This is within days of a concilliatory and defiant set of speeches
from Tehran. I wonder who is in chrage and for how long?

White House hoping violence in Iran won't spread

White House monitoring reports of violent crackdown in Iran

Staff
AP News

Nov 04, 2009 10:39 EST

The White House is calling for an end to violence in Iran as security
forces there crack down on anti-government protesters.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Wednesday that Obama
administration leaders are following reports of the unrest and "hope
greatly that violence will not spread."

In Tehran, Iranian security forces beat anti-government protesters
with batons Wednesday on the sidelines of state-sanctioned rallies to
mark the 30th anniversary of the U.S. Embassy takeover. The counter-
demonstrations were the opposition's first major show of force on
Tehran's streets in nearly two months.

Witnesses told The Associated Press that security forces swept through
a gathering of hundreds of demonstrators, clubbing, kicking and
slapping protesters.