Washington’s double standard: The elections in Iran and Afghanistan
wsws / wsws
28-Aug-2009 (2 comments)

While the American press reported the charges of fraud and the indications of low turnout, the official US position remains one of endorsing the election as an expression of the popular will and a victory, albeit limited, for “democracy” over “terrorism”—i.e., the Taliban-linked insurgents.

President Obama hailed the election in a statement issued August 21, declaring, “This was an important step forward in the Afghan people’s effort to take control of their future...”

Top US officials on the spot, including Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, General Stanley McChrystal, the top military commander, and Richard Holbrooke, chief US envoy to the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, all chimed in with endorsements of the basic legitimacy of the vote, suggesting the widespread reports of irregularities were merely the growing pains of democracy.

No such forgiving approach was taken to the election in Iran two months before. The American media denounced the presidential vote in Iran as fraudulent almost as soon as the polls closed June 12. Both the Obama administration and the European powers called into question the legitimacy of the reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

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Farhad Kashani

Fascist IRI supporters are jealous of Afghan democracy

by Farhad Kashani on Sat Aug 29, 2009 02:37 PM PDT

Shah Gholam,

 

Which Leftist wrongly analyzed things for you this time!!!????

  

Elections in Afghanistan are free, fair and democratic. In Iran under IRI, they’re simply non existent. That’s the major difference between IRI and Afghanistan. Iranians under IRI can only dream about having an Afghanistan type democracy where all parties are present and express their views openly and no such BS like “supreme leader” dictator exists.

  


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Bavafa

It is the US double standard that keeps it from having any

by Bavafa on Fri Aug 28, 2009 09:53 AM PDT

Legitimacy in the eyes of citizens of the world. We see that when they stop talking to the democratically elected governments, yet have close alleys with some of the most illegitimate and fascist governments in the world (i.e. Saudi Arabia and Israel )

Mehrdad


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