Posted on 07/27/2006 5:25:12 AM PDT by markomalley
TEHRAN: A group of Iranian students left for Lebanon yesterday pledging to help Hezbollah fight Israeli forces there, witnesses said.
Iranian hardliners have made great public show of recruiting volunteers for “martyrdom-seeking operations” in recent years, but there is no record of any of these Iranian volunteers taking part in attacks in Iraq, or against Israel.
“The Prophet Muhammad’s army is on its way to fight against the Zionists,” chanted some 50 volunteers at Tehran’s Behesht-e Zahra cemetery, where a large tree-lined area is dedicated to Iran’s ‘martyrs’ killed in the 1980-88 war with Iraq.
“A group of 200 volunteer students will be dispatched to Lebanon via Turkey. We are leaving Tehran today by bus,” said Amir Jalili, a spokesman for the group.
“We hope Turkey will let us pass the border and go to Syria. If not we will come back to Tehran.”
Iran is a sworn enemy of Israel and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for the Jewish state to be “wiped off the map”. But while Israel accuses Iran of arming Hezbollah, Tehran says it only gives the Lebanese group moral support.
The volunteers stressed theirs was a private initiative, not backed by state authorities. The group, calling itself the Justice-Seeking Movement of Students, said they had no military training. Some 50 students boarded buses from Tehran, but more were to join them from other cities at the border, they said.
Iranian officials have repeatedly said such groups have no official sanction and say they can operate only “as long as their ideas are limited to theory.”
“We are an independent group. We want to help our Shia brothers,” said Hadi, a 23-year-old French literature student, carrying pictures of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who has vowed to take the war deeper into Israel.
“We want to fulfil our religious duty. If officials ban us from going to Lebanon, we will obey,” said another spokesman Morteza Assadi before getting on the bus to go to the border.
Members of the hardline Basij militia at the cemetery said they had no intention of taking action against Israel without the green light from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who has the last word on all matters in Iran.
“It is our religious duty to help our Muslim brothers. But we need our leader’s approval first,” said Mohamed, a Basij militiaman witnessing the gathering.
Although Iran did fund and support Lebanese Hezbollah during the 1980s, Tehran insists that it has not contributed troops or weapons in the latest violence. Israel rejects this, arguing Iranian armaments have been fired against it. - Reuters
Of course these are students and not soldiers. /sarc
The big question I have is if either Turkey or Iraq actually lets these "volunteers" transit their territory (the volunteers will have to transit at least one or the other). That will be VERY, VERY telling...
(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)
Students, right, yeah sure.
I wish they were, they'd get slaughtered.
Let's hope martyr schooling takes a heavy toll.
Students or soldiers posing as students? Does this mean that Iran has formally entered the war? If the US were to send a "student" army you'd hear all sorts of squealing.
This is nothing less than the Iranian government officially sending soldiers into battle. These "students" are likely trained soldiers who are skilled at operating the more sophisticated rockets and any other "sophisticated" weapon systems Iran is sending. This is an ACT OF WAR.
Israel will be happy to accommodate their wish to die and meet their father the Devil in his paradise as he prepares for their arrival.
Why's that? Considering the condition of most American universities these days, "student volunteers" from the US would be going over to act as "human shields" for Hezbollah!
At least students from West Point & Annapolis might not be so friendly to the Hezzies.
What they were thinking: “We hope Turkey will not let us pass the border and go to Syria. Then we will come back to Tehran.”
Actually, they range in age from their teens to a guy in 70's.
So, needless to say, they aren't necessarily students. But the ones who are, you can safely bet, are members of basiji militia. (in addition to ones who aren't students)
"Come on and join the party pal"
A send off at the cemetery. Gad.
They have essentially identified themselves as terrorists, round 'em up and throw them in prison, or ship them to the Israeli's.
Reducing them to a foul-smelling pink mist is better, I believe.
Works for me...I'll bring the air freshener.
These bastards are in for a world of hurt. Turkey should be held accountable if they let these terrorists transit.
If we could et ALL the Iranian fanatics and ALL the Al Quaida nutjobs in the same place just once - ....
Good.
More grease for the treads of the IDF Tanks and APCs
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