While Afghanistan drops into dispair, Iran rears its ugly head again....
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Al Jazeera:
Security forces have clashed with opposition protesters as thousands of Iranians gathered on the streets of the capital, Tehran, to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the US embassy.
Police used batons and tear gas to disperse several hundred activists who had gathered at Haft-e-Tir square on Wednesday to demonstrate against the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president, witnesses said.
Our correspondent in Tehran said: "The phone lines have been cut and we cannot access email from our offices, but what we are hearing and seeing from pictures being fed from the streets of Tehran are thousands of anti-government protesters who have been chanting pro-Mir Hossein Mousavi slogans and "death to the dictator" as well.
Outside the now-closed US embassy, many more Iranians gathered chanting "Death to America", "Death to England" and "Death to Israel".
Iranian student activists entered the US embassy on November 4, 1979, taking 52 Americans hostage in response to Washington's refusal to handover Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the shah deposed by the Islamic Revolution.
The hostages were held for 444 days before their release was secured.
Security forces have clashed with opposition protesters as thousands of Iranians gathered on the streets of the capital, Tehran, to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the US embassy.
Police used batons and tear gas to disperse several hundred activists who had gathered at Haft-e-Tir square on Wednesday to demonstrate against the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president, witnesses said.
Our correspondent in Tehran said: "The phone lines have been cut and we cannot access email from our offices, but what we are hearing and seeing from pictures being fed from the streets of Tehran are thousands of anti-government protesters who have been chanting pro-Mir Hossein Mousavi slogans and "death to the dictator" as well.
Outside the now-closed US embassy, many more Iranians gathered chanting "Death to America", "Death to England" and "Death to Israel".
Iranian student activists entered the US embassy on November 4, 1979, taking 52 Americans hostage in response to Washington's refusal to handover Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the shah deposed by the Islamic Revolution.
The hostages were held for 444 days before their release was secured.
