Egypt leader in Iran: World must back Syria rebels

[No Elephants]

Morsi impresses me again.

I was very impressed when the first law Morsi passed was freedom of speech and his first act under the new law was to release one of his critics from prison. Of course, a cynic might say he neutralized that particular critic more than making him a martyr/hero by imprisoning him would. Still, hope springs eternal and all that.

This seems like a principled move, too, though.

I hope Morse knows to stay out of small planes because, if Iran doesn't get him and his own military doesn't get him, the CIA might.

Aug 30, 3:18 PM EDT

Egypt leader in Iran: World must back Syria rebels

By NASSER KARIMI and BRIAN MURPHY
Associated Press

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- In a sweeping message that Iran is on the wrong side of Syria's civil war, Egypt's new president urged the world Thursday to support the rebels seeking to topple Bashar Assad and suggested that Tehran could risk a deepening confrontation with regional powers over the fate of the regime in Damascus.

The stinging comments by President Mohammed Morsi - making his first visit to Iran by an Egyptian leader since the 1979 Islamic Revolution - was another blindside blow for Iran as host of an international gathering of so-called nonaligned nations.

His speech, delivered while seated next to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, prompted Syria's delegation to walk out of the gathering.

<snip>

But Iran also was forced to endure criticism from Morsi and another high-profile guest, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who cited concerns about Iran's human rights record and called its condemnations of Israel unacceptable.

It's highly unlikely that Iran would abandon Assad as long as there is a chance for him - or at least the core of his regime - to hang on. Iran counts on Syria as a strategic outlet to the Mediterranean and a conduit to its anti-Israeli proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon.

lots more at http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IRAN_NONALIGNED?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-08-30-15-18-33