(PRAGUE, Czech Republic) Responding to claims that western media are stoking unrest in Iran, RFE/RL Executive Editor John O'Sullivan told CNN's Fareed Zakaria that "RFE/RL's Persian Service, Radio Farda, simply reports the news and provides a forum for debate among Iranians. And on both accounts - free debate and truth - the government doesn't like it."
"Radio Farda is doing what journalists would be doing if Iran had a free television station, a free radio station, or a free newspaper," O'Sullivan said on CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS program. "We are therefore acting, in a way, like a domestic broadcaster for the Iranian people."
O'Sullivan was joined on the program by former CIA Deputy Director John McLaughlin and former CIA case officer Robert Baer. They discussed Iran's post-election crisis and the government's violent crackdown on protestors.
About Radio Farda
RFE/RL's Persian-language Service, Radio Farda, provides accurate and objective news and information to the people of Iran. Radio Farda's website has video, photos, message boards, and continuous updates from eyewitnesses throughout Iran. Also visit Radio Farda's Facebook and Twitter pages.