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To: pppp; Ooh-Ah

7. Don't forget Iran's continuing financial support to HAMAS, in addition to Hezbollah.
8. Also, the elite and not so elite clergy and their entourage take a significant amount of oil revenue, drug revenue, and so on for themselves and have many business investments/equity and properties mostly in the names of their offsprings and cohorts in all sorts of places around the world.

As for Russia and China: Well, Iran knows that if it were to even dream about threatening either one of those countries, Iran would be a massive crater before IRI goons could blink. Russia and China wouldn't follow the U.N. 'procedures' if their interests were ever to be threatened. IMO, Russia and China don't need to be bought by Iran. They are playing 'the balance of power game' against the U.S. and Iran is one of their pawns.

"How can it afford this kind of policy??!!"

IMO, it can afford this kind of policy because a) the 'International Community' (for a lack of better term) allows them time & latitude. b) Ahmadinejad has to save face, at least, within the Islamic world, to be perceived as a hero who stands up to the only remaining Superpower i.e. the U.S.

Remember, the Mullahs in Iran do not think rationally (not by Western standards anyway). The Mullahs and their supporters are incapable of economic management or governing a country. They rule by fear and oppression. However, they are savvy political players and in politics reality doesn't really count, what does count is 'perception'.


12 posted on 08/24/2006 1:48:46 AM PDT by odds
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To: odds
'the Mullahs in Iran do not think rationally (not by Western standards anyway).'
The Mullahs are were rational people. Compare the power they have with the power and influences the clergy has in western countries. In secular [westernized] country they would be marginalized. Fighting with western influences they fight for their political and economical survival. The same goes for hereditary clan leaders [ in Middle East Muslim societies the two categories overlap]. I'm not privy to the package offered by Europeans and US to Iranian government. But if the 'incentives' amount to help to strenghten the country economically and help to modernize it then Good Luck!!! I'm going to buy plenty of pop corn and bear because a good show is coming.
17 posted on 08/24/2006 2:54:05 AM PDT by pppp
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