| Submit your comments on this article |
| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Belmont Club: Hormuz |
| 2005-03-08 |
| Posted by:.com |
| #4 gromgorru, I don't where your information comes from, but here is Iran's ethnic makeup from the CIA Factbook. Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1% In addition there are significant subgroups within these groups. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2005-03-08 2:34:55 PM |
| #3 I'll agree that most of Iraq is unified, but there are some Azeris and Kurds (remember them?) in the northwest. They are in clumps large enough to have a regional identity, too, not spread around thinly. And some Baluchis in the east, too, but I don't know how independence-driven they are. |
| Posted by: Jackal 2005-03-08 9:38:32 AM |
| #2 phil_b. Iran is ethnically (& religiously) homogeneous. |
| Posted by: gromgorru 2005-03-08 8:29:27 AM |
| #1 Wretchard and his commentators cover the military aspects, so I'll comment on the political. The MM haven't yet grasped the Iraq lesson; Introduce democracy into an ethnically diverse society and you get at best loose federalism, at worst (for the MM) disollution of the state. Iran really is playing with fire. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2005-03-08 5:59:40 AM |