National Security Online Resource Center

Financial TImes’ Clive Crook chimes in.

Mahmoud Ahmedinejad wins in a landslide claiming over 65% of the vote as reported by the state news agencies, however, Mir Hussein Moussavi has also claimed victory citing serious irregularities in the election. He has asked Ayatollah Khamenei to moderate the dispute.

More on this as news comes in.

Polls just closed in Iran and the high turnout might mean trouble for the controversial Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Analysts have predicted that a high turnout will most likely benefit the reformist candidate Mir Hussein Moussavi, who served as prime minister from 1980 to 1988.

Although it is likely that the race will go to a runoff a week later, there has been some speculation that the high turnout will push Mr. Moussavi over the edge giving him the necessary 50% needed to win the race outright. We will be following the race and discuss the results and implications for U.S. policy as they come in.

Speaking of freedoms (referring to the last post), we tend to hear a lot about how terrorists, fundamentalists and religious fanatics hate freedom and individual choice. However, we don’t regularly see and hear their words on our media outlets portraying them as such. So here is a quote (courtesy of the book, The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright) from Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, leader of the Islamist revolution in Iran, where he is addressing the intellectual culture:

“Yes, we are reactionaries, and you are enlightened intellectuals: You intellectuals don’t want us to go back 1400 years. You want freedom, freedom for everything, the freedom of parties…freedom that will corrupt our youth, freedom that will pave the way for the oppressor, freedom that will drag our nation to the bottom.” He further adds, “Islam says: Whatever good there exists thanks to the sword and in the shadow of the sword! People cannot be made obedient except with the sword! The sword is the key to paradise, which can be opened only for holy warriors!”

Here is a quick overview of whats been going on:

Lebanon held its elections last week and the American-aligned coalition won 71 seats whereas the Syria-Iran coalition, including Hizbullah, won only 57. The election is a positive sign for U.S. efforts for peace in the Middle East as Hizbullah’s loss reduces its influence in Israel’s northern neighbor. Hizbullah and Israel fought a war in 2006, where Israel was forced to withdraw following intense international pressure.

The tide of public opinion may be turning against the Taliban in Pakistan. Until recently, Talibani insurgents were hailed as heroes by most of Pakistani society, including columnists and media outlets. However a video released showing a young girl being flogged by members of Taliban created a sensation within the society. For the very first time, Pakistanis saw the changes Taliban wanted to make to their society and were unwilling to surrender their freedoms, albeit a limited number available, over to the fundamentalists.

Follow the Collegiate Network staff and twelve student journalists as they travel to Prague, CZ for a geo-strategic journalism course.

Visit Prague Blog.

Those who claimed that the world would look at America very differently under Obama might be surprised at the new poll released by Gallup (thanks to Ricky Tracy for the link). The results show some improvement in American standings but hardly enough to meet the high expectations of the President’s supporters.

The biggest increase came in the three North African states of Tunisia, Egypt and Algeria, while the biggest drop came in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories. Support for the United States in the territories dropped from 13% to 7% and in Lebanon from 25% to 22%. American support of Israel during the Gaza is the likely reason for the drop.

The poll was taken on the eve of the President’s first trip to the Arab world where he will deliver a public address in Cairo. The president’s symbolism and rhetoric will surely draw a crowd but it remains to be seen whether he will say anything of significance. Many want to hear the President demand that the Arab world democratize. Others will want him to say that America will stay out of Arab internal affairs. Still others want him to abandon America’s support for Israel and demand a homeland for the Palestinians. Given these constraints, Obama, the charmer-in-chief, will have his hands full as he must finally take a stance in the complex web of Arab politics.

In their next meeting, Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez plans to give Barack Obama another book. At an April summit, Chavez gave Obama “Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent,” Eduardo Galeano’s account of how Western powers have in his opinion unduly influenced Latin America over 500 years. This book rose to become Amazon’s number two best seller afterward.

Chavez plans on the next occasion to give Obama “What Is to be Done?” by Vladimir Lenin. Perhaps without realizing it, Obama’s attempts to appear as an apologist for Bush’s “arrogant” foreign policy have resulted in his indirectly publicizing Chavez’s radical socialist ideas. By receiving Lenin’s book like he did Galeano’s, perhaps Obama will help Lenin’s book to the point where it will become a bestseller on Amazon too.

Everyone knew during the Cold War that Lenin’s ideas were antithetical to those of the United States. But as the populace forgets the horrors of communist Russia, it may now accept Lenin’s ideas as mainstream if Obama accepts this gift. Obama would be wise to reject it.