IRAN: U.S. House of Representatives votes to condemn Iran crackdown [Update]
[Updated at 12:45 p.m.: Senate condemns Iran's crackdown on demonstrators, following similar vote in House (AP).]
Hours after supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned protesters against trying the patience of Iran’s rulers, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 405-1 to condemn Tehran’s crackdown on demonstrators.
The action and the lopsided vote put more pressure on the Obama administration, which has been walking a diplomatic tightrope, being positive about the values expressed by the demonstrators without overly committing to them. At the same time, Obama has made it clear that the elections are an internal matter in Iran while the United States’ concern is with security and nuclear issues.
Today’s House resolution was initiated by Republicans who have been seeking an issue to offset the Democrats' portrayal of the GOP as “the party of no.” It also plays to the party’s conservative wing, which historically has favored support for dissidents against governments it dislikes.
Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, who co-sponsored the resolution, cited conservative icon Ronald Reagan and his famous cry about tearing down the Berlin Wall.
“The American cause is freedom,” Pence said on the House floor. “And in this cause, the American people will not be silent, here or abroad. If the president of the United States won’t express the unqualified support of our nation for the dissidents in the streets of Tehran, this Congress must.”
Rep. Howard Berman (D-Valley Village), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and co-sponsor of the resolution, said “it is not for us to decide who should run Iran, much less determine the real winner of the June 12 election.
“But we must reaffirm our strong belief that the Iranian people have a fundamental right to express their views about the future of their country freely and without intimidation,” he said.
A similar measure is pending in the Senate, backed by Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Joseph Lieberman, (I-Conn.). McCain, who lost the presidential race to Obama, has been especially vocal in urging support for the demonstrators. (Read Top of the Ticket's Obama and McCain square off on Iran.)
But not all Republicans have objected to Obama’s tone. Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, the ranking Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, backed the president earlier this week in television interviews.
The House measure supported “all Iranian citizens who embrace the values of freedom, human rights, civil liberties and rule of law” and affirms “the importance of democratic and fair elections.”
It also condemns “the ongoing violence” by the government and pro-government militias against demonstrators, as well as government “suppression of independent electronic communications through interference with the Internet and cell phones.”
– Michael Muskal
Full coverage of Iran's presidential election and its aftermath.
It's interesting that McCain who wanted to "Bomb.bomb, Iran," now wishes to give the conservatives in Iran an excuse to use US backing as another excuse to bash the Iranian people even more.
The President has had the perfect balance between non-intervention and care for the Iranian people. Once more I feel so glad we elected Obama.
Posted by: Javad | June 20, 2009 at 05:38 PM
I'm living in Iran and I have to say that the media coverage of the events in Iran has some problems.many western news channels only show pro mousavi protesters while Ahmadinejad supporters easily outnumber them .Tehran has a 12 million population which shows that the number of protesters compared to the number of people living in Tehran is very little.
The protest will end soon and things will get to normal and Obama knows that and thats why he prefers not to interfere.
Also the protesters have caused many damages ,they set half of the university that I'm studying on fire and now they're being strongly condemned inside the country(mentioning the supreme leader's warning).
Posted by: moza | June 19, 2009 at 10:43 PM
Who voted no on this?
Posted by: Craig | June 19, 2009 at 07:44 PM
The election in Iran is, indeed, an internal matter. But when the "supreme leader" THREATENS his own people with extinction, it's time for the World Community to condemn that leadership in no uncertain terms. And the United States should be at the vanguard of that condemnation.
Posted by: lioness | June 19, 2009 at 01:37 PM
PLEASE PLEASE DON'T INTERFERE!!! This will give the Iranian government more of an excuse to be violent. The protesters have intentionally NOT asked for the West to help. they're chanting "allaho akbar" to keep themselves safe. It's the only connection they have to the basijis holding the guns and the batons.
An American endorsement will be the END OF THEM. you will only cause more kids to get shot for "being influenced by the west". PLEASE LET IRAN FIGHT FOR IRAN!!!
Posted by: tabi | June 19, 2009 at 01:25 PM