When the Shah of Iran died in exile in Egypt in 1980, the Islamic regime announced the news on radio with words that, it's fair to say, showed something of a bias: "The bloodsucker of the century is dead."
Today, Iranians are playing it just as hard, except this time it's the Islamic regime of the ayatollahs that is facing wrath from within its ranks.
Iran is unravelling; the regime is splitting open. The present course -- with the regime clinging to power by using its security apparatus to crush gatherings in the streets while foreign capital flees -- is unsustainable.
Even the most carefully scripted set-pieces are starting to go wrong. The awkwardness was clear this week as Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei congratulated President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on his second term. Compared with the same event four years ago -- when Ahmadinejad kissed his leader's hand and Khamenei hugged him -- this time neither man seemed to want to show too much affection. Both men are fighting for survival and may need to cut the other loose very shortly.
The obvious discomfort comes amid a titanic struggle at the top of Iran's regime. Iran appears to be moving inexorably towards another crisis. The ayatollahs appear to be doomed: the broad support for people who want to choose their government rather than have a fundamentalist regime imposed on them is compelling.
And when cemeteries become venues for protest, you know a regime is in trouble. A few days ago, hundreds gathered at the graveside of Neda Agha Soltan, who was captured on video dying, blood spilling from her nose and mouth, after being shot from a nearby building on June 20.
At the cemetery there were reportedly chants of "Neda is alive, Ahmadinejad is dead!" as police tried to disperse the crowd.
Given the regime's policy of using live ammunition at protests, those seeking change are using events such as services at graveyards to avoid mass shootings.
After the June election the government succeeded in blasting the middle class off the street.
However, the regime appears fatally wounded: there are now too many influential people trying to bring it down from the inside. Read more here....
Source: The Australian
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