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Iranian Government Relies on Loyal Supporters as Bulwark Against Protests
(Wall Street Journal) Benoit Faucon - According to polls, about one in five Iranians say they support the current government system. The government empowers this minority with perks, jobs and guns, making it a force for maintaining the status quo. "There is a thin but hard-core infrastructure that is deeply loyal," said Sanam Vakil, deputy director of the Middle East North Africa program at Britain's Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House). "The die-hards have nowhere to go," she said. "This is why the regime is still confident and in charge." The most visible group opposing the protesters is the Basij, a volunteer force of 700,000 people formed as a youth militia during the 1979 revolution. Others include the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a 210,000-strong army dedicated to protecting the government against domestic unrest and foreign attacks, as well as the Iranian Hizbullah. Young loyalists get priority at Iran's best universities, putting them in line for top government positions and well-paid jobs, said Saeid Golkar, who teaches at the University of Tennessee.