UPDATE: Karoubi and Mousavi's have both publicly condemned the bombing and have extended condolences to the families of all the victims (IRGC generals as well as Shiite and Sunni leaders) of the suicide attack. Mousavi has further expressed his commitment to fending off these extremist and fundamentalist agitations that stem from eastern borders of Iran (i.e Pakistan and Afghanistan).
Two hours ago, in a massive suicide bombing in the southeast border province of Sistan va Balouchistan, some of the high-ranking Sepah (IRGC) Commanders were killed:
Sardaar Noor-Ali Shooshtari; the deputy commander of IRGC's ground forces; Sardaar Mohammad-Zadeh; the Commander of Seestan & Baluchistan's IRGC, also IRGC commanders of the cities of Iranshahr, Sarbaz, and the region Pishin were killed. Seestan & Baluchestan (* different spelling is intentional) is the southeastern province bordering with Pakistan and as far as I recall, has been one of the bloodiest and most unstable regions of the country (I was born there). Post coup d'etat, the province has been in turmoil.
According to IRNA, as many as 60 people (update, 29 confirmed dead), including some of the tribal leaders of the province might have died. The high concentration of "important" figures in one place was for a the occation of a "Conference of Unity Between Iran's Suni & Shiite Nomades"
Yesterday, I saw a little news on Roydad that the IRGC is offering lucrative retirement packages; presumably to get rid of the older and original members of the IRGC, the warriors of the 8-years long defense against Iraqi invasion.
I will update this as news flows in and in the meantime, I am going to compilie a list of all IRGC commanders who have died in assassination plots. Scanning the "comment" sections of news web sites, it seems I am not the only Iranian who is smelling rats. I feel the blame for this one lays on the Al-Quaeda/USA coalition; giving the IRI perfect excuse it needs to tighten its grip on Iranian's throat! (The axis of warmongers) (Update: Iran's summoned the Pakistani diplomat demanding their cooperation to arrest the responsible members of Jundollahu.)
- Sepahbod Ali Sayad Shirazi, Chief-of_Staff of Iranian forces in the 8-year sacred defense ( Assassinated in front of his house in 1999; MKO claimed responsibility)
- Brigadier General Ahmad Kazemi, commander of the IRGC Ground Forces
- Brigadier General Saeed Mohtadi, commander of the IRGC’s 27 Mohammad Division,
- Brigadier General Hanif, Director of Intelligence of the IRGC Ground Forces,
- Brigadier General Saeed Soleimani, Director of Operations of the IRGC Ground Forces,
- and Brigadier General Yazdani, Commander of the IRGC Artillery. (All died in a plane crash 1n January 2006. Similarly to today's incident, this group of generals were on a mission of to the Iranian northwest separatist hot-zones. The crash was blamed on Technical failure. What is interesting is that this massive "elimination" happened 6 months after a massive shuffle in the IRGC that followed Ahmadinejad's (other fraudulent) election in 2005. Interestingly, this time around Khamenei's been reshuffling the IRGC and introducing fundamental changes such as creating an IRGC "intelligence organization", which previously was only a division.)
The following high profile generals all died in a plane crash in Kahrizak (near Tehran, and far from the war-zone), in 1981.
This event occurred after Banisadr's impleachement and shortly before the liberation of Khoramshahr. In fact these generals were on their way to report on the battlefield realities to Khomeini. The cause of the C130 crash was stated technical failure.- Mohammad Jahan-Ara (Commander of Khoramshahr's IRGC, when under iraqi seige)
- Vali-o-llah Fallahi (Deputy head of the Army) (Uskuwi suggests he was Acting commander of the IRGC)
- Moosa Namjoo (Minister of Defense)
- Javad Fakuri (Consultant to deputy head of the Army) (Uskuwi: commander of the Airforce.)
- Yusef Kolahdooz (Acting chief of staff). (Uskuwi: Acting commander of IRGC)
Update: Jundullah has accepted responsibility for this bombing. 35 dead confirmed. (As I said before, let's thank AlQuaeda/USA's Iranian wing!) )ّIn this picture 26 year old Abdulmalek Rigi (Balouch) the leader of the movement ( which, funny funny haha, the BBC refers to as "resistance movement" and NOT terrorist, like they call Hamas & Hizbollah!!!!!!)
Needless to say, scenes like this do not help or buy much sympathy of the IRI amongst the Balouchis ... This is why Abdulmalek can gather himself supporters ...
58 comments:
Naj:
Some possible corrections and additions to your list of 1981 military plane crash casualties:
- Gen. Kolah Douz, Acting Commander of the IRGC
- Gen. Javad Fakouri, Commander of the Air Force (not cons. dep. head of army)
- General Valiollah Fallahi, Acting Chief of Staff of the Joint Command (not dep. head of army)
Official version states aircraft developed a "technical fault" and crashed, killing all on board. But some sources report the aircraft actually exploded in mid-air. Believed by some to have been a pre-emptive strike against high ranking officers who may have been contemplating a coup against the regime.
(Personally, I haven't seen evidence to reach this conclusion.)
-Mark Pyruz
A truly horrific act of barbarism! - my sincere condoleances to Iran and to the families of all the victims, totally regardless of any and every other consideration.
...
On the whodunnit-and-why front - or rather, who's behind whoddunit and why-now, if the US+sidekicks are still playin' around with jundullah to "destabilize" Iran - while tearing their hair as nuke-state Pakistan goes up in terrorism-flames and Afghanistan teeters on the verge of reversion to jihadist control at ever-increasing US-n'-NATO body-bag cost! - that'd mean they're even crazier than their doings over the last quasi-decade make them look, so I have my doubts. Can believe they are/were at-least-recently involved in fostering MEK-PMOI and PJAK, but I think "western" spookhouses have largely pulled back from playin' around with Sunni jihadism since 9/11 and its aftermath: burnt fingers = fire burns!
FWIW, here's an Indian intel-zone info-and-analysis piece by former RAW chief B.Raman on the Zahidan mosque bombing in June.
Whenever someone says: "Iran is going to become like Afghanistan, Pakistan, etc" I think of all the reasons why we're different and why we'd never "become" them. (although, that's not even a correct way to see it. All three of our countries live in shit, but just in different kinds of shit.)
Then stuff like this happens and I remember that we're not as exceptional as I'd like to think. It's not going to be particularly difficult to become a state ruled and controlled by extremists and bombings - basically a Taliban.
Thanks Mark,
I got the titles from the web site that I got the names from (hypertext) I'll make the corrections.
Yes in both plane crash cases, the official explanation has been technical fault. I doubt a coup-against-regime scenario; but I think a more likely scenario would be that these generals were in favor of ending the war soon.
Parvati,
I remember one of these bombings; I was in grade 2!
Ped,
I had a visit with a Pakistani friend of mine, who gave me a crash course of why Pakistan has become the way it has.
In fact, her stories assured me that Iran is not and will not become like Pakistan, Afghanistan or Iraq.
These bombings are not new! My grandmother's uncle was killed in Baluchestan (he was a general who was put in charge of putting down an uprising) I know baluchestan :) In fact, if my husband's not making fun of me for being a Mongol warrior, he complains of my Balouchi "toughness".
The armed resistance in Baluchestan, and the Jundollah are Al-Quaeda/USA operands of teh region. Yes their sentiments are truly exploited; and they have EVEERY right to be angry about the discrimination and abject poverty they have suffered, thanks to neglect from the central governments of Iran. It's the same problem in Kurdestan.
Just noticed the BBC's report on the suicide-bombing is calling Jundullah a "resistance group" not a "terrorist" one -
"A Sunni resistance group, Jandullah, said they carried it out."
.. in the light of its/the UK's non-stop denunciation of Hamas and Hizbollah amongst others as terrorist movements and Iran as a "terrorist state" for supporting them, the double standards displayed are at-least-somewhat striking?
Parvati;
no wonder the IRI has pointed the finger immediately at the UK!
good point you bring up; thanks.
Parvati, fascinating point. BBC Persian calls them "gorooh-e peykarjooyeh sonnati" - traditional armed fighters [?]
"sonnati"??? with a 25 years old leader???!?!?!
These freaking imperialists are really trying to take advantage of the situation. I hope the Green camp will come out and QUICKLY condemn this and participate in all funerals of these IRGC members!
Blaming America for this is just ridiculous. What makes you think that the guards did not do this themselves? They probably orchestrated this to gain more power, at this time, I think this is more credible than the US being involved.
Anonymous:
simply because Rigi's group has claimed responsibility. You can't say Jundollah works for IRGC, because IRGC has been busy killing and executing them recently!!
Naj,
The guy probably claimed responsibility for the publicity and the guards probably know that he will claim responsibility if they assassinate these people in that province.
All that I am saying is that, let us not jump into conclusion. One thing I have learnt from your blog about Iran is that: things are different from how they look.
Anonymous,
I fully agree with your caution. In fact, if you pay attention to all of my post, I am implicitly suggesting that this may have been a continuation of the Coup project.
From his wiki page this guy seem like a really radical person. I think we should ask what factors led to his radicalism, is it the constant persecuting of the sunnis by the Iran shia "leaders", or is this guy just downright psycho?
Naj, I keep refreshing Mowjcamp and Rah-e Sabz and other green websites - but they don't have anything on this yet.
I wish they'd put a general condemnation up there, before the famous people make a statement (which I'm hoping they will too.)
Maybe they are calculating their move?
Ped, maybe! But USUALLY they are slow on the (western) weekends! Usually they don't update on Saturday Sundays; if my memory serves me right.
Anonymous
I think either you don't know how to read or my writing is not clear.
If "BBC" wants to call a group who has just claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing "RESISTANCE", then the BBC shoudl also call Hamas and Hezbollah "resistance" and not terrorist.
In my opinion, ANY resistance movement that resorts to suicide bombing, and VIOLENCE is TERRORIST!
That a TERRORIST movement (which is a minority in any society) exploits the incompetence and corruption of unjust political systems, doesn't JUSTIFY their violence, just explains it.
Got it?
In my opinion, ANY resistance movement that resorts to suicide bombing, and VIOLENCE is TERRORIST!
Go read the history of suicide bombing, see by yourself who crated Naj?
No Surprises.
In fact, her stories assured me that Iran is not and will not become like Pakistan, Afghanistan or Iraq.
Soon will come to Iran Naj, with Blood borders
Anonymous; I wonder which part of the Muslim world you come from? You seem to carry a lot of ill will in your heart for Iran?
I have met egyptian fanatics who sounded like you before.
Anyways i wish you and all of us peace.
Naj, regarding the youtube video:
The uniform of the flogger appears indeed to be Iranian military.
What context is that public flogging scene depicting? Is this a sharia punishment being enforced? And if so, is this a customary duty for the military to carry out?
(reminds me of the SM scene in the movie Lawrence of Arabia)
Historical sideline re who "invented" suicide bombing - how about Italy's very-own national hero Pietro Micca? And re terrorist bombing in general, seems the "prize" for being its original-originator goes to Guy Fawkes? While the introduction of the technique into the ME context is yet-another "gift" wished on the region by the Irgun?
Mark,
for the life of me I cannot imagine WHAT the context is ... that army's the beater is surprising; it's just a weird scene.
but the judiciary system in iran DOES hand out lashing sentences ... maybe this is just propaganda video; maybe he is a thief, a rapist or smuggler. It's a disturbing video whatever it is.
Very sorry to hear about this, Naj! Not blogging much these days, but I try not to give up altogether. I've given up hoping, just taking things day by day.
Reading your listings of officials' death, the suspicion that those were assassinations is very strong indeed.
"Sunni prosecution IS A MYTH!"
you're right! there is systematic discrimination like destroying their mosques, and keep them in extreme poverty
i didn't know anything about sunni and shia in iran but a simple search on internet through iranian blogs shows dark side of story
see this link
http://www.rottengods.com/2008/09/shiite-iran-destroys-sunni-mosques.html
Anonymous,
I am afraid you still don't know much--in fact anything.
If you understood, or educated yourself properly, you would have learned that the frictions between seestan (Zabol) and Baluchestan are of historical and ethnic origin, and not religious one. You would have also learned that these differences are not related to Islamic Republic and that they have existed even before.
Speaking of mosque destruction, Jundollah is the one who has been bombing mosques and shrines ACROSS Iran, killing civilians.
Of course, if you were capable of reasonable and logical thinking, you would have also recognized that the IRI (the regime) supports HAMAS, which is a sunni group.
Anyways, a word of advise, when you don't know anything, don't rely on internet-school. There are better ways of education like listening to locals, reading history and etc.
Gene,
the "giving up" is such a strong motivation at times for me too; but amidst all this death and destruction, there are beautiful things to be saved, and to be shown to the world, and that is why I blog. I don't think I can or that I will change the darkness of willful ignorance, and prejudice.
You seem to carry a lot of ill will in your heart for Iran?
Truth herts doesn't it Naj?
Where I live or come doesn't matter Naj, but looks you adapted the Zionist attitude when it comes to the truth they paint you with anti-Semitism.
check yourself of ill will.
Anonymous,
Perhaps you can read this book: Baloch Nationalism: Its origin and development; by Taj-Mohammad Breseeg.
I think this author misses the "water politics" between Seestan & Baluchestan here's another link for you: http://www.netnative.com/news/02/dec/1058.html
(just like the water-politics of Israel-palestine are often forgotten)
Anonymous:
Baloch Nationalism; its origin and development
water-politics
wel... well...read this what Iran do to its friendly neighbour now?
According to reports Iran did changed/ diverted 30 water way on the long boarder with Iraq!!
water-politics? Israel-Palestine are often forgotten, no its not, but you coving up your Mullah water-politics here.
Naj, your hypocrisy showing here.
Anonymous;
Go play elsewhere! Good kid!
Again Truth herts doesn't it Naj?
Hide with your personal and respectable words.
You should read and follow your own guide lines of commenting stupid blogger
Anonymous, "hurt" is spelled with a "u". Are you like me dyslexic?
ohhh....your dyslexic may inherited from your Sigheh father?
Anonymous
I want to encourage you to take a look at your own behavior here; I think it will help you understand why you are living the kind of condition you do:
1) look at the topic of the post on which you are commenting
2) follow your lines of reasoning, your questions and the answers I have given you
3) examine in yourself "why" you are turning this comment thread into a vendetta against me, personally.
4) ask yourself WHY you keep visiting and commenting here, if you think I am a hypocrite
5) find the root of that "anger" that is making you fly completely off of the handle, so much so to start calling me names.
I don't know what culture you are from, but it doesn't seem like one to have taught you to not start a tantrum when you go to someone's house.
In any case, you have overstayed your welcome, and I am going to block your irrelevant and out of topic comments now! In general, I block people who do not have a blog of their own--unless they have something meaningful/useful to say :)
Dear Naj,
following your blog for quite a while, I have to emphasize, that I absolutely don't envy you - there are really some very strange people there, called "our everyday human environment", burdening you and making your undertaking difficult.
[That's why I sometimes, if I can, try to help out - in a limited and Europe-focused way - with arguments, if I know of any, that is]
As to my (life/job) experience and, consequently in my resulting opinion, these "odd" people are only the top of the iceberg. -
The exception proves the rule in your case, as, on balance, however, the overwhelming majority of your readers, commentators and contributors are surprisingly and exceptionally well-informed, caring, nice people, whose contributions I as a reader enjoy.
BTW: You needn't publish this comment and - of course - needn't react to it! But I think it is necessary every now and then to express one's appreciation and respect for what your are accomplishing.
Thus I just want to convey my personal regrets (reasons: see above) and my personal thanks to a hard(est)-working person [i.e.You] who is shouldering the arduous task to communicate and convey culture, facts, information, knowledge and some basic truth(s) to an interested audience/public/readership.
German
:) German, Thank you! did you see the little post I made on Dowlatabadi. I so wished you read his book and commented about it. (isn't it funny; he has been dreaming/thinking/writing this book for 25 years; hoping to publishe it in GErman and Persian simultaneously ... and now his manuscript is collecting dust in Ahamdinejad's censorship office!
Re tip of iceberg, I sadly agree with you; but can we stop swimming because there are some "anomalies" here and there? I try to be optimist; it is because of these people that we have an interesting world and so much work to do.
Your comments are appreciated.
naj, I was so happy to hear the news on Rah-e Sabz this morning!
Then I heard about the bus crash ... more dead students! How many bush crashes has it been in the past 10 years alone (that I personally remember?!)
SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
:( bus crash ...
This is not a country, it's a devastation zone! ...
I don't think the BBC criticism is valid here. If you look back at BBC coverage of Hamas, Hezbollah and other groups you'll find the BBC is very reluctant to use the word terrorist, and normally only uses it in citing the opinions of others. The BBC views the word as judgmental and not in keeping with its aim of impartiality.
Compare their profiles of Hamas, Hezbollah and Jundullah. There is only a single use of the terror word in each profile, and in each case its use is ascribed to the US or the US and its allies.
The BBC is in fact frequently criticized for its avoidance of the phrase terrorist in relation to Hamas and others.
Thanks Kellie.
To add to your comment; the BBC-Persian is also frequently criticized for not taking a biased position AGAINST the IRI government; and their neutrality is often bashed as UK-supports Ahmadinejad!
Some quick examples of the BBC and other news organisations being criticised for their reluctance to use the "t" word:
Duncan Smith attacks Mid-East coverage
Oliver Kamm: What's wrong - and what isn't - with the BBC
Daniel Pipes lays into PA, NPR, LA Times, AP, the BBC and more.
I am listening to Abdolmalek Rigi on BBC ... and I cannot dislike him :'( he is so well s poken ... and I love his accent ... I just LOVE all Baluchis ... and when I was little, the trouble makes were always the Zaboli ones ... I am just sad for Sistan o Baluchestan ... :'(
...
he means it, it seems ...
And yet I feel there is an international will behind this ...
He was so well spoken this boy ... :'( ... and he is so cute ...
How to find out the truth? - Often (nearly) impossible!
An example: a short while ago I told the story, how the visit of the Iranian Shah in West-Germany/in W-Berlin triggered off the (youth/student) movement of the 1967/1968/1969s in Germany (a movement similarly in form, though for different initial motives, occurring somehow at the same time also in France, in Italy, in CSSR, in the USA).
The concrete reason in Germany: one of the participants of the demonstration against the Shah, in reality simply a curious bystander, was shot and killed by a West-German/W-Berlin policeman.
The times had not been that far away, that the generation of this policeman, antecedent the generation protesting there, had been part of Nazi-Germany.
Thus motive and reason for this brutal deed were obvious to us young people: the policeman was the incarnation of still existing Nazi-attitudes and Nazi-traditions incarnated/epitomized in the state apparatus. -
Now (!!!), i.e. forty years later, only a few weeks or months ago, it was found out that the policeman, who had killed that young man in W-Berlin, had - at the same time - been in reality also a member of the secret service of ("communist") East-Germany/East-Berlin, the "deadly enemy" of W-Germany. East-Germany, which - for reasons of its own - pretended to support the West-German students' movement. The student movement, which funnily was denigrated by conservative newspapers and by conservative politicians as being steered and commanded by East-Germany and the Soviet block.
BTW: The West-German/W-Berlin judges - on account of their similar ("Nazi-traditionally conditioned" attitude, I think, as mentioned above) - weren't capable to sentence this policeman, through different "instances" (trial court, appellate court etc). He was never found guilty of any misdemeanour, fault, let alone crime ... etc.
Why do I tell this story?
I don't know exactly the answer! -
Perhaps because many people are quite rightly uncertain about, to say the least, and completely at a loss for a reasonable and conclusive answer to what exactly happened and why
as to the assassinated IRGC-officers.
[Apologies for any possible misinterpretations:
Germany IS absolutely NOT Iran, has not been, will never be!!!]
German
interesting ... i know what you mean, German.
My solution is to stay independent. i think a part of our world problems are because we are primates who form groups and packs and pacts and etc ...
i like being a nomad; and looking for life; wherever it may be; thus I am BOUND to condemn violence ...
German, speaking of residues of Nazi Germany; i wonder, in your opinion, do you think they are all completely from the Germany now? I am asking because i have suffered a lot of Nazism in the hands of a PhD supervisor I used to have at some point. He compensated his inadequacy with brutality (and he hated me for not being submissive and kept lecturing me about the importance of submissiveness!).
:))
reading your comment in []s made me laugh!
Well, Iran has never been Germany; if it were it wouldn't have so many bus and train crashes all the time.
(did you know it was Germany who built our railroad? i am sure you did.)
Actually, I think the cultural confluence between Iran and Germany is very strong--just as the affinity between America and Germany; and Iran and America's strong!
These three nations have one thing in common with Israelis: the four of them consider themselves superior! ;) lol
Dear Naj:
LOL!!!
[BTW - Just to prevent any misunderstandings: It wasn't (actually) me, who started the First and Second World War - I am emphasizing this fact, because otherwise I might get this sort of "strange" letters/responses you sometimes get - for reasons BTW unfathomable to me]
Thanks for your patience/for putting up with me
German
- Post Scriptum -
A comment on Your blogging activity:
The blogs established by You and Pedestrian are probably the (best possible) calling cards / public faces Iran has to show,
in the same way as You and Pedestrian are possibly the best ambassadors Iran could wish for.
Anonymous; thank you :))
I'd love people editing me! feel free to correct often!
Salaam Naj,
Please check out my article on the suicide bombings in Sistan o Balochestan here.
Exuse, did u just call Rigi a nice guy? ... the Khomeini "Islamic-unity" idea must end and it is unfortunately time to respond.
this Sunni extremist just calls the majority of Iranian people heretics , and still ahmadi najad balmes the us.
i think a little massacre and deportation will work ... excuse my attitude but they are over the limits
Anonymous:
"little massacre"? And then what is it that makes you different from Rigi?!
Sunni extremist can call Iranians whatever they want. Shiite extremist call sunnis names too!
Stand for a principle! Don't succumb to the level of the one you loath!
Excuse my lecturing; but if you wish for ANY massacre of ANYONE, please don't visit me again.
Just came across this in Asia Times, by Pakistani journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad - a guy who has a name for having Pakistani and Afghani "militant" contacts constantly pouring out of/into his earholes: scan down to the part about Jundullah in Lyari, there's a lot of info about Abdolmalek Rigi's most recent doings.
PArvati,
This article, as afar as it's Iranian part is concerned is a little sloppy:
"Iranian Baloch insurgents from the Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK) and other Iranian Baloch organizations. " This kind of a statement, which is FALSE, makes me think that the author is a paparazzi! (there are also stuff about how rigi is against the shite and etc; he is NOT. He like all insurgants and suicide bombers is pushed to radicalism BECAUSE of the corruption of the state)
I will translate some of Rigi's interviewes soon.
Yeah I wondered about that MEK reference - it raised my eyebrows too. I tried to check out that Dost Mohammad guy they mentioned, to see if there really is such a thing as a Baloch sub-branch of the MEK but couldn't find anything. However, I wouldn't entirely rule out the possibility of Rigi having come under sectarianist influences while in Pakistan - it's possible. The author isn't a "paparazzo", he's very well acquainted with the Pakistani and Afghani jihadist-etc archipelago - but he's a lot less familiar with the Iranian scene - first time he's written about Iranian Jundullah afaik - so he may have confused MEK/PMOI with some strictly baloch group/grouplet?
Parvati, my "research" method is to pay attention to what the people say, where tehy come from, before spiralling into speculations about confluences of "others".
It's simplistic to attribute the Balouchi or Kurdish causes to "foreign" interventions, and it is intellectual laziness for any "expert" on these matters to not dive into history, into folklore of these sub nations, into their literature or its absence of ... it is IMMATURE to assume America and Alquaeda is a suicide bombing factory on the promise of a heaven of honey and milk bathing women ...
I dismiss violence; in all form. But I am unwilling to dismiss the cause and the faith of mountain men, like the Balouchis and the Kurds of Iran ... I am also unwilling to assimmilate them, deprive them of cultural specificity, pride and "cause" of independence, and turning them into a mush of confusion between west adn east, postmodernity and premodernity, as characteristic of the rest of my country. Anthropologically, I support both a Kurdish and a Balouchi nation. Iranian central governments SUFFER crisis of legitimacy; this is why they are such enemy-making machines.
Naj, no intention whatsoever on my part to slur the balochs' quest for their rights as a people whether in the form of regional autonomy or full nationhood - the current affairs forum I post on has been hosting for years a long thread "independently managed" by an exponent of the Pakistani side of the Baloch nationalist movement, so I'm kept up to date with the vicious repression suffered by balochs at least on that side of the border - no reason to doubt these are brave and honourable men, nor to think that the vast majority of balochs on the Iranian side are any less worthy and honourable.
But throughout history, many a just cause has developed extremist fringes. In the balochs' case, as far as I know Jundullah is the only Baloch resistance group on either side of the border that is accused of religious fanaticism and suicide-terrorism?
Re the source of the charges that it has developed links with MEK - I 've been searching around, found this:
"There have been persistent intelligence reports of collaborations between the MKO and Jundullah in the past. But, in a significant admission, Rigi told a US-based satellite TV station, monitored by the ISNA news agency on June 2, "They (MKO) have had good intelligence collaborations with us and have provided us with much information about the activities of the Iranian regime."
Rigi, who was described as a man who "used to fight with the Taliban and is part drug smuggler, part Taliban, part Sunni activist," by Alexis Debat, a senior fellow on counterterrorism at the Nixon Center and an ABC News consultant who recently met with Pakistani officials and tribal members, told the station, "They (MKO) inform us about the regime's activities in our areas of operations and let us know of the regime's forces in these districts and send us most of the intelligence of our interest by email and messages."
Don't know where that analysis site is based, but its staff consists of two analysts with anglosaxon (i.e. US or UK) names and its star analyst is Indian, so absolutely no reason to suspect it of anti-baloch bias.
Another source:
US rightwing newspaper "Washington Times" carries this interview - dated Jan. 2006 - with Jundullah "spokesman" Hamid Abdullah Rigi. Page 1 sounds distinctly jihadi-bloodthirsty, page 2 contains a request for US assistance... tch tch.
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