Following is a thread of quotes from #TheGlobalJigsaw latest episode on the #IRGC, #Quds force, #Basij militias - and th ideological blueprint for #Iran so called Axis of Resistance. Whole episode here:
Another #Iranian - the current mayor of the capital #Tehran - put it even more bluntly. He said that the Islamic Republic now ruled over four Arab capitals: #Baghdad , #Beirut , #Damascus and #Sana’a.
It was a #Libyan journalist in response to #Bush 's axis of evil' speech who said that these three countries instead formed an axis of resistance because they were against colonial and American interests and that phrase went on to be picked up by Iranian media.
Who are the footsoldiers tasked with the mission to redraw the map of the Middle East? the #IRGC , #Quds force, the #Basij - they are all part of this jigsaw.
The IRGC or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard corps -and the clue is in the name,- exist alongside the regular #Iranian military. The regular military is constitutionally tasked with protecting the territorial integrity of #Iran. But the IRGC Is actually tasked with protecting the Islamic revolution itself.
the #IRGC was set up in 1979, directly loyal to the Supreme Leader, formed initially out of street fighters, street paramilitaries. They fought alongside the regular Iranian military when it came to the #Iran - #Iraq war from 1980 to 1988. what they're most famous for is for the tactic that they innovated of human wave attacks on #Iraqi troops. So you can imagine these waves of religiously inspired #Iranian teenagers running at well armed Iraqi lines of defence,
(cont.)
overwhelming superior armaments with just sheer numbers and determination.
The #IRGC now is formally divided into eight bodies. But it's got a really deep and complicated footprint, far beyond its official military remit. In terms of the #Iranian economy and in terms of unofficial figures that accounts for 20-30 % of #Iran 's GDP. And this runs from just its own military output to key economic sectors, including construction, energy
it means the Basij have access to welfare schemes or employment opportunities that a regular #Iranian wouldn't have. membership figures fluctuate in the millions (there's no official record), but in terms of active #Basij members, who'd worked day to day, the number is estimated to be about a hundred thousand. They are involved in all aspects of life - They organise religious events. They do charity, disaster relief. what they are most notorious for is the suppression of protests in Iran
cont
#soleimani was seen as defending #Iran on its frontlines in #Iraq against an extremist #Sunni group - #ISIS#IS#daesh which was dedicated to the murder of #Shia Muslims, wherever they could find them. there have already been several years of speculation whether in the #Iranian press that Soleimani would actually run for President
When he was assassinated we saw a genuine huge wave of mourning in Iran, his funeral was apparently the biggest mass gathering recorded in Iranian history
cont
what has happened since #october7th, since the heating up of this regional war involving almost all of #Iran 's allies in the region - what we have seen is Iran’s pronounced unwillingness to get involved in a direct confrontation with #Israel . So while it might have this rhetoric of the former President #Ahmedinejad said "to wipe Israel from the pages of time", it is unwilling to risk any kind of conflict that could draw the U S into a direct conflict on #Iranian soil.
All the 'hooks' #MAGA politicians could use for their election campaign
have evaporated #Biden administration is successful
economy good
inflation down
work up
crime down
also the 'immigrant invasion' they burned it
by refusing to support the funds to protect the border
and
attacking and harming the female population for political gain
is just cruel and stupid and will backfire #MAGAs has only one thing left to use
the most dangerous
'religion'
and use it politically #Iranian style a 'jihad'
"It is very serious that #Iranian agents on #Swedish territory have tried to murder Swedish citizens," Billström told Sverige Radio.
Billström confirmed that the Swedish government was taking the issue very seriously and that the attempted assassination of #Swedes, particularly Swedish #Jews, on Swedish soil was unacceptable."
"A court of the #Iranian-backed #Houthis in #Yemen has sentenced 13 people to public #execution on #homosexuality charges, the French wire service AFP reported on Tuesday. Another 35 people have been detained for similar charges."
The Justice Department charged one Iranian and two Canadian nationals for their alleged roles in a murder-for-hire plot against two Maryland residents, acc/to newly unsealed court documents.
"Wednesday’s deadly bombing in southern #Iran of a memorial service for a senior #Iranian general was actually carried out under the orders of #Israel, despite claims by the #IslamicState terrorist group that it carried out the attack, a website affiliated with Iran’s #Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Friday.
According to an unsourced account on the #IRGC’s Tasnim news site, “the #Zionist regime ordered the #ISIS caliphate to accept the responsibility for this action,” using a reference to Israel."
It was a #video#collage of #women of all ages, doing "indecent" things: playing football, riding horses, shooting bows, working in the laboratory, dancing or just standing on the street - all off them clapping hands in a short sequence, which was obviously some kind of defiant signal.
The creator, and "narrator" of this was a man in his fifties, heavily bearded in an unkempt style. As a as I remember, no word was spoken, just music, clapping and writing on the wall.
It was very powerful and a jewel in my long gone collection of anti-patriarchal video-clips.
Now I am trying to find it again. Will somebody #help me, please?
#Iranian singer, Mehdi Yarrahi, was awarded the best pop singer prize from Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance in 2019. This is his #antiwar song about his homeland, Khuzestan, during the #Iran-#Iraq War of the 1980. Iran government #censors this song.
Between 1932-33, Joseph #Stalin ordered the death by starvation of 7 to 10 million Ukrainian people. This is called #Holodomor (means "death by hunger" in Ukranian), a #genocide committed by #Russians and one of the worst in History.
Today, 90 years later, while Ukrainians have a Remembrance Day to mark Holodomor, Vladimir #Putin ordered the largest #drone attack of the #war.
Today marks the anniversary of #Holodomor. So #russian terrorists try to bomb #Kyiv and other cities with 75 #Iranian-made Shahed drones. Ukraine shot down 71 out of 75. #SlavaUkraini
This was the single largest attack of the #war. But apparently the media is "fatigued" and #NATO still has stupid red lines for #Ukraine.
"the attack had injured five people, including an 11-year-old #girl, and damaged buildings in districts all across the city"