Posted on 06/18/2009 4:09:07 PM PDT by lewisglad
Arab states are watching intently as Iran's political convulsions continue, seeking clues to how the unfolding crisis will affect the strategic picture in the Middle East, especially the key issue of the Islamic republic's nuclear ambitions.
In a region where democratic politics are the exception, there is nervousness about the implications of people power on the streets of Tehran. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is deeply unpopular – but mass protests worry all autocrats.
Recently emerging from their own political upheavals, savvy Lebanese see much of themselves in the people politics unfolding in Tehran.
"It reminds me of our protests," said Haitham Chamas, an activist who helped organise protests in 2005 that brought a million Lebanese on to the streets calling for democratic reforms and the fall of the government.
Just as in Tehran, that opposition was swiftly answered by a huge rally in support of the incumbent regime, organised then by Hezbollah, which is allied with Iran and Syria.
Chamas and friends have spent the last week talking of little else but what the historic events unfolding in Iran could mean for Lebanon, where Iranian financing of Hezbollah has divided opinion like never before. The western-backed government, known as March 14, recently beat Hezbollah and its allies in undisputed elections.
"I think if Mousavi's supporters stay on the streets for a week the regime will fall and that will seriously affect Hezbollah," said Chamas.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
Bush’s fault.
Looks to me like the young people in Iran are getting fed up with the Yaba daba Doos running their country and their lives. To keep young people under wraps you have to keep them stupid. If they get educated and have excess to the outside (inter-net) they find out how the rest of the world lives they will revolt when they realized they are being lied to.
even though our Pres is a wussy p****y.
Yrs ago I knew some Iranian officers and their families when the Shah was in charge. Very fine people and strongly pro American. It would be a tragedy if we or Israel ended up in a military conflict with Iran. I pray these brave folks can overthrow the Mullahs in time.
Now this. The point of the entire sham Iranian electoral system is to ensure the mullahs a new front man every so often and unbroken control. Given Mousavi's history that might have been the case this time around (and it's an even bet whether it will turn out that way even now). But that's an awful lot of people in the street to ignore in the hope that the whole thing will return to the way it was before.
Should this seriously weaken the mullahs the credit will no doubt be given to 0bama by a fawning press but in fact it should be given to a fellow named Bush, because Iraq is sitting there in quiet solidity at the moment and that's not the way the mullahs wanted that to turn out either. Interesting times.
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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Oh..I'm soooooo proud of you all!!!!!
Sons and Daughters of LIBERTY!!!
X 100
Oh no.. no way is that pic from Iran. Women don’t get to dress like that!
People of Iran, we hope and pray for your freedom. Your time is now! Go for it! I only wish we had a president who had the moral courage to support your efforts!
Yes they do, from what I’ve seen.
In Iran, Turkey, and some other places. I admit I was surprised to see woman so free to show their hair in Iran.
No way. Must be from Lebanon.
Iran is a Mullocracy. Women must be covered up including all hair.
Would this be a good time for Iraq to invade Iran?
*looking entirely too innocent*
If they’re worried it means it’s time to fall back on the time-tested approach of using Israel as scapegoat for all their ills, round up some of the last remaining members of their country’s once thriving Jewish society, accuse them as Israeli spies, have Al-Jazeera televise their foaming-at-the-mouth barbarian citizenry in full Jihadist mode across the vast barren wasteland that is the circa 7th Century Arab, Muslim World, mete out life sentences to all and soon have their illiterate, pre-historic society back in hibernation for another decade or so.
"It reminds me of our protests," said Haitham Chamas, an activist who helped organise protests in 2005 that brought a million Lebanese on to the streets calling for democratic reforms and the fall of the government. Just as in Tehran, that opposition was swiftly answered by a huge rally in support of the incumbent regime, organised then by Hezbollah, which is allied with Iran and Syria. Chamas and friends have spent the last week talking of little else but what the historic events unfolding in Iran could mean for Lebanon, where Iranian financing of Hezbollah has divided opinion like never before. The western-backed government, known as March 14, recently beat Hezbollah and its allies in undisputed elections. "I think if Mousavi's supporters stay on the streets for a week the regime will fall and that will seriously affect Hezbollah," said Chamas.
I remember an anaylsis at the time of the fall of the Soviet Union speculating that the satellite dish at Moscow University was more important than SDI in bringing down the regime.
I don’t think it’ll take just one week. Might take a serious, drag out fight.
It was university students who first put Khomeini in power. Our university students, apparently, have plenty of acredited courses specifically designed to keep them stupid. A-jad at Colombia U. comes to mind as an example. When he said the question of whether or not to destroy Israel should be put to a Palestinian vote, the cretins actually applauded him.
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