Iranian govt arrests Mousavi/Karroubi on eve of planned protests

[Lief 🗽]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12599837

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(not sure why the BBC writes their articles one sentence to a paragraph, but okay...)

This is pretty bad news.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Sounds like these Freedom Fighters need to blow up a few more pro-regime mosques: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jundallah

[Middle-aged Europe]

Sounds like these Freedom Fighters need to blow up a few more pro-regime mosques: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jundallah

A terrorist organization that is believed to be supported by both the United States government and al-Qaeda? Now that's a grey area that I like. My enemy's friend is still my friend.

[Beet]

This is bad news, but should the opposition be defined necessarily by its leaders? I waffle on this question. Early on the Egyptian protests, for instance, the lack of oppositional leadership seemed to be a weakness. But at the same time, the lack of oppositional leadership kept the pro-democracy forces from being contained within factional categories, thus preventing the government from dividing the non-government population. In a way, the Iranian opposition's next strategic move could be seen as cutting itself off from Mousavi and Karroubi or any particular factional figureheads.

[Bacon King]

Didn't the protests in Libya really start getting serious when Gaddafi tried something similar?

[John Dibble]

Didn't the protests in Libya really start getting serious when Gaddafi tried something similar?

I'm not really sure, but either way I think the martyr culture in the Middle East can work just as well for the opposition as it can for the authoritarian Islamists. If these two are executed like the bulk of the Iranian officials were calling for a couple weeks ago I imagine it could make the opposition stronger.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Sounds like these Freedom Fighters need to blow up a few more pro-regime mosques: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jundallah

I prefer People's Mujahedin of Iran.

[opebo]

My favorite Lebanese Turkish restaurant offers a neat appetizer platter - includes Mousavi, Karroubi, and Tabouli.

[SvenssonRS]

It's like these Middle Eastern/North African leaders are all holding one big contest to see who can out-dickhead each other.

[opebo]

It's like these Middle Eastern/North African leaders are all holding one big contest to see who can out-dickhead each other.

Well I suppose they're fighting for their lives, and the spectacle of previous failures among their brethren gives them both heightened motivation and some good ideas.

[Insula Dei]

Sounds like these Freedom Fighters need to blow up a few more pro-regime mosques: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jundallah

I prefer People's Mujahedin of Iran.

Don't we all?