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Actually, the Basij are almost entirely Iranian, numbering some 5 million members. Not every member of the Basij is out there trying to squat their countrymen like gnats; in fact, only a small hard-core element is out there doing this. Apparently the leadership does not entirely trust the membership at large.

The mullahs have indeed brought in elements of Lebanon's Hezbollah and Syrian Hamas to deal with the uprising, but the problem with this approach is that they speak Arabic, not Farsi, so the people know who they are, making it easier when the appropriate time comes (if, indeed, it does!) to deal with these imported elements the people neither trust nor like.

I've read stories of at least one Guard commander (who is apparently rather high up) saying he and his men won't shot at their own people.

To get around the (potential) Guard problem, the mullahs have begun to resort to pulling Guard units from their own home regions and placing them elsewhere, to avoid the dilemma of Guard members shooting at members of their own families, but one has to wonder at what point it dawns on these guys (the Guard members in question) that the corrupt leaders who forced them to do this were merely engaged in an exercise of rearranging the chairs on the Titanic.

As a practical matter, they simply cannot bring in enough outsiders to handle this, and at some point (sooner rather than later, methinks) the police and Guard will begin to lose the necessary stomach to finish this job.

Once that point is reached, look for the military to make a move, and I doubt seriously it will be on the side of the mullahs.

Just the way I see it...

CA....

The Basij are apparently Arabs brought in from other countries. ..................................... Partially true, Khomeini brought in other Wahhabis from outside Iran. There was an influx of non Farsi speaking Mullahs after the 79 Revolution. When they came in so did their relatives. Don’t even think that the Iranians are completely ignorant of that fact,they too want them out of there. All the Iranians that I have been exposed to, have been the friendliest kind of people who are much like the Italians. When I was laid up in a Hospital, my first 2 visitors were Iranians. Get rid of that regime and you will see how friendly and good natured they really are.