Wheat fields in Stratford Saye, Hampshire, in the UK -- from the [London] Daily Telegraph
AUDIO NUGGET!!
Amid Iran Protests, Rumors of Power Struggle (Mary Louise Kelly) from NPR's All Things Considered.
"Rumors are swirling of a power struggle unfolding within Iran's ruling elite, amounting to a direct and unprecedented challenge to the authority of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei."
Lights Out: Why the Decrease in Demonstrations in Iran? from the National Interest
Many different views as to what's happening now in Iran.
"Why are the Iranian protestors scaling back their demonstrations? And how will their actions impact the greater Middle East?"
Crisis Rocks Mideast Power Balance from the Wall Street Journal
"The turmoil in Iran is threatening to reshape the balance of power in the Middle East, denting the Islamic Republic's regional standing and spooking some Arab regimes with the specter of similar people-power uprisings."
The Opposition Movement Weighs Its Options from the Associated Press
"The violence of the authorities puts opposition leaders in a bind: they need to maintain the momentum of their protest movement, but they are aware that they're unlikely to win on the streets and that confrontation could bring massive bloodshed that could also kill off the prospects for near-term change."
Khamenei's Regime is Breaking Apart (Editorial) from the [Manchester] Guardian
"The regime of Ayatollah Ali Khamanei and the religious conservatives who support him has begun to break apart. The conflict between Khamenei and the opposition led by Mir Hossein Mousavi has broken out into the open with the alleged arrest of former Iranian president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's daughter." History tells us that this type of conflict among a ruling elite is very unstable."
A bit premature after yesterday's events -- but a lot of his points are valid.
What the Arab World is Saying -- and Isn't Saying about Protests from the New Republic
"As Western media outlets obsessively cover the protests in Iran, the Arab press has been approaching the events with mixed emotions. Since much of the media in the Middle East is state-controlled, press coverage provides an interesting window into the complex relationship between Iran and the Arab world."
The Arabs Watch Iran with Forlorn Envy from the Daily Star [of Lenanon in English]
"I'm in Amman, Jordan, and finished writing it Tuesday in Beirut, Lebanon - a short journey that captured how the dynamic events in Iran are playing out in very different ways in a largely passive and vulnerable Arab world."
Iran's in Turmoil. Good Thing McCain's Not President (Gene Lyons) from Salon
Isn't that the truth! What a DOPE!
"First, do no harm." Contrary to popular belief, the phrase doesn't appear in the Hippocratic oath taken by physicians. At times like the present, however, it's tempting to think it should be added to the presidential oath of office."
Tehran Dwellers Enter Twilight Zone from the Financial Times [of London]
"Now throngs of riot police are stationed around main crossroads and squares, and crowds of vigilantes from the basij , the pro-government militia, mill about, fiddling with their clubs."
What to Make of the Russian Media's Reaction to Iran? from the New Republic
"As we continue to pick apart the dubious Iranian election returns, it's worth considering their very different treatment in Russia, which has long sought to play the lion tamer in the nuclear tug-of-war with Tehran."
Iran in China (James Fallows) from the Atlantic
"In response to a number of requests for tips on how to judge the reaction of China's officialdom [to protests in Iran], media (controlled by officialdom), and populace, here are some guidelines."
Fallows follows up with another posting HERE.
Clerical Error: Can Iran's Reformers Exploit Fissures in the Regime? from Foreign Affairs Magazine
"As people demonstrate in the streets, a second, equally crucial battle is unfolding behind closed doors among the country's power brokers, who have splintered over the regime's decision to subvert the modest democratic guarantees that have helped sustain Iran's revolutionary system for the past 30 years."
Obama to Send Ambassador to Syria After Four-year Gap from the Washington Post
As I've noted before, it seems that US-Syria relations are on a fast-track for real improvement.
"President Obama has decided to return a U.S. ambassador to Syria after an absence of more than four years, marking a significant step toward engaging an influential Arab nation long at odds with the United States."
Pakistan-India: US Pressure to Thaw Relations from the World Politics Review
"Washington has suggested to New Delhi that the current situation provides a favorable opportunity for peace talks with Islamabad. According to this line of reasoning, with both the Pakistani military and its intelligence apparatus, the ISI, politically weakened by the loss of public faith in them, and with both militarily engaged with Taliban and al-Qaida insurgents along the Afghan border, they would not be able to interfere with talks between the two countries to stabilize the region."
Deja Vu on Health Care? (Ruth Marcus) from the Washington Post
"So the whole effort could well fall apart once again. But my money is on the side of a significant legislative accomplishment -- something short of immediate universal coverage but more than cosmetic change. In conversations with veterans of the Clinton effort, all said the turbulence was expected, inevitable and almost certainly not the last buckle-your-seatbelt moment. But most were cautiously optimistic about the final outcome."
HISTORY NUGGET!
Mousavi and Mossadeq: What the 1953 US-Backed Overthrow Has to do with Today from the Atlantic
"In the middle of the last century, the U.S. overthrew Iran's democratically elected leader, Muhammad Mossadeq. Some think it happened too long ago to be a major factor in today's protests; some disagree. But it's shaping how both the Iranian and U.S. governments react to what's happening in the streets of Tehran."
TRANS-GENDER NUGGET! [of a sort]
A Night Out in Riyadh from the [Manchester] Guardian
In a country like Saudi-Arabia, these folks were taking some SERIOUS risks.
"According to the paper, most of those arrested are "practitioners of sexual deviance" accustomed to renting guest houses at weekends for "shameless" parties where they "practise these disgraceful rituals". More than 580 comments from readers posted under the article show strong approval for the police action, coupled in some cases with expressions of xenophobia and racism."
PHILANDERING GOVERNOR NUGGET!!
Normally I don't post items dealing with this kind of stuff -- but this was pretty funny this morning.
The Love Party (Ruth Marcus) from the New York Times
"On behalf of the people of Illinois and New York, I’d like to thank South Carolina for giving us Mark (“I’ve been unfaithful to my wife”) Sanford. Finally, a governor who’s weirder than Rod Blagojevich and less responsible than Eliot Spitzer."
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