the contingency of the regime to hide as much as possible the number of the victims from public eye and public knowledge. it is difficult at this moment to give an actual headcount. the victims are@@@@@@!@@ @ ááát[ but hopefully with today's technology and with everything -- and again i would like to express my gratitude to so many, not just media, but others coming out of the woodwork to help iranians have the country to connect and send this kind of information. we may be able to get a better assessment. as to the veracity of the information, for my own part i am trying to be extremely careful to make sure the information we receive is accurate. in the middle of this game,

some people try to every now and then -- and i hate to use this word, but they try to get cute and exaggerate numbers and things like that, so we are trying to be very cautious about any statistics or numbers that we get. we are very cautious about statistics and numbers that we get. but to address a question, the numbers have been able but higher than what has so far been reported. we hope this will not continue, in the sense that we will try to encourage, as i said earlier, the security forceto reduce their crackdown. but we cannot control in any form, and as i said, there are two elements that are the question mark -- how long will the basij continue with the instruments of recession, but also the hired thugs within the regime? right in the same complex which was the other dicks complex in tehran -- the olympics complex

in tehran, there is a group of five dozen people are more who have been specifically trained -- 5000 people or more who have been specifically trained, if called for by the regime, as the instrument. i also heard reports that the machine as important elements from abroad, up from pakistan, from hamas, being used to quash people as we speak. how many elements from outside coming in as a direct collision as to whether the regime will still utilize them and create more casualties. >> bonjour. i would like to come back to present topic. i would like to know if you think president obama -- >> name and organization. >> do you think that president

obama's statements were forceful enough? do you wish he would condemn more directly the actions of the actual regime? >> as i said in my press conference -- this is not just directed to president obama, but to all world leaders who can take a defined position on the subject -- if you separate the issue of what could be argued or painted as interference in the nation's, from the issue of standing firm on the question of human rights violations, in which there is no reason why this regime or any can object to the fact that, whether it is president obama with canadian prime minister or the french president, will make life easier for the heads of state to be able to say exactly what we expected them to say, showing absolutely no remorse or any kind of caution when they stand firm on that question.

separating one from the other. let's not have the regime in iran define what is interference and what is not, as i said in my opening statement. that is what i hope the white house, state department, and other governments and their foreign ministries could absorb and understand, that this is expected, and they should have no fear or question in their mind that they will come in any form or shape jeopardize or give ammunition to the regime to use that as a pretext for an excuse. >> but you think -- but do you think that president obama was too cautious? >> it started on a curve, and he is caught up to what some of his colleagues, or more forceful in statements -- who were more forceful and estimates, had said earlier. if the white house itself shows more than activity and language and town with the streets of teheran, that is a good

progress, and we encourage and appreciate that as well. >> you mentioned that some elements of hamas in iran are defending the region. my question is what about hezbollah? there are some elements of hezbollah in iran. second question, what is your opinion about mousavi exactly? >> well, the regime will obviously have the ability to call upon proxy's it has set up for -- from years ago. hizbollah in lebanon, for instance. speaking of hezbollah, there are elements that are recruiting, as far as the venezuela and colombia members for hezbollah.

can i call them back for additional help? evidently, they are doing that in some cases. it has been reported that hamas elements have been called by the regime for suppression inside iran right now. it is no longer question of any particular candidate, it is about the sanctity of the ballot box and sovereignty and the legitimacy of the regime as a whole. the fate of people like mr. mousavi lies, in my opinion, as it clear demarcation from the regime. you cannot on the one hand be a candidate of people demanding justice and peace of the the regime -- demanding justice vis- a-vis the regime and upheld the system. that will be the question of

whether or not he has actually peeled away from the system for the people. you cannot have any more. -- cannot hedge any more. you have to pick one of the other. >> i am a member of the national press club and a freelance writer from buffalo, new york. in your earlier answer, you leave open the door for future participation in a democratic iran. can you tell us, if you have any research today, that tells how many people would support you in iran? in other words, in this turbulent time, what is your approval rating? >> well, people support me because of the very fact we're talking the same language -- freedom,, democracy, human rights. i'm not demanding people to support me today because of me.

i'm demanding people support me so that i can best serve them achieve what their goal is, which is to achieve freedom. that is a totally different function. if tomorrow -- for the umpteenth time, i repeat -- if tomorrow in iran there was a choice for people to say "we want mr. pahlavi, after liberation, if we want to be in -- if we want him to be involved," we will hear the answer that. that question is irrelevant, irrelevant to what we're doing now. i have just as many supporters who are republicans and would want to have a republic in iran, but support me as someone committed to bring everyone under the same flag to fight a common cause for freedom. this is not about ideology or an institution. this is about democracy and human rights.

this is what i am standing for. this is my unique platform. it is not about an institution it. it is not about the past. it is about where we are now and what we want to go. -- and where we want to go. i will leave that to date to the iranian people to debate in the constitution form of government they want to have. but i sincerely do not believe that this is today's today. the people i talk to on every walk of the iranian families are not focused on talking about the party affiliation or the social economic problems or whether i'm a monarchist or a republican. today, the first priority for us is freedom. we are there to guarantee the fact that no iranian will be left behind in his stores are votes. we are fighting first and foremost for that right to freely decide.

i stand, if not with a 17 million. and, -- 17 million armenians, 60 million armenians -- iranians, to upend the system. [applause] >> kyoto news. i have a question about the numbers coming out to the rally spurred we have heard mixed reports about how many are attending. if you have an idea from the sources of whether the numbers have changed greatly in the past week and half, and whether you see them growing in the next few days. >> the numbers have been quite high. i think it has been, perhaps, the biggest gatherings that i remember ever in the history of iranian politics. not just in tehran, but the overall numbers of people being out there, and not just because

of a political campaign or election campaign. now the call on the streets is everybody saying "we want freedom." this is well beyond elections now. this is about the sanctity of the ballot box. the flagrant stealing of the vote -- not necessarily because of this or that candidate, people saying "we have had it. how long are we going to put up with this situation is clear that is the spirit of this movement, which has grown -- how long are we going to put up with this situation?" it is clear that that is the spirit of this movement. only a few months ago, most of the world media would say, "well, at least iran has more democracy than many of its

neighboring countries, because they have elections." well, that elections in the soviet union -- they had elections in the soviet union. it involves everyone. it is beyond one camp or another. it is not about those who are supporters of mr. mousavi, or those who are supporters of x, y, scorceor z. this theocracy has basically lost any last shred of legitimacy that it could have claimed by virtue of the final positioning of the supreme leader, the fact of the past has come off and the regime is pretty much moving into the direction of becoming a complete police state and dictatorship. it respective of whether it is religious or not religious, it is the ultimate nature. fluctuations may exist, as i

said in my opening statement earlier, depending again on sustenance or not. in terms of the collective, grass-roots movement, it is moving, as i'm speaking to you today, more and more in terms of participation. that is the natural conclusion of the effect of people moving away from the regime had been lost completely its legitimacy. that is to be anticipated. >> i am just full of questions today. >> you won't let go, will you? >> i'm wondering if you could talk about the struggle of the religious clerics, and the whole struggle of rafsanjani, and the arrest of his family. do you think that perhaps we have not heard much from rafsanjani is a signal that perhaps he is getting support? we have heard some of the ayatollah's speak out against

all the common day. -- against all the common name. -- against ayatollah khamenei. >> thank you for that question. the voices within the clerical hierarchy, both inside and outside iran, and i specifically up that i had al- sistani will step in -- that ayatollah al-sistani will step in at some point -- it is a moment where i anticipate more and more prominent members of the traditional clergy, who, by the way, from the very beginning, were outside of the system, or not just on mr. ayatollah khamenei, but the fact of what he created in 199 goes against the ten ents and principles of shiite islam. the clerics believe it is not

the responsibility of the clergy to govern. they have been saying that from day one. and some of them in fact after saying such things have been put under house arrest. we have the case of an ayatollah who was tortured in prison. i have accept an open letter and doing everything to appeal to the international committee to look into his case. this is a regime that doesn't even pity a member of their own, let alone anyone else. this has become a define moment for clerics both in the interests of the nation, but also in the interests of the faith and the clerical establishment, to show its complete demarcation from the system. i think we can anticipation that, too. >> over here? >> my understanding is that there is a fair amount of differences between iranians in

the country side and those in the cities. what portion of the population live in the cities and what percent of the protestors represent the total people of iran? >> to what extent to the protesters represent the people of iran? >> you have people from all walks of life walking those streets. even including the clerics and members of the militias that are part of the system, who also show solidarity or some kind of coordination with complicity. i think it is very broad based. it is not limited just to the intelligentsia or a group of students. no, it is people all ages and all walks of life in the society that are in defiance, collective defiance, of this regime. >> mondawmin for middle east

truth. as you know, mir hossein mousavi was a member of the republican guard and had to be selected by the clerics even in order to run. you really feel that this is about the election and the corruption of the ballot box, or that what we're seeing in the streets is just the final straw on the back of the pressure cooker of people that are yearning to be free? >> iranians will examine with much scrutiny after the hold dust settles, so to speak, everyone's track record one way or the other, and the ultimate judgment rests with the iranian people at the end of the day. what is important is to remain focused on the job at hand. .

by actual proof to earn people's trust that you are on our side, to join that group, i welcome it and i encourage it. this is what it is about right now. we know that as long as this regime is there, as long as the system is in place, we will not see the light of day. we know that this regime ultimately may go -- must go.

do you remember past administrations? many of us knew it led nowhere, but it had to be at least attempted. it did not work for obvious reasons. now, there is no question that iran and understand that the only way we will rid ourselves of all the problems is a matter of this regime's altman collapse. that is what we demand and what we want to see happen. this is our moment of truth. the hour for iran after 30 years. anyone today, but solidarity and ryan's will speak more and more. even in the span of one week, we have seen that the demand that started on saturday, june 13th,

one day after the june 12th date, and you contrast statements coming from iranians to today, you will notice that in the span of just one week, how quickly more and more people have been telling you through your own broadcasts our post -- aside from direct reports to me, what this is really about. it will only become more and more, also understand that there is still for millions of americans this atmosphere of fear to some extent. not of standing up and dying for their cause, they are doing so.

but their fear of expression that gives of the regime the excuse to pinpoint them now. the collective movement will make people's lips and mao's open up more. >> >> we are receiving e-mail from iran. why isn't the war the same as they did in south africa? why in our -- why aren't they closing the embassy? thank you very much. >> i think that -- is what they are responding to.

statements by many governments that have become stronger, not because they realize we have to take a position, but because they have been encouraged by iran itself. >> you have no choice to --. my concern is the present situation in iran. i am hoping and praying that we are not going into the hands of a -- and degradation.

it can be viewed by foreign elements suspiciously for the benefi of one country against iran. that has been the case many times years ago in iran come in 1953, also with the situation in iraq. >> i hear you. >> so it will not interfere again, unless good intentioned people of iran -- >> the world is reacting to millions of people on the streets of iran demanding their rights. this is not a concocted under the radar conspiracy deal of

some government to try to provoke unrest in the country. let's look at the facts as they develop. there were many outside who said they would rather speak to the status quo, we have to worry about the vote and this and that. additionally, they were disturbed about the fact that something could be changing in iran and they have no choice but to support it. this is the world reacting to a demand that people have. iranians realize this is our movement and they have ownership of it. let's be clear on that. what they are saying is, this or that country, who we know until

now for what ever reason, chose to overlook us for the sake of political expedience. will they come and take a position? i think this is the first time in modern history that the demand of the people, of the normal man and woman on the street, i am not talking about officials, people on the street are asking for the world to interfere. this is the first time ever in iranian history. i have no confusion on that subject. [applause]

ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much. le [applause] >> thank you very much. >> again, if i may, on behalf of many who have specifically asked me to tell you, from the four corners of iran, from a high school, from a seminary group, from students, from factory workers, they have all asked me, among other things, to tell you, the members of the media, how much they appreciate your attention on the iranian cause, and also some of them in a more awe dashese way, it's about time. thank you very much. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2009]

[captioning performed by national captioning institute] >> up next on c-span, president barack obama announces the pharmaceutical's agreement to help close the gap in medicare coverage. after that, senators talk about the benefits of the cap and trade proposals. later, a white house bill-signing that expands federal regulations of tobacco products. on tomorrow morning's "washington journal," former treasury undersecretary in the

bush administration, john taylor on the economy, the federal deficit and the economic stimulus package. after that, senator john mccain talks about foreign policy challenges the u.s. faces. then a conversation with linda douglas of the white house health care reform office. later, bowen schaefer of cbs news. "washington journal" begins at 7:00 each morning with the day's news. over on c-span 3, work continues on health care legislation, live coverage from the senate health committee begins at 10:00 eastern. now president obama announces an $80 billion deal with u.s. drug companies to help cover costs to medicare recipients. from the white house, this is about 10 minutes.

>> i want to thank you for having us here, mr. president. we certainly appreciate it. aarp is proud to stand with you, chairman baucus, senator dodd, to announce that the gap in medicare, the drug coverage gap known as the dougnut hole to all of you, will be substantially filled for millions of middle income americans as part of health reform. i want to applaud chairman baucus and senator dodd, who continue to be champions for this issue and have always fought for people who are struggling to make ends meet. we are honored to stand with both of you. senator baucus, it is your strong leadership of the senate finance committee and your creativity which led to the development of this very unique solution. we also support your finance committee's process, and we look forward with