Iran's recent election has shown the weakness of two groups of leaders; the Obama Administration and that of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. With the streets of Tehran choked with protesters in favor of opposition candidate and reformist Mir Hossein Mousavi, the White House has remained largely silent. As protesters are being violently put down, it is clearly time for the president to speak out, not only against violence against protesters, but also for democracy in a country that is really ruled by religious authority rather than civic.
In the lead up to the election, commentators from across the world anticipated trouble for Ahmadinejad. His bellicose stance for a nuclear Iran and against the US and Israel have earned his county further international scorn and sanctions since he was first elected in 2005. As such, international observers saw that his opponent had a good chance of taking the presidency. They also predicted that Mousavi would benefit from a higher voter turnout.
As the results came in, it was announced that President Ahmadinejad had been reelected in a landslide, leaving many experts scratching their heads. The unexpected result, and the shutdown of social networking sites like Twitter by the Iranian government, sent young people into the streets of Tehran. Since the protests began on June 13, riot police and the Basij militia, a branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, have killed at least 15 people. Frustrated Iranians have turned more violent in the last few days, burning busses and cars, while nonviolent protesters have turned out in the tens and possibly hundreds of thousands to protest the alleged election fraud. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has declared that an investigation of the results of the election take place, bolstering protesters and making the charge of fraud seem more plausible.
The response from Washington has been an almost deafening silence or political doublespeak unconcerned with the actual situation there. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke briefly on the situation in Iran during a visit to Niagara Falls, Ontario. "But we, like the rest of the world, are waiting and watching to see what the Iranian people decide," Secretary Clinton said on the day following the June 12th election. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs stated he was, "impressed by the vigorous debate and enthusiasm that this election generated, particularly among young Iranians." Another official stated, "We're not going to characterize what would have been a better or worse scenario…We will deal with this as it is, not as we wish it to be."
An address during Friday prayers will give Khamenei the opportunity to give Mousavi his ultimatum, accept the election results as is, or else. With international newspapers reporting the movement of more Basij and other militia forces into the capitol, it seems unlikely that Mr. Mousavi will have much of a choice. Yet, the seeds of a movement for actual democracy, rather than the democratic veneer on a restrictive theocracy have been planted. Young students and other anti-government forces will not forget what happens in the coming days, and the effects may be felt in years to come; yet at least for America, the indecisiveness of the Obama Administration is unlikely to be forgotten either.
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