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Main | The Latest from Iran (31 January): No Backing Down »
Sunday
Jan312010

Latest Iran Video: Foreign Minister Mottaki on Elections & Protests (31 January)

Take this as you will, as Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki responds to the challenges of CNN's Fareed Zakaria.

I do have to note that Mottaki needs to brush up on US politics --- the disputed election of George W. Bush was in 2000, not 2004, and the Supreme Court that ruled in his favour was not appointed by him. He might also want to check the situation in his country --- the Supreme Leader never held out the option of a full recount of the Presidential vote, and he might want to reconsider the claim that protesters were firing guns. And, as he holds on to the lifeboat claim of massive support on 30 December, three days after Ashura, I'm not sure that is boosted by compared Iran's crackdown on protest to the response to demonstrators at the Copenhagen climate change summit.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkJ-FFmaxqc[/youtube]

Reader Comments (15)

This is all IR could muster for a foreign minister, a person who cannot even win a debate in a kindergarten? What an embarrassment…

Actors of this regime seem to have all graduated from School of Crooks and Liars at Khomeini- Khamenei University.

February 1, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterMegan

It takes true audacity to do that interview and pretend that somehow he is representing the justice and moral side.

February 1, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterThe Basher

HELLO....this is the Islamic Republic...this guys represents the IR And everything that that system stands for! People should have been surprised if he said something other than this! HE is denying that Basij fired on people, he is saying that "Everyone is equal in front of law"...not in the IR...that's just the biggest law on the history of mankind! Khomeini himself was the biggest liar in the world and these he is just following that path!

February 1, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterMils

Around the 4:35 mark, is he saying that 90 to 95% of people were not happy with the election results?!

February 1, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterGreeny

When are the greenies ever going to get someone to sneak into one of these interviews and smash a pie into his face!!!! What audacity to claim what he does in light of what actually occured!!

February 1, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterBill

Bill,

“When are the greenies ever going to get someone to sneak into one of these interviews and smash a pie into his face!”

I hope never. That would give people like Mottaki the satisfaction of being noticed. Besides he does a great job of making a fool of himself and the brutal government that he represents. No need to waste a pie on people like this.

February 1, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterGreeny

This is another small and petty thug who lies all the time. Lie has become the main motto of this rapist and murderer regime.

February 1, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterHossein

He has done considerably better, despite English not being his native language, than GWB ever did, elected in a poll rigged by his brother in Florida and confirmed by a margin of one vote at the Supreme Court comprising of judges, majority of whom were Republican sympathisers placed there by his father! The surprising thing was that the majority of US citizens took it lying down. Had they come out in protest in droves, the world could have been spared the catastrophes he inflicted on the people of Iraq and Afghanistan and the Kyoto protocol would have been implemented by Al Gore to the great benefit of all the citizens of our shared world. Reminds one of an English saying - those who choose to live in glass houses should learn not to throw stones at others-.
Scott - Could you write some day how usefully the $450m allocated in Bush's time is being spent to destabilise IRI when it could be used to help the US pay some of the debts it has accumulated in bailing out greedy and incompetent bankers whose demonic deeds and greed has indebted US citizens to the hilt.

February 1, 2010 | Unregistered Commenterrezvan

Scott it seems that rezvan,samuel, and carpe diem etc-appear to be one of the same-the reasoning,syntax, grammar is tellingly identical ? But it is refreshing having at least someone on the site who is the resident provactuer-mixing up W with the AH second "election"-hah ha !...no matter how flawed and skewed the reasoning is. No better than Kayhan just more eloquent.

February 2, 2010 | Unregistered Commenteriam -mark 2

rezvan,

RE. “Scott – Could you write some day how usefully the $450m allocated in Bush’s time is being spent to destabilise IRI...”

Very interesting point.
As interesting as investigating the allegation of IR Abmassador to Mexico that Neda Agha Soltan was killed by a CIA supplied bullet. Or the allegation that she was killed on the order of BBC correspondent in Tehran so he could write a book about it. Or that she was killed by teh doctor who actually tried to help her. Or the allegation that she was killed as part of a conspiracy involving the Americans, British, French, Germans, Israeli’s, drunk, prostitutes, drugies, dancers,... (the list if long). Or that she took part in her own murderer. Or (the point recently raised by Javan Newspaper) that she was probably killed by Hadi Ghaffari. Or that she is not dead at all. Or that she never existed.

Let me save you the trouble: I too am one of those whom you’d probably call dirt and dust, drugy, drunk, prostitute, an agent of CIA, MI5, MI6, Mossad, xyz, etc.

While we’re on the subject, and you seem to have good info re the “$450m”, do me a favour and point the American puppet masters my way too. I could use the cash. It’s not fair for it all to go to Scott. He already has a day job.

BTW I must say that for someone who is supposed to have carried out his studies in English, Dr Mottaki’s English is not very good. Better that DOKTOR Mahmoud “Happy New Year” Ahmadinejad though.

But I agree with you: in this interview Mottaki managed to explain what the Islamic Republic is really about.

February 2, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterGreeny

Rezvan,

1. The Bush "democracy promotion program" was $75 million, not $450 million.
2. The Obama Administration has not renewed the program --- indeed, it has cut funding to groups like the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center in Boston.
3. I have yet to see evidence --- in the post-election trials, in the assertions of Dr Marandi or the Iranian Government, or in what I can discover about current covert US activity --- of a "regime change" programme. Doesn't mean that one might not be out there, but it is definitely not covered by the rhetoric of the regime, such as the 60 "no-go" foreign organisations.

S.

February 2, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterScott Lucas

Greeny

Great rebuttal. Funny how these Basiji worshipers can utter phrases like "those who choose to live in glass houses should learn not to throw stones at others" respective to what has actually occured. In their defense it probably is not a glass house anymore because all the window panes were broken long ago.!

Thx
Bill

February 2, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterBill

Iam Mark 2,

Nedaye Sabze Azadi has a nice article on "Living in a kayhanized world" today, comparing Kayhan's gutter language to that of its putschist president and especially to his gutter politics. The writer rightly notes it's disastrous effects on journalism in Iran and on the political behaviour in general: http://www.irangreenvoice.com/article/2010/jan/31/823

Once Kayhan was the leading newspaper of Iran, and it's lawful holder Dr Mesbahzadeh has fortunately kept up those professional standards over more than 30 years: http://www.kayhanpublishing.uk.com/
(To all those, who want to object immediately: No, I'm not a royalist ;-)

Greeny,

I would appreciate some of that $ 450 m too :-)

February 2, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterArshama

As amusing as Greeny's response was, the list of reasons he mentioned re: neda have ALL been used, which in itself points to how blatant all the lies are. I love how the harder the regime try's to explain itself, the deeper the hole they're stuck in becomes.

February 2, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterDC

"نخستین اعدام های جشن سالگرد انقلاب اسلامی"

Let's celebrate the anniversary of the revolution by hanging people, that's what it literally says...a real sad state of affairs.

February 2, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterDC

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