The downside of enthusiastic support for the Iranian opposition then was that it would have played into the hands of Iran’s autocratic rulers, who are always eager to attribute any dissent to U.S. influence.
Those days, however, have passed. The need for the administration to take a strong public stand was signaled bluntly weeks ago when protesters chanted: ‘‘Obama, Obama - either you’re with them or you’re with us.’’
Since then Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has become increasingly brutal.
On Sunday, at least eight people were killed when police fired upon and beat demonstrators, injuring hundreds. There were hundreds of arrests, including senior opposition leaders and the sister of Shirin Ebadi, the Iranian human rights activist who won the Nobel Peace Price in 2003.
The nephew of former presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi was shot and killed, and his body was seized, apparently to prevent a funeral ceremony that might have triggered another demonstration. ...
Obama has become increasingly pointed in his public statements on developments in Iran. This week he said, ‘‘The United States joins with the international community in strongly condemning the violent and unjust suppression of innocent Iranian citizens.
An excellent idea suggested by the Christian Science Monitor’s editorial board is for Obama to invite Shirin Ebadi, who lives in exile in London, to the White House. The meeting between two Nobel Peace Prize winners would be a vivid symbol of solidarity with the protesters risking their lives in the streets of Tehran.
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