Iran has predictably accused the United States of supporting Balouchi terrorist attacks against the Revolutionary Guards Corps. I doubt anyone out of range of the moonbats will believe it, and the Iranians’ behavior shows that they don’t really believe it either. As Charles Johnson over at Little Green Footballs shows, the Iranians’ “evidence” is a total hoax. Charles calls it “a blatant Photoshop fraud.” (LGF is down at the moment, but I’ll give you the link as soon as it comes back up).
UPDATE: the LA Times swallows it whole. Here it is.
Claiming they were pictures of weapons seized at terrorist headquarters in Zahedan, FARS actually ran doctored photos, which were designed to reinforce the claims made in parliament, that “The arsenals used in the criminal act were US-made, while the documents and proofs show that the terrorists were supported and led by the US.” In addition, the mullahs claim to have confessions from the “terrorists” that they received “all-out support” from the United States.
UPDATE: Gateway Pundit reports that the mullahs have already identified, tried, convicted and executed one of the “terrorists.”
MORE: And Kamangir summarizes the legal process nicely:
Name: Nasrollah Shanbhe Zehi (نصرالله شنبهزهی).
Date of Committing the Crime: 14 February 2007.
End of the Investigations: 15 February 2007 (less than 24 hours after arrest).
End of Trial and Issue of the Verdict: Unknown (probably it was an “order”).
Date of Announcing the Verdict: Unknown.
Date of Appeal: Unknown.
Date of Retrial: No retrial in Allah’s government.
Date of Execution: 19 February 2007 (less than four days after the end of investigations).
I wonder if the American journalists who were so eager to challenge the detailed presentation of actual physical evidence of Iran’s murderous actions against coalition forces in Iraq, will expose the mullahs’ blatant falsification. I rather doubt it. And I don’t expect the paladins of the dying media to draw the obvious, and important conclusion: the mullahs are facing discontent so deep that their internal enemies are resorting to very dangerous acts of violence against the instruments of repression.
The War of the Persian Succession rages on. And we are absent, except in the falsifications of the Islamic Republic.
I wonder if they’re as smart as they think they are. Do they think it enhances their security if large numbers of Iranians come to believe that the United States is killing the oppressors? Not bloody likely. It’s more likely to encourage those tens of millions of Iranians who dream of freedom. Careful what you lie about, dear Ali, you may be digging your own grave.
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Baroness Wyszynski:Did you just hear that sound?
Feb 19, 2007 - 2:19 pm Jimmy Mack:I think it was a backfire.
If the Peloshiites get their way this country will soon be an Islamic Republic as wel
Feb 19, 2007 - 2:46 pm David Smithson:Nothing we are doing makes any sense unless the US takes on Iran at some point. And I have to believe that the people who were wise enough to take out Saddam understand that this is the case.
It may be a case of turning up the heat in such small increments that dear Ali doesn’t worry too much and try to run away until it is too late.
ML:
Well, dear Ali is going to leave us soon in any event. And as for our leaders, they should have realized the urgency of tackling Iran a long time ago. But maybe, just maybe, we are drifting toward a serious policy. Better lucky than good?
Feb 19, 2007 - 4:54 pm DougJ:Nothing we are doing makes any sense unless the US takes on Iran at some point. And I have to believe that the people who were wise enough to take out Saddam understand that this is the case.
Agreed completely. But let’s not pretend that’s enough. We need regime change in Syria as well.
We’re talking about a strategy that could take 10, 20, maybe even 30 years. But it is the only way we can be safe and free.
All the mullahs must go. All of them.
Feb 19, 2007 - 8:17 pm Nick Guariglia:Doug, I wouldn’t say 20 or 30 years. The social and cultural democratization and liberalization of the region may take a few decades, but regime change in Tehran and Damascus can and should happen overnight if we support the right people.
Feb 20, 2007 - 1:54 am Sisyphus:I don’t think America can afford not to try for regime change in Syria and Iran- or even in America, if a quirk in the Electoral College throws the Presidency to some untried lightweight like Obama or an outright Islamist like Edwards. Regime change them out of America’s harm’s way, then complete the process of bringing freedom the the Middle East by doing what has to be done in Syria and Iran.
That’s supposing that Bush doesn’t have time to do it in the next 18 months, of course. It’s possible that the liberal bleatings of our ovine Congress will distract Bush enough from the national security issues that really matter to this country, but one hopes that in spite of the worst efforts of these smirking simpletons and dogged defeatists he will maintain his focus on victory in Iraq and the Middle East.
Feb 20, 2007 - 7:36 am DougJ:I would argue that even if it does decades, it’s still worth doing — no, it’s necesssary to do it.
We can never feel safe in a world where Syria and Iran are ruled by mullahs consumed with the idea of our destruction. We cannot be forced to sleep with one eye open, so to speak, for much longer.
Feb 20, 2007 - 10:27 am Kourosh:AP designated LeftOver Marxists turned journalists have no idea how to report the facts. This shady journalism has started from Europe and spreading all over. The goal. Hit US and its interests any which way you can. It doesn’t hurt, if you have an accent too. Like BBC, CNN reporters.
Just see this quotation from today’s AP report from Somalia by their designated journalist, MOHAMED OLAD HASSAN, Associated Press Writer who seems to be mourning Islamists demise:
“Many residents say the Islamic group brought a semblance of order to this anarchic nation.”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070220/ap_on_re_af/somalia
The same goes with all reporting for AP by Ali from Tehran. All tainted and all against US polkicy and Iranian people. They follow NeoSoci (Neo-Socialists) lines adopted by anti-American intellectuals and useful idiots around the world.
Feb 20, 2007 - 11:00 am Alexis:Mr. Ledeen, why haven’t Israeli leaders called for the overthrow of the Iranian government or funneled money toward pro-democracy groups in Iran?
I know that “conventional wisdom” states that Jews undermine their position by calling for the overthrow of Iran’s clerical tyrants, but that same argument could also be used for Americans calling for the overthrow of Iran’s clerical tyrants. Besides, I don’t see what Israel would have to lose! Would even Mr. Netanyahu be willing to help Iranian democrats?
It has been over forty-five years since Israel captured Adolf Eichmann and put him on trial; Mr. Ahmadinejad hides behind diplomatic immunity to keep him from being prosecuted by Israel as a modern day Nazi responsible for the deaths of Jews. Am I supposed to believe that the International Criminal Court will prosecute Mr. Ahmadinejad for advocating genocide against Israelis? Is “Never Again” supposed to be as meaningless as “Next Year Jerusalem” was in previous centuries? Yet, while Iran is openly funding Hamas and threatening Israel with nuclear oblivion, where is Israel when Iranians seek freedom from tyrants?
Iran’s tyrants think they can get away from murder and falsehood because of the West’s previous record of appeasement. If even Israel is reluctant to call for the Iranian government’s overthrow, what do Iranian tyrants have to fear?
ML:
Israeli leaders have always believed that Iran was just too big for them, and that only America could deal effectively with Iran. Certainly Israel has been very outspoken about the nuclear program,but I wouldn’t expect them to openly call for regime change, if the United States were not prepared to do the same.
Feb 20, 2007 - 3:54 pm David Smithson:Agreed completely. But let’s not pretend that’s enough. We need regime change in Syria as well.
We’re talking about a strategy that could take 10, 20, maybe even 30 years. But it is the only way we can be safe and free.
I bet Assad might have difficulty staying in office if something happened to the mullahs. It seems to me that he is the junior partner in all of this.
Feb 20, 2007 - 5:01 pm Nick Guariglia:And I don’t think it should take decades. Policy makers just don’t want to do everything at the same time as some of us would wish they would.
Libya, Afghanistan and Iraq have been neutralized. Each action proceeded in a very different way.
It makes no sense to stop in Iraq. But the recent past suggests that future campaigns will also be different. Has anyone suggested how it could happen? Victor D. Hanson maybe? It seems unlikely that it will be similar to the two Iraqi wars. I thought Tom Clancy had an interesting idea. A point of laser light on dear Ali’s forhead might help him speed up his medical treatment, at the very least.
From talking to various Iran dissidents, and Dr. Ledeen knows this better than myself (or anyone, for that matter), there’s a lot of internal rift. Ditto that with the Syrians. How do we reconcile — or do we reconcile — opposition groups to Assad and Khamanei, which we otherwise dislike (like the Syrian MB and the MEK)? Do we exclude them from the parliaments-in-exile? What about defecting Syrian Ba’athists like Kadam, or “reformists” in Iran who want a gradual change and not a overthrow?
There’s a lot of internal disagreement. Step one is to have the U.S. mend that disagreement. Step two is to set everything in motion — subsidies, parliaments in exile, etc. — and step three, is to openly call for regime change. Just look at Poland, Romania, etc… it can happen and it doesn’t have to take thirty years.
ML:
Diaspora politics are always very messy and fractious. I don’t think that revolution in Iran or Syria will come from outside the country; I think we need to support people inside. And I think they will begin to take us seriously if we call for regime change. like now.
Feb 20, 2007 - 10:35 pm Seraphym:On the point that this guy “confessed,” does anyone know the kind of confession tactics the Iranian investigators used? The guy claimed that the US helped him, but we know that the photo of munitions that Iran showed was a fake (and the grenades and bullets aren’t even US military make!). Confessions received through torture (real torture, not slaps to the belly, barking dogs or loud music) are completely unreliable, as people will eventually mentally break down and admit to anything, just so you will either stop or kill them.
So, if Iran was trying to prove US involvement so bad that they faked (badly) a photo of munitions and went very public with this investigation (publicity which the demopathic dupes in the press happily lapped up), how hard did they work on this guy to get his “confession?” Anyone have any photos of this guy they killed being unable to stand, or with bruises or marks on his body or face?
/my $0.02
Feb 21, 2007 - 11:56 am Sisyphus:Why are we still talking about this? Why haven’t we killed them yet? Oh yeah, because Pelosi is a member of the Al Qaeda Party. Cheney said it, and it angered her, so there must be some truth to it.
Feb 22, 2007 - 12:43 am Kia:How do you suggest we should go about bringing democratic change to Iran peacefully. This is indeed the ideal option. The Iranian people both inside and outside of the country would support such move. However, people have been talking about it for past 25 years and nothing of real consequece has happened. Considering, the current Iraninan system, it almost seems impossible!!!
ML:
I heard the same thing about the Soviet Union, but as Comrade Gorbachev will tell you, it can certainly be done.
Feb 22, 2007 - 7:31 pm Sisyphus:We really can’t bring about change within Iran without nuking them. We’ve tried everything else, from covert ops to yelling at them to letting Iraq take them on back in the ’80s. Nothing’s worked. The mullahs have a stranglehold on power, and the people seem all too willing to let it stay that way, sacrificing the freedom of their children just on the off-chance the Islamofascists won’t kill them.
Well, we’re going to have to bring freedom to that country no matter what, because our freedom depends on the rest of the world being free, too. And if that means we have to nuke these placid Persian peasants, so be it. It’s the only way to bring freedom to their children.
Someday, Iranis and Iraqis will join hands and thank America for their liberty. That is my dream.
Feb 23, 2007 - 12:39 pm Sisyphus:We really can’t bring about change within Iran without nuking them. We’ve tried everything else, from covert ops to yelling at them to letting Iraq take them on back in the ’80s. Nothing’s worked. The mullahs have a stranglehold on power, and the people seem all too willing to let it stay that way, sacrificing the freedom of their children just on the off-chance the Islamofascists won’t kill them.
Well, we’re going to have to bring freedom to that country no matter what, because our freedom depends on the rest of the world being free, too. And if that means we have to nuke these placid Persian peasants, so be it. It’s the only way to bring freedom to their children.
Someday, Iranis and Iraqis will join hands and thank America for their liberty. That is my dream.
Feb 23, 2007 - 12:39 pm Kia:“and the people seem all too willing to let it stay that way”
Sisyphus, it’s easy for you to say that. But pople love to live first. It’s human nature. Iranina people, tried openly going againt the government on many ocasions, however, without, strong leadership, and organized external help it resulted in nothing. Many lost their lives or were jailed and tortured. Many still are in jail for the same reason (and for much simpler reasons). People rather be alive and feed their kids today (with whatever little they have), than die and not know what happens to thier childern in future!
Again, just easy for you to say!!!!
Feb 23, 2007 - 1:14 pm Sisyphus:If people are afraid of losing their lives under the Ayatollah’s murderous regime, I can understand it. My point is, if we make them even more afraid of losing their lives DEFENDING that regime, we’ll see a revolution take place. There’s no better way to make something like that happen than to start a bombing campaign. We can use conventional weapons at first, making it clear that if there hasn’t been a revolution in 6-8 weeks, we’ll bring out the nukes. I assure you that regime cange will come very swiftly.
Feb 24, 2007 - 2:55 pm David Smithson:I have read that this week the second US carrier group will arrive in the Persian Gulf. I have also read that this is a routine rotation and the first group will be leaving soon.
Feb 25, 2007 - 7:37 am DougJ:Perhaps their actions will tell us something. If the first group does not come home, that is.
“But pople love to live first.”
The mullahs don’t. They live to hate. To destroy. To behead. To fight against freedom. It’s naive to think otherwise.
Feb 25, 2007 - 8:31 pm