Protest in Iran against Clerics

[Crown]

The BBC reports

You know I was just talking about this yesterday freaky . For those that want to 'ram reason down the ME's throat' I think this is a good example why we (the West) should stay out. The people always have the last say.

The BBC's sources are limited, but Iranian radio stations (friend from another site listening to Iranian radio), are broadcasting as demostrations not only in Tehran, but most of the other cities as well. With police (regular) doing nothing, only 'people police' (Isamisists) as they are termed are trying to break it up.

According to my friend, the Army has been called in, but isn't taking any action, other than preparing to fly the clerics out of the cities.

Thoughts?

Oh and in case you are too lazy to click the link;

Earlier on Tuesday, Iran's biggest student organisation criticised the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, urging him to choose the path of democracy, or suffer the destruction of the Islamic government.

[Enforcer Talen]

interesting.

think iraq spurred them on?

[Crown]

Hardly. The reformist movement in Iran has been going on for a few years now. The protests are because the reformist government hasn't been able to deliver on most of it's promises because the hardliners keep getting in the way.

Remember that 70% of Iran is under 30 years old. They don't remember the what it was like with the Shah. All they know is that the clergy are an impediment to their progress and they don't want them.

Having said that, they do read history books, and are thus well aware of the indirect role the US played in promoting a situation where the clerics can gain control...

[The Duchess of Zeon]

I've been predicting the collapse of the regime of the Ayatollahs for a while, and warning off those who think military action against Iran is necessary. It's not, never has been, and never will be. Iran won't develop into a threat - Its own people will remove that threat long before it could exist. We'll get to see the ME's Rumania soon enough.

[Dahak]

I've been predicting the collapse of the regime of the Ayatollahs for a while, and warning off those who think military action against Iran is necessary. It's not, never has been, and never will be. Iran won't develop into a threat - Its own people will remove that threat long before it could exist. We'll get to see the ME's Rumania soon enough.

But I wouldn't count on the "new" Iran being totally pro-US.

[Col. Crackpot]

I've been predicting the collapse of the regime of the Ayatollahs for a while, and warning off those who think military action against Iran is necessary. It's not, never has been, and never will be. Iran won't develop into a threat - Its own people will remove that threat long before it could exist. We'll get to see the ME's Rumania soon enough.

But I wouldn't count on the "new" Iran being totally pro-US.

maybe not, but relations will be much better when they kick their 'Muslim Jerry Fallwells' out of power

[Setzer]

Marina, What do you mean by "Romania of the Middle East?"

[Sea Skimmer]

Marina, What do you mean by "Romania of the Middle East?"

Look up Nicolae Ceausescu, and his downfall as dictator of Romania in 1989

[0.1]

See Nicholai...

I think that's why Iran is being equated to Romania.

The Iraq war may have moved things along a little faster on the Iranian side, but ultimately, as others pointed out, it's the Iranian people that have decided to go on these demonstrations. No amount of U.S. pressure could do that.

[Crown]

Protests have now run into their second night, with clashes between student protesters and hardline Islamic gangs, throwing rocks at each other, the police is trying to mediate between the two....

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Protests have now run into their second night, with clashes between student protesters and hardline Islamic gangs, throwing rocks at each other, the police is trying to mediate between the two....

This may be the most interesting of the protests yet; as I recall, the others have been subdued within a day, and certainly the police didn't deign to try and mediate before. It might also suggest that the government might be losing control of its religious backers. If that's true, they may do things that could generate a severe backlash against the government, even if unintended by it. I don't know if these protests will do it, but the Islamic Republic is definitely weakening.

[Enforcer Talen]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/fc?cid=34&t ... d&cat=Iran

may be a crackdown. . .