Bailey Alexander

Houston; we have problem.

An M16 operative whispered in my ear a few weeks backs and to the world for that matter, that Gadaffi would be captured by the end of the month. They also said we'd find WMD's in Iraq.

Robert Fisk: Iran's day of destiny

Fisk is impressed with the million man march in Iran but reminds: Government is not about good guys and bad guys. It is about power, state and political power – they are not the same – and unless those wanly smiling riot police move across to the opposition, the weapons of the Islamic Republic remain in the hands of Ahmadinejad's administration and his spiritual protectors. As, no doubt, we shall soon see.

Western reporting resembles a mother-in-law; a well intentioned meddler.

I haven't a clue what's up in Iran, sorta wish we'd let them evolve on their own. Political bloggers are posting minute to minute tweets and Farsi texts from Iran, which I sense is well intentioned but subtly manipulative and slightly irritating.  Even brother Fisk, who's there, understands the labyrinth of intrigue in that region.  He waits patiently.

I had lunch with a Maltese accountant last week who's trying to introduce Islamic Banking to Malta.  When he began, several years ago, there were but a handful of countries in on the game, now the party's hoppin with Italy, UK, France Germany, all sippin the punch.  Mio marito may explain away but it doesn't compute completely, not just because finance isn't my strength, but because it's kinda otherly to me.

I've yet to visit the Middle East or even North Africa but even as I meet with people that make a living reading these cultures well and even speak a similar language, I can digest the info all day long, but it's still difficult to apply my life into their space.

I've lived in enough countries to realize we're basically the same but crucially dictated by our immediate culture, like the local gossip, mom's cooking and dad's authority.

I think the world's weary of our well intentioned ways, after all, cooking is regional and our father no longer has the final say once we've found our own way.

Iran's election stolen, maybe, but youth want to engage with outside world.

Maybe it was stolen but most of the reporting- from our boy Fisk to the bloggers receiving Farsi text messages and tweets-appears to be from Tehran.  Last time I heard, God plays a pretty big role in the rural areas. The Iranian youth, 70% under 30 yrs old, could allow Iran to unfold on its own, without Israeli threats.

 

Diplomacy and technology continue to hold key positions, fair enough.

 

 

 

 

Robert Fisk reports that Iran erupts as voters back the Democrator.

Sullivan and Juan Cole are reporting more than the MSM in the States:

A farsi reader translates some comments coming from the two leading opposition candidates:

Moussavi calls the election results "stunning" and in his words:"People who stood in long lines to cast their ballots and know for whom they have voted, are watching in astonishment to the magic being played by the election official and media".

He also calls the election a "big game", warning he will not concede to this "dangerous charade". Karroubi also calls the election results "comical" and void of any legitimacy, declaring he will not concede. He says: "This is just the beginning of the story". I have never heard such hard language from anyone inside the government.

So here is what Interior Minister Sadeq Mahsouli said Saturday about the outcome of the Iranian presidential elections:
Of 39,165,191 votes counted (85 percent), Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won the election with 24,527,516 (62.63 percent)." 
He announced that Mir-Hossein Mousavi came in second with 13,216,411 votes (33.75 percent).