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2005-03-08 Syria-Lebanon-Iran

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Posted by .com 2005-03-08 04:56|| || Front Page|| [5 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#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|| 2005-03-08 5:59:40 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 phil_b. Iran is ethnically (& religiously) homogeneous.

Posted by gromgorru 2005-03-08 8:29:27 AM|| 2005-03-08 8:29:27 AM|| Front Page Top

#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|| [http://home.earthlink.net/~sleepyjackal/index.html] 2005-03-08 9:38:32 AM|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2005-03-08 2:34:55 PM|| Front Page Top

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