What if the Obama administration fully sided with Iran's Green Movement?
Washington Post
13-Jun-2010

A YEAR ago on Saturday, a movement was born that offers the best chance of ending the threat posed by Iran's support for terrorism and pursuit of nuclear weapons. Millions of Iranians turned out to vote against the extremist government of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a presidential election -- and were outraged when the regime announced an improbable landslide victory for the incumbent. Since then, what is now known as the Green Movement has swelled into the most consequential challenge ever mounted to Iran's Islamic theocracy. Through sheer brutality -- shootings, mass arrests, tortures, rapes and executions -- the regime has mostly driven it off the streets; leaders called off demonstrations that had been planned for Saturday. But the popular revulsion with Iran's rulers that drives the opposition has not faded.

To a large extent, the Green Movement is leaderless. The opposition presidential candidates it initially rallied behind are aging adherents of clerical rule who have little in common with Iran's huge ranks of frustrated young people. Yet it seems likely that a victory by the opposition would mean a shift toward democracy and liberal reforms. The White House was slow to embrace the movement -- so much so that protesters held up signs last year asking President Obama, "Are you with them or with us?" Lately, Mr. Obama has made some strong... >>>

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