Posted on 04/21/2005 9:51:56 PM PDT by Straight Vermonter
London, Apr. 21 – At least 62 people have been killed and over 1,000 arrested in the week-long clashes between people and security forces in Iran’s southern Khuzestan province, according to the main Iranian opposition group, the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran.
Fierce fighting has brought the province to a complete stand-still since Friday, when State Security Forces (SSF) opened fire on a 3,000-strong anti-government demonstration in the city of Ahwaz.
The residents who were mainly ethnic Arabs were complaining of government plans to redefine the ethnic make-up of the province.
Ahwaz was placed under a de facto martial law after a number of SSF agents were killed by angry demonstrators.
Balal Mosque in Sepidar neighbourhood and similar places in Ahwaz are being used as temporary detention centres by MOIS agents and the Revolutionary Guards.
The PMOI said today, “Young people took control of Ahwaz highway to Abadan. Residents of Molashieh attacked the SSF base in the district and killed the base’s commander and his deputy”.
“The clerical regime cordoned off the city’s airport and cut off water, electricity and telephone lines in Lashgar-Abad and Dayereh to intimidate the people.
“Some 55 people have been killed and at least 400 wounded so far during clashes in Ahwaz. Most of those slain were between 18 and 22 years old. Hundreds of young people have been arrested and taken to Karoun Prison. Arrests are continuing in Mahshahr, Abadan, Shish and other cities in the province.
“To date, 1,000 people have been arrested and many transferred to undisclosed locations. The security forces continued dispersing the demonstrators by opening fire and using tear gas canisters.
“Despite brutal attacks by the suppressive forces, the chants of ‘down to the clerical regime’, ‘death to Khamenei, death to Khatami’ echoed throughout Ahwaz.
The PMOI said that clashes also occurred in Old-Mahshar, where residents engaged in armed clashes with anti-riot forces, and authorities dispatched reinforcements from other provinces to the city. It said that residents destroyed a large number of government buildings and set fire to government vehicles. Seven people have been killed and hundreds wounded in the clashes so far, according to the opposition group.
“Three of those slain were named Asgari, Ghargholi and Alboughobeish”, it said.
“The clashes spread to Masjid Soleiman, Dezful and Howeizeh. This morning, residents in Masjed Soleiman held a rally to voice support for demonstrators elsewhere in the province. They also changed anti-government slogans. All schools in the city were closed down and the security forces used tear gas and live fire to disperse the crowds.
“Clashes have been reported in Dezful and Howeizeh as well”, it added.
Would Ahvaz be the same city as Ahwaz? If so, it's a border city to Iraq and is in the west central section of Iran.
Yes, it's one and the same. :)
I can still read a map (Home Improvement grunt hurr hurr hurr).
After I saw this post, I had to go to www.tehran24.com and look at the pictures of Ahwaz and Khuzistan again to see if they had new pictures and they did.
They didn't mention Kian Pars or Khooi Korush sections in Ahwaz, wonder how their doing.
ping
Since 1979 Iran's Shi'ite Muslim despots have utilized the nation's vast petroleum wealth to foster it's brand jihadic warfare through countless acts of ruthless terrorism.
Large sums of Iran's earned oil revenue are provided for Iranian infiltration of suicide bombers into Iraq for the sole purpose of murdering Americans & other Coalition troops coupled with the slaughter of the Iraqi public and the newly elected leaders.
Let us not forget Tehran's terrorist oil barons continue 'assisting' in the sabotaging Iraq's economic oil infrastructure, while Iran's oil exports are shipped to her world-wide customers unmolested. Something is wrong with this picture.
Additonal amounts of the mullah's enormous oil wealth is sent to pro-Shi'ite terrorist groups such as Hamas, Hizballah & Islamic Jihad, by way of direct arms shipments, coupled with cash payments to further Tehran's demented goal of world-wide Islamic domination through brute force.
Note that Khuzestan province or[Khouzestan] is the most important pivot of Iran's economy. The existence of such huge resources as oil, gas and water in Khuzestan have changed the economic & military appearance of Iran. Oil first erupted from a well in the Massjed e Soleyman area, located in the southern Khuzestan province.
If the only meaningful method to cripple the mullahs oil based economy is the disruption of Iran's main commodity, does anyone really believe the current outbreak of fighting against Tehran's rule being fought directly in the heart of Iran's oil rich Khuzestan Provence is simply a coincidence?
U.S. forces are right on the Iraqi-Iranian border if needed. The American Navy protects the Persian Gulf's oil sea-lanes. While in Afghanistan, very close to Iran's eastern border, the power of the U.S. Air Force, plus American troops battle & defeat leftover Talaban & Al-Qa'ida terrorists, but can quickly be called upon if required in order to quell an aggressive, threatening Iran.
The vast majority of Iran's crude oil reserves are located in giant onshore fields in the southwestern Khuzestan region near the Iraqi border and the Persian Gulf. Iran has 32 producing oil fields, of which 25 are onshore and 7 offshore, all of them making the mullahs extremely rich.
According to the Oil and Gas Journal (1/1/04), Iran holds 125.8 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, roughly 10% of the world's total, up from 90 billion barrels in 2003.
In October 1999, Iran announced that it had made its biggest oil discovery in 30 years, a giant onshore field called Azadegan located in the southwestern province of Khuzestan, a few miles east of the border with Iraq. Reportedly, the Azadegan field contains proven crude oil reserves of 26 billion barrels.
In July 2004, Iran's oil minister stated that the country's proven oil reserves had increased again, to 132 billion barrels, following new discoveries in the Kushk and Hosseineih fields in Khuzestan province.
Imagine the incredible amounts of oil profits Iran has been earning since oil soared from the low $30 per barrel, to the current hovering price of the mid-$50 per barrel. Then think how much additional funding Iran's tyrants have directed toward its rouge nuclear weapons program, coupled with increased arms to their favourite pro-Shi'ite terrorist groups.
The time has arrived to remove the Iranian nuclear & Islamic terrorist threat off the global stage!
With what? We're kind of tied up at the moment in Iraq.
We have Iran surrounded on three fronts. An economic squeeze of Iranian oil attempting to exit the Persian Gulf is one way since Iran will obviously not come clean over its 'real' nuclear programme.
In order to bring about a more lasting peace in both Iraq & Afghanistan, plus cut substantial funding to Hamas terrorists attacking Israel, along with Hizballah in Lebanon as well, Iran's terrorist exporting regimé must be brought down.
IRANIAN REGIME MORE ISOLATED AT HOME AFTER KHOUZESTAN RIOTS
Caps not mine but links :)
An economic squeeze on Iranian oil attempting to exit the Gulf is an economic squeeze on Japan, South Korea, United Kingdom, China, Thailand, India, Brazil, and Taiwan, since that is where that oil is destined. How long do you think they will sit still for our unilateral actions?
We may be forced to go it alone at first, or Iran will to something ultra-rash bringing about an Allied force.
The way things are going the issue triggering stronger action might turn out being Iran's refusal to allow real inspections of its nuclear plants. It's like Saddam all over again, except the stakes are higher because the mullahs leadership preaches suicidal madness, at least for others to carry out.
Since most of them aren't a part of the Iraq effort, or are only minor paricipants, I doubt that they care. And I doubt that the UK will join in or support any strike on Iran.
We may be forced to go it alone at first, or Iran will to something ultra-rash bringing about an Allied force.
If we go it alone and act unilaterally then we will lose. If Iran initiates something then that is a different matter.
bookmark
Got it, Thanks!
Amen!
Prayers for the kids marching for freedom.
Iran news ping!
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