Dr. Zin's Regime Change Iran, essential reading these days, reports today that riots broke out in Iran following a soccer win over Japan. This is the classic situation in a pre—revolutionary circumstance: any large gathering turns into riots. It is not that soccer games have anything to do with the unrest, it is simply a place where widespread disgust with the regime will find expression any time a large gathering is permitted.

With Shiites next door in Iraq enjoying more freedom, and with Iranian pilgrims regularly traveling back and forth between the two countries, public consciousness in Iran about other possibilities than continued corrupt and heartless rule of the mullash has to be rising.

Perhaps it is only a matter of time.

Thomas Lifson   3 26 05