Does Iran Have It's Own Problem?

[Annie]

Natch.


http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2006/05/iran-us-will-fail-to-provoke-ethnic.html

Links and pics at site, pretty scary:

Sunday, May 28, 2006
Iran: U.S. Will Fail to Provoke Ethnic Strife... Oh, Really?!!

By the look of the mass protests and ethnic violence throughout the country, it doesn't look like the US will have to!

J.T.W. Network has several pictures from the massive and violent protests against the regime from northwest Iran this past week.

Even the capital of Tehran is seeing protests against the regime!

Iranian-Azeris attend a another demonstration as anti-riot police officers try to control them in front of Iran's Parliament in Tehran on Sunday, May 28, 2006. (AP Photo/ISNA, Amir Kholoosi)

Iranian Woman says- "Wake up and smell the gunpowder!"

The Supreme Leader of Iran warned on Sunday that the US will fail to promote ethnic strife:

Iran's supreme leader said Sunday the United States would fail to provoke ethnic strife in the Islamic republic after several days of protests over a cartoon that insulted the country's largest minority.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also said in a speech broadcast by state-run television that “trying to provoke ethnic and religious unrest is the last desperate shot by enemies.”

...Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also said in a speech broadcast by state-run television that "trying to provoke ethnic and religious unrest is the last desperate shot by enemies."

** But, the US does not have to "Provoke Ethnic Strife" since it is already happening!

**In Northwest Iran:

The government is firing on protesters in the northwest!
Reports from the cities of Ardebil, Naqadeh and Meshkin Shahr say Iranian security forces fired on demonstrators, killing at least five people.

Violence in Tabriz. (J.T.W. Network)

* Aryamehr has video not seen in the mainstream news of a union leader speaking up against the Iranian Regime in the Tabriz protests. *
Hat Tip Papa Ray

Reports earlier in the week put the death toll in Tabriz at 20.

**In southeastern Sistan and Balochistan Provinces:

For Ahmadinejad, Aryamehr reports, the southeastern province of Sistan and Balochistan, a vast region of mountains and deserts bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan is a no-go zone.

The Islamic Republic has intensified its military campaign in Sistan and Baloochistan Province of Iran agains the oppressed Balooch people of this region, who in recent weeks have increased their resistance against the Islamic Republic.

** In Iranian Kurdistan:

From the Arab News:

Some Kurdish opposition groups, including an outfit known as Pejak and an older Communist group known as Komaleh have already embarked on a guerrilla campaign against the Islamic regime. Both groups maintain bases inside the autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq, and are believed to have ties with the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), a guerrilla movement fighting Turkey.

However, what worries Tehran most is the rising tide of protest by unarmed populations in some Kurdish cities.

During the past six months at least 30 people have been killed by the security forces during anti-regime demonstrations in various Kurdish cities.

** In Khuzestan:

Another province that faces increasing unrest is Khuzestan that produces almost 80 percent of Iran’s oil. The province is home to most of Iran’s estimated 3.2 million ethnic Arabs. Although ethnic Arabs account for fewer than 40 percent of the province’s population, there are districts, such as Dasht Mishan and Susangerd, where they represent up to 80 percent.

** In Tehran:

The university student protests continue despite the media blackout...

Students torch their dormitories in university protests earlier this week.

The student protesters in Tehran today expressed their solidarity with the Azeri people's uprising:

In solidarity with the uprising in western and northwestern Iranian provinces against the clerical regime, students in Tehran University abandoned their lessons and held rallies, demonstrations and protest gatherings in the past few days.

Many covering their faces carried banners which read "death to dictator" and chanted anti-regime slogans.

Sugiero has disturbing news from Iran.

 

[BaronVonBigmeat]

Does anyone else remember stories about Iran prior to 9/11? In the late 90's, there were frequent stories about unrest by student groups and so forth. Some stories made it out like the regime was backing off some of it's more awful abuses of power, simply because of the sheer numbers of the irate protestors. I remember reading optimistic stories about how this is one of the most pro-US countries in the mideast (according to public opinion polls that is)--an understandable knee-jerk reaction against an oppressive, anti-american regime. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" logic I guess.

I wonder what would happen to those sentiments if we bombed or invaded them?

 

[dilloduck]

Does anyone else remember stories about Iran prior to 9/11? In the late 90's, there were frequent stories about unrest by student groups and so forth. Some stories made it out like the regime was backing off some of it's more awful abuses of power, simply because of the sheer numbers of the irate protestors. I remember reading optimistic stories about how this is one of the most pro-US countries in the mideast (according to public opinion polls that is)--an understandable knee-jerk reaction against an oppressive, anti-american regime. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" logic I guess.

I wonder what would happen to those sentiments if we bombed or invaded them?

Good point---Canavars' posts make it sound as if special ops from the "outside" are helping to stir things up.

 

[Adam's Apple]

According to Michael Ledeen in the article below, these internal riots are the reason Iran's asking for unilateral talks with the U.S., so the mullahs can go back to the people and say "See, America recognizes us as the legitimate government of Iran. They won't help you fight against us." The entire article is well worth the read.

Vick Sticks with His Story
The Mullah Spin
By Michael A. Ledeen, American Enterprise Institute
May 25, 2006

In other words, despite the mounting repression, Iranians of all ethnic backgrounds take advantage of local issues to demand regime change. But this picture is lacking from publications like the Post, even though it goes a long way to explain the mullahs’ disinformation campaign suggesting “profound change” in its dark heart. For the mullahs’ greatest fear is that they will be overthrown by the Iranian people, and they know that the peoples’ greatest hope is that the United States will support them. The mullahs must therefore “prove” to the Iranian people that there is no hope the United States will rally to the cause of Iranian freedom, and the easiest way to do that is to trick the Bush administration into an ongoing dialogue. “You see?” the mullahs will say to the people, “the Americans recognize our legitimacy, they are not calling for our removal, on the contrary they are negotiating with us.”

http://www.aei.org/publications/pubID.24448,filter.all/pub_detail.asp

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Or this could be disinformation spread by the regime to delay an attack.

 

[T-Bor]

Kind of like the disinformation spread by our regime to initiate an attack. It sure does work apparently.

Or this could be disinformation spread by the regime to delay an attack.

 

[Annie]

Does anyone else remember stories about Iran prior to 9/11? In the late 90's, there were frequent stories about unrest by student groups and so forth. Some stories made it out like the regime was backing off some of it's more awful abuses of power, simply because of the sheer numbers of the irate protestors. I remember reading optimistic stories about how this is one of the most pro-US countries in the mideast (according to public opinion polls that is)--an understandable knee-jerk reaction against an oppressive, anti-american regime. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" logic I guess.

I wonder what would happen to those sentiments if we bombed or invaded them?

Actually was really the only news the summer of 2001, besides Gary Conditt, Chandra, Monica making purses, and Chicago seniors dying of heat. I know, whenever I got out of class I zipped to read online news, there was none to be found, other than Iranian students and their protests.