"Paul M. Cook" wrote in message
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On Sep 19, 12:50 am, "Paul M. Cook"
wrote:
"trijcomm" wrote in message

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On Sep 19, 12:24 am, "Paul M. Cook"
wrote:
"Andrew Venor" wrote in message

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Paul M. Cook wrote:
"Andrew Venor" wrote in message
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Paul M. Cook wrote:
"trijcomm" wrote in message
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On Sep 18, 11:07 am, "Edward M. Kennedy"
wrote:
"T" wrote

http://www.lucasgray.com/video/peacetrain.html
Bout time the Iranian people spoke to the idiots in their
government
then.
The problem in Iran isn't so much the government as it is
the
clerical
class.
Ahmadenijad has very little power in Iran, but the
Ayatollah's
trump
even him.
A while back there was a British journalist who went into
Tehran
and
it
was a bit disconcerting to me. It was one of those never
think
about
it
issues but it's a modern city.
More to the point, the sentiment among the people is
changing.
The
Ayatollah's don't hold much power over the youth in the
country. So
we
could see change sooner than later.
Iranians hate the Shah but miss the lifestyle they had under
him.
The people want a situation more like Turkey.

--Tedward- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -
And so they went out and elected who they did as their
president.
I
think your statements here are more wishful thinking and
hoping
than
anything else -- much like the German sympathizers before
WWII.
Their president is a powerless figurehead. That's it. He
only
exists
to
give the appearance of a parliamentary system of government.
The
council of
Mullahs controls the country. And they are very unpopular.
Bear
in
mind
the majority of the population was born after 1980. They have
had
a
taste
of Western life and they would like a whole lot more. They
don't
remember
life under the Shah, a bloody and ruthless dictator that we
installed,
so
they only see the happy side, if you will of the West.

Drop nukes on them, and all 71 million of them will change
that
tune
in
an
instant and you will see a backlash the likes of which cannot
even
be
imagined. One thing about Iran, they are all Persians and all
Shia
Muslims
(well those who are not Christians anyway). There is no
ethnic or
religious
strife to divide them.
Actually Iranian population is only about 1/2 Persian.
According
to
the
CIA's World Factbook the ethnic breakdown of Iran is as
follows.

Persian: 51%
Azeri 24%
Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%
Kurd 7%
Arab 3%
Lur 2%
Baloch 2%
Turkmen 2%
Other 1%

OK, good info. What is their religious breakdown?

Muslim 98% (Shi'a 89%, Sunni 9%), other (includes Zoroastrian,
Jewish,
Christian, and Baha'i) 2%

I'd say with 51 guaranteed in the bag and the other 49% being filled
from
the Shia majority alone (Persians not withstanding), that my money
is on
extreme national unity in a time of crisis. They may not all be
Persians,
they may not all be Shia, but I think they see themselves as all
Iranians.
From what I know, they seem to get along pretty well considering the
part of
the world they are in.

In short, they'd be a very hard force to deal with and certainly one
impossible to contain seeing as how we can't even secure a 2 mile
road
in
Baghdad.

Paul- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Seeing that the US has contained something like 15 of the 18 provinces
in Iraq, I beg to differ. And there are some parts of the US where
authorities can't secure a two-mile road. So what's your point?

Where'd you get that number from? The latest count is that the only
secure
areas are in the Kurdish north, where the Kurds are taking care of
themselves. The rest is completely out of control.

Did you know what happened top Petraeus's office in Anbar when he was
away
delivering his speech? It was blown to smithereens.

Paul- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Frank Pallone, congressman from NJ, says 14 of 18. US Dept. of Defense
says 15. Take your pick. Now, I suppose you would argue that none of
them are secure because a shooting or robbery took place took place. I
guess that means the city of Las Vegas is not secured either.

OK, how about Petraeus's boss, Admiral Fallon. He says it's all BS. What
does he know?

How to cash a Democrat paycheck?

LG
--
“We’re not always able to give them what they’re looking for, but in this
culture, as long as they see that you’re making a strong effort they feel
like they’re being taken care of.” - Capt. William Parker on the Iraqi
citizens