With deadly, anti-government protests raging in Iran today, I thought that some background from Stratfor might be helpful. This video is from three days ago, in the aftermath of Grand Ayatollah Hussein-Ali Montazeri. The video discusses what might happen leading up to Ashura, the important Shi'a day of mourning which marks the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, at the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD. According to Stratfor, today could be a "pivotal moment" in Iran, in which "there's very serious serious potential for a lot of destabilization." Between the continuing anti-government unrest in Iran and the potential for international sanctions or even military strikes against the country's nuclear program, it's highly likely that we'll be hearing a lot about the Islamic Republic in 2010.
P.S. This almost goes without saying, but...GO PROTESTORS!
Blue Virginia
