While our POTUS wonders why the Islamic world is not “unclenching” its fist and why it did not get the message that “America is your friend” -the Iranian people are again taking to the streets to try to throw off the shackles of this Dark Age regime. I would not hold my breath that Obama will do anything more then symbolically “vote present” when the blood flows again. Instead of pie in the sky fantasies of an Israeli air strike, this is probably the best way to neutralize Iran’s imperial ambitions.

Iran Erupts in Holy Day Clashes

Wall Street Journal

By FARNAZ FASSIHI

AFP/Getty Images
Iranian opposition protesters clashed with security forces in Tehran.

Tens of thousands of Iranian protesters clashed with security forces nationwide, as a major religious holiday was convulsed by what appeared to be the worst street violence since antigovernment demonstrations broke out more than six months ago.

In the capital of Tehran, security forces opened fire on crowds in the central neighborhood of College Square around 11:30 a.m., killing at least four protesters, according to opposition Web sites, eyewitness accounts and online videos. Opposition sites put the death toll as high as eight in Tehran by late Sunday.

Iranian authorities confirmed four people had died in clashes, but denied they were killed by the security services.

Among the protesters slain on Sunday was the nephew of Mir Hossein Mousavi, Iran’s top opposition leader, according to Mr. Mousavi’s official Web site. The nephew, Seyed Ali Mousavi, was participating in antigovernment protests in Tehran on Sunday, the site said.

Clashes broke out in many cities, including Isfahan and Mashad, according to witnesses and footage on Iranian Web sites. In a sign of widening public discontent, protests recently also flared in smaller, more conservative towns far from major urban centers like Tehran and Isfahan.

It was impossible to independently verify the online accounts, though many of the sites reported reliably about past demonstrations. Since Iran’s controversial June presidential vote — which the opposition claims was stolen from Mr. Mousavi — authorities have banned news coverage of unauthorized gatherings.

Tehran hospitals reported receiving waves of injured people, both from opposition and security forces, with gunshot wounds, broken bones and cuts, according to opposition sites. Protests continued late into the night in Tehran and in other smaller and more conservative cities, like Ardebil and Arak.

Sunday’s violence coincides with Ashura, the culmination of a 10-day commemoration of a revered Shiite saint, Imam Hossein, who was killed fighting injustice against the ruler of the time.

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