protesters going violent Iran is Blowing Up

[jmartin1145]

1 hour ago, ladyGrace'sDaddy said:

I read a story once about a man who was going to die. His Angel came to him and told him because he was very wealthy and kind to the poor that he could bring one thing with him to Heaven. 

So after he died at the Pearly Gates St. Peter saw that he was struggling with a suitcase. St. Peter asked the man what was in the bag, the man relayed to St. Peter what the Angel told him and said I brought a bag full of GOLD. 

St. Peter looked at the man in a most confusing manner and asked, 

Of all the things you could have brought why did you bring paving material?

 

Just a thought 

That's a good one. My humanly body is trying to give directions to my soul how to get to Heaven. Or is it my soul is trying to give my humanly body directions. Its a tussle. We are in a fight for our souls

[gregp]

On 11/16/2019 at 11:41 AM, Karsten said:

 

 

Sorry.....I am a Guy and have been for 63 years. 🚶‍♂️

 

Karsten

yup

[Butifldrm]

Iran regime killed 106 to quell protest; UN alarmed

 

 

Iranian protesters gather around a fire during a demonstration against an increase in gasoline prices in the capital Tehran, on November 16, 2019. (File/AFP)

Updated 16 sec ago

ARAB NEWS

November 19, 201906:48

2753

UN says alarmed by reports of 'significant' death toll in Iran protests

The assailants wielding knives and machetes ambushed the three — a Revolutionary Guard and two members of the Basij militia

JEDDAH: Amnesty International, citing “credible reports,” said on Tuesday it believes at least 106 people have been killed during protests in Iran over a rise in government-set gasoline prices.

Iran’s government, which has not made nationwide numbers available for the toll of the unrest that began on Sunday, did not immediately respond to the report.

Amnesty added that it “believes that the real death toll may be much higher, with some reports suggesting as many as 200 have been killed.”

Harvard scholar and Iranian affairs expert Dr. Majid Rafizadeh said the international community must push for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in order to address the brutal suppression of civilians.

Amnesty International✔@amnesty

At least 106 protesters in 21 cities have been killed in #Iran, according to reports we have received. Verified video footage, eyewitness testimony & information gathered from activists outside Iran reveal a harrowing pattern of unlawful killings by Iranian security forces.

“The agenda for such a Security Council meeting would also represent an opportunity to showcase a policy, which should include, at a minimum, serious, multinational efforts to deny the Iranian regime the tools to halt the flow of information within the country, or out of it,” he told Arab News. “International powers must also issue statements of support for the Iranian people.”

Iran since has shut down the internet and deployed police and anti-riot forces to quell the unrest. Demonstrations are believed to still be going on in the country.

Arab News✔@arabnews

Hard-liners in Iran meanwhile threatened violent protesters with executions by hanging as sporadic demonstrations still gripped pockets of the country. 

It remains unclear how many people have been arrested, injured or killed in the protests that began Friday and quickly spread across at least 100 cities and towns in Iran.  

Maryam Kazemi, a 29-year-old accountant in the southern Tehran suburb of Khaniabad, said that the hefty hike in fuel prices was “putting pressure on ordinary people.”

“It was a bad decision at a bad time. The economic situation has long been difficult for people and Rouhani unexpectedly implemented the decision on fuel,” she said.

The UN rights office said it was alarmed by reports live ammunition was used against protesters and had caused a “significant number of deaths across the country.”

Its spokesman Rupert Colville told reporters in Geneva that Iranian media and a number of other sources suggest “dozens of people may have been killed and many people injured during protests in at least eight different provinces, with over 1,000 protesters arrested.”

He said: ”We urge the Iranian authorities and security forces to avoid the use of force to disperse peaceful assemblies.”

Journalists saw two petrol stations in Tehran gutted by fire and damage to infrastructure, including a police station. They were prevented from filming as hundreds of riot police guarded squares with armored vehicles and water cannons.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1586301/middle-east

[Butifldrm]

US Navy carrier transits Strait of Hormuz after deployment

 

In this Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019, photo made available by US Navy, a helicopter lifts off of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln as it transits the Strait of Hormuz. (AP)

Updated 11 sec ago

AP

November 20, 201906:39

848

DUBAI: A US aircraft carrier ordered by the White House to rapidly deploy to the Mideast over a perceived threat from Iran has transited the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since its deployment.
The US Navy says the USS Abraham Lincoln transited the strait on Tuesday, making its way to the Arabian Gulf. The carrier left Norfolk, VA, in April and was diverted to the Middle East in May, but it had remained in the Arabian Sea, avoiding passage through the strait that borders Iran.
American aircraft carriers have for decades sailed through the international oil shipping route in what the US describes as “defensive” operations aimed at keeping the strait open.
The Trump administration deployed the Lincoln to the Arabian Gulf amid a spike in tensions with Iran.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1586921/middle-east

[MyLadiesDaddy]

 

[MyLadiesDaddy]

 

[MyLadiesDaddy]

 

[Butifldrm]

[MyLadiesDaddy]

24 minutes ago, Butifldrm said:

There is so much more meaning behind this sign than anyone could even understand. 

[trident]

World News2 hours ago

Iran says hundreds of banks were torched in 'vast' unrest plot

Iran's top leader on Wednesday denounced an outbreak of deadly unrest as a "very dangerous conspiracy" as authorities reported about 731 banks and 140 government sites had been torched in the disturbances.

 

 

[Butifldrm]

Wednesday، 27 November 2019 10:32 AM

Hundreds of banks and government sites burned in Iran unrest - interior minister

Approximately 731 banks and 140 government sites were torched in recent unrest in Iran, Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said in remarks published by the official IRNA news agency on Wednesday. 

More than 50 bases used by security forces were attacked and approximately 70 gas stations were also burned, he said, without specifying where the attacks took place. 

According to IRNA, Rahmani Fazli also said up to 200,000 people took part nationwide in the unrest that began on Nov. 15 after the announcement of gasoline price hikes. 

London-based Amnesty International said on Monday it had recorded at least 143 protesters killed in the protests, the worst anti-government unrest in Iran since authorities put down the “Green Revolution” demonstrations against election fraud in 2009. 

Iran has rejected Amnesty’s death toll. It says several people, including members of the security forces, were killed and more than 1,000 people arrested. The Center for Human Rights in Iran, a New York-based advocacy group, said the number of arrests was probably closer to 4,000. 

The protests quickly turned political, with protesters calling on top leaders to step down. The government has blamed “thugs” linked to exiles and the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia for stirring up the street unrest. 

The protests came as new U.S. sanctions imposed this year cut off nearly all of Iran’s oil exports, and as similar protest movements erupted in Iraq and Lebanon against governments that include heavily armed pro-Iran factions.

https://www.thebaghdadpost.com/en/Story/44811/Hundreds-of-banks-and-government-sites-burned-in-Iran-unrest-interior-minister 

[Butifldrm]

 

[Butifldrm]

Iran supreme leader claims protests a US-backed ‘conspiracy’

 

November 27, 201909:20

188

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made the comment while addressing members of the Revolutionary Guard’s all-volunteer Basij force

Khamenei, who has final say on all matters of state, described the protests as being orchestrated by ‘global arrogance’

DUBAI: Iran’s supreme leader on Wednesday claimed without evidence that recent protests across the Islamic Republic over government-set gasoline prices rising were part of a “conspiracy” involving the US, as authorities began to acknowledge the scale of the demonstrations.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made the comment while addressing members of the Revolutionary Guard’s all-volunteer Basij force, which help put down the demonstrations.
Meanwhile, one lawmaker was quoted as saying authorities arrested more than 7,000 people over the protests while a security official claimed demonstrators attempted to take over Iranian state television.
Iran’s government still hasn’t offered any statistics on injuries, arrests or deaths in the protests and security crackdown that followed government-set gasoline prices rising Nov. 15. Amnesty International says it believes the violence killed at least 143 people, something Iran disputes without offering any evidence to support its claims.
In his comments reported by state media, Khamenei said the Iranian people extinguished “a very dangerous deep conspiracy that cost so much money and effort.” He praised the police, the Guard and the Basij for “entering the field and carrying out their task.”
Khamenei, who has final say on all matters of state, described the protests as being orchestrated by “global arrogance,” which he uses to refer to the US He described America as getting slapped by the authorities’ response.
Wednesday marks the 40th anniversary of the creation of the Basij. Videos from the protest purport to show plainclothes Basij officials and others on motorcycles beating and detaining protesters.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1590436/middle-east

[MyLadiesDaddy]

I know, I know, it's Trumps fault.

Oh and it's Trumps fault your killing your 

own people. 

 

 

[Laid Back]

Iran’s deteriorating economy .. Will it overthrow the ruling regime?

Researcher Shatha Khalil *
The Iranian economy is heading for bankruptcy, a mass impoverishment of the population, and if the United States has really set the goal of changing the power and political system of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the situation is now working in its favor… The population in their current economic situation will support any external intervention, only to get rid of the “regime” and stop the frequent internal crisis and external expansion that drains Iran’s already debilitating economy.

A frightening statistic from within Iran confirms that the tragic economic situation and poverty presented by the member of the Shura Council of the Iranian regime Ali Qurbani on March 10, 2019, where inflation reached 43%, 12 million unemployed, and double the number of poor in Iran compared to last year.

More than 85% of retirees and more than 80% of Iran’s employees live below the poverty line.

A 98% increase in meat prices, as well as a 231% increase in the price of tomato paste, selling more than $ 700 billion of oil over the eight years in Iran.

Large differences between average wages:
In the same context, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said What Iran is going through not because of US sanctions, but rather mismanagement of the regime, not imposed sanctions.

He added that more than 80% of the current problems in the country are due to some cases of mismanagement, and that only 20% of them are affected by sanctions and external problems, “today social inequality and class difference between government employees and lack of care for retirees, have turned to the inconvenience for these citizens and their patient families when 85% of retirees live below the poverty line, it is painful for us and shameful, but most unfortunately a pensioner with a doctorate degree in one office receives a salary of 21 million toman , and another one with the same degree in another office will get two million toman. Are these unfair cases of discrimination considered justice?

In addition to the economic deterioration within the Iranian institutions, and the sagging of vital social sectors, which can not be separated from the mismanagement of wealth, and the regime prefers abroad at the expense of the interior now threatened by the largest repression that the regime may wage in defense of the interests of individuals, at the expense of Iranian groups , united by , hunger and pushed to the street , and what make matters worse, the Iranian government raised fuel prices by 50 percent.

The Iranian economic situation is in a state of escalating crisis, not only reflected in the high rates of unemployment and inflation, but in what the regime fears and expects , a state of public discontent in the Iranian street, especially among the middle class and young people in society, where many Iranian towns and cities are witnessing demonstrations demand an improvement in the deteriorating standard of living, which triggered angry protests in the Iranian street, and the people know that the government of his country and the Revolutionary Guards that control the joints of the state spend billions of dollars abroad in service of expansion projects and support for terrorism.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani made the right decision at the wrong time… When we say that Mr. Rouhani chose the worst time to take this step to raise the price of gasoline that sparked the protests, we mean that Iran and its allies and influence in important neighboring countries such as Iraq and Lebanon face the street anger against Iranian influence and calls it to leave by force.

Hunger in Iran internally, offset by money laundering and terrorism support abroad:
According to a statement issued by the International Working Group (fatf), an international body monitoring money laundering and countering terrorism, Iran failed for the sixth time to implement key parts of the reform plan, and there were very few signs that Tehran was willing to abide by the agreement between the two sides where money and military equipment continued to be sent to many terrorist factions and movements, much of it transferred through the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, which have recently been subjected to US sanctions.

The international community’s statement states that Iran does not criminalize the financing of terrorism, nor does it identify or freeze the assets of terrorist groups in line with relevant UN Security Council resolutions, as well as failing to show how the authorities monitor and punish those who are carrying out illegal financial transfers.
On the level of internal poverty, an Iranian expert in the field of anti-poverty studies, said that alternative solutions such as distributing food rations or relying on donations and charity will not be feasible in this regard, noting that last year witnessed a successive increase in the proportion of the poor inside the country.

Among the consequences of these phenomena, serious social ones , including the widening gap between the classes, the high rates of bribes within government institutions, administrative corruption, in addition to the sale of human organs to secure life requirements, the proliferation of drugs in addition to the increase in family problems and the increase of poverty rates , that are linked to high commodity prices in the Iranian market, and the scarcity of other varieties due to scarcity of foreign exchange.

The expert added that the decline in the purchasing power of Iranian families and workers will also increase poverty rates, especially as consumer prices have risen by 50 percent since the start of the current Persian year on March 21, according to central bank figures.

From the above, we conclude that change in the heart of Tehran is the greatest guarantee of safe and positive change, not only inside Iran, but the whole of the Arab East.

Economic Studies Unit
Rawabet Center for Research and Strategic Studies

[Rochester]

I know a few Iranians. You'd be surprised. Young Iranians tend to like Americans. Young Iranians, they like America and Americans. Please don't forget that. It's the old crazy corrupt Muslims that are the problem, not the young people, who want to open up to the rest of world. This is a generational thing, more than a religious thing. 

[Butifldrm]

Iran Claims Arrest Of 8 "CIA-Funded Citizen Journalists" After Pompeo Called For 'Crackdown Videos'

by Tyler Durden

Wed, 11/27/2019 - 16:45

0

SHARES

 

As we've covered earlier, Iran's leadership in predictable fashion has accused the some 200,000 protesters which took to the streets over the past two weeks — triggered by a Nov. 15 sudden gas price hike of at least 50% (and in some place 300%) — of being willing dupes of external enemies, specifically the US, Israeli and Saudi Arabia.

This week as the mainstay of demonstrations were quelled amid an aggressive police crackdown, with some reports of security forces using live gunfire, both the IRGC chief and Ayatollah Khamenei took a 'victory lap' of sorts, claiming the dangerous 'foreign conspiracy' has been defeated. 

And now state media is attempting to offer its people 'proof' in the form of eight arrested individuals accused of being CIA assets. State news agency IRNA reported Wednesday that those detained “had received CIA-funded training in various countries under the cover of becoming citizen-journalists,” according to Iran’s Intelligence Ministry statements.

 

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei this week accused the US of infiltrating the protests, plotting to 'send troops'. Image source: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP.

Though specific details have been predictably sparse, six of the accused were reportedly arrested on a charge of "rioting" while "carrying out CIA orders," and two others were said to been caught trying to “send information abroad.” Ayatollah Khamenei had earlier in the day labeled the protests as driven by "thugs" who were playing into the hands of Iran's enemies. 

"The people foiled a deep, vast and very dangerous conspiracy on which a lot of money was spent for destruction, viciousness and the killing of people," Khamenei told a group of security officials responsible for quashing the protests. 

It appears this latest claim to have eight CIA assets in custody is connected to last week's declaration by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who issued an unusual call for Iranian protesters to send the United States videos and photos and other evidence "documenting the regime’s crackdown" on protesters.

Washington has not confirmed the extent to which Iranian activists and protesters have actually heeded this call, but it looks like Iranian authorities are using the US Secretary of State's invitation to round up 'citizen-journalists' who have sought to upload videos to social media, despite a nationwide internet outage for over a week in effect, initiated by Tehran authorities.

Receive a daily recap featuring a curated list of must-read stories.

 State authorities and media have since saturated the air waves with accusations of a 'dangerous foreign plot' afoot, as Al Jazeera summarized of the latest statements: 

Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli estimated as many as 200,000 people took part in the demonstrations, higher than previous claims. He said demonstrators damaged more than 50 police stations, as well as 34 ambulances, 731 banks and 70 gas stations in the country.

"We have individuals who were killed by knives, shotguns and fires," Fazli said, without offering a casualty figure, in remarks published by IRNA.

The truth is probably somewhere in between: real domestic economic grievances (following months of debilitating US-led sanctions) and legitimate charges of corruption, but which external actors desirous of regime change have sought to hijack. 

It should be noted that Washington has from the start consistently voiced support to the protests, sparked initially by the economic crisis in the sanctions-wracked country. The death toll climbed to an estimated 200 dead as protesters clashed with police over the past two week; but those prior mass anti-government demonstrations — which included the burning of banks and gas stations — were largely supplanted at the start of this week by pro-government rallies. 

 

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/iran-claims-arrest-8-cia-funded-citizen-journalists-after-pompeo-called-crackdown

[Butifldrm]

 

Iran disputes ‘exaggerated’ protest death tolls

Protesters gather around a fire during a demonstration against an increase in gasoline prices in Tehran on

November 30, 201910:00

282

The demonstrations flared in mid-November, after the price of petrol in the Islamic republic went up overnight by as much as 200 percent

‘Statistics by international organizations on those killed in the recent incidents are not credible’

TEHRAN: Iran on Saturday disputed death tolls issued abroad for bloodshed that erupted during protests in the country over fuel prices, after a rights group said over 160 demonstrators were killed.
The demonstrations flared in mid-November, after the price of petrol in the Islamic republic went up overnight by as much as 200 percent.
Officials in Iran have yet to say how many people died in the ensuing violence that saw banks, petrol pumps and police stations set on fire.
London-based human rights group Amnesty International said in a tweet on Friday that the crackdown claimed the lives of 161 demonstrators.
But Iran’s deputy interior minister, Jamal Orf, disputed such figures.
“Statistics by international organizations on those killed in the recent incidents are not credible,” he was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA.
Orf accused the sources that reported the figures of “exaggerating” them.
The prosecution service, he added, was set to announce the figures based on those it receives from the coroner’s office.
Prior to its latest tweet, Amnesty International said on Monday that 143 demonstrators had been killed in the crackdown, citing what it called “credible reports.”
The governments of the United States, France and Germany have condemned Iran over the bloodshed.
The unrest broke out on November 15, hours after it was announced that the price of gas would rise to 15,000 rials per liter (12 US cents) from 10,000 for the first 60 liters, and to 30,000 rials for any extra fuel bought after that each month.
Iran’s economy has been battered since last year, when President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from a 2015 nuclear agreement and reimposed crippling sanctions on the Islamic republic.
The government in Tehran said proceeds from the fuel price hike would go to the most needy people in the country.
According to IRNA, the payments have since been made in three installations between November 18 and 23.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1591766/middle-east

[Butifldrm]

 

[Freedomwish]

On 11/27/2019 at 7:52 PM, Rochester said:

I know a few Iranians. You'd be surprised. Young Iranians tend to like Americans. Young Iranians, they like America and Americans. Please don't forget that. It's the old crazy corrupt Muslims that are the problem, not the young people, who want to open up to the rest of world. This is a generational thing, more than a religious thing. 

 

Many thanks Roch - I hear a bit of the the same from out here in NYC.  Hope all of this would be over soon, it's insane. 

[MyLadiesDaddy]

 

Source: Amil Imani

 

Uprisings in Iran have become routine occurrences, albeit without much success. Why? Because Iran is ruled by a totalitarian Islamic ideology like Nazism and communism. In Iran, there is no sovereignty of the people. Instead, there is a perception of the Ummah in Shia theology “rule of Mahdi”, guardianship over the people. In other words, Iran belongs to “Imam Zaman” (the Hidden Imam) and in his absence, a supreme leader is in charge. In this case, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Any revolt against the State is considered a direct attack against the upcoming “Lord of the Age.”

Hence, at the slightest signs of protests, the regime unleashes its wild dogs (soldiers of Mahdi) on a killing spree.  Iranians partook in many protests across the country amidst a failing economic situation, systematic government corruption, and widespread frustration over the lack of political and social freedoms. As always, the regime’s security apparatus reacted to these protests with mass arrests and severe due process abuses. Pundits and experts believe “Khamenei’s tough response could just invite more anger.”

Since the Islamic invasion of 1979, the Mullahs have ruled over the unarmed Iranian people with an iron fist and absolute power while draining the nation’s treasury. As a result, millions of Iranians had no choice but to flee their homes to the four corners of the globe. In these recent protests, Iran’s rulers once again revealed their real identity to the world that they don’t value human life. They are simply vicious killers.

U.S. Sanctions

After the U.S. withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA or Iran nuclear deal on May 18, 2018, the US almost immediately imposed several new sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI).

The U.S. followed up with further sanctions on the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his office, and those who were closely tied to him with access to major financial resources. In July 2019, the United States placed sanctions on the regime’s Foreign Minister Mohammad, Javad Zarif.

The U.S. also placed sanctions on eight senior commanders of the navy, aerospace, and ground forces components of the IRGC. In April of 2019, President Donald Trump designated Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a foreign “terrorist” organization.

Results

Within a few months, Iran’s crude oil exports were slashed by almost 80%. Despite massive propaganda from President Rouhani’s office claiming these sanctions did not phase them and they had gotten used to them. However, this dosage of reality hit the regime hard. The regime is out of money and unable to pay the salaries of their military apparatus as well as its terrorist proxies such as Hezb’allah, Hamas, the Houthi insurgency in Yemen, Bashar al-Assad of Syria and other hired thugs. By November 2019, the regime was completely broke and needed to come up with a solution to save itself.

Out of desperation, the supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei took a gamble and raised the price of gasoline by 50% (some say by 300%) in order to consolidate the budget deficit. That was precisely what prompted protests in at least five cities almost simultaneously and brought millions of people into the streets. Almost all the slogans were against the Ayatollah Khamenei himself.

Death Toll

On November 15, 2019, over 100 protesters were killed and over a 1000 arrested in just one day. The exact total of casualties since the protests began are unknown, but unofficial reports from inside Iran indicate that around 1000 people died and close to 10,000 were injured or arrested. Out of fear, the regime immediately cut off all communications, including the internet, to the outside world. They feared of the watchful eyes of the people around the world witnessing yet again the mullahs’ atrocities against the Iranian people, who are barely surviving in a country that spends 80% of its oil revenue on terrorism worldwide.

Business as Usual

Without any question, the civilized world is aware that the Islamic Republic is immensely despised by its people. Yet they ignore this and continue doing business as usual. Political analysts and pundits know that neither the mullahs nor the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) are going away peacefully. They have no intention of handing over the country to the people anytime soon. Why? Three reasons. First, Iran is a rich country and the mullahs are naturally greedy thieves. They cannot be reconciled with allowing it to slip away. Second, they know that Shia Islam would most likely cease to exist. Third, they are mortally afraid that if they let Iran become free, the Iranian people would take their revenge without any mercy upon them. After all, for the past forty years they have committed every crime and atrocity known to man against the Iranian people. The late Ayatollah Khomeini warned them about this before his death.

Now What?

The regime is aware that it can neither go back nor forward. It is stuck between a rock and hard place. The only reason they are still in power is because there are greedy and money hungry politicians who will do anything for cheap oil and bribery. I remember the Ayatollah Khamenei’s words on his Friday sermons during the Green Revolution in 2009. He directly ordered his Bassij, plainclothes thugs and IRGC forces to shoot and kill indiscriminately anyone who challenged his Ummah (community of Shia Islam).

In another speech, he openly stated that he had learned a valuable lesson from the late Shah of Iran. He said, “He would never relinquish power as easily as the Shah did.” In 1978, I was still in Iran and I know the Shah never personally ordered soldiers to kill people at point-blank range. In fact, he never ordered anyone to be killed.

The Shah was a very kind and sensitive man, despite all the allegations the leftist media have conjured up about him. That is precisely why he departed his beloved country rather than remain and face a bloodbath.

Forty Years of Islamic Terror

For the past forty-years, thousands of dissidents, students, intellectuals, and journalists have been systematically arrested, imprisoned and tortured for the sole crime of speaking up against the oppressive rule of the mullahs. Many are still languishing in prisons, some have died, and some have simply vanished with no trace. Not only has the regime terrorized its own people, they have also demonstrated a high priority for supporting global terrorism.

Many Iranians are following the events in Iran carefully. Despite an unprecedented internet shutdown by the regime, the Iranian people have succeeded in providing the world with video evidence of the Mullahs’ brutality. “We see you, we hear you, & as Secretary of State Michael Pompeo stated, the U.S. is with you.”

The legitimacy of the Islamic Republic is now under serious question. The protests that began two weeks ago in Iran are different from most previous protests. These protesters have covered more area, overwhelming small and midsize cities across the country. They also have reportedly drawn more than 16 million participants in over 100 cities, much more than did the 2009 Green Revolution protests in Tehran.

Are we finally witnessing the end of the Islamic Republic? Yes, but not immediately. It is only a matter of time — and not a very long one either.

 

[justchecking123]

2 hours ago, ladyGrace'sDaddy said:

 

Source: Amil Imani

 

Uprisings in Iran have become routine occurrences, albeit without much success. Why? Because Iran is ruled by a totalitarian Islamic ideology like Nazism and communism. In Iran, there is no sovereignty of the people. Instead, there is a perception of the Ummah in Shia theology “rule of Mahdi”, guardianship over the people. In other words, Iran belongs to “Imam Zaman” (the Hidden Imam) and in his absence, a supreme leader is in charge. In this case, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Any revolt against the State is considered a direct attack against the upcoming “Lord of the Age.”

Hence, at the slightest signs of protests, the regime unleashes its wild dogs (soldiers of Mahdi) on a killing spree.  Iranians partook in many protests across the country amidst a failing economic situation, systematic government corruption, and widespread frustration over the lack of political and social freedoms. As always, the regime’s security apparatus reacted to these protests with mass arrests and severe due process abuses. Pundits and experts believe “Khamenei’s tough response could just invite more anger.”

Since the Islamic invasion of 1979, the Mullahs have ruled over the unarmed Iranian people with an iron fist and absolute power while draining the nation’s treasury. As a result, millions of Iranians had no choice but to flee their homes to the four corners of the globe. In these recent protests, Iran’s rulers once again revealed their real identity to the world that they don’t value human life. They are simply vicious killers.

U.S. Sanctions

After the U.S. withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA or Iran nuclear deal on May 18, 2018, the US almost immediately imposed several new sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI).

The U.S. followed up with further sanctions on the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his office, and those who were closely tied to him with access to major financial resources. In July 2019, the United States placed sanctions on the regime’s Foreign Minister Mohammad, Javad Zarif.

The U.S. also placed sanctions on eight senior commanders of the navy, aerospace, and ground forces components of the IRGC. In April of 2019, President Donald Trump designated Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a foreign “terrorist” organization.

Results

Within a few months, Iran’s crude oil exports were slashed by almost 80%. Despite massive propaganda from President Rouhani’s office claiming these sanctions did not phase them and they had gotten used to them. However, this dosage of reality hit the regime hard. The regime is out of money and unable to pay the salaries of their military apparatus as well as its terrorist proxies such as Hezb’allah, Hamas, the Houthi insurgency in Yemen, Bashar al-Assad of Syria and other hired thugs. By November 2019, the regime was completely broke and needed to come up with a solution to save itself.

Out of desperation, the supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei took a gamble and raised the price of gasoline by 50% (some say by 300%) in order to consolidate the budget deficit. That was precisely what prompted protests in at least five cities almost simultaneously and brought millions of people into the streets. Almost all the slogans were against the Ayatollah Khamenei himself.

Death Toll

On November 15, 2019, over 100 protesters were killed and over a 1000 arrested in just one day. The exact total of casualties since the protests began are unknown, but unofficial reports from inside Iran indicate that around 1000 people died and close to 10,000 were injured or arrested. Out of fear, the regime immediately cut off all communications, including the internet, to the outside world. They feared of the watchful eyes of the people around the world witnessing yet again the mullahs’ atrocities against the Iranian people, who are barely surviving in a country that spends 80% of its oil revenue on terrorism worldwide.

Business as Usual

Without any question, the civilized world is aware that the Islamic Republic is immensely despised by its people. Yet they ignore this and continue doing business as usual. Political analysts and pundits know that neither the mullahs nor the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) are going away peacefully. They have no intention of handing over the country to the people anytime soon. Why? Three reasons. First, Iran is a rich country and the mullahs are naturally greedy thieves. They cannot be reconciled with allowing it to slip away. Second, they know that Shia Islam would most likely cease to exist. Third, they are mortally afraid that if they let Iran become free, the Iranian people would take their revenge without any mercy upon them. After all, for the past forty years they have committed every crime and atrocity known to man against the Iranian people. The late Ayatollah Khomeini warned them about this before his death.

Now What?

The regime is aware that it can neither go back nor forward. It is stuck between a rock and hard place. The only reason they are still in power is because there are greedy and money hungry politicians who will do anything for cheap oil and bribery. I remember the Ayatollah Khamenei’s words on his Friday sermons during the Green Revolution in 2009. He directly ordered his Bassij, plainclothes thugs and IRGC forces to shoot and kill indiscriminately anyone who challenged his Ummah (community of Shia Islam).

In another speech, he openly stated that he had learned a valuable lesson from the late Shah of Iran. He said, “He would never relinquish power as easily as the Shah did.” In 1978, I was still in Iran and I know the Shah never personally ordered soldiers to kill people at point-blank range. In fact, he never ordered anyone to be killed.

The Shah was a very kind and sensitive man, despite all the allegations the leftist media have conjured up about him. That is precisely why he departed his beloved country rather than remain and face a bloodbath.

Forty Years of Islamic Terror

For the past forty-years, thousands of dissidents, students, intellectuals, and journalists have been systematically arrested, imprisoned and tortured for the sole crime of speaking up against the oppressive rule of the mullahs. Many are still languishing in prisons, some have died, and some have simply vanished with no trace. Not only has the regime terrorized its own people, they have also demonstrated a high priority for supporting global terrorism.

Many Iranians are following the events in Iran carefully. Despite an unprecedented internet shutdown by the regime, the Iranian people have succeeded in providing the world with video evidence of the Mullahs’ brutality. “We see you, we hear you, & as Secretary of State Michael Pompeo stated, the U.S. is with you.”

The legitimacy of the Islamic Republic is now under serious question. The protests that began two weeks ago in Iran are different from most previous protests. These protesters have covered more area, overwhelming small and midsize cities across the country. They also have reportedly drawn more than 16 million participants in over 100 cities, much more than did the 2009 Green Revolution protests in Tehran.

Are we finally witnessing the end of the Islamic Republic? Yes, but not immediately. It is only a matter of time — and not a very long one either.

 

Great article.

 

Thanks for this, LGD.

[umbertino]

Youth-Led Protests Topple Iraqi PM as Demonstrations Calling for Overhaul of Government Continue

 

December 02, 2019

 

 

https://www.democracynow.org/2019/12/2/iraq_pm_resigns_after_mass_protests

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shoot to Kill: Thousands may already be dead in Iran

 

December 2, 2019 1:50 PM CST By John Wojcik

 

 

In this Nov. 25, 2019, photo, an Iranian soldier stands on a rooftop with an automatic rifle during a government event condemning protesters. The theocratic regime has given soldiers "shoot to kill" orders for dealing with demonstrators. | Ebrahim Noroozi / AP

 

 

https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/shoot-to-kill-thousands-may-already-be-dead-in-iran/

[MyLadiesDaddy]

 

[Karsten]

Iran Admits It Massacred Unarmed Protesters

 

https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-iran-admits-it-massacred-unarmed-protesters?%3Futm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=cnews

 

Karsten