Iranian Elections Fallout: Fanning the flames of freedom by saying very little

Today, both houses of Congress passed resolutions condemning Iran's crackdown on protests and demonstrations and in support of the Iranian people's right to self determination. While this is a fine and mostly for show, I think that President Obama is taking the right approach to the situation by saying just enough. But for most Republicans and some Democrats, they want the President to send a stronger message than the nuanced statement that he made earlier in the week.

The Supreme Leader of Iran, the Ayatollah Ali Kahmenei, has basically drawn the line in the sand today. In a very straight forward speech that lasted two to three hours, he unequivocally stated his support for Ahmadinejad and the results of the election and wants the protests to stop. In layman's terms, GET OVER IT! YOU LOST! The next step is what will the opposition do? Will they defy the Supreme Leader or will they comply.

My understanding of international affairs/relations is that sometimes, the less you say the stronger the message. This is a situation where letting things take their course in Iran, without bold and strong statements from the United States Congress and the White House, would serve our interest best.

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