Changes

===Iran===

===Iran===

Obama has continued covert operations in [[Iran]] begun under President [[George W. Bush]]. Investigative journalist [[Seymour Hersh]] quotes numerous sources as saying that the [[U.S. Congress]] agreed to a Bush request in late 2007 to fund an escalation of covert operation in Iran. Hersh says those operations began as early as 2005.  Bush signed a series of executive orders and findings [in late 2004] permitting the Pentagon to run clandestine, covert operations—operations which Americans go into countries under cover.<ref>[http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/library/news/2009/intell-090113-rferl01.htm ''Reports Suggest Obama Faces Early Choice On Iran Covert Ops''] By Ron Synovitz, January 13, 2009.</ref> Jeremy R. Hammond writes in the [[progressive]] website ''Foreign Policy Journal'': "[G]iven the record of U.S. interference in the state affairs of Iran and clear policy of regime change, it certainly seems possible, even likely, that the U.S. had a significant role to play in helping to bring about the recent turmoil in an effort to undermine the government of the Islamic Republic.  

Obama discontinued covert operations in [[Iran]] begun under President [[George W. Bush]]. Investigative journalist [[Seymour Hersh]] quotes numerous sources as saying that the [[U.S. Congress]] agreed to a Bush request in late 2007 to fund an escalation of covert operation in Iran. Hersh says those operations began as early as 2005.  Bush signed a series of executive orders and findings [in late 2004] permitting the Pentagon to run clandestine, covert operations—operations which Americans go into countries under cover.<ref>[http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/library/news/2009/intell-090113-rferl01.htm ''Reports Suggest Obama Faces Early Choice On Iran Covert Ops''] By Ron Synovitz, January 13, 2009.</ref>   

According to Ken Timmerman, the executive director of the Foundation for Democracy in Iran ~ the Persian Service of [[Voice of America]] (VOA) clearly sided with Mir Hossein Mousavi against those dissident groups who wanted to boycott the election entirely, the position Timmerman favored. Timmerman saw the branding of Mousavi's "green revolution" as evidence that the US government was using its National Endowment for Democracy to support the former prime minister Mousavi.  Post election violence claimed the lives of 69 people.<ref>[http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_13041572 ''Iranian reformists claim 69 dead in post-election violence''], By Nasser Karimi, The ''[[Associated Press]]'', 08/12/2009.</ref> Steve Weissman writes,

According to Ken Timmerman, the executive director of the Foundation for Democracy in Iran ~ the Persian Service of [[Voice of America]] (VOA) clearly sided with Mir Hossein Mousavi against those dissident groups who wanted to boycott the election entirely, the position Timmerman favored. Timmerman saw the branding of Mousavi's "green revolution" as evidence that the US government was using its National Endowment for Democracy to support the former prime minister Mousavi.  Post election violence claimed the lives of 69 people.<ref>[http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_13041572 ''Iranian reformists claim 69 dead in post-election violence''], By Nasser Karimi, The ''[[Associated Press]]'', 08/12/2009.</ref> Steve Weissman writes,