Like all Iranians living outside of Iran, I have been glued to media outlets following the post election events. Do I believe the election was rigged? Absolutely. Do I believe that Obama is doing the right thing by not getting more involved? Absolutely! Some of you have asked why Obama is not doing more. Here is a quick history lesson: In 1953, the CIA and the British staged a coup and ousted Iran’s only democratically elected leader Mohammd Mossadegh. Why did they do this? One word: oil. Mossadegh wanted to nationalize the oil industry which had been under British control. (This meant that oil was real cheap.)

Even though the coup took place over 50 years ago, it is still fresh in the minds of Iranians. It changed the course of Iranian history for the worse. Iran might very well have a democracy today were it not for the US and British involvement in 1953. Needless to say, Iranians on the street are very suspicious of forces working behind events in Iran. The extremists would like nothing more than to say that the US is bullying them. And Obama, who is one smart president, knows this. That is why he is doing the right thing and saying very little.

If you want to learn more about the events in 1953, I highly recommend Stephen Kinzer’s book, ALL THE SHAH’S MEN.