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· The situation in Libya is a major crucible for the local tyrants. If Colonel Qaddafi manages to stay in power by importing foreign mercenaries and using brute force against his people, regimes like the one in Iran will take a cue, and broaden their use of force against the opposition. If he fails, it may give them second thoughts about how to deal with the opposition. Although we need to add that in Iran, the Islamic state, claiming mandate from God, has been continuously following a path of suppression not seen in other countries. So its reaction to a large scale demonstration will be equally unpredictable. The Hezbollah of Lebanon has been reported already as being active in Iran against the demonstrations. I think the Iranian opposition is better off to look into possibilities for national strike more than street demonstrations. Demonstration will be too costly, although one has to bear in mind that "freedom is not free."

· If Bahraini situation ends in splitting the country between the Shiites and Sunnis, Iran will certainly will seek the opportunity to dominate the Shiite part. If the country mages to remain united, the future concessions to the Shiite community will probably quell them, but again it does not guarantee that Bahrain can maintain its distance from Tehran.

· Iran is turning into a hallow giant like the former Soviet Union: while spreading its tentacles across the region, its economy is running into the ground, and its urban population is in continuous revolt against the religious tyranny. The Wikileak revealed millions of dollars paid to foreign sub-state powers like the Hezbollah of Lebanon, and it did not help the image of the regime inside the country at all, where 14 million live under poverty level.

· As the protests spread in the Middle East, the Iranian regime's phobia increase, and as a result, it adds to its oppressive measures against the opposition .

· According to the regime's narrative, the revolt in other Muslim countries are a part of Islamic awakening kick started by the Islamic revolution of Iran in 1979, while the continuing uprising in Iran itself is deemed foreign inspired and against Islam. According to Shariah law, taking up arms against an Islamic state is punishable by death.

· There are as many different guidelines for the US policy in the region as the number of experts in Washington. But one thing is for sure: Revolts in the region were unpredictable, and they have taken everyone by surprise, specifically the local dictators. This a revolution clearly started by the social media. My be the best policy by the united States and her allies is to work on developing an Internet system available to the people in the world free from government control. This will set the stage for a real information revolution, and genuine revolutions.

· Lastly, the revolts in the region are anarchistic. They are bent on destroying the status quo, without any foresight of what may come. When an Aljazira anchor asked a Libyan protest leader as what he had in mind for the future of his country, he was clueless. He just wanted the despised leader to go. I think it is dangerous, and even may set the stage for regimes more deceptive and oppressive, like the one in Iran. Probably it is more important for the people in the region to organize than to revolt. The virtual space should be used for far more effective ways to bring down tyrants.{jcomments on}