Democracy Now! Monday, June 15, 2009 :: Iran, Netanyahu

Today's Headlines

• Iran Supreme Leader Calls for Probe into Disputed Election
• UN Approves New North Korean Sanctions
• Netanyahu Backs Demilitarized Palestinian State
• Top Sunni Lawmaker Assassinated in Iraq
• Report: 30 Lawmakers Have Financial Holdings in Healthcare Industry
• Obama Administration Urges Court to Toss Rendition Lawsuit
• Judge Rules Jose Padilla Can Sue John Yoo over Torture
• CIA Fires Mitchell Jessen & Associates
• CIA Head Says Cheney Almost Wishing US Be Attacked Again
• Peruvian President Alan Garcia Accused of Ethnic Genocide
• Obama Admin to Spend $350 Million on New National Educational Standards
• Top Minutemen Officials Arrested on Murder Charges
• Domestic Workers Rally in New York

• 

  Iran in Turmoil After Disputed Presidential Election; Anti-Ahmadinejad Street Protests Continue

  Iran remains in a state of turmoil after Friday’s much-anticipated elections ended in a result strongly disputed by opposition candidates and many thousands of their supporters. Today, Iranian officials refused to allow the leading opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi and his supporters to hold a major rally protesting the re-election of President Ahmadinejad. Demonstrators began calling for the election to be canceled after the Interior Ministry announced that President Ahmadinejad had won over 62 percent of the vote. The official results gave Mousavi less than 34 percent of the vote. Heavily armed riot police have been cracking down on street protests that continued through the weekend. Early Monday morning, security forces raided a dormitory at Tehran University, injuring fifteen. Opposition websites report that over a hundred prominent opposition members were detained and then released over the weekend. We speak to Trita Parsi of the National Iranian American Council and David Makovsky, co-author with Dennis Ross of a new book called Myths, Illusions, and Peace. [includes rush transcript–partial]

• 

  Netanyahu Outlines Vision for a Demilitarized Palestinian State with Israel Controlling the Borders and Airspace of Palestine

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered what was billed as a major policy speech on Sunday, accepting the creation of a Palestinian state on the condition that it would be completely demilitarized and have no control over its airspace. He also said that Israel would refuse to engage with Hamas. Palestinian officials condemned Netanyahu’s speech, saying it closed the door to permanent status negotiations.