Mohammed Khatami Almost Attacked By Angry Mob At Anniversary Celebration

An angry, stick-wielding mob tried to attack Iran's ex-president Mohammed Khatami during a celebration marking the 30th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, the Times of London reports. Khatami had recently announced he would run in June's presidential election.

During the revolutionary celebrations, attackers waving sticks approached the cleric, shouting "Death to Khatami. We do not want American government."

According to Mr Khatami's Baran Foundation, the attackers were repelled by his own supporters, who chanted, "Khatami, Khatami, we support you."

Mr Khatami was escorted from the street by his bodyguards who took him to shelter in a nearby building.

Earlier during the celebrations, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced that he would welcome talks with US President Barack Obama, AP reports.

Iran's president said Tuesday the world was "entering an era of dialogue" and that his country would welcome talks with its longtime adversary, the United States, if they are based on mutual respect.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's announcement during a rally celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution comes a day after President Barack Obama said his administration was looking for opportunities to engage Iran and pledged to rethink United States' relationship with Tehran.

"The Iranian nation is ready for talks (with the U.S.) but in a fair atmosphere with mutual respect," Ahmadinejad told hundreds of thousands of Iranians at the rally, which marked the 1979 toppling of the U.S.-backed shah that brought hard-line clerics to power.

Comments

[AbstractImp]

The republicans in the recent American election shared some of the tactics that were used by Ahmadinejad in his election, where he raised the rabble in hatred and filled them with fear of the hated outsiders.

There were few instances of crowds leaving Palin rallies armed for violence, so in this way we can see that Iran still has hints of barbarism in the way it handles politics.

In fact, Iran and America have been talking for quite some time, through third parties, and through bull horns from their respective bully pulpits.

Now perhaps, they will soon begin to talk face to face.

The Iranians are a beautiful people. There is no reason America and Iran cannot be friends.

[petey64]

Non-sense utter non-sense just because you accuse people doesn't make it true, the bullies of the last election was the press and the blind hatred of President Bush, after years of Democrats advocating the death of our leaders to actual write what you wrote is beyond belief.......if you had any shame you would feel it. but obviously you do not.

[Pip1860]

You know it is very interesting when you Repubs use the term "blind hatred of Bush" as if if someone were to examine Bush and his doings they would find the Mother Teresa in him.

I say to your response: Utter nonsense!

[mamacat]

Gobbledegook.

[mamacat]

We are at our best when we are able to find ways to live together in peace, harmony, justice, and prosperity.

Having said that, history is full to the brim of examples, from every region of the world, demostrating that humans are masters of intolerance, warfare, and hatred. The example of a political rally in Iran in which two sides yell and push at each other is signifigant partly because it could have been much worse; at least they were not shooting at each other. If the sentiments expressed here on Huffpo are any indication, I imagine there are a few among us who have been sorely tempted to yell mean things, at one time or another.

[some-realtalk]

Amedinajad causes hatred in his country, he is like a curse to the people of Iran, and their country!

[JZ735]

Where Bush created a society full of radical haters, Ahmadinejad has his brand of thugs attacking what can only be one of the few Iranians in government operating with a full deck.

[Horst]

Radical haters who just elected Obama by a huge margin. Theocracy is the curse of Iran.

[Wozzeck]

What most Americans know about Iran has been filtered through our MSM, which sold us the Iraq War. How truthful do you expect them to be about Iran?

[AliMB]

This isn't really bad news; it helps to marginalize the r a d i c al elements within Iran and only solidifies what I believe should be the general Obama strategy towards Iran. A re-post from another thread:

This is good news for the US; these upcoming presidential elections in Iran should be the main focus of President Obama's greater utilitarian diplomatic strategy towards Iran. While an election is scheduled for the summer, the legitimacy and/or competitiveness of this process is dubious. There is a poignant view that whoever Ali Khamenei and the mullahs back becomes the president, either thru outright fraud or thru asymmetrical party machinery. That is why the US should look beyond the current chief executive Ahamdinejad.

To take a phrase from the Times, Ahamdinejad is not consequential but he is also not insignificant. Ahamdinejad derives power because he is considered Ali Khamenei’s protégé, and that has various consequences vis-à-vis Iranian foreign policy. President Obama needs to find a way to get the mullahs to switch support to Khatami and the reformists, and by showing that the US is willing to play ball with a different executive administration and give Iran what it wants, principally a lifting of sanctions and security guarantees, that could elevate more reform-minded individuals to positions of power.

[AliMB]

Part II

This is important because what the fundamentalist powerbrokers abhor is weakening the foundations of the I s l a m i c Republic; and while they fear reformists like Khatami and his potential s u b v e r s i o n of revolutionary ideals, they fear s a b o t a g e and a united front from the West even more.

The essence of decision-making is choosing among alternatives: make Khatami the more palpable alternative by offering a benign US partner; stick to Ahamdinejad, and the US will turn up the pressure (including initiatives for covert overthrows, SOCOM incursions, and an economic c h o k e ). Secretary Gates’ recent congressional hearing, and the bad-cop role he played by crticizing Tehran, might be evidence of this calculating strategy. With a more reformist administration in place, this could give the Obama Administration a greater hand in negotiations, and it could even spark an internal movement that takes a d e s t a b i l i z i n g trajectory.

Obama need not confine himself to being an honest broker; after strengthening the US’s position, it should continue to find ways to destabilize the Iranian regime (e.g. pumping money to civil society), because the end game is fomenting the collapse of the Islamic Republic by the most efficacious means available.

[Wozzeck]

Iran's elections are its business. It's time for US foreign policy in the Middle East to serve the interests of the American people instead of the government of another country.

[Mahi Joe]

Khatami is a moderate and a reformer and with the US willing to talk to Iran this puts the Mullahs in an awkward position should Khatami win the election. This attack on Khatami. does not surprise me.

[ThirdSection]

...and oddly enough, Khatami is one of the Mullahs and Ahmadhinejad is not.

[JZ735]

Clearly orchestrated by Ahmadinejad thugs...I wonder if Khatami also wants Israel destroyed or thinks there are no such thing as homosexuals in Iran...something tells me that he doesn't.

[Mahi Joe]

Actually Khatami is not one of the mullahs on the Guardian Council who rule supreme over Iran. Khatami is head of the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution which is different and answers to the Guardian Council.

Also Khatami is seen as a reformer because he advocates the inclusion of all people of Iran in politics (a form of Democracy), has opened dialogue with non Islamic leaders (Chirac, The Pope, Putin etc..), and wants to trade with Western nations. Having said this, he still is somewhat of a walking contradiction because he is head of Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution which advocates State monopoly over most institutions.

[BrutusHonestus]

Ahmedinajad . . . Robert Mugabe . . . Hugo Chavez . . . this is "populism" in the 2nd and 3rd world . . . don't confuse us with claims that there is an alternative to American-style democracy . . . outside of the U.S., the "real" Western Europe, and Israel, free and democratic elections are a myth (and yes, Canada does not count!).

[i5kfun]

Israel is NOT free and is NOT democratic. Just tell bull you are pushing to the 1.5 million Palestinians living in camps in Gaza.

[JZ735]

Israel long ago gave up on democracy....as it lurches to the right, it forfeits its right to claim any kind of moral highground in its region.

[misaacm]

The 1.5 million people living in Gaza don't live in Israel, they live in Gaza. Of course they don't vote in Israeli elections. You post makes no sense. Arabs in Israel (20% of the population) vote in the elections, are in the Knesset and on the Israel Supreme Court.

The freedom which Israel took away from the Palestinians in Gaza, mostly the decendents of refugees from Egypt's failed wars against Israel, is the freedom to kill Israelis, but beyond that, they can do what they want. Ask their neighbors in Egypt why they aren't free to exit Gaza that way.

[Wozzeck]

Any facts to back up your contention that elections in Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, etc, were not "free and democratic"? Or is this just rhetorical jingoism?
Too bad that the US Supreme Court couldn't appoint the leaders of those countries too.

[thruthseeker]

Last time I checked, Chavez was trying to abolish all elections and annoint himself President for life..

Thats sounds like total democracy to me.

[joebhed]

Zeitgeist - Addendum - Part Two.

[davidwayneosedach]

Iran. Now is not a good time to make a visit.

[thruthseeker]

Just like Chavez and the Nazis before him.. They send goons and blame it on unruly supporters .

[Wozzeck]

Chavez and goons? You must be thinking of the CIA-sponsored goons that tried to overthrow
Venezuela's democratically elected President. In case you conveniently forgot it was right wing goons that installed the head of the Chamber of Commerce in Chavez's place for a day until the people took back their government.

[AliMB]

Your recounting of the 2002 coup attempt in venezuela is fallacious and appears to come straight from TeleSur... the CIA did not sponsor the coup; in fact, the biggest mistake the US did was not supporting the military leaders when they had Chavez arrested. A non-partisan OIG report also confirmed that there was no US involvement.

While Democratically elected, Chavez has now turned into one of the most anti-democratic leaders in LA today. Example: Despite fraud, chavez lost a referendum on whether to institute constitutional reforms for unlimited term limits. Now he is taking up the referendum again, comically changing the language to avoid the appearance of re-vote. Its a standard leftwing tactic in LA: roll the electoral dice untill you get what you want; then make the change irreversible.

You should go down to Venezuela and see how opinions are beginning to tilt against Chavez.

[messy]

For more about this country, go here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-lurio/notes-on-the-iranpersia-c_b_164832.html

[sonambulanthorde]

Evidently, some Palin supporters found another rally to crash.

[petey64]

No Palin is in your head, kinda like god is in an atheist head......always thinking about them.

[PhilipB]

This stinks of a set up. This indicates a power struggle between Ahmadinejad and Khatami. Is it though? could outside groups have infiltrated one side,or even both sides to create instability? Interesting that this comes at the same time talks are being discussed with the US. There any number of players that could be at work here. what I do not buy is that this is spontaneous. This was clearly planned for some purpose.

[AmbivalentGuy]

I believe that it is a power struggle.
But, disagreement there does not take outside agitators,
that distracts from the fact that there are differences among
the Iranian people.

And, yes I believe that it was planned.
The purpose? A feeler for diplomacy, while
maintaining a "we're not gonna roll over, even
it it is a new president, but let's give him a chance"?

They want a response - is it going to be the extension of
diplomacy, or more threats?

These are not stupid people, regardless of the
fact that most of us don't understand the basis for
religious states.

[antiprop1]

The average person in Iran wants what we all want: a decent government and a chance to make a decent living. Ahmedinajad was elected to fix the economy and did nothing but stir up international outrage against the Iranian regime. Just like America with Obama, I predict a seachange in Iranian politics. The hardliners know their days are numbered, that's why they are pulling this protest.

[Durango]

Of course there is a power struggle.

It is called democracy. Khatami is going to run against Ahmedinajad in their elections this summer.

It also shows that some portion of the Right Wing Conservatives fear Khatami.

The best thing the USA and the West can do is stay the Hell away.

the Liberalization Movement in Iran is the single most hopeful event in the entire Muslim world.

We should not interfere.

[joebhed]

agreed.

[x004Ronin]

Absolutely. The last time the U.S. interfered in Iran, the CIA replaced a democratically elected Prime Minister with a dictator that was toppled and replaced by rulers far far far more anti-American than the former Prime Minister.

[mivogo]

Like the "democracy" in Pakistan which resulted in the murder of Bhutto?
You're right, the liberalization movement in Iran is the only hope, but you are more optimistic than I. Hope I'm wrong.

[mehdi]

As sad state to see that some Iranians are still using the death chant in their political discourse.

[SamEllison]

Sounds like preconditions to me, President Ahmadinejad.
Are all the streets in Tehran one-way?

[me again]

Ah, the little dictator's minions doing his bidding......kinda reminds me of another situation 50 or so years ago.......

[Kenji]

Or eight years ago, in Florida.

[Horst]

That is obviously why so many people are emigrating to Iran.

[holyhandgrenaid]

Ahmadinejad is neither a dictator nor even the head of state

[JZ735]

His style is dictatorial and in his egomaniacal head, he thinks he is head of state...he's a showman, albeit a dangerous one, like PT Barnum...too bad the Iranians have to suffer through his version of a show.

[me again]

Belive what you want to believe......he's the one who rallies the people not the ayatollahs....

[Kaviraj]

tell us which country do you refer to