Can Iran Shut Itself Off From The Rest Of The World?

The Internet And Iran: 'It Is Possible To Pull The Plug' -- Spiegel Online

The regime of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has threatened to completely cut Iran off from the Internet. But activists in the country are well-versed in circumventing official censorship. In a conversation with SPIEGEL, Internet expert Philip Howard explains how they do it and says that complete digital isolation is virtually impossible.

SPIEGEL: Iran has announced its intention to completely cut itself off from the Internet. Is such a thing realistic?

Howard: The government in Tehran has already shown itself to be capable of such a thing. Following the controversial re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June 2009, the country was cut off for about 24 hours. But when a regime shuts down the Internet, it is usually also a last, desperate measure.

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My Comment: I am sure that Iran (or almost any other country) can shut itself off from the internet .... but the bad will that it will cause will reverberate throughout the country, and the bitterness that it will create will last for a very long time.