09:52 pm
The Neda Video
Clearly, I do not have the time or depth of knowledge needed to offer anything new about the crisis in Iran. Thankfully, several experts are on the case, and others are compiling the tweets and other information for us.
So I just want to take one moment to make doubly sure everyone has seen “The Neda Video” and mulled over its implications. You can see all 16 seconds of it here, but just know that it is quite graphic.
Robin Wright speculates on the implications here: “In Iran, One Woman’s Death May Have Many Consequences.”
Dan Drezner chimes in on the Foreign Policy blog. He strikes just about the right tone when he says the video has now created a focal point for the opposition and this has foreboding consequences for the regime. He cautions, however:
To repeat a theme: this does not mean that Ahmadinejad and Khamenei will fall from power (See: Tank Man, Goddess of Democracy). What it means is that even if they maintain their grip on power, they have lost all of their legitimacy.
So what does an Iranian regime devoid of legitimacy mean for the region and for U.S. foreign policy?