American Morning
Ex-hostage: Do not interfere with Iran
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/06/18/intv.kennedy.moorhead.jpg caption="Moorhead Kennedy, a former American hostage in Iran, tells CNN the U.S. is better off not intefering in Iranian affairs right now."]
A man with unique insight into the events that are playing out in Iran is Moorhead Kennedy. He was the acting head of the United States’ Embassy's economic section in Tehran when it was overrun by student protesters in 1979.
Kennedy was one of the 52 Americans held hostage for 444 days in that standoff. He wasn't released until January 20th, 1981 when President Reagan was inaugurated. Kennedy spoke to John Roberts on CNN’s “American Morning” Thursday.
John Roberts: Do you see any parallels between what we’re seeing on the streets of Tehran now and what happened in 1979?
Moorhead Kennedy: Well, I think the biggest parallel is that at least some of the reaction against us in '79 was because...of past interference in Iranian affairs. And I think that there seems to, be from a lot of talk going around, that we should do something…about this election problem in Iran. It's the attitude that we have sometimes about Iran, a rather colonial attitude that has always been part of our problem with that country. And so I think if I had any conclusion to draw, we would have been much better off not interfering in Iran then and I think we're going to be much better off not interfering in Iranian affairs now.
What's on Tap – Thursday, June 18, 2009
Here are just some of the stories we'll be covering this morning:
Could this be a moment of truth in Iran? We are about 90 minutes away from what are expected to be massive protests across the nation.
And within the past hour...The government rolling out its toughest crackdown on foreign media, forbidding CNN from not only covering today's demonstrations but limiting our reporter there to just one report.
And this morning - because of the crackdown - there's no way to overstate the importance of the internet in the protest movement. More and more information is being gathered by ordinary citizens and distributed on social networking sites - and we're keeping an eye on all of it.
And Hillary Clinton sidelined. Not by tough diplomacy... but a nasty fall outside the White House. We'll tell you what sent her to the hospital last night.
We Listen! Your Comments – 6/17/2009
Editor's Note: American Morning’s Wednesday audience strongly opposed Senator McCain’s remarks about the Iranian election, equating it to “asking the loser in the Super Bowl how to play a winning football game,” and calling him a hypocrite: [His] “newfound concern for the human rights of Iranians is laughably absurd – those are the very same humans he joked about Bomb-Bomb-Bombing, remember?”
- Monica: Senator McCain's newfound concern for the human rights of Iranians is laughably absurd – those are the very same humans he joked about Bomb-Bomb-Bombing, remember? CNN could have easily run that tape, and revealed the Senator as the opportunistic hypocrite he is.
- Omid: I think McCain's position on making statements on Iran showing "unequivocal support" for the protesters is proof of the monumental disaster his presidency would be. His blind devotion to making waves with the Iranian government will only cause more deaths and create more pain for the Iranians in the street who are fighting for their own country. Iranians want freedom – freedom from inside influence AND outside influence. It was international intervention, particularly American and British intervention, that swept the Islamic Revolution into power, and we can NOT afford to make that mistake again.
- Ralph: I disagree with Mr. McCain. We should mind our own business for now in Iran. His assertion that voting rights is a basic human right is wrong. Democracies don't work everywhere. When you have ethnic and religious fanaticism as the norm, democracies can't work. Besides, if people cared what McCain thought, they would have elected him.
- Joe: Asking John McCain how to handle the Iranian election situation is like asking the loser in the Super Bowl how to play a winning football game. McCain represents the worst of US arrogance and interference in the politics of sovereign nations. We had no right to invade Iraq and we have no right to meddle in Iran’s elections. president Obama is smart enough to know that, McCain is not. Please spare us the semi-coherent ramblings of a bitter, defeated old man.
How do you feel about Senator McCain’s comments regarding the Iranian election? Is he a “hypocrite” as one viewer suggests, or does he provide a deeper insight than has previously been addressed?
Iran threatens Web sites reporting on protests
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) - Iran's opposition Wednesday pledged to continue protests over disputed presidential elections as authorities tightened controls on media, threatening Web sites reporting on the country's worst crisis for decades.
Opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi, who claims last week's re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was rigged, called on his supporters to join him on the streets of Tehran Thursday in the latest in a series of demonstrations.
Meanwhile, the country's powerful Revolutionary Guard - which enforces strict Islamic codes - said it will prosecute Web sites it accuses of inciting riots, adding to a ban on foreign media reporting on the protests and a block on Internet site such as Facebook or Twitter.
Even as the Guard made its announcement, thousands of Iranians planned to head to Haft-e-Tir Square in central Tehran on Wednesday evening despite a stepped-up government crackdown that has seen people arrested across the country. Video Watch Christiane Amanpour on media restrictions »
The scale of the protests, the worst seen in the country since a 1979 revolution overthrew its monarchy, Tuesday prompted Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has already endorsed Ahmadinejad's win, to appeal for calm, urging citizens to support the Islamic state.
His appeal came a day after at least seven people were killed during a pro-Moussavi demonstration in Tehran.
McCain pans president's Iran response
WASHINGTON (CNN) — Sen. John McCain told CNN Wednesday President Obama's statement that he doesn't want to meddle in the Iranian election controversy sends the wrong message.
"On this issue, I do not believe that the president is taking a leadership that is incumbent upon an American president, which we have throughout modern history, and that is to advocate for human rights and freedom — and free elections are one of those fundamentals," the Arizona Republican told John Roberts on CNN's American Morning.
President Obama Tuesday said that he has deep concerns over the election results in Iran, but stressed that "it's not productive, given the history of U.S.-Iranian relations, to be seen as meddling, the U.S. president meddling in Iranian elections."
McCain disputed that assessment. "We're not meddling in any country's affairs when we call for free and fair elections and the ability of people to exercise their human rights," he said Monday. "And when they disagree with a flawed or corrupt election, as the Iranian people have, [not] to be beaten and even killed in the streets."
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