Opinion: McCain’s Iran Neda speech raises domestic political stakes for Obama
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Here’s anew video involving the violent events in Iran and the politics they are now forcing within the United States.
The video is from C-SPAN of Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, who over the weekend said he’d like to see the president speak out stronger. Then, on the Senate floor today speaking in stronger terms than Democrat PresidentBarack Obama about the Tehran government’s violent reaction to protests of the recent election that allegedly reinstated the existing regime.
The obviously angry McCain, Obama’s GOP opponent in last year’s presidential election, cites the tragic death of an Iran female protester called Neda whose name has suddenly become known globally as she was shot in Tehran and died in the street, bleeding profusely, on a now viral and very graphic video with friends screaming around her.
McCain’s outspoken criticism of Iran’s government for its violence mirrors his strong denunciations last summer when Russia invaded the democratic country of Georgia.
Obama, who was vacationing in Hawaii at the time, was more measured initially, calling on both sides to stop fighting. He later changed tone more in favor of the invaded democracy.
On the weekend, before taking his daughters out for ice cream, Obama issued a statement, published here on The Ticket, warning the theocratic regime that the world is watching and it should permit peaceful democratic demonstrations.
The new president is trying to walk a thin line between satisfying homegrown outcries to support democratic outbursts around the world and his promise in a recent Cairo speech not to interfere in other countries and to attempt talking with such regimes.
In recent interviews Obama has pointed to some success with that line, as Iran has instead accused Britain of interference; the UK began evacuating its embassy personnel’s families from Iran today.
Our fellow bloggers have continuous Iran coverage over here at Babylon & Beyond. And there’s an Iran photo gallery here.
-- Andrew Malcolm
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Video credit: C-SPAN
Photo credits: AFP / Getty Images; EPA.