| Submit your comments on this article |
| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Fiery Protests at Iran fuel rationing |
| 2007-06-27 |
| At least one petrol station has been set on fire in the Iranian capital, Tehran, after the government announced fuel rationing for private motorists. Iranians were given only two hours' notice of the move that limits private drivers to 100 litres of fuel a month. The restrictions began at midnight local time on Wednesday (2030 GMT Tuesday). Despite its huge energy reserves Iran lacks refining capacity, forcing it to import about 40% of its petrol. Tehran is trying to rein in fuel consumption over fears of possible UN sanctions over its nuclear programme. Iran fears the West could sanction its petrol imports and cripple its economy. Eyewitnesses have seen at least one petrol station in the outskirts of the west of Tehran on fire and there are reports that three people died in the blaze. All over the city there are huge queues and reports of scuffles at petrol stations as motorists try to beat the start of the rationing and fill their tanks. Iran's petrol is heavily subsidised, sold at about a fifth of its real cost. So far there has been no announcement about whether Iranians can buy more petrol at the real market cost. Our correspondent says rationing fuel is only likely to add to high inflation and the rising cost of living. It is a dangerous move for any elected government, especially in an oil-rich country like Iran where people think cheap fuel is their birthright and public transport is very limited, she says. |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #32 Also, so many of the young people hate the regime that the Iranian government uses Paleos as a special security force against college students. That would be the Basij. The force also include Chechens, Afhganis, Pakistanis, and muslims from the Balkan regions. The Basij has evolved into a combination religious police and internal security force. A year or so back, there was footage released by the Iranian media, showing their new 'police recruits'. They were black-chador-clad women rappelling down buildings, countering roadblocks, and firing from high speed vehicles. The police recruits were actually Basij. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2007-06-27 21:02 |
| #31 the Iranian government uses Paleos as a special security force against college students Those dear Palestinians, spreading love and joy wherever they go. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-06-27 19:13 |
| #30 Who ever thinks that the Iranians are too poor to get weapons should look at their neighbors : Iraq and Afghanistan. Less than half of the population in Iran is Persian, the rest are ethnic minorities that have large populations in both Afghanistan and Iraq. The Iranians cannot keep Afghani heroin out of Tehran, so Pashtun or Kurdish AKs would be a simple step from there. Also, so many of the young people hate the regime that the Iranian government uses Paleos as a special security force against college students. That is because the Iranian Army is not politically reliable enough for actions like that. |
| Posted by: Shieldwolf 2007-06-27 17:34 |
| #29 Pajamas Media has pictures and video. It's spread beyond Tehran. link |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-06-27 15:45 |
| #28 "who regard trade as the noblest of pursuits" Is that because Muhammad as a trader himself? |
| Posted by: James 2007-06-27 14:46 |
| #27 Ahmadinijad is in a far different position from Chavez. Chavez, whatever else one may thing of him, came after a regime which neglected many social needs and inequities in Venezuala. Chavez had the good fortune to succeed them just when the price of oil was skyrocketing. Hes spending too much money on his pet projects abroad, but he hasnt managed to get Ven on anyones sanctions list. Hes got a lot of good will stockpiled with the Ven poor, and while his latest maneuvers on oil dont look smart, he can probably hang on a long time. Imanutjob, however, came after the Iranian revolution was long in power, and claimed he would improve life by cleaning up corruption. So far hes managed to sound like an idiot in ways that look far more obvious to Iranians (who really arent threatened by Israel) than Chavez rants do to Venezualans (who live in a part of the world where the US HAS in the past exercised a lot of power) Hes gotten them sanctioned, and their living standards have declined. Now, when he takes steps to introduce market type reforms, he doesnt have the legitimacy to get them through. At least not without the riots weve seen so far (BTW, I was wrong,at least one torching is in NW Teheran) Apparently its spread to some govt owned stores and banks. It MAY have spread outside Teheran, no confirmed reports yet. Lets see if it continues another night. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2007-06-27 14:42 |
| #26 The Iranians are upscale by ME standards. they are well educated because their education system performs well. They dress western, and own cars and the usual communication gadgets. They are aware of the world's situation, and they might even have an agenda of their own. Burning gas stations would lead to a general strike, which would lead to serious leadership problems, and after a time, some sort of leadership changes. Surely Iranians know that their country spends huge amounts to refine uranium, while no money is spent on refineries which would serve the people. This is the opening shot, but of what I don't know. |
| Posted by: wxjames 2007-06-27 14:25 |
| #25 Rantburg, resource beyond the MSM. Got to love it. One wonders why Allen's Mullies don't build more refineries. |
| Posted by: Icerigger 2007-06-27 13:51 |
| #24 Look at it this way. Chavez is following the political economics of his hero Castro and Ahmadinejad is following the Chavez model. Castro got his from Kruschev and Mao. They got theirs from Marx and Engels. Pretty good lineage of success there, eh? |
| Posted by: Jack is Back! 2007-06-27 13:51 |
| #23 *happy sigh* I learn so much when I come here! |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-06-27 12:24 |
| #22 It is a dangerous move for any elected government The Iranian people can only vote for candidates approved by the ruling mullahs. To say that it is "an elected government" is a big stretch. |
| Posted by: DoDo 2007-06-27 11:09 |
| #21 note the worst protests have been not in secular North Teheran, but in the poorer areas that should be Ahmedinajads base. Also probably why their inclination is to torch the stations - these guys arent sophisticated in the way of the market, and Ahmedinajad hasnt helped with his rhetoric, and they are lashing out emotionally. Not good news for the regime. That the mullahs havent pushed Ahmedinajad out yet, may indicate they are too weak to do so, in defiance of the Rev Guard. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2007-06-27 10:55 |
| #20 Spare parts available only from Halliburton would lend an ironic touch, don't you think? |
| Posted by: Bobby 2007-06-27 10:54 |
| #19 Now is really the time for the refineries to have an "accident". The tipping point is now. But that accident should not be a comando action blowing the refineries to ashes. Much better if it loos like incompetency. A vital component who breaks and there are no spare parts would be the ideal secnario. |
| Posted by: JFM 2007-06-27 10:37 |
| #18 Now is really the time for the refineries to have an "accident". The tipping point is now. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2007-06-27 09:55 |
| #17 Ahmadinejad's privatization plan, which will unload state monopolies into the mullacracy's hands at fire-sale prices, is a carbon copy of Beijing's own corrupt policies that favor and enrich their political elite. It was intended to go to the mullahs, but may end up in the hands of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. The IRGC saw what the mullahs have in the way of economic control, and wanted a piece of the action. They've partly gotten what they wanted. An impoverished people can't overthrow the government. Seems to work great in Zimbabwe and North Korea. Zimbawe is a slightly different case. They know Mugabe's a thieving, despotic bastard, but he's their thieving, despotic,(and more importantly)African bastard. But in this case, it's making the ruling powers nervous. Their support comes from the rural areas and the smaller towns; the ejection of Afghan refugees from eastern Iran is partly based on placating rural Iranians. It's also worrying the IRGC. Hence all those bravado-laden statements how the sanctions are making the IRGC leadership 'stronger' and 'more popular'. It's also causing internal problems" the Qoms force needs the money to continue their 'extra-national work'. That may portend a conflict between those who want the money to continie exporting the Revolution, and those who think, at this time, it'd be put to better use at home. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2007-06-27 09:28 |
| #16 An impoverished people can't overthrow the government. Seems to work great in Zimbabwe and North Korea. |
| Posted by: gromky 2007-06-27 09:06 |
| #15 The rest will go to rich mullahs and Revolutionary Guard officers and their business associates, using low interest loans... Shouldn't that be zero-interest loans? Interest is un-Islamic, after all. |
| Posted by: Gary and the Samoyeds 2007-06-27 09:06 |
| #14 My suggestion to akmadiddlyjob is to keep talking about the great accomplishmet of going nuclear while they ration gasoline. The light bulb should go on at some point that the mullah's priorities need to be adjusted. |
| Posted by: Lanny Ddub 2007-06-27 08:45 |
| #13 Mr. Ahmadinejad's next coup will likely be a major privatization scheme affecting more than 40 public corporations across the country. He has promised to help the employees buy up to 10% of the shares. The rest will go to rich mullahs and Revolutionary Guard officers and their business associates, using low interest loans from state-owned banks. Ahmadinajad and Chavez have been spending lots of time together. |
| Posted by: lotp 2007-06-27 08:40 |
| #12 Iran could easily build a new refinery with the money it has handed out to terror groups in the last few years. |
| Posted by: Jomomble Peacock2215 2007-06-27 07:49 |
| #11 Zen's article answered a question for me, anyway. I was wondering why I hadn't seen a good ol' fashioned flag burning (US or other Western democracy) from Tehran for a while. No textile industry.....less gas....no torchy fun for the masses. |
| Posted by: Swamp Blondie 2007-06-27 07:48 |
| #10 I wonder 'pure' Islam wants gasoline around at all. It is a 'religion' which seems designed to permit only subsistence lifestyle with ALL activity beyond that being devoted to worship of Allan. Gasoline, AK-47s, even nuclear bombs are just tools to reach that end state. (Of course, religious leadership is exempt from the lifestyle restrictions, much like the Senate in the US.) |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2007-06-27 07:38 |
| #9 "Iran's petrol is heavily subsidised, sold at about a fifth of its real cost." Live by the |
| Posted by: DepotGuy 2007-06-27 07:06 |
| #8 The rich get richer and the dumb get dumber. |
| Posted by: Bobby 2007-06-27 06:09 |
| #7 At least one petrol station has been set on fire in the Iranian capital, Tehran, after the government announced fuel rationing for private motorists. Yesiree, It is a dangerous move for any elected government, especially in an oil-rich country like Iran where people think cheap fuel is their birthright and public transport is very limited Especially so when that elected government intentionally has taken great pains not to upgrade, expand or even maintain its refining infrastructure. This can be traced directly back to the policy of khodkafa'i. A program of self sufficiency similar to—and about as effective as—North Korea's juche and it has been a near-total catastrophe for Iran's industrial and economic sectors. Some interesting facts emerge in the Wall Street Journal's article: "Iran's Economic Crisis". Because it controls the oil revenue, which comes in U.S. dollars, the Islamic state has a vested interest in a weak national currency. (It could get more rials for the same amount of dollars in the domestic market.) Mr. Ahmadinejad has tried to exploit that opportunity by printing an unprecedented quantity of rials. Economists in Tehran speak of "the torrent of worthless rials" that Mr. Ahmadinejad has used to finance his extravagant promises of poverty eradication. The result has been massive flights of capital, mostly into banks in Dubai, Malaysia and Austria. Ayatollah Mahmoud Shahroudi, the Islamic Chief Justice, claims that as much as $300 billion may have left the country since President Ahmadinejad was sworn in.Much like with Pakistan, the quest for "Islamic purity" seems to be an endless succession of Phyrric victories. The ingrained Muslim obsession with being "more Islamic than thou" will be their doom. In their quest to remain untainted by impure capitalistic and perceived Zionist financial cabals, these Islamic wingnuts also manage to remain uncontaminated by the least hint of economic success. "Whatever we can produce we should do ourselves," the president likes to say. "Even if what we produce is not as good, and more costly." His rationale goes something like this: The global economic system is a Jewish-Crusader conspiracy to keep Muslim nations in a position of weakness and dependency. Thus, Muslims would do better by relying on their own resources even if that means lower living standards.The parallels to communist China are rife. Iran's khodkafa'i is a thinly rebranded "great leap forward" and holds even less promise than the original. Ahmadinejad's privatization plan, which will unload state monopolies into the mullacracy's hands at fire-sale prices, is a carbon copy of Beijing's own corrupt policies that favor and enrich their political elite. Despite his lust for nuclear weapons—a financially crippling enterprise in and of itself—Ahmadinejad's policy of khodkafa'i may well prove to be the best thing for Western interests in the MME (Muslim Middle East) since the death of Khomeini himself. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-06-27 05:22 |
| #6 Few medium meteorites landing at right coordinates... |
| Posted by: zazz 2007-06-27 03:58 |
| #5 Limited refining capacity? How infortunate if a few of their refineries had say, accidents. |
| Posted by: JFM 2007-06-27 02:31 |
| #4 Take out a gasoline refinery or two. Heat at 120F for 2 months. Serve black hats well done. |
| Posted by: anymouse 2007-06-27 02:14 |
| #3 with their limited refining capacity I would be willing to bet maintenance is being deferred and they would be due for some serious outages. |
| Posted by: crosspatch 2007-06-27 01:11 |
| #2 Exactly the right response. Gasoline + matches = Big Boom . Total Ululation. |
| Posted by: Woozle Elmeter2970 2007-06-27 00:34 |
| #1 Makes sense to me: lack of fuel, so you vandalize and destroy some of what limited stock you have. What a buncha morons. Reminds me of a plan i read about recently to charge higher rates for less electricity. |
| Posted by: USN, ret. 2007-06-27 00:24 |