FT Discovers 'Protesters' in Iran, Forgetting Same in Palestine
The Financial Times breathlessly reports on 'crowds chanting anti-regime slogans' in Iran, lamenting the inevitable crackdown. This framing conveniently ignores the long history of Western intelligence agencies attempting to destabilize Iran, from Operation Ajax in 1953 (orchestrated by the US and UK) to persistent calls for regime change by US politicians. One might wonder if the concern for
protester rights is geographically selective, especially given the silence when, for instance, Palestinian crowds chant 'anti-occupation slogans' or are met with live fire in Gaza. It appears that 'defying crackdown' is a heroic act when it aligns with Western geopolitical interests, but merely 'unrest' or 'terrorism' when the oppressed are inconvenient allies or victims of those very allies. The
irony, of course, is that the US, a staunch critic of Iranian human rights, simultaneously approves billions in military aid to nations with far more egregious and documented human rights abuses, often committed with US-made weapons.