October 18, 2009

Assassination in Iran

Typical of the Middle East to interrupt a chaotic but predictable routine that was beginning to set in. General Nourali Shoushtari, head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards' ground forces, and General Mohammadzadeh, the Guard's commander in Sistan-Baluchestan, were assassinated along with four other senior Guard commanders and dozens of civilians in twin suicide blasts.

Though Israel wasn't cited as a suspect in the attack, the alternative could be worse.
Jundallah - Soldiers of God - has fought an insurgency with Iran since at least 2003, when the organization was believed to have formed in Balochistan.

Al Jazeera's Nazinene Moshiri reported from Tehran, "Just three weeks before presidential elections there was a big explosion in that area, where 25 people were killed and more than 100 injured. The head of Jundullah said that his group carried out the attack. The Iranian's say that they are carrying out a duel war against drug traffickers and Jundullah, which they claim is linked to al-Qaeda."

Not to mention, allegedly, the US government.

Ali Larijani, Iran's parliamentary speaker, reportedly said, "We consider the recent terrorist attack to be the result of US action. This is the sign of America's animosity against our country." However, President Ahmadinejad claimed, "We were informed that some security agents in Pakistan are cooperating with the main elements of this terrorist incident... We regard it as our right to demand these criminals from them."

The trail from an Iranian general is perilous regardless of where it leads. Will negotiations with Iran's nuclear weapons be effected?

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