_r=0

 

TEHRAN — Riding a large turnout from Iran’s urban middle classes, President Hassan Rouhani won re-election in a landslide on Saturday, giving him a mandate to continue his quest to expand personal freedoms and open Iran’s ailing economy to global investors.

Perhaps as important, analysts say, the resounding victory should enable him to strengthen the position of the moderate and reformist faction as the country prepares for the end of the rule of the 78-year-old supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Of the 41 million votes cast, the Interior Ministry said, Mr. Rouhani won 23 million (or 57 percent), soundly defeating his chief opponent, Ebrahim Raisi, who received 15.7 million (38.5 percent). Iranian state television congratulated Mr. Rouhani on his victory.

Turnout was heavy, with more than 70 percent of Iran’s 56 million voters casting ballots.

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Here we go again....

Edited May 23, 2017 by visionary

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Hah, so it goes back to yemen?

 

The biggest conflict no one in the US seems to give a **** about, even though it's a problem.

 

Get ready for the onslaught of tweets and news site blogs acting like experts on yemen despite not having said anything meaningful about yemen for years.

 

It's hard to look at it all (well... look at what I'm able to see, who knows what % of all that is...) and not be cynical .

 

'Just learned' well that's bull****. We've known about these types of ties going back to the early days of the war in Afghanistan (if not before) 

Edited June 5, 2017 by tshile

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Turkey has been a Qatar ally vs the rival bloc of Egypt, Saudi, UAE (especially on Libya, Egypt, and the Muslim Brotherhood issues the past few years.)

 

I'm not sure what to make of claims of support for Iran and the Houthis by Qatar. That seems weird since they've been supporting fighters in Syria against Iranian proxies fighters and Qatar was involved in the war against the Houthis in Yemen.

 

My thought is this could be more due to critical coverage of the crackdown in Bahrain and the war in Yemen by Qatari media.  Or it could be part of a play to push out Qatari backed islamists in Libya and to give more support to the Libyan army/forces run by Hiftar which Saudi and Egypt and UAE favor.

 

Edited June 5, 2017 by visionary

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1 minute ago, visionary said:

 

I'm not it sure what to make of claims of support for Iran and the Houthis by Qatar. That seems weird since they've been supporting fighters in Syria against Iranian proxies fighters and Qatar was involved in the war against the Houthis in Yemen.

 

Is al nusra fighting the Iran backed militants?

 

It's a little confusing to me.

Also: aren't there 3 main factions in Yemen? Possible to support 2 of the 3 and piss someone off?