The US and Britain, which allege to be pioneers in the campaign against terrorism, are themselves actually defending the terrorists, training them and providing them with the needed media and financial supports and facilities." (Soltan-Ali Mir, Iranian Interior Ministry)

Both the Iranian government and provincial officials in southeastern Iran have accused the United States and Britain of attempting to create instability in Iran and the Middle East. Since the invasion of Iraq by the United States and Britain, Iran has experienced a relatively new, atypical, and previously unfelt phenomenon. This latter state is characterized by an increasing number of explosions (or “terrorist attacks”) in Iranian border provinces and areas.

These provinces, which are subject to explosions and new waves of attacks by previously unknown groups, border Anglo-American occupied Iraq to the West and Pakistan and Afghanistan in the East. Pakistan is within the Anglo-American orbit and has close intelligence links with the United States and Britain, while Afghanistan is under military occupation, and Iraq has had cases where Coalition troops have been caught red handed attempting to commit acts of terrorism which have been portrayed as sectarian Iraqi violence or the work of Al-Qaeda in Iraq.

The Pakistani ambassador in Iran has also been summoned by the Iranian Foreign Ministry in regards to the attacks in Zahedan, southeastern Iran—attacks which do not seem possible without the cooperation or knowledge of the Pakistani government and Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI).

The methodology of terror attacks in the Middle East and around the world is beginning to show a disturbing trend and pattern which is closely related to Anglo-American interests. These "terrorist attacks" directly serve the interests of the U.S., Britain and Israel. The pattern of terrorist attacks in Iraq, Iran, and even Lebanon, are remarkably similar.

A study of terrorist incidents and their political outcomes and results will show that on the home front, the United States and its partners have benefited domestically from public outrage which in turn has justified and legitimized their policies. In the Middle East, the incitement of violence and acts of carnage has allowed the United States and Britain to linger in their internationally illegal occupation of Iraq, while spreading sedition amongst the peoples of Iraq and the Middle East.

Creating divisions amongst the different sectarian, religious, and ethno-cultural groups of the Middle East is part of the Anglo-American strategy to balkanize and control the region. The violence in Iraq and the tensions in Lebanon are the direct work of the United States and its partners, which aim to redraw the map of the Middle East in various aspects and ways.

While a link is evident that Iran, under the Khatami Administration, helped the United States and Britain in establishing the puppet Iraqi government during the questionably Iraqi elections, it is apparent that Washington D.C. and Tehran are no longer on the same wave length in regard to Iraq.

At first sight, the Iranian charges of U.S. and British involvement and weaponry seems like a symmetric move that parallels the U.S. charge that Iran and Syria are arming and supporting anti-American militias in Iraq with Iranian weaponry to kill Coalition troops.

Deeper examination suggests that Iran has been accusing the United States and Britain since 2003 for trying to destabilize Iranian border zones. The charge of U.S. and British weaponry is most likely a possible political rebuttal to the U.S. claims of Iranian weaponry targeting Coalition troops, but the events in question seem to bear the fingerprints of the Anglo-American alliance.


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Iran to Present Evidence of Foreign Involvement in Recent Blasts

FNA
February 17, 2007

Iran on Saturday invited international bodies to send envoys to Tehran to witness documents and other corroborative evidence showing involvement of foreign countries in recent terrorist blasts in the country's southeastern provincial capital city of Zahedan.

Director General for the political affairs of Sistan and Balouchestan governorate Soltan-Ali Mir told FNA that the US and Britain are behind the recent terrorist attacks in the city of Zahedan, adding, "Washington and London are facing serious challenges as their interests in the Middle-East region have been endangered. Since the Islamic Republic is the main center of anti-US struggles, they are seeking to trouble Iran through a series of challenges, including terrorist attacks and unrests."

Asked to elaborate on the documents proving involvement of the US and Britain in recent incidents in Iran's Sistan and Balouchestan province, he said, "The weapons that the terrorists have used are US and British made. Moreover, the arrested terrorist agents have meantime, confessed that they have been trained by English-speaking people."

The official invited representatives of the United Nations, Human Rights watch and other international bodies to dispatch envoys to Iran to observe the available documents and proofs substantiating involvement of the Untied States and Britain in the recent terrorist attacks, including the blast and shootout on Wednesday.

"The US and Britain, which allege to be pioneers in the campaign against terrorism, are themselves actually defending the terrorists, training them and providing them with the needed media and financial supports and facilities," he added.

Soltan-Ali Mir further pointed out that the US and Britain intend to create a series of incidents in his province similar to what they have already done in Iraq.

"They intend to kill the Shiites and leave the footstep at the door of the Sunnis or vice versa. Some of the arrestees confessed that they had plans to assassinate religious and tribal leaders of the Sunnis and put the blame on the Shiites in a bid to foment ethnic and religious conflicts," he stated.

The official also noted Iran's good and friendly relations with the neighboring countries, and said that Iranian and Pakistani officials will soon attend meetings to improve security at the borders.

Meanwhile, he called on the security officials of Iran's eastern neighbors to take the required precautions to secure their joint borders with Iran, saying that it is now the Islamic Republic which is paying a heavy price for securing the borders and that neighboring countries should enhance their efforts to prevent terrorists from trafficking across the border.

(Emphasis Added by Global Research)


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Terrorist Plot for Assassinating Sunni Leaders Disclosed

FNA
February 17, 2007


Gang members arrested following a terrorist blast in southeast Iran disclosed a wide-scale plot hatched by the US for fomenting religious and ethnic conflicts in Iran through assassinating Sunni and tribal leaders.

An informed security source told FNA that the agents in charge of the recent terrorist attack on a bus full of passengers in Iran's southeastern provincial capital city of Zahedan are mercenaries of the intelligence services of foreign countries and that they have undergone intensive trainings to carry out sabotage operations.

A bomb blast tore through a bus in Zahedan, southeast Iran at 06:10 (2:40 GMT) on Wednesday, killing 12 people and wounding 24 others.

The bus belonged to the Zahedan branch of the Islamic Republic's Mobilized Forces (Baseej), and the passengers were all members of the ground force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

"One of the arrested terrorists has confessed that he has been trained by English-speaking individuals," the source said, adding that the trainings have most probably been translated by the members of the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO).

Referring to the reason underlying the terrorist operation on Wednesday, he said, "According to the confessions made by the arrestees, the US is deeply displeased with the Iranians' massive rallies on February 11, where the Iranian Shiites and Sunnites hand in hand chanted slogans against the US and in support of unity and the country's policies, and thus, they have decided to sow seeds of discord between the Iranian Shiites and Sunnites through running several operations of sabotage in Sistan and Balouchestan province."

The source also stated that arrestees have confessed that they intended to martyr a large number of Shiite and Sunnite citizens through frequent blasts in the province followed by several other terrorist operations for assassinating Molavis (Leaders of the Sunnis) and leaders of the different tribes in Sistan and Balouchestan in a bid to sow strong discord in the province and even in the whole country.


(Emphasis Added by Global Research)