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designed to orchestrate regime change in Iran. The aim _‘ These attacks, aimed at stirring up religious tensions, was to put in place a US-friendly leader and thus exert are reminiscent of the attacks carried out by the CIA in political, economic and strategic hegemony over Iran. ran in the 1953 coup. Following the stratagem of US-funded “colour On 11 June 2009, the day before the election, it was revolutions” in the former Soviet bloc but with heavy reported that the National Endowment for Democracy, CIA influence, drawing parallels with the 1953 coup, the he main institution behind the "colour revolutions" in plot was ultimately unsuccessful. Eastern Europe, had spent a lot of money that made i While the 1953 coup revealed the failure of the CIAto into the hands of pro-Mousavi groups inside Iran, as greatly influence and manipulate US media, the 2009 Mir-Hossein Mousavi was the Western-favoured riots revealed a great success in American media candidate in the Iranian elections. It was even reported manipulation; however, ironically, it was the focus on hat there was talk of a "green revolution" in Iran, as the his triumphant success that may have impeded the Mousavi campaign was full of green scarves and ultimate success of the plot. American popular — banners at the rallies.” perception of an illegitimate election and political On 10 June, two days before the election, a New York oppression was enough to support regime change, but Times blog reported that there was concern among many not to enact it. So, in a bitter irony for the US, the | Ahmadinejad supporters in Iran that they fear that "wha' ailure of the 1953 coup became the success of the 2009 hey are witnessing is a local version of the Orange plot; while the success of the 1953 coup became the _ Revolution, which swept an opposition government into ailure of the 2009 plot. It just power in Ukraine".” so happens that the success of On 12 June 2009, the Iranian he 1953 coup was that it . election took place. worked. American popular mmediately, the propaganda In November 2008, Iranian . machine went into effect and media reported that "the White perception of an he plan for a colour revolution House is making strenuous illegitimate election and in Iran was underway. Iran's efforts to orchestrate a ‘Velvet or . state-run news agency reported Revolution’ in Iran". The political oppression was hat Ahmadinejad had won in a ormer Iranian Ambassador to enough to support regime andslide victory with 69 per he United Nations said that . cent of the vote. Immediately, "Washington is conspiring to change, but not to enact it. is main rival and the American- avoured candidate, Mousavi, claimed that he had won and oment discord among Iranians in order to topple the Tehran government". at there were voting Iranian media reported in April 2009, two months "irregularities"; he was quoted as saying, "I am the prior to the presidential elections, that Iran's Islamic absolute winner of the election by a very large margin". Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had "uncovered a Immediately, Western governments denounced the plot for a ‘soft overthrow’ of the country's government" election as a fraud, and protests began in the streets of and "accused the Netherlands of conspiring to foment a — Tehran, where young people clad in the green of the velvet revolution in the country by supporting the Mousavi campaign declared "Death to the dictator!", opposition through the media and different Internet referring to Ahmadinejad. Mousavi encouraged the sites". In 2005, the Dutch Parliament funded a 15 protests to continue. In the second day of protests, million euro "media polarization campaign" inside Iran, | young people "...broke the windows of city buses on which was "[c]oupled with British assistance and secret several streets in central Tehran. They burned banks, US funding".” rubbish bins and piles of tyres used as flaming In the lead-up to the election, attacks were increasing barricades. Riot police hit some of the protesters with within Iran. Two weeks before the election, on 28 May batons while dozens of others holding shields and 2009 in Zahedan in southeastern Iran, a Shi'a mosque _—_— motorcycles stood guard nearby." Western governments bombing resulted in the deaths of 20 people. An hen openly declared their solidarity with the protests Iranian official accused the US of involvement in arming and denounced the Iranian government for repressing the terrorists, who committed the act in a Sunni area of hem." Iran (the Sunni are a religious minority within the country). Jundullah, the terrorist organisation armed The Election Result Analysed and funded by the US through the CIA, claimed Despite all the claims of voting fraud and responsibility for the bombing.” The following day, irregularities, those taking this position offered no Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's election _ actual evidence to support it. As Politico reported on 15 campaign office, in the same city as the bombing, was __ June, the people proclaiming fraud "ignore the fact that attacked by gunmen, resulting in several injuries.” Ahmadinejad's 62.6 percent of the vote in this year's American popular perception of an illegitimate election and political oppression was were The Election Result Analysed Despite all the claims of voting fraud and irregularities, those taking this position offered no actual evidence to support it. As Politico reported on 15 June, the people proclaiming fraud "ignore the fact that Ahmadinejad's 62.6 percent of the vote in this year's 32 * NEXUS enough to support regime change, but not to enact it. FEBRUARY - MARCH 2010 www.nexusmagazine.com