Iran's Mullahs - Green Movement

In checking Paul Ryan’s October 11, 2012 statement about the mullahs I found out that after the Iranian presidential election of June 12, 2009; protesters (the Green Movement) on June 14 and 15 demanded the removal of Mahmound Ahmadinejad from office but on June 16 the pro-Ahmadinejad protesters outnumbered the Movement. Green became the symbol of unity and hope for those asking for annulment of a fraudulent election; Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi are recognized as the political leaders of the Movement. I want to point out that Ryan said we should have jumped in and helped the Iranian protesters and yet Republicans bad mouthed our Occupy Wall Street protesters.

There was a discussion at David Horowitz's Restoration Weekend in Palm Beach on November 18-21, 2010 regarding the prospects for liberty in Iran. The Iranian speaker Amir Fakhravar said if Obama could find someone to talk to Okay - let’s go. The Iranians wanted: First, oil sanctions – in 2010 Iran had $83 billion from selling oil and were using it pay high salaries to the Revolutionary Guard and Basijis to attack the people and buy friends in Venezuela – they spent $1 billion for a Spanish language TV, supported the Hezbollah and Hamas and continuing their nuclear program. If they don’t have the money, they can’t do any of these things. Second, the Voice of America broadcast network should support democracy, freedom and the Green Movement but were broadcasting anti-American and anti-Israel messages; they’re making fun of the US government and Army. Third, financial and humanitarian aid so the Iranians would have the time and necessities to focus on organizing. Amir said the Iranians were in the process of creating an alternative government should the regime fall and the options of bombing Iran or starting a war could create more unforeseen problems.

On February 14, 2011, the largest demonstration in more than a year broke out in response pro-government MPs calling for the death of the Green Movement leaders. Mousavi and the reformists are working to put in reforms and create a Constitution modeled after the US; without a religious state. They set up a new coalition named The Green Path of Hope that is connected to reformist parties (includes socialists, monarchists and communists all against the regime), NGOs, and social networks and the strategy is to connect existent social pressures and issues in a social network and lead protests in a lawful manner. Abroad, the "Green Wave" movement, founded by Amir Hossein Jahanchahi, is based in Europe; it claims to be the only exiled opposition group to provide logistical and financial assistance to democracy-seeking opponents of the Iranian regime and it announced the defection of several Iranian diplomats in Europe as well as an Iranian ex-Air Force pilot, Behzad Masoumi Legwan who claims that dissidence against the Islamic Republic in Iran's military is widespread (they realized they were killing their own children).