Now the Blood

Foreign journalists are being asked to leave Iran because they clearly don't want any witnesses. Per the news being faithfully logged by Andrew Sullivan, the regime has brought in foreign Hezbollah troops to attack the protesters, block the hospitals, storm the dormitories. I'm betting that once the dust clears, if there's ever an honest accounting, there will be more casualties than imagined. Big if.

Here's the latest from the candidate who seems to have been robbed:

Message From Mousavi

Via my contacts at the Farsi-speaking BBC, a telephone plea:

I AM UNDER EXTREME PRESSURE TO ACCEPT THE RESULTS OF THE SHAM ELECTION. THEY HAVE CUT ME OFF FROM ANY COMMUNICATION WITH PEOPLE AND AM UNDER SURVEILLANCE. I ASK THE PEOPLE TO STAY IN THE STREETS BUT AVOID VIOLENCE

His wife has called for a peaceful protest Monday, but we'll see if the physical repression has scared everyone off by then, and if the cutting of communications has squelched organization.

What's also disturbing is the Western governments, specifically the European Union, which have accepted Ahmadinejad's victory as it legit. This is either uninformed or willfully blind due to trade deals with Iran. Germany and Spain are being the most cautious and may come out right on this, but the biggest problem will be for President Obama, who argued for dialogue with Iran. Now that the legitimacy of the regime is completely in question (moreso than with their heavily "guided" elections of the past, since this seems like an outright steal), how does he negotiate with them without alienating the those fighting for their democratic rights in Iran who are being imprisoned, beaten and killed?

This means a greater likelihood of an Israeli strike (which will certainly strengthen the regime -- just what they need to divert attention from their bald-faced illegitimacy) and happiness for the neocons.

I'm hoping the nighttime protests of citizens getting on their roofs to cry out, "Allah-u Akbar" continue, but that could lead to imprisonment as well, as houses where the cries are coming from are being marked by the military. My guess is more blood tomorrow, perhaps a squelching of the movement Pol Pot-style, if must be, but unless some major armed wing of the government sides with democracy, there's more repression ahead.

Then there's the optimistic side of me that believes with their actions today, Faux-President Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Khamenei have signed their death warrants.

Like this.