30 Years Ago

On this day 30 years ago Iraq launched a simultaneous invasion by air and land into Iranian territory.

Believing the Iranian Military was in disarray Saddam Hussein launched the invasion in an attempt to take control the oil rich Khūzestān region and to quell the Khoemini's Islamic Revolution from spreading to the Shia majority in Iraq.

Over 70,000 Iraqi soldiers entered Iran, they would not be pushed back until 1982 following the intense and bloody fighting at the town of Khorramshahr, the war would then pick up again as a large scale border war with an Iranian offensive, that eventually ended in a ceasefire in 1988 with a million people dead.

Tehran's Rally

Top: Huge pro-government crowd at Azadi Square

Middle: Ahmadinejad arriving at the rally

Bottom: Rafsanjani at the rally

Tehran. 11 February 2010. Mehr photos

Video from Tehran

BBC video shows large pro-government crowds stationed near the podium, cheering during President Ahmadinejad's keynote speech. While in the second half of the video, large number of Green movement supporters are shown, away from the podium, chanting their own slogans, including a demand for a national referendum to settle the country's political impasse.

Iranians Rally to Mark Anniversary of Revolution

Azadi Square Rally

Tehran. 11 February 2010. Mehr photo

Marking the 31^st anniversary of the revolution, huge number of Iranians flocked to Azadi Square in central Tehran today. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivered the keynote speech, which included his announcement that Iran has indeed produced a small batch of 20-percent enriched uranium.

There were also sporadic clashes between the security forces and opposition supporters on Thursday. Some opposition websites were reporting that the police fired shots in the air to disperse a group of Green movement supporters in central Tehran. Also there were reports that opposition leaders Mohammad Khatami, the former president, and Mehdi Karrubi were attacked by Basij elements when they attended the rally.

Iran Revolution at 31

Iran celebrations of the 31^st anniversary of its revolution start with fireworks on Wednesday night, continuing with massive demonstrations on Thursday. ISNA photo shows firework over Milad Tower in Tehran.

Mousavi: Revolution Did Not Achieve Its Goals

Opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi said in Tehran today the 1979 Islamic revolution had failed to end tyranny and dictatorship in the country. Mousavi, one of the founding figures of the Islamic Republic, served as the country’s prime minister during the eight-year war with Iraq.

"Dictatorship in the name of religion is the worst kind. The most evident manifestation of a continued tyrannical attitude is the abuse of parliament and judiciary. We have completely lost hope in the judiciary," Mousavi said. [Kalam.com, 2 February]

Mousavi added he no longer believed, as he once did, that the revolution had removed all the structures that could lead to totalitarianism and dictatorship.

"Stifling the media, filling the prisons and brutally killing people who peacefully demand their rights in the streets indicate the roots of tyranny and dictatorship remain from the monarchist era... I don't believe that the revolution achieved its goals," he said.

Mousavi harshly criticized the recent execution of two young protesters. He said the government was unaware of the effective power of innocent blood and did not know that the blood of martyrs destroyed the shah’s regime.

Mousavi made the comments marking the 31^st anniversary of the Iranian revolution.

A Year Old!

I first posted on this blog on Saturday 3 March 2007. Uskowi on Iran is now a year old. We’ve posted 365 times during this past year. This is post #366 (it was a leap year after all!)

My goal was to chronicle major events in Iran, this great country, and to offer some insight into those events, and to invite comments by our readers. This blog has major shortcomings in all the three areas.

Uskowi on Iran has nevertheless received heartening support from the blogger community. TheIssue.com has consistently included our posts among “The Best of the Blogosphere” selections. The Iran Daily Voices, the principle site monitoring top blogs and top posts on Iran has ranked Uskowi on Iran among the top ten Iran blogs. CNN.com has often carried our posts in their blog selection during their coverage of major events in Iran. And so has the Sphere.com. And I am indebted to all my co-bloggers who have linked their blogs to Uskowi on Iran.

Let me also take this opportunity to express my thanks and appreciation to those readers and co-bloggers who have contributed much by posting their comments and relevant news items on this blog. They have truly enriched Uskowi on Iran.