Iran Showing Cracks

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Iran showing cracks Nov 04, 2010
Iran is drying up

The sanctions are forming a chokehold around the Ayatollah regime and Tehran doesn’t know how to free itself.
November, for example, is supposed to be a dark month in Iran, yet authorities there are hiding it as much as possible, This month, the government will be forced to put an end to fuel subsidies, while Europe’s skies will be fully closed off to Iranian planes. Should the West persist with this move, it would lead to a complete boycott and total isolation of the Khomeinist state.

All European states, with the exception of Germany and Austria, closed off their skies to IranAir and private airlines in October. This important step was barely noted by the media here, yet once both Germany and Austria also join the boycott, no state would be willing to fuel Iranian planes – and without refueling they can’t fly.

Some companies cancelled their contracts with Iran and others are waiting for them to expire, yet no dignified company would risk its permit to enter the United States. On top of this, all major energy companies already cut off their ties with Iran. This includes the British-Dutch Shell, the French Total, the Italian ENI, the Norwegian Statoil, and others. This means that Iran is already having trouble getting refined fuel.

And there’s more to come. As the government in Tehran is facing a real crisis, it announced that on November 21st it shall put an end to fuel subsidies for private vehicles. Up until now, each driver received his first 60 monthly liters of fuel for a ridiculous price of 10 cents per liter, and dozens of more liters at a low cost. Yet in November this arrangement shall draw to an end, which may provoke the angry street.

Iranian citizens know that their government invests crazy sums of money in military equipment and distribution of funds worldwide, at their expense. For that reason, authorities have trouble subsidizing the fuel, a move that costs $100 billion a year


I have good hopes this is the beginning of the end of the crazy mullah regime!

Flying Dutchman
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Re: Iran Showing Cracks Nov 04, 2010
This will be an interesting one to watch develop.

Will the crazy Mullahs do a Ghadaffi and cave in and be welcomed back, and let the oil and gas flow West and suddenly become 'our tough guys in the region', or will they hold out like Hugo Chavez?

Seems to me though, that as in Iraq before the second Gulf war, it is the ordinary people that have to bear the brunt of the economic sanctions.

Cheers,
Shafique
shafique
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Re: Iran showing cracks Nov 08, 2010
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704506404575592302978213006.html?KEYWORDS=FARNAZ+FASSIHI

BEIRUT—Iranian authorities are taking extraordinary security measures ahead of cuts to energy and food subsidies this month, in an effort to prevent unrest by a public upset about rising expenses and inflation.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad cautioned the public on Wednesday against politicizing the economic reforms and threatened to severely punish businesses that raise prices of consumer goods in reaction to subsidy cuts.

BEIRUT—Iranian authorities are taking extraordinary security measures ahead of cuts to energy and food subsidies this month, in an effort to prevent unrest by a public upset about rising expenses and inflation.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad cautioned the public on Wednesday against politicizing the economic reforms and threatened to severely punish businesses that raise prices of consumer goods in reaction to subsidy cuts.

On Wednesday, Mr. Sajedi said up to 400 more people would be arrested and "paraded" in the coming days to set an example for anyone planning social unrest. He said some would be charged with "moharebeh" or "war against God," a charge that carries the death penalty and is typically handed to political dissidents.
Flying Dutchman
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Re: Iran showing cracks Nov 08, 2010
i think they will head off towards east towards the likes of pakistan, india, china and the koreans and probably japan.

http://circleof13.blogspot.com/2010/02/ ... -nato.html

I guess the world is big enough after all :D
rudeboy
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Re: Iran Showing Cracks Nov 09, 2010
shafique wrote:This will be an interesting one to watch develop.

Will the crazy Mullahs do a Ghadaffi and cave in and be welcomed back, and let the oil and gas flow West and suddenly become 'our tough guys in the region', or will they hold out like Hugo Chavez?

Seems to me though, that as in Iraq before the second Gulf war, it is the ordinary people that have to bear the brunt of the economic sanctions.

Cheers,
Shafique

They don't understand this do they? Sanctions give the Mullahs more power, and make it easier for them to blame the west for the ordinary peoples' troubles.
Iranian business in the UAE is suffering badly.
benwj
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Re: Iran Showing Cracks Nov 09, 2010
^^^They understand this, but they dont care!
melika969
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Re: Iran showing cracks Nov 26, 2010
The political upsrising in the last elections showed that the governments is still able to quash any demonstrations quite ruthlessly. I acutally don't think the US want Iran to change. The world since I have been here has always been about the US v the current enemy. In the 80s it was the soviets and after the end of the cold war its terrorism. After the war with Iraq and ongoing Afghan situation the new frontline enemy is Iran. If Iran becomes a democratic state than who's next?
JoeTGF
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Re: Iran Showing Cracks Nov 26, 2010
^I'm wondering whether China will become the next bogey man, or whether they'll just accept the rise of China (like they did with Japan - but then again, China is bigger and wasn't defeated in a war and doesn't have US bases in the country. ;) )

Cheers,
Shafique
shafique
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Re: Iran showing cracks Nov 26, 2010
Quite possible but everything bad that China does which could spark outrage (ie manufacture cheap goods shoddy goods, civil rights issues, etc) are already out there and not sure the case could be made that China is a "treat" apart from an economic nightmare for the US. I think it will have to continue down the line of "protect our citizens" and "global threat" --- maybe North Korea as its close to China and they could screw with them from there. Or maybe an African nation. The US have messed with every continent bar Africa.....in terms of a checklist for US foreign policy ....Latin America = done, Middle Done and Done again, Asia = Done, Europe = allies and can't apart from USSR which is now gone....where shall we go next boyz?
JoeTGF
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Re: Iran Showing Cracks Nov 26, 2010
Joe - sorry to burst your bubble, but the US has been meddling in Africa in the past. However not to the extent in other territories - but they have been around. More so if you take into account the IMF and World Bank involvement in the continent (on the economic front).

Angola's civil war is an interesting case in point. The main oil companies there are American - and there was a point during the civil war where communist factions backed by Russia were protecting American oil firms against factions which were backed by the USA!

In any case, the Chinese are taking over Africa - very visible, everywhere. And they are doing in a cunning way.

As for where does the USA go next - the question is where can it afford to go next?

Cheers,
Shafique
shafique
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Re: Iran showing cracks Nov 26, 2010
Fair enough - I guess they are meddling in Africa but the scale is different I would say.
The Chinese are definitely all over Africa for economic reasons as its literally a mineral gold mine and the chinese need to buy up as much raw materials as possible to meet production now and for the future (there are still growing at 12% p/a or so) as well as infrastructure build out. Hence deals with Rio in Australia and other mining and resource giants across the world.
JoeTGF
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