Eyewitness reports vetted by reliable groups are now coming out of Iran, indicating that the government response specifically targeted opposition leaders to demoralize the protesters.

Opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi was ambushed as he descended from his vehicle at Sadeghiyeh Square, his son Hossein said in an interview with Tehran Bureau, an independent Western news organization affiliated with PBS’s “Frontline” that reports extensively from Iran. He said Karroubi was being treated for burns to his face and eyes after having been attacked repeatedly with pepper spray.

Hossein Karroubi also confirmed that another of Karroubi’s sons, Ali, had been arrested. He said the family didn’t know where he was being held or how he was being treated.

via Tehran tries to cut off the head – World Blog – msnbc.com.

As usual Tehran Bureau and The Daily Dish are two top resources for this.

The “Triangle Of Wickedness”

Presumably, that’s Ahmadinejad’s response to Bush’s “Axis Of Evil”. He needs a Frum or two.

via The “Triangle Of Wickedness” – The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan.

Axis of Evil always sounded dumb as Triangle of Wickedness, but maybe that’s the Yes We Can dog whistle I am tuned to. Either way, sloganeering works and the only reason Ahmadinejad’s may not is because he is actively support beat downs, murders and arrests of his people who are protesting the fraud election that delivered him a second term.

Daily Show Goes to Iran from sahar sarshar on Vimeo.

(h/t The Daily Dish)

Most folks will see this as outreach to Muslim US citizens as well as citizens in countries such as Indonesia, the largest Islamic democracy that just conducted a peaceful election where challenges to the result were filed in court and not manifested in violent coup. It is also an outreach to the citizens of Iran, where the government has violently reacted to a voting public and their peaceful protests, to let them know that we have a President that will not embark on a religious crusade against Gog, Magog, terrorism, Islam or anything else as Commander in Chief. I, personally, tend to agree with these people.

Some others (aka the crazy GOP Right Wing fringe, which is more and more becoming the GOP base) will see this as proof that President Obama, in this latest edition of blatantly apologetic appeasement of islamo-fascist terrorists, is indeed the anti-christ, Nazi,socialist, kenyan-indonesian, Muslim, Manchurian Candidate, under-dressed, puppet of teh Jews. I, personally, tend to disagree with these people.

Juan Cole summarizes:

The political opposition in Iran held commemorations in Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Ahvaz and Rasht for the deaths of protesters at the hands of security forces on June 20, especially for Neda Agha-Soltan, a young woman whose last moments on videotape became a heartbreaking sensation throughout the world. In Shiite Islam, mourning sessions are conducted for the deceased after 40 days as well as at other times. The technique of building larger and larger crowds locally helps the movement expand and avoid losing momentum.

Reports say that hundreds (some even say thousands) showed up at Tehran’s main seminary to mourn Neda and the others. Mir Hossein Mousavi and his wife Zahra Rahnavard attempted to visit the grave, but were turned away by security forces.

Hundreds also gathered at the Musalla Mosque in downtown Tehran, but were dispersed by security forces with tear gas and life ammunition. Clashes continued into the night.

via Informed Comment: Regime Cracks down Again in Tehran;
But Hard Liners Question Brutal Tactics.

“He should speak out that this is a corrupt, flawed sham of an election and that the Iranian people have been deprived of their rights,” McCain said on NBC’s “Today” show before Obama’s remarks after a White House meeting with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA):

Well I think that Mr. Obama, if he continues to have these types of attitudes, we’re going to see things get very bad, very quickly. Already the North Koreans have challenged him and realized that he’s a cream puff, if that is what he is indeed going to be as a President.… [N]ow if the Mullahs in Iran are permitted to just roll over opposition something like Tienanmen square, we will have missed a great opportunity.

h/t Time Magazine via hilzoy of Obsidian Wings:

“They tricked us into this whole thing. They got us out in droves, only to fool us and credit themselves,” one woman watching the clashes said, unable to hold back her tears.

“I even got five of my family members who had not voted since the revolution to come out and vote,” she sobbed. “Shame on me!”

I hope she realizes there is no shame in what she did. Shame on the oppressors who so covet power they would dash the hopes and dreams of their own people. Shame on our US media for not jumping on this story. Shame on us for not having a President, until now, who would simply be honest about our centrality to today’s Iranian and help us find common ground. But no shame to these voters, who cast their vote and expected some dignity in return.

A huge event is taking place in a country key to the progress of Middle East politics, yet our main stream media is dropping the ball. This should be a top story being that we are fighting two wars in this region and one of our closest ally’s new leader, Netanyahu, has signaled he would preemptively strike Iran.

Jaun Cole on why he thinks the election was stolen.

Gary Sick walks through the events, step by step.

Andrew Sullivan has been pulling in info from all types of media and has some great reader contributions compiled in this post.

Steve Clemens at the Washington Note talked to a source and he relays his informant’s fears of what turmoil is within the Iranian government and where it will lead.

Update: Roger Cohen is in Tehran for the New York Times. He made this video on Election eve.

Update: Cliffyon at DailyKos is translating Iranian news sources from Farsi