US president Barack Obama expressed concern about violence and “unjust actions” against Iranian demonstrators yesterday in a meeting with advisers who updated him on fast-moving events in the Islamic republic.
“At approximately noon today, the president met for more than 30 minutes in the Oval Office with foreign policy advisers to get an update on the current situation and developments in Iran,” a White House aide said.
“At the meeting, the president reiterated his concerns about violence and unjust actions being taken against the Iranian people.”
Mr Obama’s comments echoed a longer statement he released on Saturday urging the Iranian government to cease violent actions against its own people. Unrest has convulsed Iran for days since a disputed June 12th election that returned President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power.
Mr Obama has sharpened his tone amid the escalating violence and criticism from some Republicans, who accused him of timidity in his response. “He’s been timid and passive more than I would like,” said Republican senator Lindsey Graham on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos television news programme.
But senior Democratic senators defended the administration’s approach, arguing that the president must walk a fine line.
Senator Robert Casey said Obama has achieved “the right balance . . . He’s given a very tough, consistent line to the regime,” Mr Casey said. “The president doesn’t have the luxury of just thinking about the next couple of days. He’s got to be able to think about the short term, the long term.”
Democratic senator Christopher Dodd said US support of the opposition could do it more harm than good. “The question is, should the United States take ownership of this revolution?” Mr Dodd said on ABC’s This Week. “I think we do great damage to the effort if it appears this is a US-led effort.”
Democratic senator Dianne Feinstein also warned that too much outward US support for dissenters could undermine them.
“It is very crucial . . . that we not have our fingerprints on this, that this be truly inspired by the Iranian people,” said Ms Feinstein, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, on CNN. She added that she did not know of any US meddling in the Iranian election or in its aftermath.
Meanwhile, German chancellor Angela Merkel said the Iranian leadership must allow peaceful protests and recount votes cast in the disputed election.
“Germany is on the side of the Iranian people, who want to exercise their rights of freedom of expression and free assembly,” she said.
Dr Merkel called on Iran to refrain from using violence against demonstrators, free detained opposition members, allow free media reporting and conduct a recount of votes in the election.
Later at a news conference, Dr Merkel said Iran could earn trust from the international community by inviting observers to oversee a vote recount.
Britain’s foreign secretary David Miliband said foreign countries had played no part in supporting street protests in Iran.
He dismissed earlier comments from Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calling on the United States and Britain to stop interfering in the Islamic republic’s internal affairs.
“I reject categorically the idea that the protesters in Iran are manipulated or motivated by foreign countries,” he said. “The UK is categorical that it is for the Iranian people to choose their government and for the Iranian authorities to ensure the fairness of the result and the protection of their own people.” – (Reuters)