It has been reported in the news media based on Intelligence reports that Iran is providing a safe haven for relatives of Osama bin Laden and some leadership of Al Qaeda. Additionally, some Intelligence reports have accused Iran of supplying weapons and training to Taliban fighters battling American and Afghan troops.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Not sure who said that but it seems to be apropos here.

This is even more surprising when one considers that Iran is a Shiite theocracy and the Al Qaeda leaders are Sunni.

As recent events in Iraq and Lebanon have shown, the differences between Shiite and Sunnis are not only seen as important by the communities, as they have for centuries, but they now rest at the core of bloody political struggles. The Taliban, led by Sunni Muslim clerics imposed harsh Islamic law on
Afghanistan.

Iran is a nation of largely Shiite Muslims, once viewed as apostates by the Taliban.

It would seem that Iran feels it can bleed the allies in helping Al Qaeda and the Taliban – to a point.

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Who is running Iran?

According to GlobalSecurity.org the Constitution of Iran entrusts the military with guarding Iran’s territorial integrity and political independence; however, it gives the Revolutionary Guard Corps [Pasdaran] the responsibility of guarding the Revolution.

The Pasdaran consist of over 350,000 personnel organized in battalion-size units that operated either independently or with units of the regular armed forces. The Pasdaran also has naval and air elements.

The Pasdaran has maintained an intelligence branch to monitor the regime’s domestic adversaries and to participate in their arrests and trials.

The Baseej (volunteers) – civilian thugs – come under the control of the Revolutionary Guards. Up to 900,000  can be mobilized. They allegedly also monitor the activities of citizens, and harass or arrest women whose clothing does not cover the hair and all of the body except hands and face, or those who wear makeup.

During the recent street riots of dissent Iranians, senior officers in the army and air force reportedly stated that they would no longer order their troops into battle to quell civil disorder. They are said to have then recommended the use of Baseej volunteers for this purpose. It was the Baseej who crushed the street demonstrations.

Then there is the Qods Force of the Revolutionary Guard Corps,  responsible for extraterritorial operations, including terrorist operations. A primary focus for the Qods Force is training Islamic fundamentalist terrorist groups. The Qods Force is also responsible for gathering information required for targeting and attack planning for terrorist.

Sec State Hilary Clinton said earlier this year that “Iran is moving toward a military dictatorship.” Then last week the Sec Def and others are raising the same question.

Maybe Iran is already a military dictatorship.

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If not this year it will be next year.  Iran will get a nuclear bomb.

Many military and political leaders are warning against a military strike on Iran by either the U. S. or Israel. A military strike, most agree, would strengthen its hard-line regime, and it wouldn’t stop Tehran from eventually acquiring a nuclear weapon.

Smart money says even a surgical strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities would ignite a much wider conflict engineered by Iran
 and carried out by their proxy terrorist, e.g. Hizballah, Hamas, etc.

Get used to it – Iran will get the bomb.

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News media reports in the U.S. are calling the riots in Iran “political turmoil.” Guess we’re not ready to call it a revolution and maybe that is a good thing to help those who are demonstrating in the streets from being shot on sight.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday opposition leaders were “enemies of God” who should be executed under the country’s Sharia law.

Iranian state media said his statement coincided with rallies of tens of thousands of government supporters (many bused in for the demonstration) calling for opposition  leaders to be punished for fomenting unrest after June’s disputed  presidential election.

“Political turmoil” continues in Iran marked by bloody street marches and arrests.

The ruling establishment intensified a crackdown on the reform movement by rounding up leading moderates to try to end street protests after the deadly recent weekend clashes erupted during the Shi’ite Muslim religious ritual of Ashura. Over 20 opposition leaders have been arrested since Sunday. 

Do not think we are seeing a revolution in Iran because the state security forces are totally in control. The regular Armed Forces are checked by the Revolutionary Guards and the Islamic Basij.

The Islamic Basij are a paramilitary militia under the Revolutionary Guards. Basically the Basij are thugs who get special privileges for their loyalty to the Supreme Leader Khamenei.

Some may have missed the coup d’état staged by the Revolutionary Guards leadership last month when they removed all moderates in the Iranian government and are now in total control of all government ministries.

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Much of American news media has been focused on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq with little attention to Yemen until the Northwest Flight 253 bombing attempt identified parts of Yemen as the suspected bomber’s Al Qaeda training camp.

It is now verifiable that Al Qaeda has an affiliate in parts of Yemen and has become a new haven for Islamic extremist to flee Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan.

Recently Shiia-Huthi rebels made a huge mistake when they attacked across the Saudi border and killed and injured Saudi Border Guards. Saudi Arabia responded with air strikes on rebel positions along the Yemen-Saudi border and unconfirmed reports have said that Saudi tanks and regular infantry are now in position to be involved in the fight.

The civil war between the Iranian backed Huthi rebels in the north and the Saudi Arabian back Yemen central government has been going on since 2004.

The Saudi Arabian navy has been patrolling the Yemen coastal waters and recently seized a cargo ship carrying Iranian arms for the rebels. Additionally, it has been reported that Iranian Revolutionary Guards are training the rebels.

The Administration has admitted that the U.S. has entered the war in Yemen with Tomahawk cruise missile strikes on reported Al Qaeda base camps.

It would appear that we now have U.S. forces engaged in three wars – Iraq, Afghanistan, and Yemen.

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