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Source: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/10/07/the_rise_of_the_Iranian_dictatorship
The Rise of the Iranian Dictatorship
[Foreign Policy] Geneive Abdo - Since the June 12 Iranian presidential election stirred massive anti-regime demonstrations, President Ahmadinejad and his inner circle of hard-liners have used the armed forces - particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) - to suppress dissent. Western observers have commented on the country's slide toward military dictatorship. The IRGC became a dominant institution in Iran - socially, politically, militarily, and economically - during Ahmadinejad's first term and the Revolutionary Guards returned the favor during the electoral campaign by intimidating opposition members and even, some in Iran allege, rigging the vote.