FG

A "THANK YOU" TO THE BASILJ!!!

You did it!  Almost overnight you have driven every segment of the population to join the oposition.

Soon we may see a prolonged strike like the one that brought down the Shah.  You can't stop that with your clubs. 

Meanwhile you have angered so many people don't expect demonstrations to stop so quickly this time.  Your overstretched thugs are costing a fortune in mercenary pay while every day the people stay away from work to express their rage over your action undermines the economy further.

1. NEW KHAMENEI MOVES ARE RAPIDLY ALIENATING THE CLERGY

Clerics in quiet Qom are now seeing what people elsewhere have seen of the Khamenei’s brutality and great massive unpopularity.  Khamenei allows his thugs total freedom to beat and assault people high and low.  In Qom that includes not only demonstrators but leaders of the Green movement and even top Ayatollahs.

In a sneer at the clergy, Khamenei has even declared himself an “iman” (he had no authority to do so).  His thugs surround and invade homes of clerics and stuff memorial services to keep out real mourners and force their cancellation.  Even while doing so they rub it in by hanging posters of the responsible party, Khamenei himself.  Yesterday their Supreme Boss dispatched his  thugs to disrupt mourning by Montezeri’s own family and invaded the home of another top ayatollah (Senei).  

Khamenei’s security forces threatened more of the same today and indeed are keeping that promise. In Isfahan, they surrounded the home of Ayatollah Taheri who was supposed to give the memorial address for Montezeri in that town.  He tried six different doors and couldn’t get in the Mosque which was totally full of Khanmenei’s thugs.  The ceremony had to be cancelled.  By now everyone in Isfahan knows what Khamenei did.  I doubt there are 5,000 people in the city who respect the man or his regime after that.  

2.  THE PEOPLE ARE NOW FIGHTING BACK TO DEFEND ATTACKED LEADERS & CLERICS

Reports say thousands have rushed to Qom to protect these victims from Khamenei’s thugs.  Heavy clashes have been reported in Isfahan especially and hundreds of arrests.  In Iran 27 of 30 Academy members have threatened to resign to protest Mousavi’s dismissal.

3. WORKERS ARE STARTING THEIR OWN PROTESTS

I surprised it hasn’t happened sooner.  In a supposed major speech in Shiraz, Ahmadinejad not only found the crowd tinier than expected but found that a substantial portion were disenchanted workers carrying signs such as “800 families, 8 month without pay” and “it has been 12 months since we got paid.”

He called them “without honor” and “two-faced” and asked God to destroy them.  The speech recalls his “dust and scum” remarks to June election protestors and puzzling taunts by Basilj thugs accusing Mousavi supporters of hypocrisy.  Iran’s workers are in the desperate situation now as Green protestors faced with the same taunts, arrests and brutality.  It is all the Khamenei regime knows.

OTHER FACTORS WORK TO COMPOUND THE CRISIS

--Sanctions would be devastating at this point.   People are so angry at the regime it will be unable to succeed in blaming others. 

--Khamenei has exposed his immoral regime before the entire world.  Media everywhere is having a field day. Reuthers alone has 5 different stories.

--Conservatives who have continued to support the regime (the judiciary’s Larijani are also coming under public criticism.   They surely can see which way the tide is flowing.  Will they stay with an increasing bizarre Supreme Leader to jump ship while there is still time?