Iran's Rafsanjani Resigns: Mousavi Arrested:

Daily Kos has some interesting reporting on the protests in Iran and Rafsanjani's resignation. I cannot vouch for all of it, but I give them the thumbs up for what appears to be an inside look. As they "intimate," the MSM either isn't reporting the intensity of the protests, or do not have sources to get what appears to be the full story. Ongoing Updates at the end of this article.

Rafsanjani

From Daily Kos:

peiknet.com is reporting; Translation -

Rafsanjani has resigned all duties in protest to Supreme Leader Khamenei's endorsement of Ahmadinejad as winner of yesterday's election.

This article from Forbes on Thursday provides recent background on Rafsanjani's case.

Rafsanjani, known in many circles as the Godfather, responded in kind with an open letter to the supreme leader demanding punishment for the aggression. That was perhaps the fuel on the fire for the streets. The anti-Ahmadinejad protesters felt more secure and confident after the division among the ruling elite became public and the streets went wild with human chains and slogans demanding Ahmadinejad's resignation.

****** First Diary from this morning ***** Just uploaded to YoutTube, this video shows Iranian police and Revolutionary Guards (Bassiji) CLEARLY running away from the protesters.

From a video from a popular independent Iranian website Peykieran.com

Video from Iran

Cliff here reporting for famous (around here :)) Iranian exile and writer Payman here in Salt Lake City.

Update Note: Payman Jahanbin is the gentleman doing the heavy lifting here. Let me take this opportunity to let you know that he will be publishing a super funny non-fiction book about his life teaching in Salt Lake City, Utah and the politics of Iran. Its called Camel Jockey Go Home. I hope you 'll go there and read a few chapters as we post them.

The title of the video is "Demonstrators Election Announcement."

The guy in the white shirt in the center of the frame at 7 seconds in is 'plain clothes guard.'

We will continue to post video from 'the inside' as they come up.

American news outlets such as NBC are reporting that the police are keeping things under control, but we are hearing and seeing otherwise.

Iranians expect Khamenei will begin rounding up the more visible activist but also current public officials who did not support Ahmadinejad.

End Daily Kos article.

Hot Air is reporting that a "Senior U.S. official" says the Iranian election was rigged with an update that perhaps 50-100 are dead? Hot Air has some excellent quotes and insight. Here's an interesting report from Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran. Update: 2:40 pm CDT - 6-14-09: The Washington Times has a report up now confirming the arrest of Mousavi. Someone's wife has been arrested, but it is unclear as to whose wife. Mousavi's wife, Zahara Rahnavard has been very active in her husband's campaign:

Opposition Arrests: Mousavi and Karrubi, along with former president Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, met at the home of Hashemi-Rafsanjani to plan a response to the election fraud. Mousavi issued a letter denouncing the election and saying “the traitors to the nation’s vote have no fear if this house of Persians burns in flames.” Karrubi issued a statement calling the vote “engineered” and the result of “amateur fixing.” Later Musavi, Karrubi and Khatami, along with his wife were arrested or placed under house arrest. All leaders of the opposition Islamic Participation Front and the Revolution's Mujahidin Party have been rounded up.

Read this heartrending report at Lonely Conservative from an Iranian liveblogging site.