Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09RIODEJANEIRO147
2009-06-18 13:44:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Rio De Janeiro
Cable title:
MEDIA REACTION O GLOBO, THE GREEN REVOLUTION IN IRAN
how-toVZCZCXYZ0032 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHRI #0147 1691344 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 181344Z JUN 09 FM AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4911 INFO RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 1227 RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO PRIORITY 5259 RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
UNCLAS RIO DE JANEIRO 000147
SIPDIS
STATE INR/R/MR; IIP/R/MR; WHA/PD
DEPT PASS USTR
USDOC 4322/MAC/OLAC/JAFEE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR OPRC OIIP ETRD XM XR BR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION O GLOBO, THE GREEN REVOLUTION IN IRAN
Article Title: "More Pressure"
On June 18, 2009, center-right national daily O Globo writes, "In
the month of June, twenty years ago, the image of the man in the
white shirt in Beijing who blocked the tank's path in Tiananmen
Square, became a symbol of the massacre of those who fought for
democracy in China. Today in Iran, after five days of massive
protests by what could be called "the green revolution" (the color
of Islam, also the campaign color of the defeated opposition
candidate),the ayatollahs' regime has done everything it can to
impede the internal and external transmission of reports, photos,
images, and any other type of information concerning the largest
protest since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
[All of these efforts have been] in vain. The moderate forces that
struggle to reform the regime and support Mir-Houssein Moussavi make
use of what New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman calls the
"virtual mosque": social networks, blogs, Twitter, and other modern
means that serve as a meeting place for planning, informing, and
mobilizing party members, bypassing the growing restrictions on
liberty-all examples of how new technology challenges authoritarian
regimes. The manifestations are spreading throughout the country.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic who
endorsed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's victory, made an about-face
and called far a partial recount of the votes-a move whose
effectiveness is doubtful. The suspicion of fraud is reinforced by
the unusual speed with which Ahmadinejad was declared the winner and
by the fact that Moussavi and other opposition candidates lost-by
wide margins-in their own home provinces according to official
estimates.
The forces unlocked by the rejection of the election results created
a conflict within the theocratic power nucleus of Iran. Important
fissures are revealing themselves among the clerics: Moussavi has
the support of heavy-weights like Ayatollah Rafsanjani, former
President of the Republic and the leader of the Assembly of Experts,
the only government body with the power to choose the Supreme
Leader. The government is trying to avoid a large, bloody
confrontation with the protestors, even though many of them have
already been killed. It is possible to think that the movement will
lead to a relaxing of the regime and an opening for the West- even
if not right away."
MARTINEZ
SIPDIS
STATE INR/R/MR; IIP/R/MR; WHA/PD
DEPT PASS USTR
USDOC 4322/MAC/OLAC/JAFEE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR OPRC OIIP ETRD XM XR BR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION O GLOBO, THE GREEN REVOLUTION IN IRAN
Article Title: "More Pressure"
On June 18, 2009, center-right national daily O Globo writes, "In
the month of June, twenty years ago, the image of the man in the
white shirt in Beijing who blocked the tank's path in Tiananmen
Square, became a symbol of the massacre of those who fought for
democracy in China. Today in Iran, after five days of massive
protests by what could be called "the green revolution" (the color
of Islam, also the campaign color of the defeated opposition
candidate),the ayatollahs' regime has done everything it can to
impede the internal and external transmission of reports, photos,
images, and any other type of information concerning the largest
protest since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
[All of these efforts have been] in vain. The moderate forces that
struggle to reform the regime and support Mir-Houssein Moussavi make
use of what New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman calls the
"virtual mosque": social networks, blogs, Twitter, and other modern
means that serve as a meeting place for planning, informing, and
mobilizing party members, bypassing the growing restrictions on
liberty-all examples of how new technology challenges authoritarian
regimes. The manifestations are spreading throughout the country.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic who
endorsed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's victory, made an about-face
and called far a partial recount of the votes-a move whose
effectiveness is doubtful. The suspicion of fraud is reinforced by
the unusual speed with which Ahmadinejad was declared the winner and
by the fact that Moussavi and other opposition candidates lost-by
wide margins-in their own home provinces according to official
estimates.
The forces unlocked by the rejection of the election results created
a conflict within the theocratic power nucleus of Iran. Important
fissures are revealing themselves among the clerics: Moussavi has
the support of heavy-weights like Ayatollah Rafsanjani, former
President of the Republic and the leader of the Assembly of Experts,
the only government body with the power to choose the Supreme
Leader. The government is trying to avoid a large, bloody
confrontation with the protestors, even though many of them have
already been killed. It is possible to think that the movement will
lead to a relaxing of the regime and an opening for the West- even
if not right away."
MARTINEZ