'Don't Worry. It's Just One Bullet and It's Over'

These maniacs in Iran might think they can hide what they've done from their own people, yet now the entire world knows what evil they're capable of.

Neda Agha-Soltan's memory will live a lot longer than the 26 years she had on earth, senselessly murdered in broad daylight by subhuman thugs.

Sure, they'll try to silence the people, but I'm optimistic they're too late.

The young Iranian woman whose gruesome killing has become a rallying cry for the nation's opposition movement eerily predicted her violent death by gunfire -- but was determined to protest against "the injustice of it all," a friend said yesterday.

As the violence continues to escalate on the streets of the embattled Middle Eastern nation, the beautiful philosophy student, Neda Agha-Soltan, 26, who had been engaged to be married, is being hailed as Iran's Joan of Arc.

The government yesterday blocked a wake for her in a central Tehran mosque for fear that the outpouring of grief would lead to more anti-regime protests, her fiancé, Caspian Makan, told the BBC.

"The authorities are aware that everybody in Iran and throughout the whole world knows about her story," Makan said.

"They were afraid that lots of people could turn up."

The 40-second video of Neda's death has not been aired on Iranian state-sponsored TV, but many in the country -- and worldwide -- have seen it on the Internet.

It captures Neda, shot in the heart, in her last moments of life, bleeding to death on the street as a friend wails, "Don't be afraid! Neda, dear!"

As the life leaves her face and blood pours from her nose, a white-haired man, her music teacher, yells, "Stay with me!"

Since the video made shock waves across the Web, her photo has been held aloft at demonstrations all over the globe.

But to her relatives, she is more than just an icon of change.

She loved Persian pop songs and her piano lessons, was the second of three children, and was passionate about travel.

In turns mischievous, smart and caring, Neda studied to become a tour guide and took Turkish language courses in the hopes of leading Iranian tourists on trips abroad, friends and relatives said.

On Saturday, the day she was killed, her friend told The Los Angeles Times that she had tried to persuade Neda to stay away from the massive march.

"I told her, 'Neda, don't go,' " the friend, who gave her name only as Golshad, told the paper.

But Neda was adamant.

"She said, 'Don't worry. It's just one bullet and it's over,' " recalled Hamid Panihi, the music teacher and friend who was with her when she died.

"She couldn't stand the injustice of it all," he told the paper.

Neither can most of us. Don't worry though, there won't be any repercussions from the hot dog crew.

Meanwhile, it appears the hairy munchkin could soon be jettisoned to sooth protests.

Iran's powerful mullahs are considering replacing the nation's hard-line "supreme leader" or forcing the resignation of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in hopes of ending the 10 days of angry protests by pro-democracy demonstrators, it was reported yesterday.

A committee of religious leaders would take over for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to the plan secretly under review by members of Iran's Assembly of Experts, sources in the holy city of Qom told Al Arabiya TV.

Another option to end the crisis is the resignation of Ahmadinejad, the news channel said.

Considering Ahmadinejad came in third, that's the least he should do.

Check out Amir Taheri on the differences between now and 1979.

In 1979, the people looked to the Shiite clergy for leadership. This time, the clergy is pushed into the background. The new "moral references" of Iranian society are no longer clerics; they are intellectuals, academics, lawyers and independent trade-union leaders. Whatever the struggle's outcome, one thing is certain: Mullahs will never regain their position of moral authority in Iranian politics.

Another difference is that the ruling elite in 1979 had little stomach for a fight. Many of its members had homes and investments abroad and thus could just pack and leave -- they weren't forced to fight with their backs to the wall.

But the overwhelming majority of today's ruling elite has no fallback position. If driven from power, "Supreme Guide" Ali Khamenei or Ahmadinejad would have nowhere to go. They have no choice but to fight to the bitter end. This time, it is in the opposition camp that one finds most of those who can pack and go to golden exile abroad.

Maybe there'll be some teaching posts available at Berkeley.

It's curious, but has anyone noticed the American left, still seething over the Florida recount nine years ago, has been virtually silent over an actual stolen election?

Funny how that is. They're outraged daily over some innocuous Rush Limbaugh comment taken out of context, yet can't summon the energy to decry a murder in broad daylight in front of the entire world.

Instapundit links. Thanks!

Iranians Scoff at Obama Speech

All the soaring rhetoric and stirring oratory from Barack Obama isn't enough to persuade the psychotic mullahs of Iran to join hands with the world and sing Kumbaya.

Iran's supreme leader said on Thursday the United States was deeply hated in the Middle East and told U.S. President Barack Obama that "beautiful" speeches alone would not improve its image in the Muslim world.

Speaking on the same day Obama was due to give a major speech to the Islamic world in Cairo, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the hatred felt towards America could not be changed with "slogans" but that different U.S. action was needed.

In a break from the policies of his predecessor George W. Bush, Obama is offering improved ties with the Islamic Republic if it "unclenches its fist." Iranian leaders say they want to see a real shift in the policies of their old foe.

"The nations of this part of the world ... deeply hate America because during many years they have seen violence, military interference, rights violations, discrimination ... from America," Khamenei said in a televised speech.

"Even if they give sweet and beautiful talks to the Muslim nation ... that will not create a change," said Khamenei, Iran's most powerful figure with the final say on all matters of state. "Nothing will change with speeches and slogans."

But hey, the media will fawn and slobber and tell us how great a speech it was, and isn't that all that matters?

Iranians React Warmly to Obama Video, Chant 'Death to America'

In case you missed it, in between making basketball picks, yukking it up with Jay Leno and insulting Special Olympians, the clueless Barack Obama sent a video greeting to Iranians the other day (just imagine if he was so gracious to Republicans).

Naturally, the Iranians greeted his pandering with contempt.

Khamenei enumerated a long list of Iranian grievances against the United States over the past 30 years and said the U.S. was still interfering in Iranian affairs.

He mentioned U.S. sanctions against Iran, U.S. support for Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein during his 1980-88 war against Iran and the downing of an Iranian airliner over the Persian Gulf in 1988.

He also accused the U.S. of provoking ethnic tension in Iran and said Washington's accusations that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons are a sign of U.S. hostility. Iran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes, like energy production, not for building weapons.

"Have you released Iranian assets? Have you lifted oppressive sanctions? Have you given up mudslinging and making accusations against the great Iranian nation and its officials? Have you given up your unconditional support for the Zionist regime? Even the language remains unchanged," Khamenei said.

Khamenei, wearing a black turban and dark robes, said America was hated around the world for its arrogance, as the crowd chanted "Death to America."

Yup, that really worked out well.

Reader Dan Friedman delivers the snark.

Asked for the White House reaction, spokesman Robert Gibbs said, “The President welcomes Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s positive response to our recent YouTube video. This is just that canny rug salesman's way of playing hard to get. The President will have more to say when he guest-hosts the Colbert Report this Wednesday night, 8 Central, 9 Eastern”.

Ouch.

Delusional Zawahiri Accuses Iran of Collaborating With the U.S.

This is what happens when you spend too much time hiding in caves and avoiding airstrikes. Now with this release just prior to the anniversary of 9/11, there still is no sign of the bloated Adam Gadahn, yet another sign his sorry ass is dead.

In a video issued to mark the anniversary of the September 11 2001 terror attacks, al-Qaeda yesterday accused Iran of collaborating in a "crusader" war conducted by the west against Islam.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, the terror group's deputy leader, attacked Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the tape, sections of which were aired by broadcaster Al Jazeera.

Mr Zawahiri said: "The [leader of Iran] collaborates with the Americans in occupying Iraq and Afghanistan and recognises the puppet regimes in both countries, while he warns of death and destruction to anyone who touches an inch of Iranian soil."

Al-Qaeda, a Sunni muslim organisation, has only this year started criticising Iran - which is predominantly Shia. Mr Zawahiri also said Shias had failed to make a call to arms against the "American crusader invaders".

Diaa Rashwan, an expert on militant Islamic groups at the Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies, said: "I believe this [video] is connected to the situation in Iraq where al-Qaeda is on the defensive. The Iranian influence in Iraq is very noticeable. Iran backs the Shia parties and now the Sunni groups in the country have also been moving against al-Qaeda."