Iran Elections

I must say that as I watch and read the news, I've never seen a citizenry in my lifetime stand up against an oppressive regime to make their voices heard like we're currently seeing in Iran. The violence against those protesting the election is an incredible, maddening, and devastating thing to see. There are videos and pictures which, thanks to modern technology, have slipped through the grip of those in charge of the country who are banning the regular news media from covering the protests. Due to their graphic content, I won't be posting them here.

This is a moment in time that US leaders have been talking about strategically for years. The time when the young people in Iran would grow tired of Islamic fundamentalism being the rule of the land. This has been simmering in much of the populace in Iran for some time, and the sham of an election that just took place in that country has caused it to boil over. Thinking back to Bush and Clinton, this would be the time to begin covertly assisting those protesting in Iran while making clear the US does not support sham elections.

We have heard precious little from our president about this. Now let me put this out front. Between this and the happenings over in North Korea (which I'll cover in another post), I don't envy his position and the foreign policy decisions he's going to have to make. This type of thing is the reason US Presidents age so quickly. I really don't know why someone would want that job.

However, when Iran cracks down and forbids the media from broadcasting images of protesters, when there are cell phone videos on YouTube of protesters' throats being slit and them being shot at, when there is an obvious sham election to put a Holocaust denying madman back in place as president subject only to the mullahs who are even more nuts, I guess I figured that even with a President as weak as Obama I might hear a little more outrage coming from the White House.

What say you?

UPDATE: I just saw a story in which Obama is calling on the Iranian leaders to halt violent actions against its own people and said that the US "stands with all" who seek to exercise the rights of assembly and free speech. I'm quite cynical of this man, but even though it took him a week and votes to condemn Iranian actions by both houses of Congress before he worked up the gumption to speak out, he's taken a step in the right direction. Mr. President, this is the part where it's your job to come out strong and lead. Don't let us or the Iranian people clamoring for freedom down.