Op-ed: 
The Iranian Fight for Freedom

By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots on American Political Radio

"It is up to Iranians to make decisions about who Iran's leaders will be...We respect Iranian sovereignty and want to avoid the United States being the issue inside of Iran, which sometimes the United States can be a handy political football."

- Barack HUSSEIN Obama, June 2009

Flashback to June 2009 when Iranian students and their sympathizers took to the streets of Tehran in a quest for freedom from the oppressive islamic regime and when then President Barack HUSSEIN Obama...an islamist himself... told the world that the U.S. had to act extremely cautiously for fear that a “forceful intervention” could have America becoming the rallying cry...the foil...for those in power.

Remember how Obama's lack of both action and support for the student-led Green Revolution led to the uprising failing and the regime becoming even more brutal in dealing with any and all who disputed the presidential election win of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over the favored Mir-Hossein Mousavi. Remember how Iran's infamous Revolutionary Guard ordered demonstrators to "end the sabotage and rioting activities" and threatened to crush any further opposition.

And when the protests continued they were crushed to the point where the Iranian government arrested more than 4000 protesters as well as confirming the deaths of 36 protesters, but with the pro-Mousavi supporters claiming more than double that number were killed.

Remember how tyranny, oppression, religious fervor, and sharia law further enslaved the Iranian people...and still do...as Obama turned his back on those fighting for freedom from the cleric-led regime...but not before saying that getting the U.S. involved in the situation, what with all of our "historical baggage of past interferences in Iranian politics," would only make matters much worse. Yet his defenders said Obama's "measured response" actually spoke up for human rights while preserving U.S. options while at the same time greatly lessened the chance that he would become a scapegoat...a scapegoat the cleric regime could claim was guilty of calling for regime change. But really, how could Obama be a scapegoat for anything when everything he did and said...or should I say did not do and did not say...helped to appease Iran's brutal leaders and gain the favor of his brethren...I remember it all...I surely do.

"I respectfully disagree with the administration's decision to essentially draw the line at not meddling and not interfering," so said then Congressman Mike Pence back in June 2009.

And I remember how newly elected Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad...who called the demonstrators and any who opposed him "terrorists"...strongly “urged” the United States...the now to be known as "Great Satan"...to stop meddling in Iran's affairs. A threat of course, and Obama acquiesced leading directly to the situation we face today...a situation now involving a soon-to-be nuclear armed Iran.

Flash forward to December 28, 2017...now it's eight and half years later and again demonstrations and violence have broken out throughout Iran, leading Iran's current Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to as expected accuse the "enemies of Iran"...meaning the U.S. and Israel of course...of meddling in his country's affairs. But thankfully, this time we now have a president who is not buying into this rhetoric and who stands alongside the demonstrators and protesters...a president concerned that to date there are 22 dead and more than 3,700 reportedly arrested, including several citizen-journalists.

Saying, "Iran is failing at every level despite the terrible deal made with them by the Obama Administration. The great Iranian people have been repressed for many years. They are hungry for food & for freedom. Along with human rights, the wealth of Iran is being looted. TIME FOR CHANGE!" President Trump knows 'We the People' stand with him, his words said, and with the tens of thousands of protesters who have had enough of the clerics subjugating regime.

And this time around President Trump happily welcomes our allies Israel and Saudi Arabia (if you can call Saudi Arabia a true ally) into the mix as they too are heralding the protests...protests still having no clear leaders but protests growing stronger by the day...while at the same time warning the world about the true dangers of Iran's regional influence; its ever-growing terrorist network; and of course its nuclear ambitions...ambitions that are anything but peaceful...ambitions that are dangerously close to reaching fruition thanks to Obama's cleverly crafted and oh so calculated 'very bad' nuclear deal.

“Brave Iranians are pouring into the streets. They seek freedom. They seek justice. They seek the basic liberties that have been denied them for decades. Iran’s cruel regime wastes tens of billions of dollars spreading hate,” so rightfully said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

And while President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence continue to monitor the goings on in Iran while at the same time warning those in power against arresting peaceful protesters, they are also letting it be known that these protests will not be a repeat of the failure of 2009. And they do so no matter that the mullahs continue to blame the continued “unrest” on “overt support of the U.S., the Zionist regime [Israel], and Saudi Arabia.”

Ignoring the fact that the Iranian people are so desperate for the freedoms they had before the 1979 revolution... freedoms that included not a hint of burkas and hajibs... freedoms where women were not chattel but treated as equals and where men were not savages...the mullahs are blind to the reality that these current protests are not birthed by the U.S. but by Iran's own internal political dynamics, both domestic and economic discontent, government corruption coupled with total non-transparancy, and a spreading anger that Iran's wealth is being wasted on any and everybody but the Iranian people.

In other words there are problems at home...serious socioeconomic problems...that Iranians rightfully feel should take precedence over all other matters. In fact, the seeds for these protests were planted soon after Obama lifted sanction on Iran after his 'very bad' nuclear deal went into effect. But instead of the Iranian people directly benefiting from the newly released monies...instead of the monies bringing much needed economic relief...the monies went to fund terrorism, proxy wars, and propping up al-Assad's Syrian government.

“No to high prices”...“Death to Rouhani.”..."Forget Palestine, Not Gaza, not Lebanon, my life for Iran.” So shouted Iranian protesters on December 28, 2017.

Beginning now in Mashhad, Iran's second largest city, small assemblies of protesters..."illegal gatherings" as per the regime...protesters who were angry over the price of eggs directed that pent-up anger towards both Iran's slow and stagnant economy and those in the government who contributed to it. And that anger has now spread to cities and provinces all across Iran...including to Tehran...what with an economy hurting from an overall 9.6% inflation rate, a 12.7% unemployment rate, and from sanctions that resulted in food stuffs being in short supply to such a degree that the price of basic goods and even gas has increased by about 40% in the last year alone. And when you add in that the number of Iranians living in poverty has increased under the 'supposed' yet anything but reformist President Hassan Rouhani, you can see why the Iranian people are frustrated and furious to such a degree that a call for a country wide revolution against the mullah's oppressive theocratic regime appears to be on the horizon.

"Death to the dictator”...“Death to the Revolutionary Guard”...was also heard amongst the protesters... protesters dissatisfied with a government that has failed to deliver on its promises to not only make ordinary Iranians’ lives better but to address their multitude of political grievances as well. And know that many, especially the young who are “fed up” with their dim prospects, want the mullahs gone.

And President Trump...who is always quick to respond to developments...has warned Tehran against arresting any peaceful protesters and has also promised that at the “appropriate time” these freedom fighters would see aid and help coming from the U.S. And Trump also let it be known that in the meantime the State Department would be using Facebook and Twitter to communicate directly with the protesters. That is they will do so only until the Supreme National Security Council...Big Brother and the thought police rolled into one...places 'security' restrictions on them as well just as they recently restricted access to Instagram and Telegram social media apps...especially to Telegram which is a messaging application the protesters have been using to plan and publicize demonstrations.

I guess the Iranian government...the mullah-controlled dictatorial theocracy...just doesn't understand that by shutting down the protester's access to the outside world and by their also limiting media access to said protests, they are actually letting the outside world see the truth... the truth that Iranians, especially the young, are sick of living under seventh century despots and desperately want to live as free men and women in the 21st century world.

"Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever. The world is watching!" President Trump tweeted in response to both the protests and the newest government threats made against the protesters.

And it's always threats of course...threats made out of fear perhaps...fear to such a degree that the Irib News agency is reporting that the government has warned the protesters that they would “pay a price” if the unrest continues, and also saw Interior Minister Abdolrahman Rahmani Fazli warning protesters against what he calls “disruptive behaviour.” Now add in that the semi-state news agency Fars is reporting that Bahram Qassemi, spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry is saying that Trump's warnings are "cheap, worthless and invalid” as the "Iranian people feel no value for the opportunistic claims of the US officials and Mr. Trump, himself, " leads one to wonder if these obviously defensive reactions are not actually a harbinger of the mullah's impending demise.

A long overdue harbinger I would say no matter that the regime claims they have yet to deploy all of the 'so-called' weapons in their arsenal...an arsenal as in army troops... they claim could crush the protests once and for all. But why not deploy these weapons now when the protests and protesters are still somewhat manageable...why wait until they grow in size and momentum to where there is no stopping them... why. Because these are not the protests of 2009...because this time protesters are of the likes of 'Haroon,' a 23-year old communications student who said, “Students and ordinary people are being killed and wounded by the police, because we tear down posters of the tyrannical leaders and we burn them. We only want happiness. We want help from the Americans to end this regime.”...one of but many who now realize Obama sold them out but who also understand President Trump wants to set right that so grievous wrong.

One of but many like 31-year old 'Azi' who says it best...“Here is real hell...This is a real revolution against the mullahs. Iran is uprising. I thank Mr. Trump for his support, but we need more.”

And know that both Haroon and Azi speak for countless many who so appreciate President Trump's words of support and who vow to continue on until promised U.S. help arrives “when the time is right”...the countless many who see their movement growing stronger by the day, with the harbinger of the mullah's demise growing along with it... growing with it now that America is truly on their side.

And as these protests are being watched by cowardly European governments who must be in awe of the brave Iranians fighting back against the very sorts who are now overtaking their countries...and as U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley praises the courage of the Iranian protesters and reads to gathered reporters numerous social media posts written by Iranians in a show of support for the protests...with many openly calling for the overthrow of the Tehran regime...Haley fearlessly let Iran's leaders know that their contention that the unrest was solely being orchestrated by their external enemies including our C.I.A. was “complete nonsense” and that these protests were a “precise picture of a long oppressed people’s rising up against their dictators.”

'A precise picture' indeed no matter that last Wednesday Maj Gen Mohammad Ali Jafari, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, announced the defeat of the “sedition” in his country...the defeat of the anti-government protests. But really how can this be when new protests continue to breakout daily across Iran. In fact, just as Maj. Jafari was making his announcement protesters in Nowshahr, in the north of Iran, were marching and chanting “death to the dictator.” See that video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ky8f1bQVB4&list=PLjg2ljUDdXEI07SJOYIg5Jdo5PI5M3_yI&index=29

And if the general's words...actually his lies...are not an attempt to paint a vastly different picture instead of the true picture of the mullahs desperately trying to hold onto power... than I don't know what is. But what I do know is that last Friday's meeting at the U.N... where a statement was read from the Iranian Resistance urging the Security Council to defend the "legitimate and inalienable right" of the Iranian people to overthrow the oppressive theocratic regime and establish both freedom and sovereignty for Iran...coupled with the U.S. calling for support for the anti-government protesters...accomplished nothing of substance as some U.S. allies...France included...questioned whether an international response was even justified as said protests did not constitute a threat to international peace and security.

And of course Tehran accused the U.S. and President Trump of "bullying" and trying to "derail" the in-place international nuclear deal with their ambassador, Gholamali Khoshroo, also saying that the U.S. had abused its power as a permanent member of the Security Council just by their calling for a meeting to discuss the protests. But not to be outdone, Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya said the U.S. was "abusing the platform of the Security Council" with a "bogus" pretext to interfere in the domestic affairs of a sovereign member nation.

But no matter for if truth be told the United Nations usually sides against the U.S. and with the islamists.

So know the protests will continue on no matter assertions to the contrary for the Iranian people know that freedom is worth fighting and possibly dying for. And so I say God speed Iran your time is now and 'We the People' stand with you for we know that only with the mullah's gone will you be truly free. 

Copyright @ 2018 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All Rights Reserved.

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RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE!

Today, Tuesday, January 9th from 7 to 9pm on American Political Radio, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss the Iranian protests; and resisting the liberal resistance; and important news of the day.

Hope you can tune in at: http://listen.samcloud.com/w/73891/American-Political-Radio#history