US making moves to back Iran's Green Movement

The US administration is progressively moving to find ways to support Iran's opposition Green Movement, senior US officials have made it known.

The White House is crafting new financial sanctions specifically designed to punish the Iranian entities and individuals most directly involved in putting down the riots, rather than just those involved in Iran's nuclear program, IRNA cited a report published by The Wall Street Journal as saying on Saturday.

The report added that US Treasury Department strategists previously focused on the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and have made up a list of IRGC-related companies that are to be targeted.

The companies on the list include Iran's largest telecommunications provider, the Telecommunication Company of Iran, which is majority-owned by the IRGC, and the Iranian Aluminum Co.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has blamed the latest unrest in Iran on the United States and Israel.

"This is a play staged by the US and the Zionists, which just makes us sick. Both those who staged and those who acted in this play are making a mistake, as the Iranian nation has seen many such plays and will not be affected," Ahmadinejad said in late December.

He also accused the US and Britain of supporting the protesters and said the two countries would regret it.

Anti-government protesters staged rallies in Tehran on December 27, taking advantage of the Ashura ceremonies, which commemorate the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (PBUH). Police used tear gas to disperse the protesters, who vandalized public property and set trash cans aflame, provoking clashes with security forces.

Seven people died during the unrest. The deputy police chief, Ahmad-Reza Radan, said after the incidents that the police force had not used violence against protesters and rejected accusations that they were responsible for the deaths.

In response to the Ashura riots, millions of Iranians took to the streets on December 30, 2009, demanding that the rioters be brought to justice.

Iranian officials have said that the nation knows that the anti-government riots were incited by foreigners.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=115770§ionid=351020101.