The U.S. Government Welcomes Iranian Protests Against the Clerical Regime - 2003-06-13

The U.S. government has welcomed the protests and demonstrations by Iranians against the unelected clerical regime. Richard Boucher, the spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, stated that the demonstrations on Tuesday and Wednesday nights once again drew global attention to the destructive policies of the Islamic regime in Iran. The spokesperson emphasized that Washington fully supports the Iranian people's desire for freedom and expressed concern over reports of the arrest of protesters. Mr. Boucher commented on recent events in Iran after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, blamed the U.S. for the protests. Khamenei claimed that the U.S. is trying to create a divide between the regime and the people by supporting unrest in Iran. In his remarks, the Supreme Leader urged the so-called 'Basij' groups not to take action against the demonstrators. Last Tuesday and Wednesday, thousands of Iranians took to the streets of Tehran, chanting slogans against the religious regime and, in a rare event, called for President Mohammad Khatami to resign due to his failure to fulfill his commitments. In another development, Ali Younesi, the Minister of Intelligence and Security of the regime, stated that the recent protests were organized by opposition television channels outside Iran. The demonstrations on Tuesday and Wednesday nights were unprecedented in recent months.