MULLAHS RUNNING SCARED? Tom Holsinger emails two interesting articles. This one announces a letup on religious-policing efforts aimed at young lovers:

TEHRAN, Nov 29 (AFP) – Iran’s police is not authorised to arrest young unmarried couples seen in the streets anymore, the government-run Iran newspaper reported Saturday.

“The police forces are not allowed to stop and question young boys and girls seen together in the streets, as in the past, unless there is a private complaint filed against them”, a Tehran judge was quoted as saying by the government daily Iran.

He also points out this Jeff Jacoby column, which points out that, like the Iranian mullahs, the State Department appears to be finally recognizing the unpopularity of the current regime in Iran. “What prompted the change I don’t know. But if the Department of State is finally prepared to support President Bush’s policy on Iran, it can only be good news for the war against radical Islamist terrorism.” I think it means that the State Department now sees regime change as inevitable.