Honestly, Ghadiri is absolutely right in saying that the CIA does have a very long history of doing things of this nature; however, killing one innocent bystander isn't really their style. I don't think there's any reason to believe that Neda's murder was caused by the CIA.
Logically, you have to ask, who benefits from this young woman's death? Ahmadenijad? Hell, no. Last thing he wanted was to give his opposition a poster girl martyr. Witnesses say it was a sniper from a rooftop. Most likely explanation: A member of the opposition saw an opportunity to create an attractive symbol. Is the opposition supported by the CIA. Not currently likely, but still well within the realm of possibilities...
More logic: If the sniper was a member of the Basij, the volunteer militia that serves Admadenijad, wouldn't they know if one of their guys was on that rooftop? Haven't they been given orders to beat the shit out of protesters but try to avoid creating martyrs? Especially, attractive by-standers? Wouldn't Ahmadenijad have already frog-marched this guy in chains thru Tehran to show his disapproval of the act... if he could?
@sjct: lol. you think the basiji are carefully sniping only old, ugly protestors? you have a lot of faith in their total PR control! neda is not the only one who has died at the hands of the basiji, just the only one on viral video. even if the cia did do it, it's not because the basiji wouldn't.
@sjct: and by what "logic" is the government blocking access to her gravesite and evicting her family? i'm no fan of the cia, but the enemy of your enemy is NOT always your friend. in fact, that is the way THEY think.
The Iranian government is saying this, but I think it's too late to stop. Most people on the streets in Iran have stopped listening to the government- if they're going outside with the knowledge that they may be killed by militia, they're not going to heed this flinging of accusations. ps: if you Twitter, bring Iran/#iranelection back up in trends, MJ's death pushed it way down.
@le monde is rond: I'm not sure; most of the news sources seem to be saying the opposition is too scared for ongoing protest and seems to be diminishing.
On a snarkier, more trivial note, I'm glad Coelho is involved twice over: one because it's a good thing to do and two because if he's doing something else he's not writing those dreadful books of his.
The father of one of my best friend's in high school was a spy, like REAL FUCKING SPY, in an undisclosed middle-eastern country. He was allowed to tell us that he worked in the middle east, and that he worked for the CIA, but other than that, pretty much nothing. It went so far as they (the US gov) suggested my friend NEVER travel in the middle east because she could get kidnapped or killed. So he was big ups doing the dirty work.
So here's what I'm thinking. If this loving, warm-hearted man, who admits that he never fired a weapon during active service, is the kind of person working in the field in the middle east, are we really shooting young women in the chest to incite a revolution?
This is based on anecdotal evidence, but I can't believe it.
@AmericanSplendor: Wait, I don't understand your analogy? Because your friend's father who was in the CIA happened to be a nice guy, the CIA didn't shoot Neda?
Granted, I don't think the CIA shot Neda, regardless, but I'm sure they are quite capable of it. And for all we know some of their operatives might seem like very nice people, too.
@formergr: Like I said, shitty evidence, but if the guy doing the dirtiest of the dirty work (he was a Navy seal, so he was hard f'ing core) wasn't there to kill people, then who is?
@AmericanSplendor: your friend's dad was probably an analyst or something. If you don't think the CIA has assets (not career employees) who are murderers, you just haven't done the minimum amount of research into CIA activity. Again, I'm not saying the CIA killed Neda, but I don't think your sample size is exactly scientific.
@AmericanSplendor: another thing to consider is that he was lying about not killing anyone. It's not the kind of thing most fathers would admit in front of daughters and friends of daughters.
The accusation and backpedaling of the Iranian official is sort of akin to saying
"FUCK YOU!"
"Well, not fuck you per se, because 'fuck' can mean many different things, and not you exactly, but just some of your beliefs, which I don't like, so I don't really mean that; I just think that you should quiet down and there are some people that I disagree with."
Of course the CIA did it. Because, just like Jesus has nothing better to do than make sure the right celeb gets the right award, and the right brand of dry shampoo, the CIA has nothing better to do than kill bystanders, hoping it evolves into a martyr protest shitstorm.
@notheretomakefriends: Aside from a CIA legacy of tampering in sovereign nation affairs as long as a buffet line at Overeaters Anonymous, I just can't see how it can be the CIA given Obama's significant...SIGNIFICANT policy shift toward the muslim world. Granted, rogue types exist everywhere. But it just doesn't make sense to take that sort of risk, in that country, in this context, at this time, in this post-Bush era.
@notheretomakefriends: yup, got the sarcasm. i was just thinking the same thing when i read your comment and thought how illogical the CIA angle seems.didn't mean to sound like lectury scoldy type
@notheretomakefriends: Honestly, the CIA has a long record of interfering in the affairs of other countries and murdering people, including within the last decade. See all of Latin America if you want an example. Do I think the CIA did this in Iran? No. But the CIA argument isn't actually counterintuitive.
@DinaRonson : Elizabeth Cady Stanton: I was listening to the news report on a morning show in the car this morning and they only talked about Michael Jackson. Yes, he is an icon and his passing is sad, but there is still a crisis in Iran, and the economy is still in shambles.
The picture is so haunting. I don't think I'll every forget the complete change in her face during those last few minutes.
Mr. Ghadiri, I think you're smart enough to realize some of your own citizens are terrorists and this death does not automatically have to be from an outside force because of how heinous it is. Please stop looking so foolish.
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More logic: If the sniper was a member of the Basij, the volunteer militia that serves Admadenijad, wouldn't they know if one of their guys was on that rooftop? Haven't they been given orders to beat the shit out of protesters but try to avoid creating martyrs? Especially, attractive by-standers? Wouldn't Ahmadenijad have already frog-marched this guy in chains thru Tehran to show his disapproval of the act... if he could?
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ps: if you Twitter, bring Iran/#iranelection back up in trends, MJ's death pushed it way down.
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On a snarkier, more trivial note, I'm glad Coelho is involved twice over: one because it's a good thing to do and two because if he's doing something else he's not writing those dreadful books of his.
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So here's what I'm thinking. If this loving, warm-hearted man, who admits that he never fired a weapon during active service, is the kind of person working in the field in the middle east, are we really shooting young women in the chest to incite a revolution?
This is based on anecdotal evidence, but I can't believe it.
06/26/09
Granted, I don't think the CIA shot Neda, regardless, but I'm sure they are quite capable of it. And for all we know some of their operatives might seem like very nice people, too.
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"FUCK YOU!"
"Well, not fuck you per se, because 'fuck' can mean many different things, and not you exactly, but just some of your beliefs, which I don't like, so I don't really mean that; I just think that you should quiet down and there are some people that I disagree with."
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ps: I forgot the sarcasm tag on my first message, obviously I was being ironic
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PLEASE continue to actively report posts on Iran.
Yes, MJ & FF passing yesterday is big news here in the US. But watching the news this AM made me worry we are losing perspective.
Mark Sanford is the only one gaining today, as he had now been knocked off the front page.
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Mr. Ghadiri, I think you're smart enough to realize some of your own citizens are terrorists and this death does not automatically have to be from an outside force because of how heinous it is. Please stop looking so foolish.