MEDIA REACTION: IRAN'S TURMOIL

UNCLAS KATHMANDU 000520

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/INS, PM/CBM, PM/PRO

STATE FOR SCA/PPD, PA/RRU

E.O. 12958 N/A
TAGS: KMDR, KPAO, PGOV, OPRC, NP
SUBJ: MEDIA REACTION: IRAN'S TURMOIL

1. Republica, a newly launched independent English
daily with an estimated 15,000 circulation ran an
editorial titled "Iran's turmoil" in its June 18
edition. The editorial empathized with the Iranian
people and their demand for fairness in the
election.

2. Full text: "Iran has plunged into its worst
unrest since the triumph of the Islamic Revolution
in 1979. The election results in which incumbent
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed a landslide
victory have been contested by his main presidential
challenger, Mirhossein Mousavi, and protested by
tens of thousands of ordinary Iranians. The West,
which generally dislikes Ahmadinejad, primarily
because of its clash with the Islamic Republic's
nuclear ambitions, has also questioned the election
results. US President Barack Obama urged the Iranian
leadership to "unclench its fist," and said "Iranian
people are not convinced with the legitimacy of the
election." Many other Western leaders have aired
similar concerns.

3. The full story of exactly what happened in the
Iranian election is unlikely to be known because of
the control of hardliners in the establishment over
the flow of information and clampdown against
independent media in the wake of the massive
protests. But the scale of victory claimed even in
areas dominated by reform-minded, middle class
Iranians who generally oppose Ahmadinejad, amply
indicates that all is not right with the poll
result. Ahmadinejad was declared victorious even in
Mousavi's home district, where he is assumed to be
very popular. Likewise, the way Ahmadinejad and the
hard-line clerics have reacted to the growing
protests shows that something could have gone wrong
with the polls, if they were not in fact rigged.

4. The implications of the street protests can
hardly be understated. Look at Iran's profile: It's
a part of ancient civilization; its recent political
history is equally interesting, with the overthrow
of a popularly elected prime minister in the mid-
1950s through American backing, the eventual
overthrow of the America-backed Shah through a
popular uprising during the Islamic Revolution and
also because of the eight-year war with Iraq. Iran's
strong links with Hamas in Palestine and Hezbollah
in Lebanon make it an important player in regional
politics. And, finally, never forget that Iran has
the world's fourth largest reserves of oil. When a
country with such interesting history and an
important place in regional politics goes into
turmoil, it naturally catches the world's attention.

5. Nepal, separated by thousands of miles and
connected only by weak diplomatic relations, may be
less interested, and even less impacted by what is
happening in Iran. But as the newest republic and a
country striving to consolidate its democratic
institutions and practices we must show sympathy
toward the Iranian people and support their demand
for fairness in elections. We also hope the protest
rallies called for tomorrow by Mousavi will remain
peaceful and wish that the clerics will refrain from
using force against peaceful protestors." End Text.

MOON