Iran has long made shooting down planes a big deal. The 1988 downing of Iran Air Flight 655 by the US was a major issue, and one that’s remained a top talking point for the Iranian government. Iran’s downing of a Ukrainian plane last week is also a much bigger deal than it would be in a lot of countries.
Iranian protesters have taken to the streets, mostly around universities, calling for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top officials to all resign over the incident. Iran’s Fars news agency confirmed the protests.
Official reporting within Iran on anti-government protests like this is highly unusual, but reflective of just how big of a deal the plane incident is domestically. Iranian police were called to disperse protesters at at least one Tehran university. They cited “radical” slogans is a reason for ending them.
The US is clearly hoping to take advantage of this for another round of escalatory rhetoric, warning Iran that they had better not silence the protesters, and suggesting that the demonstrations prove that Iranians want regime change.
Its good to remember why the Iranian govt has little tolerance for protests — that’s how the US overthrew Mosadegg and how the Ayatollah Khomeini ousted the Shah of Iran — with protests.
So you’re supporting the tyrants
over the people in Iran?
OK.
How come we still support the tyrants in Egypt and Saudi Arabia over those people? For that matter, every dictatorship that does what we want.
When “the people” arise, we should support THEM!
Venezuela, Hong Kong and Iran are the examples.
Siding with the tyrants makes you a tyrant.
This statement came right out of page 12 from Manuel 23.
So, you support those regimes making war on their people,
hought so.
That’s rich coming from a Communist.
I support the people in those three countries for fighting against authoritarian monsters, you apparently disagree with that.
You out yourself.
You were for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt then?
Morsi? No, that was an 0bama admin orchestrated
overthrow of Mubarak, for the BMH puppet Morsi.
Bot A.I is not advanced enough.
“Tyrants”, “brutal dictators”, “gas attacks”, WMDs & al Qaeda connections, “incubator babies”, “Viagra for Libyan rapists”, “democracy promotion”, “force for good in the world” … I mean really!?. You’re still buying this junk … and even reselling it!!! Holy sh*t!!!
Here’s a simple question: “In the years since 1953, when the Dulles brothers at CIA overthrew Mossadegh, how many people have been killed by US Presidents versus how many people have been killed by all those “brutal dictators” combined? How many democracies overthrown by the US?
The US wins hands down. My favorite is the half-million Iraqi children killed by sanctions under charismatic, shades-and-saxaphone Mr. Cool, “The first black President”, Mr. “I didn’t inhale” Bill Clinton? Run the numbers. That’s seven Sandy Hook massacres every single day of his Presidency.
Now what’s that you were saying about “tyrants”?
Here’s the fix: tape the stripped-ends of an old electric cord to your temples, and plug ‘er in. If you survive this DIY brain wipe, start over. And this time stay off the MSM Kool-Aid, and take full advantage of the truth-tellers on the internet. Tune in to Jimmy Dore, Aaron Maté, Max Blumenthal, Rania Khalek, Abby Martin, Ben Norton, K Halper and M Taibbi, Caitlin Johnstone, etc.
Come back into the light.
The poster was sympathetic to the Iranian tyrannical theocratic terror supporting regime.
I (speaking for myself) support the “people” and condemn that anti-democratic dictatorship.
Spare me your anti-America pap.
I’m not defending America but condemning tyrants,
like the ayatollah, Maduro and Commie China over Hong Kong.
Admit it, most posters here would defend those govts, yet
would never consider moving there, curious don’t you think?
OK I get it. You support the Marxist-Communists.
“Double-speak”, validates which side you support.
There’s the Commie accusing others of his crime!
Do you condemn the theocratic, Iranian dictatorship, or not?
Not for us to condemn or praise. Stop looking for selective monsters to destroy based on who gets along with us.
People under brutal attack deserve support, you are a coward.
Really – get your butt over to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and stoke those people up from their dictator-driven existence, you hypocrite. Now put your ass where your mouth is and get over there and risk your own blood instead of the blood of others, so you can feel like Rambo.
I, unlike you, have already served John.
And your rants are merely dodges away from the fact you cannot condemn the terrorist govt of Iran,
and that’s sad while being hilarious at the same time.
I already served too, probably unlike you – 67 to 87.
Why is it up to you or me to condemn the govt of Iran? Does that make you feel good?
It is the obligation of free men to support freedom for all.
To not do so, is to empower tyranny, misery and homicide.
Therefore you are against every one of our interventions in the Middle East and Afghanistan (and Vietnam) because you hate homicid and killing. Explain how millions of deaths in the Middle East, after we stuck our nose there, is freedom for all? Freedom from life?
Off topic.
You can’t condemn Iranian regime brutality because
it does not comport with your jaundice world view.
Which consistently distorts the present by nursing inflated grievances of the past.
Nevertheless, I’ll play along,
I did support going into Afghanistan and killing OBL, he earned it.
Vietnam, was the worst travesty in our history,
and LBJ’s name will live in infamy forever.
Back to the point, Iranian citizens want freedom, I”m not going to support fighting for them,
but I sure as h3ll support them against their thug “leadership”.
Oh you are? How are you doing that besides making comments in an anti-war website?
Wherever I go, speak, purchase or contribute.
And fearlessly, not like you who are apparently intimidated 🙂
Oh bull shit.
Why don’t you join the majority of military personnel/veterans who oppose these forever military interventions and stop playing like a neocon warmonger/liberal interventionist?
Why are you afraid to condemn a
theocratic-homicidal authoritarian regime?
If you can’t then you support them with your silence.
and make sure your DD Form 93 is up to date and your duffel bag packed
https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/forms/dd/dd0093.pdf
So you can’t, won’t (lol) answer the simple question.
Do you condemn
the theocratic dictatorship of Iran which is brutalizing it’s people?
Yes or no?
How come you’re only selectively condemning tyrants?
How come you can’t condemn tyrants who are brutalizing their people.
The current world protests are in Iran and Hong Kong,
yet you choose to ignore (protect) the perpetrators!
I condemn those govts and include Venezuela and NK.
There are protests all over the place including France, India, and Spain. “World protests” – where’d you come up with that gem.
I do support the “yellow vests” protests in France against and entrenched
lunatic administration.
India, mum, not aware of protests there.
Spain, if you mean Catalonia’s, yes I do support those protests.
My father was from Barcelona, making me half Catalan, no less.
These total morons either do not understand or else support the US and Israel for the killing of Suleiman who was on a mission for reducing tensions between their nation and Saudi Arabia.
Like one professor at a Tehran University said directly to his interviewer on Al Jazeera when asked about such protests in his country, “Don;t fool yourself into believing that such protests provide any base or foundation for the US to take advantage of.”
As a result, these protests should be seen for what they actually are; a result of outside agitation.
As another commenter here has stated, it appears to be very odd that such protests are aimed towards a government who not only admitted their mistakes openly in terms of the downing of the airliner but even admitted to them while under the severe tensions of being attacked by a foreign power…
More war propaganda from Anti-war.com. The shooting down of the airline may have triggered the protests, but the students are protesting to end the wars, the murder of gays, and the oppression of women from the Iranian theocracy.
Looks like a bot. Vast number of comments. All “private”. Randomly-generated disqus id: @disqus_QhKWIzAPqc. Follows no one.
You can get students to protest anything if they are paid well enough. How come we don’t pay for demonstrations against the autocratic regime in SaudiLand.
Did you think the rhetoric/propaganda couldn’t get more absurd? Well guess again. Lips will move, noises will be heard, and we will likely be astonished at the Bizarro world nonsense they will be peddling.
Seems odd to protest your government over something that happened while your government was responding to an assassination of one of its top generals. Especially if your government is taking responsibility for the downing of the Ukrainian airliner. Why do I think there are factions behind these protests that aren’t looking out for the interests of the Iranian people? But I remember in 1988 when we downed the civilian Iranian airliner and how the people took to the streets in the US demanding their leaders step down. Oh wait, that was a dream. Silly me, our leader gave the finger to Iran and said he wouldn’t apologize for America no matter the facts.
“Why do I think there are factions behind these protests that aren’t looking out for the interests of the Iranian people?”
As with most protests in most countries, there’s presumably a mix of participants and motivating agendas.
I agree. But the MSM seems to be focused on only what collaborates the story coming out of DC.
And how many millions of dollars has the Congress authorized for regime change in Iran?
Well, back in 2006 the Congress authorized $10M for The Iran Freedom and Support Act. And then there’s money (from?) for the MeK. So there’s that.
Sounds like what happened in Kiev’s Maidan Square a while back. Maybe Pompeo will be there passing out cookies.
Also, what’s happening in Hong Kong. Note: We are not funding the yellow vest protests in France.
Turn it around and how does it sound?
Iran’s President Rouhani said, “I will never apologise for Iran – I don’t care what the facts are.” Tehran plans to never apologise, admit wrongdoing or accept any responsibility whatsoever. All of the Iranian soldiers involved will be awarded Combat Action Ribbons, the air-defense coordinator will receive a commendation medal and the commanding officer will be awarded the Legion of Merit for “exceptionally meritorious conduct.”
The USA’s response to that? Oh wait, that would be a nightmare!
I wonder just how many of those ‘protesters’ are on the payroll of some US ‘black ops’ outfit. It’s not like we’ve never paid for protests in the past.
Trump tweeted:
“Wow! The wonderful Iranian protesters refused to step on, or in any way denigrate, our Great American Flag. It was put on the street in order for them to trample it, and they walked around it instead. Big progress!”
Just showing their appreciation for the US attempt to systematically destroy their society. Probably chanting USA! USA! too.
US had the chance to shut down the Islamic Revolution in 1979 but chose to let Khomeini come to power.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36431160