*Updated June 18th 2009, with Jundullah operative interview
The Jundullah aka ‘Soldiers of God’, terrorist group operating from the border of Iran and Pakistan, has claimed responsibility for a deadly bomb blast of a Shia mosque in Iran that claimed the lives of 25 people and wounded dozens more. According to the Telegraph.co.uk the group has been sponsored by the US under a ‘black ops’ program created under the George Bush administration to destabilize Iran and promote regime change.
Excerpt:
However, the CIA is giving arms-length support, supplying money and weapons, to an Iranian militant group, Jundullah, which has conducted raids into Iran from bases in Pakistan.
Iranian officials say they captured 10 members of Jundullah last weekend, carrying $500,000 in cash along with “maps of sensitive areas” and “modern spy equipment”. [Telegraph.co.uk]
Watch ABC News video clip of the US support of Jundullah.
The Iranian government strongly accused the US and Israel for the bombing and have hung three terrorists associated, who were earlier arrested and had allegedly confessed to having imported and supplied bombs and other materials to the perpetrators of the terrorist act. The deputy governor of Sistan-Baluchestan, Jalal Sayah, said on Friday that the attackers were hired by the US. The US today denied the accusations.
Authorities blamed the group for the last major attack in the city in February 2007, when 13 members of the Revolutionary Guards were killed. [Aljazeera]
The history of discord between the US and Iran [PBS]
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1951 Nationalist PM Mossadeq begins reign
The day after the assassination of Iranian Premier Ali Razmara, who was sympathetic to the West, the new prime minister, Mohammad Mossadeq, submits to Iran’s Parliament a plan to nationalize the country’s oil assets. Throughout the next couple of years, Mossadeq moves to limit foreign interests in Iran and to limit the shah’s powers.
1953 U.S.-backed coup ousts Mossadeq; reinstates shah
At the height of the Cold War, the Eisenhower administration approves a joint British-American operation to overthrow Mossadeq, worried that his nationalist aspirations will lead to an eventual communist takeover. The operation is code-named Operation Ajax. At first, the military coup seems to fail, and the shah flees the country. After widespread rioting — and with help from the CIA and British intelligence services — Mossadeq is defeated and the shah returns to power, ensuring support for Western oil interests and snuffing the threat of communist expansion. General Fazlollah Zahedi, who led the military coup, becomes prime minister.
1964 Khomeini exiled
1979 The Iranian Revolution triumphs
In January, as civil rest increases, the shah and his family are forced into exile. On Feb. 1, Khomeini returns after nearly 15 years in exile and is given a triumphant welcome in Tehran. That same month, the shah’s military announces its neutrality, and the monarchy collapses. With Mehdi Bazargan as prime minister, Khomeini takes power and proclaims the Islamic Republic of Iran in April.
1980 Iraq invades Iran
Iraq invades Iran and launches strategic airstrikes. The war rages for 8 years, killing millions; it is longest conventional war of the 20th century. Though the U.S. supplies weapons to both sides over the course of the conflict, it mostly favors Iraq {to which it also supplied chemical weapons used against the Kurds and Iranians} , which leads to further resentment in Iran.
Related:
US and Al Qaeda
The US has a history of similar ops. The now infamous Al Qaeda group was also supported and sponsored by the US in the then silent war against Russia. Osama Bin Laden who was exiled by Saudi Arabia and the larger Muslim world, was trained and equipped successfully by the US to frustrate Russia’s efforts to colonize Afghanistan.
Is the US making another Al Qaeda?
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Update June 18th 2009 :
Interview of arrested, alleged Jundullah operative, Rigi
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Abdolhamid Rigi
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Rigi: If I start talking about the things we used to do in our group, others will say that he’s been brainwashed in Iran and he is only saying these because he is held in their custody. But what I am going to say is that this life is not worth a thing and death only comes once not a hundred times. What happens to you after death is permanent and you can’t repent your sins.
Press TV: Abdolmalek Rigi in his website claims that you have been tortured and due to the severity of the measures you have been paralyzed. Have you really been treated like that? Are you saying all the things you’ve been saying under pressure and torture?
Rigi: Nothing of the sort has happened. It is part of a propaganda campaign that they claim anyone who comes to Iran will be paralyzed or tortured.
Press TV: Can you elaborate specifically on how you have been treated?
Rigi: I was first taken to Tehran from Islamabad and was kept in Tehran for a while. Then I was moved to Zahedan from there. I was not mistreated [by Iranian officials]. Any explanation that I have provided or any confession I have made has been done by me and I was not forced into saying them.
Press TV: After you were arrested your brother tried killing many others under the pretext of your arrest. How do you feel when you realize that your brother might have killed many people because of you?
Rigi: If I have ended up here it’s because of my brother. When we were arrested, it was his people who sold me out. When he was the cause of my arrest, he can’t claim that he’s killing people because of me.
We had a little internal disagreement and they told in on us and they blocked the way…1,200 Pakistani police blocked our way and one of us was killed there and we were arrested.
The members of our group were the only ones who knew about our itinerary. He sent me here…but I see it as a good thing for me…I could’ve ended up doing so many other wrong things. God is compassionate and merciful.
Press TV: We know about many things that your brother has done. Can you tell us about the things you have done personally?
Rigi: As a soldier on duty I have taken many orders and gone many places, I don’t remember how many though…we just obeyed him and his orders. It was like if we didn’t obey his orders it felt like we were committing a sin and we would become a monafiq (hypocrite).
Only recently because of our disagreements he issued a statement — and you can find it on the internet — saying Hamid has become a monafiq and had ordered people to shoot me…just because I once said I won’t support you anymore.
Since 1382 (2003), Jundullah members have been involved in fifty to sixty terrorist operations, including mass murder, hostage takings, bombings, raids, car thefts, and other acts of sabotage against civilians and the government.
I took part in many of them like in Mr. Tassooki’s mission, Pirsoran and Darzin in Shahbakhsh where I was Malek’s representative and the hostage taking in Chabahar in 86; the operation was carried out by another group.
The Yasser group which was responsible for taking hostages. In Zahedan, the Aamer group, which was part of the Jundullah group, was tasked with taking hostages in the city.
I participated in crossing two or three of the hostages (into Pakistan). In a clash in Kouh-e Sefid, Malik was the commander. I also accompanied him in the clash.
Press TV: Tell us about the TV policy.
Rigi: He told us if there is a television set in our houses, our prayers will not be accepted. But watching news and following news was accepted.
Press TV: How many people did you kill?
Rigi: In Darzin, I shot 3 or 4 people.
Press TV: Were they innocent?
Rigi: Yes. But it was his order. He told us to kill 20 to 30 people but we managed to kill 12 or 13. I shot 3 or 4 people myself.
I went to Islamabad with the Americans that made him angry. And the case of my wife; I saw my children and then I realized that his view was different from mine. They wanted to push for their cause.
He did not pay much cash to the operatives. He would only pay for their rent. He would say the money should be spent for the operations not on people.
When I left the group, he was scared. He knew I could damage him. Before I left, if anything happened, no one could stand up to him but me. He did not like that. He always wanted to throw me under the bus. He even kidnapped my son.
Then he issued an order to kill me. He told the thugs that I should be killed. He accused me of cooperating with Iran…
The Pakistani government cooperates with anyone who has money. There are no guarantees though. Everyone works for itself there. If you have a pricey car, put tens of weapons in it and go all the way to Karachi, no one will stop you.