Where?
Khuzestan, for those of us only faintly aware of its existence, is the oil-rich region of Southern Iran where a separatist movement among the Arabs has been in progress for some time. Today, according to Sify, at least eight people were killed and seventy-five wounded there in a series of bombings in the days before the Iranian election.
Khuzestan’s deputy governor Gholam Reza Shariati said the unidentified attackers were trying to damage “the territorial integrity of the country and the election process.”
Iran is due to go to the polls to elect a new president on Friday.
“We cannot say for now who committed these attacks, but the intelligence ministry is investigating,” Shariati told state televsion, but added: “the attacks are a failure, because in the past the regime has been confronted by far worse.”
What’s afoot? Don’t ask me but Debka reports the following:
Since April separatist unrest in Iran’s richest oil region in south west is spreading with bomb attacks on mainline trains, banks and government buildings.
Tehran has just stopped Iranian pilgrimage to Iraqi Shiite shrines, virtually shutting its borders with Iraq. Iran accuses US and Iraqi intelligence of recruiting and training Khuzestani pilgrims as anti-government guerrillas.
On April 22, DEBKA-Net-Weekly 203 lead article explored Khuzestan Arab Spring offensive and its Kurdish Iraqi backing. On May 6, DNW 204 revealed Khuzestan Front’s No. 2 leader Said Taher Naama paid secret visit to White House April 23.
Can anyone corroborate that?
Oh, so the great worm is turning? Lord help me, I love it!
The only thing I remember was that Saddam was hoping the Khuzestani arabs would rise up during the Iran-Iraq war.
As to the bombing, the same question arises as in Iraq: what purpose does it serve to kill civilians? I have got to wonder who is behind this, one of the Iraqi groups? SCIRI had Iranian connections, so does Sadr, I just don’t see what organization in Iraq would be promoting the rebellion. Kurds? They are up north. My guess is that the rebellion is local/tribal and that weapons and explosives are smuggled in from southern Iraq, but no Iraqi group is directly involved. I would certainly welcome more information, because I am just guessing.
Map, look for Ahvaz.
I might add that I think the Kurds are more involved in northern Syria, where assassinations and Kurdish demonstrations are currently ongoing (missed that in the news, eh?) and in the developing Kurdish resistance in northern Iran.
Chuck, I believe the Kurdish assertion is developing again also in southern Turkey. Enough to prompt the recent DC visit by PM Erdogan.
According to an IRNA article, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami left Lorestan province on Saturday and was en route to Mashahr, Khuzestan. Heh.
I’m surprised ace reporter Sean Penn isn’t on the scene, digging out the truth for us.
–PM Erdogan–
So that’s why the visit and we’re sorry we turned down the $27 billion and made your job harder.
And here I thought it was because they don’t have a snowball’s chance in Hell of joining w/Europe.
The Kurds will get what they want in the end.
Well, let’s see what W does. they must pay for the deaths they caused for being the frogs’ tool.
Sandy P,
Wonderful epithet that the “frogs tool”,there a quite a few that that would fit admirably.
And then add this to the mix: http://famulus.msnbc.com/famulusintl/reuters06-12-093402.asp?reg=mideast&vts=61220050946
Could this be an attempt by the Iranians themselves to stir up some pro nationalistic sentiments before the election and/or justification for further crackdowns on the freedom folks before the election?
the secret white house meeting that DEBKA reports? I think it was at the white house hamburger stand in Fallujah…
Wrt Kurds, Shias, & Sunnis, according to neocon principle (as I read it), one rewards friendship and penalizes, uh, enemyship. Gosh, this seems a simple principle. But so many intellectuals cannot, or will not, grasp it.
(hey,ex-dem, if you’re around, Condi was a knockout at the charity concert last night…no, my invite got lost in the mail, but I saw her on Fox)
OT, sorry ó Lindenen, Old Gunny, I posted a reply to you about Zinni in the appropriate thread. Sorry I didn’t get back to you last nite.
oh, THAT white house.
I would suspect that this is standard throughout the Middle East and always has been,we just happen to be focussing on the area.
I do remember the protests back in April. That was something. The regime really made sure to “clean that up” as quick as possible, the pictures were pretty bad.
It seems that another bomb has just gone off in Tehran. The government is saying that the bombers are trying to undermine participation in the election. I can’t comment too far on the bombing or their purpose, but the government’s purpose here is to definitely stir up the always hot nationalism and force out a higher turnout. That is, of course, what in the end gives them legitimacy.
interesting that Iraq is now trying to destabilize iran in response to iran’s previous and current attempts. same with syria.
now iran has closed pilgrimage to iraqi holy sites.
interesting times.
If DWN found out, how secret could it be? Unlikely, I’d say. Any contact would be through cut-outs, probably Kurds.
Good idea, though. Divide and conquer works well, as a rule of thumb. Provided the plot doesn’t get out, that is. Ixnay on the Umorsray…
Be nice if these things were already deployed.
I sure hope it’s true. It would be best if they could make a real impact on Friday, when they are having elections, because the whole world will be watching. If they do not spin it, they will see that the people in Iran HATE the Mullahs and the government.
There is a very good article by Regime Change Iran. H/t to Chrenkoff.
Go see Publius, & remember the ‘babe’ theory!
Bush and Babes, changing the world, one step at a time.
You Betcha!
How do you say “Shadenfreude”(sp?) in Persian?
I’m not sure we have enough information to render a theory as to who is responsible for these actions, but there are a few things we can be fairly certain of:
1. The explosives almost certainly came from Iraq. Hence, this action, though not necessarily positive from a standpoint of Iranian freedom, may prove positive from a standpoint of Iraqi non-interference. It is very difficult for Iran to maintain plausible deniability in their dealings with Iraqi infiltrators (see SCIRI and Sadr) if they treat the border as a selectively permeable membrane. If this makes them guard their border more carefully, it can only help Iraq.
2. This helps shatter the regime’s aura of invincibility. No doubt Iran tells its citizens to look westward for the consequences of a fallen Iranian clerisy. “After us, the deluge.” Well, perhaps an early appearance of the deluge will convince some fence-sitters that the Iranian police state isn’t quite the protection they’d been lead to believe.
3. Iran will need a scapegoat. And the most obvious scapegoat is the anti-government, pro-democracy advocates whom we are all hoping will tear down the walls separating Iran from the free world. This also means that Iran will probably use this bombing as an excuse for rounding up pro-democracy leadership.
Furthermore, they are already trying to turn this into a rallying point for patriotic Iranians. “Show these bombers that we will not be intimidated by turning out to the polls in force!” However, as Spain proved, a false claim with respect to the provenance of the attack may prove harmful to the ruling party in a way that the truth could have mitigated. That is, if Iran chooses unwisely and tries to pin this crime on uninvolved parties, then the truth comes out prior to the election, it could be a rallying point against the government, as coverups often become.
One way or another, I think this bombing may prove a catalyst for change. I just hope the change is toward freer days for Iranians.
I just hope those ladies who were pictured on various Iranian sites do not get raped and killed by the Satanic loving Mullahs.
The Iranians meddled in Iraqi affairs. Arguably they were even helpful. They didn’t mind the overthrow of Hussein, and some of the Shiite groups they bolstered are not participating in the elected government.
As with the 18th-century French monarchy, a state that was tyrannical at home promoted liberalism abroad as a weapon against a hated rival (then England, now Saddam).
In the case of 18th-century France, this intervention backfired; the principles they abetted abroad came back to haunt them.
Iran is having the same experience right now…
I don’t miss them blaming the zionists and america.
Who would benefit from instability in Iran?
The only people to benefit is the local population. Not Saddam, or any other outside influence.