Senior Commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Assassinated In Syria On His Way From Damascus To Lebanon

So this story was out yesterday that a senior commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard was assassinated when his convoy was hit inside of Syria.  The part that I don't think other sites took note of was his destination.

From the article at The Telegraph:

General Hassan Shateri was killed on Tuesday in an ambush on the way from Damascus towards the Lebanese capital

So here's my question - since WHEN are Iranian Revolutionary Guard commanders and troops hanging out in Lebanon?  Another question - does this mean that the Lebanese government is complicit with all actions by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard?  Hmmmm.   One has to wonder just how deep the Iranian influence is in Lebanon right now - I wonder, has Hezbollah taken full control in Lebanon and in order to safeguard or expand that control, has Iran sent the Revolutionary Guard into that country?

Iran commander assassinated in Syria

General Hassan Shateri was killed on Tuesday in an ambush on the way from Damascus towards the Lebanese capital, the Iranian authorities said. They blamed the attack on Israel.

Gen Shateri was also in charge of the Iranian of the Iranian Committee for the Reconstruction of Lebanon, set up after the devastating war in 2006 between Israel and the Iran supported Shiite Hezbollah militia.

He died "at the hands of Zionist regime mercenaries and backers," the force's spokesman, Ramezan Sherif, said in the statement.

The circumstances of his death and the purpose of his visit in Syria were still murky yesterday. The Lebanese newspaper As-Safir claimed Mr Shater had been "in Aleppo, to study projects to reconstruct the city"; a claim that was rejected as "laughable" by opposition figures in the city that is currently in the grip of full-scale war.

Last month, US Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford accused Iran of fighting alongside Syrian president Bashar al-Assad against the Sunni-majority insurgency. "They are sending arms, they are sending other kinds of experts, and in fact we know that they are sending Iran Revolutionary Guard members," said Mr Ford.



Israeli jet planes were reported to have bombed a military base on the outskirts of Damascus last week. Western diplomats told the Daily Telegraph they believed that the Syrian regime may have been transferring surface to air missiles to Lebanon, into the hands of the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah, with whom Israel is still at war.

Residents of the Shia district of Dahiyeh in the Lebanese capital Beirut expressed fury at the death of Mr Shatari who they said had been responsible for re-building their livelihoods. The neighbourhood that was flattened during the war with Israel now gleams with new mosques and high-rise buildings, paid for by Iran.

"He is famous here. He did such a good job here. He was a financial man with a good brain. He was a hiring master who brought in the construction companies," said one resident.

"Entire areas are still destroyed in the United States because of Hurricane Katrina. But here Martyr Shateri rebuild everything in just two years," said one commander.

Sources inside the Hezbollah militia told the Daily Telegraph they had known that Mr Shateri was targeted for assassination for a long time, and that arrests had been made of men suspected of planning an attack.

Israel has been accused using its secret service or proxy agents to murder Iranian targets before. Four Iranian nuclear scientists have been assassinated in the past two years in what Iran, and many other countries have said are Israeli maneouvres in a proxy war.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Gen Shateri was shot dead by rebels.

"We do not know exactly where he was shot, but we do know that a rebel group ambushed his vehicle while en route from Damascus to Beirut," the Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

US Secretary of State John Kerry offered a grim reminder of the costs of continued violence on Thursday saying that as 90,000 people may have been killed in the two years of fighting in Syria.

He spoke as it emerged that rebel fighters had shot down two fighter jets on Thursday, and the seized town of Shadadeh, near the Iraqi border, in a fourth straight day of blows to the Assad regime.

Mr Kerry said that Mr Assad should accept the "inevitability" of his departure.

A new peace plan proposes creating a 140-member senate body that would manage dialogue between the regime and the Syrian opposition and be supervised by the United Nations.

The plan, seen by the London-based newspaper Sharq al-Awsat, says that Faruq al-Sharaa, Syria's vice president, should head the senate and optimistically predicts an "immediate ceasefire".

Are Mosques In New Jersey, New York and Ohio Command Centers For Iran's Revolutionary Guards?

 Students await their ride outside the Razi School in Queens on Friday. The building also houses the Imam Ali Mosque.



If the Iranians are good at anything, it's their methods of exporting and spreading terrorism.  We certainly have seen this via Hamas and Hezbollah but what is now coming to light is a network of mosques around the world that literally are run by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and their intelligence services.  These mosques in countries like Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are tasked with the eventual overthrow of those governments but many don't know that the Iranians also control mosques in Europe and yes, right here in America.


From the article at Family Security Matters:

The Guards are using Imam Ali mosques around the globe, including some in the U.S., as terror command centers.

The former officer, who defected to a country in Europe, revealed that all Imam Ali mosques worldwide are under the operation of the Guards' intelligence office.

Noteworthy are the ones in Stockholm and Hamburg. Other mosques are in New Jersey, New York and Ohio, the former officer said.

So the question soon arises...at what point in time do we as Americans have the right to have these mosques removed?  At what point in time does America finally decide that there needs to be a moratorium on the building of new mosques?  At what point in time is there a concerted effort by people of the West to discredit Islam and reveal finally for the rest of the world that this is no religion and that a terror-backed mosque inside of America is no place of worship protected by the 1st Amendment but rather a terroristic command center operated by an enemy of this country?

Iran turning U.S. mosques into command centers


The Revolutionary Guards and its Quds Forces, which run Iran's terror networks worldwide, have created two special units to undermine the regimes in the Persian Gulf and push America out of the region.

The Guards are using Imam Ali mosques around the globe, including some in the U.S., as terror command centers.

Unit 110 and Unit of Madinah - named after the second holiest city in Islam, the burial place of the Prophet Mohammad - were established to remove the U.S from the Gulf, sources report.

Unit 110 gathers intelligence while Unit of Madinah is in charge of military operations. Both are stationed in the city of Shiraz in Fars Province, under the command of Gholam Hossein Gheib Parvar, according to sources.

Parvar, one of the regime's most radical military commanders, is in charge of all Guard forces.

According to a former intelligence officer who served in that specific region, their orders are twofold: Incite uprisings within the Shiite minorities in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and other countries in the region, and prepare for military operations against those countries' governmental facilities.

Bahrain's monarchy faces daily protests and occasional terrorist attacks against its police forces and facilities. Protests are also taking place in Saudi Arabia within the minority Shiite population. Yemen is battling al-Qaida forces in addition to government protesters.

Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are key Gulf allies of the United States. Bahrain hosts the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, and Saudi Arabia can help stabilize oil markets should a conflict develop with Iran.

The Guards' intelligence office also runs operations out of mosques and Islamic centers around the world, according to sources. It finances the facilities, guides assets, recruits Muslims for reconnaissance of potential targets in host countries and forms alliances with other Islamic minorities such as Afghans, Pakistanis, Turks for terrorist operations.

In Afghanistan alone, the Guards have more than 1,000 terror cells that help fund the Taliban and al-Qaida and provide intelligence to attack NATO forces with the hope of pushing America out, according to a former intelligence officer.

The former officer, who defected to a country in Europe, revealed that all Imam Ali mosques worldwide are under the operation of the Guards' intelligence office.

Noteworthy are the ones in Stockholm and Hamburg. Other mosques are in New Jersey, New York and Ohio, the former officer said.

Syrian Protesters Now Are Armed....Oh, and Syrian Troops Are Under Iranian Command

Syria is spiraling downward quickly as the protesting movement in the country, ordinary citizens across the country, are now being armed and there are even reports that the protesters now have anti-tank weapons. At the same time, more information is coming out that it is Iranian Revolutionary Guard commanders that are directing the efforts of Syrian troops and security forces.

From the report at DEBKA:

For the first time in the anti-Assad uprising, elements of Syria's popular protest movement are turning to armed revolt on lines similar to those marking the Libyan conflict. Wednesday, April 27, armed civilians were seen for the first time, some openly carrying anti-tank weapons, in the Daraa district of the South and Banias and Jableh on the coast, the primary targets of the regime's armored-backed offensive on the six-week old protest movement.

debkafile's military sources report that these dissidents resorted openly to arms after discovering that Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) officers were masterminding the brutal crackdown against them, lending the Assad regime the experience they had gained in crushing the 2009 anti-regime opposition in Tehran.

Okay, so let's set the stage....Iranian commanders order Syrian tanks into a Syrian city's fringe and as the tanks enter a dark street, two anti-tank weapons are fired by protesters hitting both tanks and killing four or five Syrian tank crew members. Let's just say that happens...can you imagine what is going to happen next?

This situation in Syria makes Libya look like a game of kickball. We also have to consider how much is going down in Syria that isn't not being reported or discovered. I'm sure the Iranians are taking some frustrations out that they have with their own unrest on the Syrian people.

At the same time, this must be encouraging for Israel...if Assad's military is so inept that they need Iranians to come in and take up leadership roles, imagine what the Syrian army command is like.

Syrian protesters gain anti-tank guns. Iranian officers direct Assad's troops


For the first time in the anti-Assad uprising, elements of Syria's popular protest movement are turning to armed revolt on lines similar to those marking the Libyan conflict. Wednesday, April 27, armed civilians were seen for the first time, some openly carrying anti-tank weapons, in the Daraa district of the South and Banias and Jableh on the coast, the primary targets of the regime's armored-backed offensive on the six-week old protest movement.

debkafile's military sources report that these dissidents resorted openly to arms after discovering that Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) officers were masterminding the brutal crackdown against them, lending the Assad regime the experience they had gained in crushing the 2009 anti-regime opposition in Tehran.
At the UN Security Council Tuesday night, US ambassador Susan Rice directly accused President Bashar Assad of mustering Iranian assistance to repress Syrian citizens "through the same brutal tactics that have been used by the Iranian regime."
Our Washington sources report that the US, Britain, France and other European countries are not waiting for the Security Council to condemn Syria. As an American official put it, "in the near future," the US plans to issue a series of sanctions against heads of the Assad regime and its security agencies. There is also talk of war crimes charges against the president's brother Maher Assad who is in command of the military assault on the protesters.
In Syria meanwhile, Western military sources predict that the next stage of the Syrian crisis will see protesters-turned-rebels shooting at the military tanks and armored vehicles spearheading the assaults by commando units on foot in the towns under siege, while snipers pick off demonstrators or ordinary passers-by from the rooftops.

In the first two days of the military operation, the tanks have been rolling through the streets sowing panic and fear in targeted cities and providing cover for the soldiers shooting civilians at random. Disabling the tanks, the protesters believe, will disarm that tactic, which has been directed first against the million inhabitants of Daraa and its outlying towns in the Horon province Tuesday, April 26.
There, under tank cover, small elements of the 132nd Brigade of the Fourth Division commanded by Mahar Asasad are holding Daraa under virtual lockdown, having cut off essential supplies of food and water, electricity and external communications.

Still, the town refuses to be broken or starved into submission.
Tuesday night, small units of foot soldiers protected by tanks were on standby night outside Banias and Jableh and Wednesday morning, elements of the 47th Brigade of the Fourth Division were poised to follow a tank charge into Hama.
If Assad loses his tanks, he will need to deploy many more soldiers to shoot the protesters off the streets and carry out mass arrests and so increase the hazards of defections, mutiny and the army's breakup.
For Damascus, the Syrian ruler is pursuing a different tactic. To conceal the massive military involvement in the crackdown from the capital's population, thousands of undercover soldiers were told to remove their uniforms and issued with black coveralls without insignia for raids on the Damascus suburb of Duma and protest centers elsewhere in the capital. They are intended to look like policemen.

Whoa! Syria Uses Iranian Revolutionary Guards To Attack Protesters

Many might have thought that Syria's leader, Bashar Assad, might be immune from the wave of uprisings in Middle East countries but think again...and now, good old Assad has decided to pull out all of the stops and have the Iranians come to his rescue as he apparently has ordered Iranian Revolutionary Guards to attack the protesters in the streets.

From the article at World Tribune:

Iran's elite military units have been deployed to attack protesters of the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Opposition sources said Iran has sent units of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to attack thousands of anti-Assad protesters in the city of Dera. They said IRGC transported hundreds of commandos via helicopter in what could mark the prelude to massive bloodshed.

"The IRGC landed before the killings, which means this is an intentional operation to massacre wholesale the people of Dera," the Reform Party of Syria said. "If true, the Syrian security in Dera has been penetrated."

Five protesters were killed by Syrian troops in Dera on March 18. The protesters flooded the streets of the southern city after Friday mosque prayers and were met by anti-riot and security forces armed with firearms and water cannons and supported by helicopters.

Now, I haven't a clue why Assad felt the need to call the Revolutionary Guard into this - for crying out loud, Syria has one of the better armies in the Middle East and some pretty damn nasty security forces as well - so, I can only guess that either the protesting side has a shit pot full of people or Assad thinks he can save some face for his troops if the people are all killed by "foreigners" but it really doesn't make that much sense to me.

But it does bring up an interesting spin on what's going down in the region - why would the U.S. agree to bomb Libyan targets and not Syrian targets when it is proven that Assad has brought in outside armies and forces to kill his own people? And could someone make the case that Iran has declared war on the Syrian people?

It's about time that the world gets to see the real Assad...a butcher and scoundrel - yeah, he's the same one that Nancy Pelosi raced over to try and become friends with. That one.

Iran's IRGC attacks anti-Assad protesters in Syria


LONDON — Iran's elite military units have been deployed to attack protesters of the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Opposition sources said Iran has sent units of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to attack thousands of anti-Assad protesters in the city of Dera. They said IRGC transported hundreds of commandos via helicopter in what could mark the prelude to massive bloodshed.

"The IRGC landed before the killings, which means this is an intentional operation to massacre wholesale the people of Dera," the Reform Party of Syria said. "If true, the Syrian security in Dera has been penetrated."

Five protesters were killed by Syrian troops in Dera on March 18. The protesters flooded the streets of the southern city after Friday mosque prayers and were met by anti-riot and security forces armed with firearms and water cannons and supported by helicopters.

Tribal leaders in Dera have warned that they intend to destroy all military and security facilities unless the Assad regime withdraws its troops. In their statement, the leaders were not identified.

"If our demands are not met, all security centers in the region, including Military Security, Political Security, National Security, and Air Force Security may be burned to the ground," a tribal statement said.

The sources said the Assad regime has been bolstered by both IRGC and the Iranian-sponsored Hizbullah. They said both foreign forces were providing anti-riot, armored and air support for Assad's military and security agencies.

Dera marked the bloodiest response by the government to the growing protest movement in Syria. Other anti-regime demonstrations were reported in Banias, Damascus and Homs.

The Assad regime has acknowledged the killing of protesters in Dera. The Interior Ministry has pledged to investigate.

The New Plan To Topple Iran's Mullah Regime - Recruit Disgruntled Revolutionary Guards To Help With The Downfall

Even though the uprising in Iran that started in 2009 was put down by the ruling theocratic regime in Tehran, the movement of dissent there is far from dead and there is news out now that there are plans underway to build a more formidable wave of organized dissent that would include members of the regime's own powerful Revolutionary Guards.

From the article at The Telegraph:

A billionaire opposition leader who has pledged his fortune to the cause of removing the Iranian government and a former senior Guard commander told The Daily Telegraph that dissatisfaction with hardline tactics was rife in throughout the Guards

Amir Jahanchahi, the leader of the exiled opposition group, Green Wave, has teamed up with Gen Reza Madhi to target insiders to undermine the government and its grip on the powerful oil industry.

The prospects of widespread street protests could trigger democratic changes in Iran has disappeared since the regime brutally crushed post-election demonstrations in 2009.

Leading opposition leaders in the West now believe that disaffected members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are ready to turn on the hardliners of the regime, under the direction of Mr Ahmadinejad and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Shirin Ebadi, a former judge who won the Nobel Peace prize for her opposition work, said that the Revolutionary Guard had started to splinter, a momentous development that threatened to imperil the regime.

"We can see that there are military commanders and personnel who have a conscience who are turning away from this regime," she said.

"Street protests have come to an end because if the people had continued they would have been killed or imprisoned but this situation does not mean that Iranians are not unhappy with the regime," she said.

Back when the "Green" revolution was going on in Iran, I pointed out that if the Obama administration had wanted to see that the government of the Ayatollah and Ahmadinejad would fall, it could have easily helped the dissidents and caused that result. But Obama stood by the theocratic regime. Well, if this article is dead on, then it appears that Obama's support might not be enough to keep the mullahs in power. Let's face it, if the very fabric of the Revolutionary Guards starts to unravel, it is going to mean serious problems for the Ayatollah.

I'm going to introduce another angle here to what might just disrupt the hell out of the Iranian government. Sunnis. Let's face it, there are many Sunni Muslims across this world who have no love lost for the Iranian regime. We have countries such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia who literally fear the nuclear capabilities of the Iranians as much as the Israelis do. So, it is my contention that we will see some organized Sunni actions and operations against the Iranian regime in the next year. Some of that may come from established Sunni terror groups but I think much of it will be linked directly back to factions of Sunni governments.

Either way, the Ayatollah, the mullahs and Ahmadinejad appear to be living on borrowed time and for those of us in America it could bring about one of the most telling pivotal points in our history - whether or not Barack Hussein Obama will finally act with leadership to assist in the removal of the biggest threat to our country that exists today. What WILL he do?

Iranian opposition recruits disgruntled Revolutionary Guard to cripple Ahmadinejad


A billionaire opposition leader who has pledged his fortune to the cause of removing the Iranian government and a former senior Guard commander told The Daily Telegraph that dissatisfaction with hardline tactics was rife in throughout the Guards

Amir Jahanchahi, the leader of the exiled opposition group, Green Wave, has teamed up with Gen Reza Madhi to target insiders to undermine the government and its grip on the powerful oil industry.

The prospects of widespread street protests could trigger democratic changes in Iran has disappeared since the regime brutally crushed post-election demonstrations in 2009.

As protests swept the Arab world last month, Iran was able to keep a lid on signs of dissent. The domestic opposition was not able to organise any protests. The movement, spearheaded by presidential candidates Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Medhi Karroubi, has been destroyed by the imprisonment of its leaders and intimidation of its supporters.

Leading opposition leaders in the West now believe that disaffected members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are ready to turn on the hardliners of the regime, under the direction of Mr Ahmadinejad and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Shirin Ebadi, a former judge who won the Nobel Peace prize for her opposition work, said that the Revolutionary Guard had started to splinter, a momentous development that threatened to imperil the regime.

"We can see that there are military commanders and personnel who have a conscience who are turning away from this regime," she said.

"Street protests have come to an end because if the people had continued they would have been killed or imprisoned but this situation does not mean that Iranians are not unhappy with the regime," she said.

Mr Jahanchahi said: "We can bring the regime to its knees without street protests.

"Ahmadinejad has stolen the wealth of the Iranian people but in the next 12 months we will be able to show that we can target the energy sector with tactics that will cut off the revenue that the regime depends on for its survival."

Oil-rich Iran generates more than $60 billion a year from oil exports and relies on the industry for more than half its official revenues.

Gen Madhi, who left the country in 2008, said that his contacts included people in the inner circle of Ayatollah Khomenei.

"I know which pillars to shake so that the regime will fall down," he said. "By disrupting the regime and diminishing the amount of money available we can ultimately destroy the government. I have many friends and colleagues who can see that the leaders have blackened the name of Iran. I have created cells to promote reform within the system."

The alliance of bearded, black-suited soldier, who still wheezes from exposure to chemical weapons in the Iran-Iraq war, and the suave French-based businessman puts two traditionally opposed camps on the one side for the first time. The Islamic Republic has previously relied on the tainted backgrounds of its opponents as a bulwark against dissent.

Gen Madhi said: "Once the Iranian people see that something like this is doable the fear will lift and the door will open for real change."

Obama's Not the Only One In Deep Trouble...Iran's Revolutionary Guard Lashes Out At Ahmadinejad

As we have seen ever since the corrupted elections in Iran, turmoil has reigned in the country and it took an even more bizarre turn yesterday when a statement from the Revolutionary Guard soundly lashed out at President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

From the article at DAWN:

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has come under unprecedented criticism from the Revolutionary Guards, the elite military force usually considered his staunch supporter.

A harshly worded article in the Guards' monthly magazine echoes criticism of Ahmadinejad from other parts of the Iranian establishment and shows attempts to mend rifts within the Islamic Republic's ruling elite have yet to work.

Ahmadinejad and his close aides have faced criticism from lawmakers, the judiciary and some powerful clerics for saying parliament is no longer at the centre of affairs and promoting an “Iranian” rather than an “Islamic” school of thought.

In an article entitled: “Is parliament at the centre of affairs or not?” the magazine, Payam-e Enghelab (Message of the Revolution), asked: “Does being on top justify whatever action the government thinks is right, disregarding the law?”

Economists outside Iran have said sudden hikes in prices of items like gasoline -- likely to happen in the coming weeks -- could reignite popular unrest. Politicians within the Islamic Republic have warned of “economic sedition” as opponents of the regime seek to stir trouble.

Mirhossein Mousavi, the opposition leader who lost the 2009 election, said an increased police presence in recent days was a government attempt to intimidate anyone thinking of protesting.

The police have said it is conducting a crackdown on crime.

I go back to my comments not long after the Iranian Presidential elections when the Green revolt really got into swing and I said that if Barack Hussein Obama had any kind of strategic brain and love of America, he would have begun a campaign of subversive help inside of Iran to aid the Green movement. And now, with this mini-revolt by the Revolutionary Guard, we see just how easily the entire islamic regime of Iran could have been toppled.

But hell no, Barack Hussein Obama made the decision to SUPPORT the mullahs and Ayatollah and Ahmadinejad. Kind of ironic to find Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard more critical of Ahmadinejad than an American President, isn't it?

Ahmadinejad criticised by Iran Revolutionary Guards


TEHRAN: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has come under unprecedented criticism from the Revolutionary Guards, the elite military force usually considered his staunch supporter.

A harshly worded article in the Guards' monthly magazine echoes criticism of Ahmadinejad from other parts of the Iranian establishment and shows attempts to mend rifts within the Islamic Republic's ruling elite have yet to work.

Ahmadinejad and his close aides have faced criticism from lawmakers, the judiciary and some powerful clerics for saying parliament is no longer at the centre of affairs and promoting an “Iranian” rather than an “Islamic” school of thought.

In an article entitled: “Is parliament at the centre of affairs or not?” the magazine, Payam-e Enghelab (Message of the Revolution), asked: “Does being on top justify whatever action the government thinks is right, disregarding the law?”

Re-elected in June 2009, Ahmadinejad faced down huge demonstrations from an opposition movement which says the vote was rigged, something he denies. Divisions among the hardliners have become more apparent in the months since the protests were put down, through sometimes violent repression.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps has its own navy, air force and command structure separate from the regular armed forces. Along with its voluntary militia, the Basij, it played a key role in quelling the post-election unrest which was the worst seen since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

The rifts prompted Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to call for all branches of government to support the president whose government he has hailed as extremely successful.

“National unity is very important and must be strengthened with every passing day... and by that I am addressing both officials and ordinary people,” Khamenei said during his recent visit to the holy city of Qom.

FUNDAMENTAL

But Payam-e Enghelab's criticisms were similar to those voiced by parliament, the judiciary and clerics.

“Dealing with marginal and unnecessary issues by some politicians has become the country's main issue,” the magazine said, referring to the controversy about the “Iranian” school of thought which many of Ahmadinejad's fellow conservatives say smacks of secular nationalism.

“Adopting these kinds of stance has no benefit but creating separation and division in the Islamic Revolution front and casting doubt about fundamental stances,” it said.

The harshest words were about Ahmadinejad's remark about parliament's reduced power, which some critics have said was a contradiction of the stance of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini -- the deeply revered late leader of the Islamic Revolution.

“The superficial interpretation of Imam Khomeini's remarks and changing them in a way that meets a few people's interests for a short time is an irreparable mistake,” it said.

Indignation about Ahmadinejad's apparent disregard for parliament has pushed some former rivals within the legislature -- in the hardliner “principlist” camp and more moderate “reformists” -- closer together.

“The prominent figures of principlists and reformists have formed an unwritten alliance,” Ali Motahari, a prominent hardline MP who is an outspoken critic of Ahmadinejad, was quoted as saying by the reformist Sharq newspaper on Tuesday.

The pressures on Ahmadinejad from within the hardline camp at home comes as Iran faces tighter economic sanctions aimed at curbing its nuclear programme which some countries fear is aimed at making a bomb, something Tehran denies.

Iranians are also bracing themselves for the impact of Ahmadinejad's cornerstone economic plan: slashing billions of dollars of subsidies for essentials like food and fuel.

Economists outside Iran have said sudden hikes in prices of items like gasoline -- likely to happen in the coming weeks -- could reignite popular unrest. Politicians within the Islamic Republic have warned of “economic sedition” as opponents of the regime seek to stir trouble.

Mirhossein Mousavi, the opposition leader who lost the 2009 election, said an increased police presence in recent days was a government attempt to intimidate anyone thinking of protesting.

The police have said it is conducting a crackdown on crime. – Reuters

Blast At Iranian Military Base Kills 18 Revolutionary Guard

Okay, the Iranians are saying that they had a fire at one of their military bases in western Iran that spread to a munitions depot and then the munitions exploded and that explosion killed 18 Revolutionary Guard and wounded another 14. That's the story. Is it the real story?

Here's what's being reported via Breitbart:

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - An explosion set off by a fire that had spread to an ammunition depot at a military base in western Iran killed 18 members of the country's powerful Revolutionary Guard, the state news agency reported Wednesday.
The IRNA news agency said 14 other Guard troops were wounded in the blast Tuesday in the city of Khoramabad, some 300 miles (500 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Tehran. The injured were taken to hospitals in Khoramabad.

The report said the blast was caused by a fire that had reached the ammunition storage area, but there was no word on what had ignited the blaze. In their first reports of the blast late Tuesday, most Iranian media said the explosion was an accident.

Although Khoramabad has not seen violence recently, it is geographically close to Kurdish-populated areas that have been the scene in recent months of several attacks by Kurds disgruntled with the central government.

Notice that there is no report of how such a fire got started. Now, I don't see anything in the article that leads me to believe that this was an "attack" on the Revolutionary Guard but there is the fact that in the past six months, there have been at least two major attacks against the Revolutionary Guard and there have been a number of them killed.

Now, I'm not too quick to point the finger at the Kurds, although they have every reason in the world to strike out at the Iranians but Sunni resistance groups have been behind the previous attacks.

I'm guessing that within 24 to 48 hours, it is going to come out that this was an attack by enemies of the Iranian regime from within Iran. I won't bet the farm but maybe a tractor.

18 Guard members killed in Iran base blast Tuesday



TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - An explosion set off by a fire that had spread to an ammunition depot at a military base in western Iran killed 18 members of the country's powerful Revolutionary Guard, the state news agency reported Wednesday.
The IRNA news agency said 14 other Guard troops were wounded in the blast Tuesday in the city of Khoramabad, some 300 miles (500 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Tehran. The injured were taken to hospitals in Khoramabad.

The report said the blast was caused by a fire that had reached the ammunition storage area, but there was no word on what had ignited the blaze. In their first reports of the blast late Tuesday, most Iranian media said the explosion was an accident.

Although Khoramabad has not seen violence recently, it is geographically close to Kurdish-populated areas that have been the scene in recent months of several attacks by Kurds disgruntled with the central government.

Iran is battling armed militant and separatist movements in the remote southeast along the border with Pakistan and in the far northwest along the border with Iraq.

On Sept. 12, a blast at a military parade in Mahabad, near Iraq, killed 12 people and prompted a cross-border retaliatory raid by Iranian forces. They blamed the attack on Kurdish separatists and followers of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

Tehran has accused the U.S. and Britain of provoking ethnic unrest to undermine Iran's security, charges both Washington and London have denied.

The Guard—Iran's most powerful military force, created after the 1979 Islamic Revolution as an ideological bulwark to defend the clerical rule—has been at the helm of the government's efforts to battle ethnic and religious insurgencies, as well as opposition groups.

In time, the Guard became a vast military-based conglomerate, amassing a network of economic and political power that extends to virtually every aspect of life in Iran.

The force has been targeted by the latest U.N. sanctions imposed on Iran over it's refusal to halt nuclear enrichment—a program the West fears could lead to an atomic weapon. Iran denies ambitions to build nuclear weapons, and insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, such as electricity generation.

The Guard has had large number of casualties in the past.

Last October, a suicide bomber killed at least 42 people, including five senior Guard commanders and more than a dozen other troops, near the Pakistani border in the heartland of a potentially escalating Sunni insurgency. It was the most high-profile strike against the force in the outlaw region of armed tribal groups, drug smugglers and Sunni rebels known as Jundallah, or Soldiers of God.

Iranian Revolutionary Guard Turned CIA Spy Makes Rare Public Speech and Condemns Obama's Naivete About Iran

I had not heard of this book, "A Time to Betray: The Astonishing Double Life of a CIA Agent Inside the Revolutionary Guards of Iran," written by a former Iranian Revolutionary Guards member who defected into an American CIA agent role but yesterday, this man, Reza Kahlili, made a public speech for the first time about his experiences.

From the article at CNN:

Reza said he quickly became disillusioned when he saw people being tortured and murdered and women raped in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison. Repressing his countrymen, he said, was not what he had signed up for.
But rather than quit the Guard and endanger his family, he contacted the CIA and began work as an American agent under the code name "Wally," he said.

He said he provided critical information to his CIA handlers about Iran's role in the Iran-Iraq war, the Iran-contra affair, the bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut and the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, which he said was masterminded by Tehran.

He predicted that Iran will eventually attack Israel, Europe and the Gulf and advocated a preemptive military strike against the regime but not against the Iranian people or infrastructure.
Kahlili accused the Obama administration of naivete and betrayal for seeking to engage Iran. Not only does the regime see this as weakness on the part of the United States, he said, but the Iranian people view it as a betrayal of the highest order as they fight for freedom.

I find it fascinating that we now see an Iranian, who has been inside of the Iranian government's military machine, has been witness to how the mullahs view the West and what plans they have concocted, publicly speaking about how naive Barack Hussein Obama is. We all heard the speeches where Obama talked about extending an "open hand" to Iran. Well, let's see how from the article how this Iranian inside views that philosophy:

"Stop dreaming, please," he said Friday. "You are not dealing with rational people. Every time you extend a hand, it is not seen as sincerity, but stupidity."

When a former member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards tells Barack Hussein Obama that he better get his head screwed on right, it means something. Is anyone listening to this man?

Ex-soldier in Iran's Revolutionary Guard writes of life as CIA spy


Washington (CNN) -- The tale contains elements of a spy thriller: a soldier in Iran's feared Revolutionary Guard turns spy for the CIA after concluding that the government that had promised democracy had instead ushered in oppression, violence and death.

But, Reza Kahlili says, this is no novel.

In his new book, "A Time to Betray: The Astonishing Double Life of a CIA Agent Inside the Revolutionary Guards of Iran," Kahlili offers a firsthand account of how he turned against the Islamic regime that he said has oppressed its people for three decades.

In one of his first public appearances, Kahlili addressed a packed hall Friday at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Flanked by a bodyguard and disguised in a hat, mask and glasses, he spoke through a modulator that led Washington Post columnist David Ignatius to liken his voice to Darth Vader's. Even his name is a pseudonym, all in an effort to protect his family, friends and contacts, he said.

The author said that, after a peaceful childhood in Iran, he came to the United States in the 1970s for college, studying computer science at the University of Southern California, where he enjoyed a carefree life of parties, watching football and listening to Pink Floyd and Jethro Tull.

He returned home after the sudden death of his father to find a country embroiled in change.

Kahlili describes the immediate aftermath of the 1979 revolution against Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi as a special time in Iran. Iranians had been led to believe democracy was theirs, the clergy wouldn't interfere in their lives and the people would have freedom of speech, assembly and political affiliation, he said. Everyone was excited about the direction of the country, he said.

It was then that Khalili's friend told him about an opportunity with the newly formed, elite Revolutionary Guard, which hired him immediately.

Reza said he quickly became disillusioned when he saw people being tortured and murdered and women raped in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison. Repressing his countrymen, he said, was not what he had signed up for.

But rather than quit the Guard and endanger his family, he contacted the CIA and began work as an American agent under the code name "Wally," he said.

There was no magic watch or pen or fancy car like James Bond, he said, just a pencil and a notebook. He was trained in communications and deciphering codes. Kahlili said his role "was to look and act the part of a devout Muslim enforcing all the new rules laid down by the mullahs."

"A full black beard was a mandatory accessory to the Guard's uniform, and I sported one along with every other member of the Guards. The image of a scowling, black-bearded Guard in uniform mustered fear and garnered respect. Playing the part of a zealot did not come naturally to me, and there were times I had to do things I dreaded: cautioning young girls to cover up, barking at kids for not displaying proper Islamic behavior, taking on the persona of a fanatic. I knew I would have to try to convince myself that doing these things allowed me to maintain my role -- and maintaining my role allowed me to contribute to the downfall of the organization to which I so fervently imitated allegiance."

He said he provided critical information to his CIA handlers about Iran's role in the Iran-Iraq war, the Iran-contra affair, the bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut and the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, which he said was masterminded by Tehran.

Kahlili described a CIA that knew little about what was going on inside Iran and was complacent about finding out the truth about the regime. He said he warned his case officers in the mid-1980s about the growing danger of the Guard, but said U.S. officials sat idly by, alternating indifference and negotiation with the regime he was working to take down.

This "misconception" of Iran, he said, has plagued America's decisionmaking for three decades.

After a few scares in which he thought his cover was blown, Kahlili left Iran, was granted asylum in the United States and moved to California. He said he no longer works for the CIA, but still provides the agency with information from his contacts in Iran about the regime, its nuclear program, its terrorist activities in the region and its continued oppression of the Iranian people.

He said that, after the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks and the 2005 election of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadenijad, he decided to speak out publicly to raise awareness of the brutality of the regime.

He predicted that Iran will eventually attack Israel, Europe and the Gulf and advocated a preemptive military strike against the regime but not against the Iranian people or infrastructure.

Kahlili accused the Obama administration of naivete and betrayal for seeking to engage Iran. Not only does the regime see this as weakness on the part of the United States, he said, but the Iranian people view it as a betrayal of the highest order as they fight for freedom.

"Stop dreaming, please," he said Friday. "You are not dealing with rational people. Every time you extend a hand, it is not seen as sincerity, but stupidity."

The CIA's public affairs office in Washington was not open Friday night and its telephone number would not accept messages; its e-mail account rejected two attempts to send it a message.

Breaking News: French Sources Reveal That Top Iranian Revolutionary Guard Leader In Damascus Was Assassinated

I don't know how many of you saw the story a couple of weeks ago about a "Syrian" who was connected by arms deals to the Iranians was killed in a robbery attempt at his home in Damascus but the reason that story didn't quite jive was because it was a lie and a coverup. The truth has now leaked out from French sources and the man has been correctly identified as a top leader of Iran's Revolutionary Guard's covert operations in Damascus, Syria.

From the report at DEBKA:

The death of Khalil Sultan, a high-ranking general of the IRGC's al Qods external terror branch, at his home in the exclusive Damascus district of Al Mezzeh Sunday, May 16 is now revealed by French intelligence and Syrian exile sources in Paris to have been assassination by an unknown hand.
The authorities in Damascus said at the time that the general, whom they described as a rich Syrian businessman, sales agent for the Iranian Kordo automobile manufacturers, was killed in the course of a robbery.In fact, according to debkafile's intelligence sources, Sultan ran Iranian Revolutionary Guards' covert operations in Damascus and Beirut under deep cover. The gang which burst into his luxury villa and gunned him down with automatic rifles removed only documents and laptops, but did not touch valuables, cash or gold.

Western sources disclose that his death caused deep shock in top Syrian and Iranian government and security circles. His assassins' success in reaching this top secret agent in the most closely-guarded neighborhood of the capital, seat of Syrian government institutions and domicile of senior officials, has caused Syrian intelligence and the regime as a whole deep embarrassment - particularly after a long series of hits against high-profile Hizballah and Hamas operatives in the Syrian capital's most secure districts - like the case of Hizballah commander Imad Mughniyeh.

As you can see from the last part from the report, the Syrians are freaking out over another high level assassination right under their noses. Not only was Sultan's identity and status compromised but obviously, someone got close enough to off the bastard. Good.

Before we chalk this up as a possible Mossad operation, the article does point out to Sultan's relationship with an Iranian general who defected to the West - so, with that said, it might have been Iran itself that decided to take him out before he had a chance to compromise anything - but at the same time, why not just arrest him and take him into custody? What this also might suggest is some underlying issues between the Syrians and the Iranians - I find it unlikely that it is a coincidence that both this general and Hezbollah's top terrorist were both snuffed out without the Syrians having a clue.

Iranian Guards general assassinated in Damascus - French sources


The death of Khalil Sultan, a high-ranking general of the IRGC's al Qods external terror branch, at his home in the exclusive Damascus district of Al Mezzeh Sunday, May 16 is now revealed by French intelligence and Syrian exile sources in Paris to have been assassination by an unknown hand.

The authorities in Damascus said at the time that the general, whom they described as a rich Syrian businessman, sales agent for the Iranian Kordo automobile manufacturers, was killed in the course of a robbery.
In fact, according to debkafile's intelligence sources, Sultan ran Iranian Revolutionary Guards' covert operations in Damascus and Beirut under deep cover. The gang which burst into his luxury villa and gunned him down with automatic rifles removed only documents and laptops, but did not touch valuables, cash or gold.
As Tehran's top operative for disposing of anti-Iranian elements in Syria and Lebanon, he worked in conjunction with Bashar Assad's intelligence branches. Their most recent joint project was the roundup of Iranian-Arab exiles from Ahwaz who live in Syria.
Western sources disclose that his death caused deep shock in top Syrian and Iranian government and security circles. His assassins' success in reaching this top secret agent in the most closely-guarded neighborhood of the capital, seat of Syrian government institutions and domicile of senior officials, has caused Syrian intelligence and the regime as a whole deep embarrassment - particularly after a long series of hits against high-profile Hizballah and Hamas operatives in the Syrian capital's most secure districts - like the case of Hizballah commander Imad Mughniyeh.

The victim was close to the al Qods Brigades chief Gen. Qassem Suleimeni, who is entrusted with the Islamic Republic's most hush-hush clandestine operations. French sources stress, on the other hand, that he was also a personal friend of the Iranian general who recently defected to the West. They name him as Gen. Reza Baba Hossein, the first time, debkafile's sources note, that this Iranian general has been publicly revealed to be a defector to the West.

that an Iranian general has been publicly named as a defector to the West.
Sultan's duties and diverse connections suggest three possible parties may have wanted him dead:

1. More than one foreign element had an interest in sabotaging Iran's covert activities in Syria and Lebanon and the intelligence partnership between Tehran and Damascus.
2. Syrian opposition exiles in Paris point the finger at their Sunni compatriots who are involved in activities for weakening Iranian and Shiite influence in their country.
3. Sultan's friendship with the defecting general may have aroused Tehran's suspicion that he abetted his friend's escape - or even had contacts in Western intelligence himself - in which case, Iranian intelligence would have no qualms about signing his death warrant.

Kill the Protesters!

By Findalis of Monkey in the Middle

That is the cry from Ayatollah Mehyaddin Haeri Shirazi on Iran Television recently in a live interview.  (View it here.)

In a live interview broadcast on the Islamic Republic's national television station sometime within the last two weeks, Ayatollah Mehyaddin Haeri Shirazi described a Communist protest movement from the early years of the Islamic Republic, noting how it was effectively crushed by the authorities. The government targeted opposition activists, he said, "arrested them in the afternoon and the same night announced the names of 30 people killed or executed by the government forces."

In reaction to the arrests and killings, Shirazi continued, "nothing happened. Why? Because they killed them."

Expanding on what he sees as the lesson from those events, the ayatollah said,"The more of them [the opposition] are killed, the more beneficial [to the people]. If the armed forces kill some of them, it is to our benefit."

On the other hand, Shirazi continued, "When they are arrested, it is bad [for public opinion], when they are captured [it is bad for public opinion]. Do not make victims out of them."

Killing the opposition protesters, the ayatollah insists, "is sanctioned by obedience to Allah and the prophet and is handed down to the Supreme Leader [Ayatollah Khamenei]. When it is sanctioned by such a power, there is no need to go through the government powers."

Shirazi warned the opposition forces, "Do not look upon the Supreme Leader [simply] as a person with a soft turban on his head, and that you can beat him. His support comes from the Hidden Imam Mahdi, he [Khamenei] is made of iron. It will come back down to break your own heads."

Perhaps in reaction to the increasing levels of violence by government forces, on December 26 a previously unknown anti-regime group calling itself the National Iranian Armed Resistance Forces (NIRU) "declare our readiness to rise to the armed defense of our nation against the forces of the criminal, illegitimate, transgressing and occupying current Government of Iran...." The group "accuses the current government and the leader of the Islamic Revolution, Mr. Sayyed Ali Khamenei of legal transgressions and high treason of nation and homeland."

NIRU claims to be made up of "a number of officers, soldiers and personnel of the armed forces", calling for "support" and "cover... in this moral and nationalist act" from "our brothers and sisters serving with the armed security forces of Iran...."

Iranian pro-democracy activists in contact with Israel National News said they are hesitant to believe in the authenticity of the organization until there is some external evidence of its activities beyond email and Web postings.

The first of two NIRU communiques, headed with praise for the Islamic god Allah, explained: "In accordance with the regulations of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, we are commissioned to protect the lives, properties and honor of our nation, and defend our sacred soil, as well as combat all occupying forces within the borders of the land. Any failure in carrying out this duty is considered a betrayal of nation and oath. According to the constitution, the defense of the rights of the nation of Iran, and avoidance of the collapse of the country takes precedence over protection of the ruling regime."

The group announced "the initiation of Operation Azadi ('Freedom')," which they said will end upon "unconditional surrender of the occupying government and leadership." The operation, the NIRU communique said, will involve taking control of military bases, taking over government buildings, arrest of "government-supporting agents within your units", "seizing... military and public communication facilities, as well as other news media", "combat mission[s] at the regional level, and expanding", and more.

Read the full story here.

Ayatollah Mehyaddin Haeri Shirazi has a wonderful nickname in Iran:  Land Thief.  For he has stolen thousands of acres of land in Shiraz and became a billionaire doing it.  So he is scared of what will happen to him if Ahmadinejad and the Mullahs are overthrown.

If the National Iranian Armed Resistance Forces (NIAR) is an actual group of resistane and not a front group set up by the Iranian government to destroy the Green Revolution, then it brings a whole new dynami to the Iranian equation.  For then the world will have an Iran in a very bloody civil war. Waged on one side by the Mullahs and the Revolutionary Guard, on the other side by the Protesters and the regular army.

The side that is victorious in this will become stronger than ever, the losers will be executed.  Thus is the way with despots.

Now is the time for the leaders of the Free World to speak up and be heard.  To speak words of encouragement to the people of Iran longing for Freedom, Justice and Liberty.  For the people of Iran who wish to throw off the tyrant who has destroyed their nation (physically and spiritually).  And still, President Obama says nothing.  His silence on this is deafening.

This is not the time to be silent Mr. President.  It is the time for you to stand up and speak to the people of Iran.  Not the Mullahs or Ahmadinejad.  The people who are fighting for the Freedom and Liberty that you take for granted.

The Iranin government has rejected your hand of friendship.  Now is the time for you to end your vacation, and become the Leader of the Free World.  If you fail on this, and the people of Iran are resubjegated into the slavery and despair that they have lived under these last 30 years, the verdict of history will be damning of you.  Your legacy will be one of incompetence and stupidity.  You will have shown the world that you are nothing more than a 2-bit street hustler who made it big!

Pakistan Captures 11 Iranian Revolutionary Guards Inside Pakistan's Border

Apparently the mullahs in Iran have decided that it wasn't the fault of the U.S. and Britain afterall for the bombing that took place last week in Iran that killed a whole bevy of its Revolutionary Guards....because today, those mullahs sent 11 of their Revolutionary Guards into Pakistan trying to get the real culprits for the attack, namely members of Jundollah.

Only one problem with that little strategy - Iran's elite force GOT CAUGHT by the Pakistanis! hahahahaha

I'm telling you, ya can't make this shit up. I've got the story on this from Reuters excerpted below but I've got a quick question of the Iranians...you had an act of terrorism occur on your soil and you decided you had the right to go anywhere outside of your borders to apprehend or kill those terrorists, right? Well then, can I assume by your actions that you wouldn't be opposed to special ops forces from the United States crossing into Iran to capture and or kill the Quds Forces personnel that performed terrorists acts on American troops in Iraq?

Pakistan says detains 11 Iranian Guards on the border

QUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistani forces detained 11 Iranian Revolutionary Guards on Monday for crossing into the country days after an Iranian commander was reported saying his men should be allowed to confront terrorists in Pakistan, officials said.
The Revolutionary Guards were arrested in the Mashkhel area on the border with Iran eight days after a suicide bomber killed 42 people, including six Revolutionary Guard commanders, in Iran's southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province.
A Sunni Muslim group Jundollah (God's soldiers), claimed responsibility for the blast.
Iran says the group operates from across the border in Pakistan. On Tuesday last week, a senior Revolutionary Guards commander said his force should be given permission to confront terrorists inside Pakistan, state media reported.
"It's a serious matter. We are investigating why they crossed into our territory," said a Pakistani border security official, who declined to be identified as he is not authorized to speak to the media.
Another Pakistani security official said Iranian border officials had told them that the encroachment was accidental and happened after the Guards launched an operation against Jundollah militants near the border.
Iranian state television, however, quoted police as saying eight soldiers and police officers were arrested by Pakistan while they were chasing people suspected of smuggling fuel.
"Five soldiers, three non-commissioned police officers who were chasing fuel smugglers at Iran's border with Pakistan have been arrested in Pakistan. Also two of the smugglers were arrested by Pakistani guards," said a police official, identified only as Brigadier Rezai.
Relations between Iran and Pakistan have been generally good in recent years and the neighbors are cooperating on plans to build a natural gas pipeline but Iran has said last week's suicide bombing would affect relations.
Iran says the Jundollah group has bases in Pakistan and it has urged Pakistan to hand over its leader, Abdolmalik Rigi.
Pakistan has assured Iran that it would cooperate in tracking down and punishing those behind the attack. It has denied that Rigi was in Pakistan.
Iran also accuses the United States and Britain of backing Jundollah.
"Those who commit these bloody terrorist activities, directly or indirectly are related to foreign countries," state television quoted Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying.
He was speaking a day after the two suicide bombs killed more than 150 people in Baghdad, in one of Iraq's bloodiest attacks in years.

Suicide Bomber Strikes In Iran, Kills Seven Revolutionary Guard Commanders

Whoa! Now THIS is a Sunday to remember as seven Revolutionary Guard commanders, part of a huge meeting in southeastern Iran, near the Pakistan border, were killed in a suicide bombing and 23 others were killed in the same explosion. The Sunni group of Iran, Jundallah, has claimed responsibility but of course, Iran has blamed both the United States and western powers for the attack.

From the report at Dawn, here's the details:

A suicide bomber blew himself up on Sunday at a meeting in southeastern Iran of the elite Revolutionary Guards, killing seven commanders and 23 other people in an attack Tehran blamed on Washington.

Several tribal leaders at the meeting in Sistan-Baluchestan province — a hotbed of Sunni insurgency — also died in the blast which officials said additionally injured 28 people.

The attacker set off his explosives belt as the meeting got underway around 8.00 amin front of a gymnasium in the city of Pisheen, near the border with Pakistan, the state broadcaster said.

Now, in my view, any time a Revolutionary Guard commander bites the dust, it is reason to celebrate and as I stated above, Iran is blaming the U.S. for this attack - let's look at that accusation from the article:

‘We consider the recent terrorist attack to be the result of US action.

This is the sign of America’s animosity against our country,’ Larijani said.

‘Mr. Obama has said he will extend his hand towards Iran, but with this terrorist action he has burned his hand,’ he said referring to US President Barack Obama’s repeated diplomatic overtures to Tehran.

Now, that is typical bullshit from the Iranians because they KNOW the Americans didn't do this but they have to try and convince their people that it has to be from outside the country - they can't admit that their own security breakdowns are the fault in this bombing.

But what I want to look at here is the disturbing reaction of the U.S. State department after hearing of this bombing. From the article:

The United States condemned the suicide bombing and denied any involvement in the attack.

‘We condemn this act of terrorism and mourn the loss of innocent lives,’State Department Spokesman Ian Kelly said in a statement in Washington.

‘Reports of alleged US involvement are completely false,’ he added.

Now, why would the U.S. even say ANYTHING about this attack? We "mourn the loss of innocent lives" ????!!!! These were Revolutionary Guard commanders - these were men involved in the killing of our U.S. troops in Iraq - these are OUR ENEMIES! For pete's sakes...we put out this kind of statement regarding pigs who had the blood of our young men on their hands. I'm livid, as you can imagine. The Obama administration is certainly smart enough to know that every attack inside of Iran since the Revolution has been blamed on the U.S. and/or Britain and this was going to be no different, yet we come out with this weak-kneed pansy assed statement of concern and condolence. Well, bullshit...I say we celebrate in the streets and hand out candy.

30 killed in Iran blast, Jundollah claims responsibility

TEHRAN: A suicide bomber blew himself up on Sunday at a meeting in southeastern Iran of the elite Revolutionary Guards, killing seven commanders and 23 other people in an attack Tehran blamed on Washington.

Several tribal leaders at the meeting in Sistan-Baluchestan province — a hotbed of Sunni insurgency — also died in the blast which officials said additionally injured 28 people.

The attacker set off his explosives belt as the meeting got underway around 8.00 amin front of a gymnasium in the city of Pisheen, near the border with Pakistan, the state broadcaster said.

Iran’s parliament speaker said the United States was behind the attack while the Guards accused Western powers for the assault.

The chief prosecutor in Sistan-Baluchestan said Abdolmalek Rigi, the head of the shadowy Sunni rebel group, Jundallah (Soldiers of God) had ‘accepted the responsibility’ for the attack.

‘Based on the latest information... between 30 to 35 people, including military officers, tribal leaders and local citizens, have been martyred in the attack,’ the chief prosecutor, Mohammad Marziah, said, as quoted by ISNA news agency.

‘So far no one has been arrested, but terrorist Malek Rigi has accepted the responsibility for this terrorist attack,’ he said.

Rigi’s group has regularly attacked the Guards, the elite military force set up after the 1979 Islamic revolution to protect the regime from internal and external threats.

Fars news agency said the bomber struck when Guard officers were meeting local leaders of the Shia and Sunni communities, adding some tribal chiefs were among the dead.

Fars said that among the dead were General Nur-Ali Shushtari, deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guards ground forces, General Mohammad-Zadeh, commander of the Revolutionary Guards in Sistan-Baluchestan province, the Guards’ commander for the town of Iranshahr and the commander of the Amir al-Momenin unit.

Three other commanders from the adjacent province of Kerman were also killed, according to Fars.

One of the victims, Mohammad Ayoub Dehghani, who was wounded in the stomach, said the bomber ‘must have walked through the people to where the commanders and tribal heads were sitting.’The enemies of the Islamic Republic of Iran cannot tolerate the unity, so they hire mercenaries who are supported by the Zionists and arrogant powers to carry out these terrorist attacks,’ IRNA quoted him as saying.

Another victim, Qader Bakhsh Tajdari, who was hurt in the arm said: ‘What have the ordinary people and local chiefs done to be murdered like this?’ President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned of swift retribution against those who carried out the attack.

‘I am ordering the relevant officials to identify quickly the elements of this terrorist crime and hand them over to the judiciary,’ Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by IRNA.

‘I assure the Iranian people, especially the dear people of Sistan-Baluchestan that the criminals will receive very soon a response to their inhuman acts.’ Parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani said the United States was implicated in the deadly attack.

‘We consider the recent terrorist attack to be the result of US action.

This is the sign of America’s animosity against our country,’ Larijani said.

‘Mr. Obama has said he will extend his hand towards Iran, but with this terrorist action he has burned his hand,’ he said referring to US President Barack Obama’s repeated diplomatic overtures to Tehran.

The United States condemned the suicide bombing and denied any involvement in the attack.

‘We condemn this act of terrorism and mourn the loss of innocent lives,’State Department Spokesman Ian Kelly said in a statement in Washington.

‘Reports of alleged US involvement are completely false,’ he added.

Iranian officials have previously accused Britain and the United States of supporting ethnic minority rebels such as Jundallah operating in the sensitive border areas, especially in Sistan-Baluchestan province.

Ex-CIA Spy Inside Iran's Revolutionary Guards Spills What We Need To Do About Iran

Imagine....a CIA operative from America inside Iran's super secret Revolutionary Guards...well, here's part of his story and part of what he thinks should be done about Iran. Fascinating, I tell ya, fascinating. This just might be a book purchase for me. This story comes from the Christian Science Monitor:

As a CIA spy, I saw in Iran what the West cannot ignore

Los Angeles - Today the West must make one of the most important decisions of our era. Will we defend what remains of democracy and freedom in Iran, or will we succumb to Tehran's murderous government?
It's a question that goes to the heart of our own security. Iran is a thugocracy of Islamic mullahs, and it will soon have nuclear arms. Any misconception about the intentions of fanatics with nuclear bombs will have grave consequences.
I know because I spent years alongside them as a CIA spy working under cover in Iran's Revolutionary Guards starting in the 1980s.
The Guards Corps was set up as a check on the regular Army and to serve and secure the Islamic revolution. Thirty years of Western appeasement hasn't stopped them from terrorizing the West – or Iranians. Today, with Tehran's leaders caught in a power struggle over the June 12 election and the legitimacy of the regime, the Guards, led by zealots, are calling the shots.
The Guards – and the hardliner clerics they protect – are vulnerable, however. This summer's grass-roots uprising has put them on the defensive. A strong Western hand now could tip the balance.
We don't have a moment to lose. If we can't upend the Guards now, how can we do so once they have nuclear bombs?
Washington could lead the way by refusing to recognize President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who earlier today took the oath of office for his second, four-year term. Instead, the United States should demand the freedom – and the freedom of speech – for all who've been arrested and tortured in recent weeks. And we should toughen sanctions to include cutting off Iran's gasoline supplies.
The people of Iran are desperate for a show of support from the West. By standing with them, we can uphold our duty to defend democracy and take a stand for the security of the free world.
Such a stand would mark a radical policy change. For the past 30 years, the West has tried very hard to appease Iran's mullahs.
In the 1980s, I helped make known a secret pact between Iranian mullahs and some European governments. Thirsty for Iranian oil, the Europeans gave the go-ahead to Iranian agents to assassinate opposition members abroad without interference, as long as European citizens were not at risk. Hundreds of dissidents were gunned down.
The US has also been guilty of trying to appease the mullahs. Almost every administration after the 1979 Iranian Revolution has tried in vain to create better relations through back channels. Yet those efforts haven't stopped Iran's rulers from arming terrorists, taking hostages, and suppressing their own people.
The brutal killing of Iranians by their leaders that we're seeing today is nothing new. Ruling clerics have been killing political opponents, along with their families and friends, for 30 years – but inside prison walls.
I've been inside those walls and I've seen teenage girls who were raped before execution so they were no longer virgins and therefore, according to their Islamic beliefs, couldn't go to heaven. I've seen hundreds hung on cranes. I've seen women and men lined up in front of firing squads after being severely tortured; their families would be forced to pay for the cost of the bullets. Western officials were quite aware that this was happening, but they let their thirst for oil blind them.
Today, however, the screams of Iranians young and old calling for democracy and freedom cannot be ignored. The post-election uprising has started the countdown of the end of the thugocracy in Iran. This is the desire of the Iranian people. It should be our desire, too.
So far, the West has kept fairly quiet about Iran's unrest. President Obama and others say they don't want to give credence to Tehran's claims of a Western conspiracy behind the protests. And by not ruffling the regime's feathers, they hope to negotiate improved ties and resolve the nuclear impasse.
But how do you negotiate with a government composed of terrorists?
Right now, the Revolutionary Guards have near-complete control of Iran. This terrorist organization is expanding its power throughout the Middle East. Its ultimate goal is to bring the demise of the West.
With the help of North Korea, the Guards are working on long-range ballistic missiles in tests that are concealed by their space project.
The Guards have also accelerated their production of Sejil, solid fuel missiles, and are working nonstop to improve the range of those missiles. Today they can strike Tel Aviv, Riyadh, US bases in Iraq, and the US Navy's Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. Their goal is to be able to target all of Europe.
The Guards are also working on their nuclear bomb project in facilities unknown to the West.
Iran's defense minister, Mostafa Najjar, who oversees the development of missile and nuclear technology, was in charge of the Revolutionary Guards forces in Lebanon that facilitated the attack on the Marine Corps barracks in Beirut on Oct. 23, 1983, killing 241 US servicemen.
The current deputy defense minister, Ahmad Vahidi, who oversees the distribution of arms and missiles to terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, and Hamas, was the commander of the Guards' elite Quds Forces and the chief intelligence officer of the Guards in charge of the terrorist activities outside of Iran.
Mr. Vahidi is currently on Interpol's Most Wanted List for the attack on the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires on July 18, 1994 that killed 85 and injured more than 100.
Many Iranian officials have Interpol arrest warrants, and even supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei has been recognized in courts as one who has ordered such acts.
Fanatic radicals such as these are incompatible with a free Iran. This is the best opportunity in 30 years to change course and stop succumbing to thugs. Will we seize it?

"Reza Kahlili" is a pseudonym for an ex-CIA spy who requires anonymity for safety reasons. He is writing a book about his life and experiences as a CIA agent in Iran's Revolutionary Guards.

Breaking: Iran's Revolutionary Guard Warns That They Will Put Down The Demonstrations

Well, we have been waiting for about a week to find out what Iran's Revolutionary Guard would do in regard to the demonstrations across Iran by the people and it appears that the Revolutionary Guard has finally announced that they will step in and put down the uprising - with them warning protesters via their website. I would have to say that this new development will mean one of two things: 1. The demonstrations will end OR 2. The demonstrations will become a blood bath. Here's the breaking article update from Breitbart:

Iran's Revolutionary Guard is threatening to crush any further opposition protests over the disputed presidential election and warns demonstrators to prepare for a "revolutionary confrontation" if they take to the streets again.
The country's most powerful military force ordered demonstrators to "end the sabotage and rioting activities" and said their resistance is a "conspiracy" against Iran.

A statement posted Monday on the Guard's Web site warned protesters to "be prepared for a resolution and revolutionary confrontation with the Guards, Basij and other security forces and disciplinary forces."
Opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi vowed Sunday night to keep up the protests, charging the June 12 election was a fraud.

I'm not really sure why the Revolutionary Guard took so long to make this warning, perhaps they were seeing how far this would all go but it appears they mean business. And while I think it's going to be tough for the Iranian government to squash this uprising due to its far reaching size, I think we will see a more organized and military like use of the Guard in major demonstrations and the end result will either be a quick disbursement of the crowds or some very ugly battle scenes where, if video or photos get out, we will see a lot of bodies left in the aftermath.

I guess we will find out just how much the uprising has in it.

Iran Revolutionary Guard threatens protesters

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran's Revolutionary Guard is threatening to crush any further opposition protests over the disputed presidential election and warns demonstrators to prepare for a "revolutionary confrontation" if they take to the streets again.
The country's most powerful military force ordered demonstrators to "end the sabotage and rioting activities" and said their resistance is a "conspiracy" against Iran.

A statement posted Monday on the Guard's Web site warned protesters to "be prepared for a resolution and revolutionary confrontation with the Guards, Basij and other security forces and disciplinary forces."
Opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi vowed Sunday night to keep up the protests, charging the June 12 election was a fraud.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP)—Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi and a popular reformist former president are boldly defying the country's supreme leader by supporting continued protests of a disputed presidential election, but it was unclear Monday whether protesters would dare to continue massive demonstrations after a bloody crackdown.
"The country belongs to you ... protesting lies and fraud is your right," Mousavi, who claims hardline Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won re-election through fraud, said in a statement on his Web site.
The statement flies in the face of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate power in Iran and who last week said the claimed landslide victory of Ahmadinejad was valid.
Echoing Mousavi, former president Mohammad Khatami said in a statement that "protest in a civil manner and avoiding disturbances in the definite right of the people and all must respect that."
But aside from the bold words, the opposition on Monday appeared to be scrambling for a strategy to continue the momentum of the protests that have riveted world attention without putting its supporters in peril. At least 10 people were killed in clashes Saturday between demonstrators and police and the feared Basij militia. Police said Monday that 457 people were arrested that day alone, without saying how many have been arrested throughout the week of turmoil.
Official figures say 17 people have died in the week of unrest. But searing images posted online—including gruesome video purporting to show the fatal shooting of a teenage girl—hint the true casualty toll may be higher in the clashes with police and the feared Basij militia.
Mousavi's Web site on Monday called for supporters to turn on their car lights in the late afternoon as a sign of protest—a somewhat muted response compared with the recent enormous gatherings.
Also Monday, the Guardian Council, which agreed last week to investigate some voting complaints, said irregularities were found in 50 constituencies, but that this has no effect on Ahmadinejad's win.
Council spokesman Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei was quoted on the state TV Web site as saying that its probe showed more votes were cast in these constituencies than there were registered voters, but this "has no effect on the result of the elections."
The acknowledgment of the irregularities was unlikely to mollify the opposition, who allege massive and systematic fraud. Khatami said "taking complaints to bodies that are required to protect people's rights, but are themselves subject to criticism, is not a solution" -- effectively accusing the Council of collusion in vote fraud.
Journalists for foreign media have been put under tight restrictions and assessing the extent of the protests and violence is difficult.
The government has intensified a crackdown on independent media—expelling a BBC correspondent, suspending the Dubai-based network Al-Arabiya and detaining at least two local journalists for U.S. magazines.
English-language state television said an exile group known as the People's Mujahedeen had a hand in the street violence and broadcast what it said were confessions of British-controlled agents in an indication that the government was ready to crack down even harder.
The Foreign Ministry on Monday lashed out at foreign media and Western governments, with ministry spokesman Hasan Qashqavi accusing them of "a racial mentality that Iranians belong to the Third World."
"Meddling by Western powers and international media is unacceptable," he said at a news conference shown on state TV, taking particular aim at French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
"How can a Western president, like the French president, ask for nullification of Iranian election results?" Qashqavi said. "I regret such comments."
Mousavi, in statements posted Sunday, warned supporters of danger ahead, and said he would stand by the protesters "at all times." But, he said, he would "never allow anybody's life to be endangered because of my actions" and called for pursuing fraud claims through an independent board.
The former prime minister, a longtime loyalist of the Islamic government, also called the Basij and military "our brothers" and "protectors of our revolution and regime." He may be trying to constrain his followers' demands before they pose a mortal threat to Iran's system of limited democracy constrained by Shiite clerics, who have ultimate authority.
His chances of success within the system would be far higher if he has backers among those clerics.
In the clearest sign yet of a splintering among the ayatollahs, state media announced the arrests Sunday of relatives of former President Hashemi Rafsanjani including his daughter Faezeh, a 46-year-old reformist politician vilified by hard-liners for her open support of Mousavi.
Rafsanjani's relatives, who state media said were held for their own protection, were released after a few hours.
Rafsanjani heads the cleric-run Assembly of Experts, which can remove the supreme leader, the country's most powerful figure. He also chairs the Expediency Council, a body that arbitrates disputes between parliament and the unelected Guardian Council.
Rafsanjani and his family have been accused of corruption by Ahmadinejad. And the 75-year-old ayatollah was conspicuously absent Friday from an address by the country's supreme leader calling for national unity and siding with the president.
That fueled speculation that Rafsanjani, who has made no public comment since the election, may be working behind the scenes and favoring Mousavi.
Ahmadinejad appeared to be courting his own clerical support. State television showed him meeting with mullahs at the presidential palace and telling them the election had demonstrated popular love for the regime.