The picturesque city of Chabahar is right on the Gulf of Oman , and was supposed to become Iran’s biggest and most important naval base. As with so many grand projects of the fanatical buffoons who rule the Islamic Republic, this one didn’t work out so well, but its strategically important location of course remains intact, on sea and land as well. Its significant geography is not limited to access to the Middle East’s most important sea lanes; Chabahar is in the region of Sistan-and-Baluchistan, whose borders are shared with Pakistan and Afghanistan.
It is therefore not at all surprising that the regime would go all-out to maintain control over the area, which it has attempted via a Stalinist ethnic policy. The people there are mostly Sunni, and mostly unhappy with their treatment by the theocrats in Tehran (Sunnis — around 15% of the Iranian population — are excluded from high office, and there are virtually no Sunni mosques in the big cities)). The regime’s strategy has been to transfer Shi’ites into the region, and move out Sunnis. The strategy has been predictably unpopular, and over the last dozen years there has been more and more violence, with the security forces and the Revolutionary Guards/Basij killing, arresting and torturing local activists, and the locals—most famously the members of the Jundullah movement, which operates in Pakistan as well as in Iran. It’s a textbook case of a vicious circle.
Last week there was a big suicide bombing in Chabahar, on the occasion of the Ashurah religious celebration, when Shi’ite men publicly lash themselves with chains and knives to recall the slaughter of Mohammed’s grandson, Hossein, at the hands of his political enemies. Contrary to the claims of the regime—routinely repeated and accepted by Western news media and political leaders including President Obama (who decried the murder of “innocent civilians”) and Secretary of State Clinton (“terrorists using cowardly methods to inflict pain and fear on innocent civilians”) — the terrorist attack was not aimed against “women and children,” but against the symbols and enforcers of the Shi’ite regime: Revolutionary Guards, Basij, and Quds Force fighters. More than sixty were killed, and a large number wounded.
The regime blamed both the usual suspects — us, the Brits, and the Israelis — plus the Pakistanis (the second time this year that the Iranians have accused the Paks of sponsoring terror attacks), and even the Saudis. This stuff comes from the official Iranian media; perhaps some of the Sy Hersh crowd will wonder if the CIA, or Special Forces, are organizing a replay of the anti-Soviet mujahedin campaign in Afghanistan back in Charlie Wilson’s day, by enlisting the Sunni nations to sponsor an Islamist campaign against a common enemy (the Soviets back when; the Iranians nowadays). I don’t subscribe to such fantasies (I don’t think the Obama Administration is organizing much of anything against the Iranian regime except sanctions), just trying to be helpful to those who do…
The only encouraging note from Obama and Hillary was that they didn’t send condolences to the rulers, but to the Iranian people. But it’s not nearly what they should be doing, for the terror attacks in Sistan-Baluchistan are not nearly as dreadful as the regime’s systematic murder of its own citizens. Tomorrow (Monday the 20th) alone, a dozen prisoners in Kermanshah are scheduled to be executed. All are accused of terrorism; but Iranian human rights activists point to numerous executions of people with no conceivable connection to terrorism.
Elsewhere, the regime’s slaughter of the innocents continues apace, and the mullahs have expanded their campaign against family members who dare to stand vigil at the gates of the prisons where their loved ones are often refusing food or liquid. And the “Center to Defend Families of those Detained and Slain in Iran,” the very existence of which speaks eloquently to the state of Iranian affairs, reports that even those who go to pray at the graves of their murdered relatives are harassed by security forces.
“If only there were a Western leader with the prescience and courage to support the Greens, we would find many terrible problems a lot easier to manage.”
Amen!
Great write Mr. Ledeen. The IRI Dictators need to be on the terrorist list, NOT Jundullah, NOT the Kurds or the Boluch, Suffi’s, Baha’, and Christians. If your homes were bulldozed, your people murdered by IRGC thugs, you would fight back too. Iran continues to supply explosives to terrorist, has a $1,000.00 price tag on our soldiers, AhmadiNejad has openly declared war on the USA and Obama is still negotiating. Our soldiers are dieing and 12 more innocent victims in Iran will be executed tomorrow as Clinton and Obama continue to talk. It is ludicrous and sad.
I went to the “picturesque city of Chabahar” in 1963 as a sailor on a lone US destroyer plying those waters. It was only than a primitive village then, so much so that liberty was not allowed and we anchored out in the bay for lack of a pier that could take us. (There was not a port nor even a real town anywhere on the coast between Karachi and Bandar Abbas.) I spent a lot of time eyeballing the place through the big binoculars on our signal bridge. There was only one vehicle in the whole village – a Land Rover. Small camel caravans could be seen entering and leaving. The “mayor” was brought aboard and offered a set of binoculars to look back at his village from our vantage point. He was so impressed that he giggled like a child. A company of US Army engineers were camped in the desert near town, surveying what was to become an airbase for the Shah.
Merry Christmas to my favorite political writer/bridge player
Dittos, and many more!
Many thanks for another sane and informed article. I would very much like to have the transcripts of the videos released by Ali Akbar Mohtashamipour, if there is a way to share them, or if they have already been added to the videos as subtitles, I would be grateful for the links. Many thanks.
send me an email at mledeen@defenddemocracy.org with your address and I’ll send it.
Done! Thank you
Dr. Ledeen,
Do you really think that the Green movement is for real? Karroubi and Mousavi are Islamists, or do you think that they are altruistic Islamists who really want to make changes for the better? As always sir, great work and we always look forward to your insights!
I would love for Ledeen to be right but this regime has shown resiliency time and again. It is not like they have any scruples, it is all about power for their own sakes. It isn’t even about Islam anymore. The regime is indistinguishable from any totalitarian regime before them.
The only issue is whether they get the bomb before they go and how many will die before they collapse or get overthrown or bombed into oblivion (preferably not in a nuclear counterstrike).
History tells us that totalitarian regimes opposed by the overwhelming majority of their populace, do not last long. But Iran has a sharpened dagger, Hezbollah, connection to al Qaeda, they are led by a murderer who revels in killing and he will never leave power peacefully.
michael leedeen, you have no idea what you’re talking about. The greens cant be supported. Why? Because they are depressed and demoralized. The regime’s overwhelming force after the elections crushed all the hopes and sucked all the energy out of them. Again, why do I say this? Because I friggin talk to them on a daily basis! some of them even cut me off if I try to talk politics with them because they have had it! (I help them out setting up proxies to thwart web filters of the regime).
Here is the deal, the regime is going no where and the more you talk trash about how regime change is around the corner the harder it is for the average people who are suffering from the regimes economic mismanagement and our foolish sanctions/war mongering. We destroyed Iraq’s middle-class, we are doing the same (aiding the mullahs in power with our sanctions).
well, anthony, i do know how to spell my name, which is more than you can say…
Sir,
I wonder too. Why we should care about another group who worship Allah. You, and I are still Infidels, and to follow Mohammad is to wage war of all types against same.
If I profiled your name correctly, I bet it would it be more of a risk for you to be in the company of those who worship Allah than I. Yet, you appear to care a lot more than I do.
Actually I rather expect–and have said many times–that when a freely elected government is sworn in in Tehran, there won’t be a single official with a turban…and lots of women.
Is that all you can come up with? How superficial of you.
He’s the superficial one?
Doubtful.
Anthony, please – be courteous.
Anthony, if you think his response was superficial, you only looked on the surface. He actually said quite a lot, with very few words.
I’m not convinced he’s right, but at least I understood the import of what he said.
I DO hope he’s right.
“Replay of the anti-Soviet mujahedin campaign in Afghanistan back in Charlie Wilson’s day, by enlisting the Sunni nations to sponsor an Islamist campaign against a common enemy (the Soviets back when; the Iranians nowadays).”
If we were smart, I mean really, really, smart, that’s exactly what we would be doing right now. Muslim factions have been slaughtering each other for centuries. When we first invaded Iraq, what did al Qaeda do? They tried to start a sectarian war between the Sunni and the Shia in that country. The day is fast approaching where we will need to pick a side and set one group against the other. That is the only way we will be able to have them concentrate on killing each other rather than coming over here to kill us. For my money we should pick the Sunnis and read them the riot act for supporting the Taliban in Pakistan. We give them aid to torment the Iranians and in exchange they abandon the jihad in Pakistan. If we can force the Saudis into the deal, they will go for it. Especially if they think Iran is about to get a nuclear bomb.
All in all, I agree with what Henry Kissinger said during the Iran-Iraq war during the 1980s. He said, “Concerning Iran and Iraq, it’s a pity there can be only one loser.” Time to set them against each other so that they will leave the rest of the world alone. It has worked for centuries, it will work now.
Hi Mr. ledeen! i just listened to this guy. he is very articulate ansd seems to have balls. he is out right accusing Ahmadinejad, and Jannati as fixing the elections. in the third video he is saying that they observers at many post and had set up a system for the observers to report irregularities via SMS. and that the information ministry cut off all contacts!! in the last video he is advising people against going to face book to his page and he is saying he did not set it up and it is the work of other people. these assholes are done! without a doubt!!
Michael,
Excellent article.
The Iranian people (Persians, Kurds, Gilakis, Mazandernis, Lurs, Turkic, Baluch, Semantics, Armenians, etc.) are bound together by the root Persian language and an old guy called Cyrus, I am told.
All the Shiite brainwashing and butchery in the world will not remove their mutual heritage…
The Iranian people have suffered enough; they must step forward and put the butchers to flight.
As such, the Iranian people must start the elimination of those that support the butchers… In a few weeks the bad guys will leave.
Never seen so damn much rain in Santa Barbara in all my put together.
Regards
Weak western leadership indeed! Perhaps President Obama can arrange a meeting with the Iran leadership, not Ahmadinejad but the religious leaders; there he could do another of his profound bows to convince them that they should be doing better than they are currently doing.
Dr Ledeen,Thank you for this insightful article.It is long overdue.The Iranian people have certainly suffered,especially sicne the stolen election. Merry Christmas.
One of my cousins, on my father’s side of the family, married a guy
who was in the Oil Business. One of the places he was at was Venezuela, before Chavez. The government of the day reduced the subsidy so that the price of gasoline doubled. If I recall the conversation correctly, it wasn’t that much later than Chavez rolled to power.
You would think that Ahmadinezhad, Khameini, and others would be cognizant of this, but sometimes it is easier to ignore the elephant in the room, than it is to do the alternative.
As for Western leadership, expecting anything of them to aid the brutalized people of Iran, is akin to the debate of which is the tallest pygmy.
The Iranian people have suffered a lot during the last thirty years. How much longer can this go on?
quite a while, davelnaf, ask the Russians…what was it,80 years? and they are still not free…
Michael,
I wish so much that what you write comes true. The Iranian people are, by and large, not prone to religious extremism, unlike most of their neighbors. They are largely a secular, intelligent, sensitive people who are being systematically terrorized by psychopaths who cloak themselves in Islam.
Obama cannot speak forcefully about freedom and human rights because he simply does not understand these things well. From his perpsective, the United States and Israel are as morally corrupt as is the govenment of Iran.
I fear the Iranian people will have to win this fight on their own. But being unarmed, it will be difficult. But you are right. The vast majority of people in Iran are sick of Islam and its rule. It is here that Democracy could take deeper root, unlike the more religious Sunni regions of the Middle East.
Remember, Persia actually has a history of contributing to civilization. They have stagnated ever since Islam showed up on the scene.
I was noticed by the USGS yesterday that Iran was hit with a 6.3 earthquake. For some reason it didn’t hit the news. Earthquake in Iran wouldn’t be any big loss! The mentally ill left believe God isn’t in control. Fools!!!
Happy Yalda to all Iran lovers.
Michael,
Could you find a way to post the English transcript of the 5 videos, or at least a synopsis of the most important parts? It might help to spread the news about the corruption of the Iranian regime and help increase political pressure on Washington to support the pro-democracy movement.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you & yours!
i’ve sent it around to some who say they will post the videos with subtitles.
It is unfortunate for the Persians, but ‘should’ there ever be a democratic government set up; the rest of the muslim world would simply invade and start to murder them all. There would be terror everywhere and then another despot would be installed. The problem in Iran is Islam. Always has been their real problem.
What a wonderful article. It showed an understanding and courage that most observers lack. Tyranny will not last forever. It is not whether, rather when it will end, and how soon the Iranian people will be freed from the yoke of suppression, oppression, and death. To force a nation into the dark ages in this day ans age may seem unlikely, but that is what is happening in Iran
How long have we been told this regime is about to collapse? At least 10 years. Stop wasting our time.
Why in the world should any of this matter to a fork lift driver in Minnesota or a barber in Hawaii? If America had the leadership abilities you would like to see, who is it exactly we’d be leading? France, with 750 muslim no go zones? Britain, paralyzed by a few muslims into politically correct stupidity? Germany which is trying to come to grips with a half century of failed muslim immigrants? Spain which turned tail and ran after the Madrid train bombing?
How in the world can a country like Iran, which cannot even refine its own fuel oil, be a military threat to any but an even more incompetent country? The US should start sitting and waiting and watching and these polities will simply implode as their medieval ideas and oil supplies hit the wall not to mention their very own Chernobyl’s. Those idiots will be running windfarms before long and saving gasoline for internal transport while the people get back on a donkey. We should be as patient as muslims claim to be but time is really on our side and not theirs as it is the West which will innovate the next oil-less epoch and not arrogant temporarily oil rich sheep herders with some ability to copycat low tech. Before Iran is brought into the 21st century it’ll be backsliding to the old days. I’m in for the long haul and have no fear of a nose-job obsessed polity which argues about how or why to worship a meteor and keeping the beautifully nosed women out of soccer matches.
Sy Hersh crowd will wonder if the CIA, or Special Forces, are organizing a replay of the anti-Soviet mujahedin campaign in Afghanistan back in Charlie Wilson’s day, by enlisting the Sunni nations to sponsor an Islamist campaign against a common enemy ..it is too bad we are not doing this. We should be
“If only there were a Western leader with the prescience and courage to support the Greens, we would find many terrible problems a lot easier to manage: Iraq and Afghanistan would go better, the tyrant Chavez and his “Bolivarian” Axis of Latin Evildoers would be weakened, and the misnamed “peace process” might even have a chance.”
Fat chance, I’m afraid, Michael. We seem to be stuck with the heirs of Chamberlain, not Churchill.
Funny-
We criticize Iran. We have had coups in this nation – JFK. We have had kangaroo courts (Warren Court – Commission), and let’s not forget – the 9-11 Commish /
What snails are we American’s who ply the desires of our Zionist Christian agenda? If only we had a brain, but – this is all interesting, and I choose to be a mere spectator. I am happy to let the Zionist Christians take their own kids to war. Mine? Safe and not enlisted, nor will they.
All of this, once you all get sense into you – will be discovered to be for profit, and we are just in it for the false sense of entitlement to a nation. A nation who has been wayward and lost longer now than Moses and his flock.
Jeff, Prison Planet is thataway—->
Compared to what other nation quizzling?
May you and yours live to see the globe dominated by the Chinese Communists.
If I remember correctly the Baluchs have a problem similar to, though on a different vector, from the Pashtuns: a people divided by a border they were talked into. For the Pashtuns its the old British-set border that differentiates Afghanistan and Pakistan, while for the Baluchs it is the Pakistani-Iranian border. Unlike the Pashtuns, the Baluchs feel they were short-changed with the creation of Pakistan as they were told they would be semi-autonomous within Pakistan as there is a dream of creating a Baluchistan between Pakistan and Iran. To that end the liberation of the Baluch population in Iran has been a long-standing ethnic ideal.
Like the Kurds on the other side of Iran, the Baluchs are culturally cohesive and can run a pretty nasty covert set-up aimed at the Iranian regime: they go after local governors, military personnel and police, not the general public by and large. The Iranian government downplays or suppresses this as the organization(s) of the Baluchs have been able to escape infiltration and dismantling.
One of the things I have wondered about is the Green Movement working out an arrangement with the ethnic minorities in Iran: Kurds, Azeris, Baluchs and Arabs. There is much to be gained in a unified front to the regime in cross-support towards a final resolution of not only getting rid of the regime, but ending ethnic tensions. A good first step would be to cooperate with the minorities to shut off the supply of terrorist thugs from the ‘stans in central asia. The regime deploys those as the civil police are not willing to go after the civil population and are considered untrustworthy. Thus cutting off that supply would deprive the regime of paid-for enforcers, which would ease up on all concerned inside Iran.
The West can and should help, even in minor ways, to go after those organizations that also cooperate with the Talibe, al Qaeda and Hekmatyar’s organization, which seem to be the suppliers of the thugs to Iran via their web of contacts. That is more than just military work, but diplomatic work with the central asian ‘stans to get this done. Unlikely to happen with the feeble lot in Western capitols these days, but one can hope…
jacksonian: yes the Greens have certainly worked out some strategic alliances with the ‘ethnics,’ which is half the population of the country.
So there are good muslims and bad muslims, ey? Nope. ALL muslims are either planning to kill western Christians or raising kids that will. If we are going to play geo-politics with these sub-human scum then it should only be around how can we keep them offing each other most efficiently. The only good muslim is the one who recognizes mohammedanism as the death cult it is and quits it.
Here is the bellwether to use in order to know when the muslim middle eastern world has joined civilization: on the day when muslims start looking at the former Mandate of Palestine through eyes that look at such issues as the greater good, fair play, reason, proportion, cultural bigotry, actual history as opposed to made up history and the equal rights of non-muslims, that is the day I will listen to them. Until that day, which I imagine is centuries in the future, it’s like watching a bad “sword and sandal” movie from the 60s.
Whoever wins control in Iran will still be mindless advocates for all things muslim and right and wrong will have absolutely nothing to do with it. The idea of a U.S. style constitution in any muslim polity in the world is as alien as mushroom people from Jupiter to a muslim. But when they immigrate to the West they sure as hell become aware of those same laws they have not the slightest interest in other than to use them against their host country.
I silently enjoy reading these blogs but I understand from Baluch sources such as دکتر عبدالستار دوشوکی
that you are completely wrong about this particular explosion; this last one was a criminal terrorist attack, Al Qada style.
you write:
“the terrorist attack was not aimed against “women and children,” but against the symbols and enforcers of the Shi’ite regime: Revolutionary Guards, Basij, and Quds Force fighters. More than sixty were killed, and a large number wounded.”
Women and kids were killed and the target, as the group itself now proclaims for the first time, was “outsiders” (read shia Muslims).
Dr. Ledeen, with all due respect, amongst Iranians (we like to think we are still a civilized people despite the regime)we do not accept the bombing and murder of our citizens on such feckless grounds as shia vs sunni, “outsides” and insiders etc. As I am sure as a Jew you do not accept the killing of Jewish settlers in the occupied territories by Arab terrorists. Such things are rare in Iran and we would like to keep it that way.
Jondollah has sunk to the lowest levels of Hell and has joined Wahabi terrorists and PLO, Hamas criminals with this mass murder. It is a shame that you have not condemned it. Every political group I know in Iran and outside Iran has.
I take the absence of a retraction as a sad reason to stop reading your blogs; I do not read apologists for terrorism.
i called it terrorism, reza, i don’t like it, I was trying to provide context. which i have reconfirmed: the attack was against RGs, Basij, and Quds.