Iran Update: While reserving the right to "go Michael Ledeen" on us, for now, Greg Djerejian thinks the CFR approach basically gets it right. I largely agree, but am interested in the coming debate on competing approaches. While admitting that I find the idea behind the "Faster please" group's advocacy of nonviolent regime change quite appealing, those who know internal Iran politics well (and not just Iranian exile politics well, which is different) seem to believe Iran is not on the verge of a revolution. [And let's face it, there's already plenty of independent broadcasting, the BBC, VOA, etc. going into Iran.] More American dollars to the opposition may raise the temperature, but it may also get a whole lot of student protestors killed. Those I have interviewed within the radius of the CFR world point out that Iran under the mullahs is oppressive (and no one disagrees with that, nor the fact that Iran supports terrorism, is pursuing nuclear weapons, etc.) but not anywhere near as totalitarian as was Saddam Hussein's Iraq, and that Iranians, when they are ready, are capable of changing the regime on their own. More on this soon, in a piece.

Posted by Laura at July 20, 2004 09:58 AM