IRAN: Obama steps up criticism of Tehran
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For the first time, President Obama used the word “condemn” in relation to Iran’s handling of protests against a disputed presidential election. In some of his sharpest comments to date, he told a White House news conference today:
“The United States and the international community have been appalled and outraged by the threats, the beatings and imprisonments of the last few days. I strongly condemn these unjust actions, and I join with the American people in mourning each and every innocent life that is lost.
He also said:
“The Iranian people have a universal right to assembly and free speech. If the Iranian government seeks the respect of the international community, it must respect those rights and heed the will of its own people. It must govern through consent and not coercion. That’s what Iran’s own people are calling for, and the Iranian people will ultimately judge the actions of their own government.”
Obama has come under pressure from Republicans and conservatives to take a stronger stand against a deadly crackdown in Iran. But Obama repeated today that the U.S. will not be a “foil” for the authorities’ claims of outside interference. Iran’s leadership has repeatedly accused Western governments and media of instigating the unrest. Obama said:
“These accusations are patently false. They are an obvious attempt to distract people from what is truly taking place within Iran’s borders. This tired strategy of using old tensions to scapegoat other countries won’t work anymore in Iran.”
The Times’ Top of the Ticket was live-blogging the conference.
--Alexandra Zavis in Los Angeles