The longer the protests go on in Tehran (and I know it’s only been a few days so far) the more convinced I become that they are being allowed to go on, rather like a parent letting the kids run around the playground and be all kinds of rambunctious knowing that they will tire soon and be ready to fall sleep. If there was a huge crackdown, that would show fear on the part of Those Who Shall Remain In Charge, a fear that they must regain control of the situation, outside witnesses be damned. (See: Myanmar last year.)
But in Tehran … gracious allowance of youthful exuberance. It’s almost condescending. “Oh, let the kids and the women protest and Twitter and talk to the foreign media. After all, they can’t hurt us.” And I fear they are right. This time around, anyway.
Knowing that the Revolutionary Guard Corps has so easily stolen the election, so blatantly (almost casually!) declaring results faster than Wolf Blitzer did on November 4th … that makes me very uneasy. Not just for Iran, but also for Iraq. We already know how hip-deep the Corps is there; thanks to Michael we’ve been warned about that for years. But what of the upcoming Iraqi elections later this year? Exactly who will be pulling the strings there?
And what might erupt in the streets of Baghdad afterwards?
