.

Free Iran:  Based on the quotes below from the Economist, does this mean that the Green movement is now being held back by Mousavi & even Karroubi – people who want to work within the confides of the Islamic’s republic’s repressive, bankrupt and failed constitution – and people who believe that Khomeini was somehow a democrat and a humanitarian?  Up to now, one could have given these gentlemen the benefit of the doubt – despite their history and in the belief that the enemy of my enemy is my friend.  But going forward, such reasoning and deference to these gentlemen becomes increasingly more difficult.

Given these difficulties and as this site has repeatedly argued in the past, for the Iranian people to become free, the US needs to help cut off the regime’s oil income. Without its oil income, the regime will be nothing but a paper tiger. The US needs to start with unilateral sanctions against the insurance and shipping companies that help the regime sell Iran’s oil. It’s the oil income, stupid! (For those that may not be aware, “It’s the oil income, stupid!” is a play on Bill Clinton’s 1992 comment that “It’s the economy, stupid.”  I don’t mean disrespect to anyone.)

From the Economist:

…Mr Bakiyev made two decisive mistakes. First, he had almost all the country’s opposition leaders arrested by the morning of April 7th, which left the protesting crowds without any sense of direction or moderating influence. The leaders were almost all released later in the day but by then it was too late. Second, he miscalculated by using brutal force to hang on to power, which ultimately made it impossible for him to stay. The police were also clearly outnumbered by protesters.  Free Iran:  Not sure about either arguments and especially the second one.  The regime in Tehran is a lot more competent about using force than the government of  Kyrgyzstan.

…But the abrupt change in Kyrgyzstan is also being closely watched in the rest of Central Asia. This was the second time that as few as 5,000 demonstrators succeeded in overthrowing an unwanted government in Kyrgyzstan—an example that the no-less authoritarian neighbours fear could be emulated elsewhere. For the Kyrgyz people, though, it is an opportunity to get things right the second time around.