Iran Fingers U.S.-Israel

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright Jan..18, 2010
All Rights Reserved.                    

              Engaged in the biggest crackdown since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iranian authorities blamed the United States and Israel for the Jan. 12 assassination of 50-year-old Tehran University physics professor and opposition leader Massoud Ali Mohammedi.  Mohammedi died from a remote-controlled motor scooter bomb, blaming the U.S. and Israel, vowing retaliation.  Iranian President Mahmoud Ahamadinejad blamed Israel and the U.S. while his Revolutionary Guards continued their relentless persecution of protesters loyal to Mir-Hossein Mousavi, Ahmadinejad’s main rival in the June 12, 2009 disputed election.  Since the election, protests have raged in Tehran, prompting Ahmadinejad to crackdown on protestors.  Thousands of protesters have been arrested, detained, tortured and murdered since the disputed June 12 election.  Mohammedi defied Ahmadinejad’s warnings.

             Widespread protests inspired by Mousavi prompted fierce warnings from Iranian officials, threatening brutal consequences.  Tehran’s police chief Gen. Ismail Ahmadi Moghaddam warned opposition protesters they would face unforgiving punishment.  “In dealing with previous protests, police showed leniency.  But given that these opponents are seeking to topple [the ruling system] there will be no mercy,” said Moghaddam.  Iran’s top prosecutor echoed Moghaddam’s warning, promising to prosecute protesters to the fullest extent of the law, including torture and death.  “Strong action must be taken against seditionist elements,” said General Prosecutor Gholam Hossein Mohseni.  Ahamadinejad continues to blame Israeli and U.S. officials for Mohammedi’s death, despite the more logical explanation pointing to the mullah-dominated regime of Ahmamdinejad and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

            In a stunning bit of propaganda, Iran promised to take revenge for the physics professor’s death.  With paranoia running deep in Ahmadinejad’s regime, five-protesters were put on show-trial.  Pointing fingers at the U.S. and Israel diverts attention away from the Iranian government, having a vested interest in suppressing protests.  Show- trials are a neon sign to protesters that further protesting will be met with swift and effective retribution.   Iranian authorities blame the opposition group named the Peoples’ Mujahedeen for conducting the assassination.  Ahmadinedjad hasn’t explained why Israel or the U.S. would be interested in killing an opposition-leader and critic of Ahmadinejad’s regime.  “Rest assured that Iran will take revenge for the blood of martyr Ali Mohammadi from you,” said Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammed Naijar, warning Israel and the U.S.

             Blaming the U.S. and Israel for Mohammedi’s death provides the perfect alibi, when the real culprit points toward Ahamadinedjad’s regime.  Faced with growing opposition since the June 12 fraudulent election, Khamenei and Ahmandinejad have led a relentless crackdown, viewing protests in the same light as those in the 1979 Islamic Revolution.  Five opposition protesters were arrested, charged with “mohjarebeh” or waging war against God and stand trial in Tehran.  “One of the punishments of “mohjarebeh” is execution and it will have to be determined by the presiding judge,” Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi told the official IRNA news agency.  Airing footage on state TV indicates the government wants to send a loud message to protestors.  Despite the intimidation and mass arrests, Mousavi’s opposition protests continued to gain momentum.

            Iran’s attempt to pin Prof. Mohammedi’s assassination on the CIA or Mossad serves the government’s purpose of covering up the government’s Gestapo-like crackdown against election protesters, rejecting Ahmadinejad’s vote-fraud.  Since launching protests last June, hundreds have protesters, including 17 journalists and 10 Mousavi aids, have disappeared, face prosecution or have already been liquidated.  Washington and U.N. officials are well-aware of Ahmadinejad;s cruel repression, taking Tehran’s actions into account before considering a tough new round of sanctions.  Despite denials about weaponizing enriched uranium, Ahmadinejad refuses to heed U.N. demands to stop the enrichment process.  Nuclear experts believe it’s only a matter of time before Tehran has enough fissile material for a nuclear bomb, an unthinkable nightmare for the West.

            Blaming the U.S. or Israel for the assassination of Prof. Mohammedi diverts attention away from the government’s brutal crackdown on antigovernment protesters.  Televising show-trials continues the intimidation tactics to break the protest movements.  All fingers point toward Iran’s Basij militia, a pro-government secret police that works closely with the Revolutionary Guard to protect Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his band of radical Shiite mullahs.  Mohammedi had close ties to Mousavi, not the CIA or Mossad, drawing the persecution and likely murder at the hands of Ahmadinejad’s tyrannical secret police.  Motemmedi also had no ties to Iran’s nuclear industry, making him no assassination target for the U.S. or Israel.  His only tie was to anti-government opponents, protesting Ahmadinejad’s June 12 election fraud, looking for a regime change in the Persian capital.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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