Although about a month old, I ran into this gem recently. It seems like I, and many like me, have been in error now that some things in the aftermath of the elections are finally coming to light. According to Mr. Taeb, head of the Baseej resistance force, who seems to have quite a grasp on the recent events, it wasn’t really the Baseej militia members that clubbed, broke bones, dragged on pavements, smashed cars and skulls, hurled wicked insults, and fired bullets. Instead, they were hooligans who had managed to disguise themselves as members of the Baseej. Mr. Taeb says that “entering the Baseej force is very easy. Anyone can join and engage in atrocious activities with the goal of destroying the Baseej’s image.” Of course, given that the Baseej members are clothed exactly like everyone else, these hooligans shouldn’t have much trouble in disguising themselves either. In cases where they really need to look like the genuine article, they’d only need to add a helmet and a stick.
As for obtaining weapons, the hooligans must have had a harder time. But Mr. Taeb’s insight into the matter is astonishing. It seems that the weapons used in the post-election unrests have been smuggled in by some anti-regime groups and foreign countries. “If attacks are directed at military areas under the control of Baseej, because there are many weapons there, the Baseej will defend its garrisons at any cost, but otherwise they have never been armed,” he says. He later points to Mr. Obama’s campaign of change as a deliberate scenario designed to pit Iranians against each other, in order to create havoc in the Islamic Republic. Apparently, America’s scheming to topple the regime from the outside did not work for thirty years, so they decided to strike from within this time. He adds that “the Baseej does not attack people who are discontented and believe they need to defend their votes”.
So now I know. The people I saw yesterday at Vanak square, shouting “death to the dictator” must have been a part of that small group of confused people, falling for the evil plot of foreigners, and those outnumbering them and chasing them down with batons were make-believe Baseejis, while the real Baseejis must have been around the city doing their good deeds for the day.
I’m glad for these insights, but now I have an even bigger worry. Given the relaxed management style of the Baseej forces, I worry that these hooligans, anti-regime bandits and foreign agents may have infiltrated everything in Iran. Perhaps it is these imbeciles who are putting red marks on people’s homes to identify them as Allah-o-Akbar shouters, or taking kickbacks for returning confiscated cameras or arranging for people to see their loved ones behind bars. Perhaps it is them who are arresting the demonstrators, torturing and killing them in prisons to further taint the Baseej’s aura. How far could they have gone? Could they have taken positions in the judiciary system? Parliament? The government too? Oh my god, could they be…oh my…we should move quickly and toss these villains, these worms, out of Iran.
Tags: elections, propaganda, protests