And the other half are of course in embassies and military bases.

Chasing out Coca Cola will put the hurt on MI6/CIA operations. That's half of their agents in there

Gazza! Why listen to my ridiculous satire go and find out which factory in France is producing yellow cake and find out how many percent of that factory belongs to the Iranian government. When the managers of the factory were asked what they would do if Iran asked for some of the produce, they replied they have a share in the factory so we can’t say no. I think you can find the interviews on utube! Also if you want to know about the US support in Iran’s nuclear program go to raceforiran.com and enjoy more of my satire repeated by the high rankinig CIA agents and friends of Ahmadinezhad!!! As for the green movement you forgot to mention what their leader Moussavi did in 1980 to 1982 in Iran. You see Gazza, you are young and were not even born then, go find out!! The people supporting the green movement would go beyond Moussavi and Islam as soon as they are given the chance, that has not come yet but if you dig about 1980-1982 you will see that this hatered for the Islamic government is much much much deeper than you know!! You think Ahmadinezhad represents the poor?? Find out how much money he and his relatives have stolen. Like the 3 containers that were confiscated in Turkey last year. The shipment was gold, money and narcotics worth $ 35 Billion. A close ally and advisor of Ahmadinezhad was the recipient of the shipment. He never showed up! It was big news coverage in Turkey! The Turkish government said it was God’s gift to Turkey! I think it was Ahmadinezhad’s gift to Turkey!! What do you think the poor Iranian people think of that?? What do you think???

ormoz, You must be joking, you posts are an effort at satire, yes? The anti-ahmadinejad faction (middle-upper class urbanites) are a minority in Iran and their preferred candidate was SOUNDLY DEFEATED in the election. There was no electral fraud, the accusations are nothing but sour grapes from a defeated candidate who realised he lacked the numbers needed to win, so embarked on a deliberate campaign of smearing the vote to discredit his opponent with the hope that a 2nd election could be called and that he might gain enough sympathy from swing voters to scape a win. His followers likewise cannot accept defeat at the hands of the poor and the working classes, so they vent their frustration on the streets and cry foul. The US, its European vassals, and the western corporate-controlled media endlessly repeat the allegations as part of the ongoing 31-year agitprop and destabilisation campaign waged against Iran. Your ridiculous theories regarding the Zionist state somehow manipulating the vote for an Ahmadinejad victory are utterly absurd. AQ Khan is a friend of the West? France is supplying Iran with yellow-cake? Where do you get these crazy notions? Finally, as for you claiming to have direct and personal experience of the Green protests, I happen to have friends and collegues who are members of the Iranian diaspora, and they all scoff at the propaganda of the Greens and the Western powers. Their views equate firmly with my own, and I would trust their views and experiences far more than any "news" coverage from US media or nameless bloggers.

When it comes to US – Iranian governments relationship one should distinguish between what is happening on the scenes and behind the scenes! I gather from the earlier posts that they all base their discourse on the scenes, ie what we hear from the media, unfortunately including RT. One should prove first that these governments are enemies or are somehow in a dispute over a true matter and then measure their powers and analyse their intensions!! The Iranian government got most of its nuclear know how and technology from the West and Western friends like Abdulqader khan the former energy minister and friend of Parvez Mosharaf and the US. Iran is receiving yellow cake from France as we speak! It was the late ayatollah Khomeini who sent an envoy Ahmad Kashani to Israel with information on the nuclear facilities in Iraq in 1980! That helped Israel bomb it with pin point accuracy. It was him who started the war with Iraq not the US as many posts suggest here! You can ask the UN and the Iranian government for documents and evidence on that!!! Iraq registered a complaint at the UN one month prior to the start of the war and warned Khomeini repeatedly which were ignored! The reason Ahmadinezhad was elected for a second time is just because the Israelies wanted to, yes, listen to the Israeli government how they praise Ahmadinezhad for his services to Israel! Michael Ledeen was in Tehran a few months before the elections!! Who says the Neocons and Builderberg are against the Iranian government and want to attack it??? In fact the Iranian- Israeli and US governments enjoy 30 years of cooperation. Remember financing Contras, passing weapons to Bosnia, creating Hamas against PLO, financing Mujahedeen in Afghanistan and installing the Islamic republic in Iraq are good examples of that fruitful cooperation, so who is against who and why????

Alondra you have expressed the feelings shared by many of us. In all the English language Russian websites, including RT, there is little nuanced experts view points that seek to inform broader readers what Russia stands for. I do not know what agenda is but Russians seems to be outfoxed and outsmarted when it comes to media representations. I believe this is the result of down grading Russia’s education in key areas such as media studies, PR and also lack of self confidence. Take the Medvedev’s socalled Silicon Valley trip. There was no need for this trip and the whole Ipod marketing photo op of the Russia’s President with the founder of Apple [ironically, later it has been reported the 4th generation ipod gadget is actually defective] was pathetic and the joke was at the expense of the Russia’s President. Then there was the burger summit. At first we were told the burger summit was way of letting two Presidents let their guard down and getting down to business but when one cross reads this informal burger size symbolic down dressing of the Russia's President against Ms Clinton’s biting criticism against Russia as she stood shoulder to shoulder with the Georgia’s tie eating madman tells different story. Of course, Russians always act dumb founded of U.S actions toward Russia. I am starting to think there may be the return of the days of oligarchs rule in Russia.

The anti Russian propoganda by US and its citizens is not countered by the Russian media. This has left Russians defenseless and US is constantly gaining the grounds. United States is taking Russia for a joke. One day it invites Medvedev for a "you are us and I am you" hamburger events and next it pours water on them. Is Russia just a jimmy that US thinks can do anything it likes to them? Can Russians play any role in forming the world policy? Iran is the opportunity that Russia need to take and show the rest of the world they are for real.

Jsmith! You are commenting on what I wrote as an eye witness to what happened. I don't know who gave you those figueres?? Strange that I get the same respond from either CIA agents or pro-Iranian governmnet internet activists when I post a comment on other sites, for example on the Leverettes' site raceforiran.com!!! By the way I wonder how people can compare number of participants in a two demonstrations where in one participants would get sandwiches and cold drinks and the other bullets??? Come on let's be honest!! The western media shamelessly did it, do you??? I must disappoint you and say that the crowd were not sufficient in the pro government rally ( bad sandwiches?? ) otherwise you bet the CNN and the BBC would be there!!! The Iranian governmet is in deep trouble and so are the Western media and governments, Israel in particular, because Ahmadinezhad has been so good to them that you should read what the MOSSAD says about his services to Israel. That's why he was elected for a second time not because he got the majority of the votes. It was very easy for the government to do a re-run of the elections instead of going through a revolution but they did not have the majority behind them and the Israelis would not take any other candidates!

FRED, JOHN, Lavina: Very Well said, I live in Russia and I am afraid for my Kids, Russia is kneeling to US, and forget the Georgia, Poland and recent Spy scandal. so Neo Cons 2% who controls 95% of American wealth, is now taking over Russia too, I am afraid to say that, Russia would be stabbed in their back, you can NEVER trust America or Americans, while, Russia is losing their True friend Iran, which will only bring more terrorism like Moscow Metro bombing to Russia.

@ MBACH "Iranians need to be re-educated regarding the nuclear issue, and taught that it is not their god-given right to have an irresponsible nuclear weapons/energy program" Really? I feel pretty sad for you American and Western people, who needs to be educated, you are brain washed by your media and your government. about God given right, and Irresponsible Weapons, how come USA, Israel had GOD GIVEN right to Nuclear Weapons, while SO responsible Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Thanks to Shilka.maskirovka and PR101, I completely agree, couldn't have said any better or matter of fact, Truth.