Another terrorist attack -Tehran Iran

[Skeptical Greg]

'IS' hits parliament and Khomeini mausoleum


Surprised no one here has mentioned this yet..


Let God sort them out?

 

[crescent]

This from the OP:

Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards accused Saudi Arabia and the US of being behind the attacks.

Coupled with the Qatar situation, this is potentially a VERY BAD THING.

I wish had a better captain at the helm of the U.S. and our State Department.

Chances are that not much will come of this, other than perhaps increased support from Iran to the Iraqi and Syrian efforts to fight ISIS, an excuse to saber-rattle towards Saudi Arabia, and an Iranian domestic security crack-down.

Still, things are getting pretty tense, quickly. Not a good situation.

 

[applecorped]

'IS' hits parliament and Khomeini mausoleum


Surprised no one here has mentioned this yet..


Let God sort them out?

Where any Americans killed? No?

Meh

 

[tyr_13]

Horrific, and hopefully the death count remains relatively low.

Maybe they should ban Muslims.

 

[Skeptical Greg]

Where any Americans killed? No?

Meh

Were there any Americans with guns?

No?


Non story...

 

[Oystein]

It's quite surprising that the IS hasn't struck in Iran earlier and heavier. They kill Shiites by large scores in Iraq. They also kill Sunnis by large scores, in many places, merely for not being as crazy as they are.

The West needs to understand that we are actually on Iran's side as far as the really big terrorism problems go, and that the Arabian dictatorships are at least as much our enemies as Iran is.

It's easy, and appears too plausible, to suspect Saudi Arabia to somehow be behind this attack, but at this point that would amount to a cheap conspiracy theory, IMO. KSA is somehow behind the IS, but probably not on an operational level, more as a sponsor and spiritual guidance thing.

 

[Civet]

Any sense yet of the country of origin of the attackers?

 

[baron]

I think the number of Islamic terrorist attacks for outside Europe / US is running at about four a day. Few are in Iran, however, which makes this one notable.

 

[dudalb]

Not surprised;religious fantatics often reserve their worst hatred for others of the same faith who do agree with them.

 

[Oystein]

I think the number of Islamic terrorist attacks for outside Europe / US is running at about four a day. Few are in Iran, however, which makes this one notable.

This one was also notable for the high prestige of the target locations - national Parliament and Khomeini's tomb.

 

[crescent]

Any sense yet of the country of origin of the attackers?

ISIS seems to be implying that the attacks were carried by Iranian citizens, albeit Sunni rather than Shia.

 

[Emily's Cat]

I'm confused. ISIS claims responsibility, but Iran says that Saudi Arabia and the US were behind it because it occurred a week after Trump went to Saudi? Am I misreading something in that BBC Article?

 

[BigFace42]

I'm confused. ISIS claims responsibility, but Iran says that Saudi Arabia and the US were behind it because it occurred a week after Trump went to Saudi? Am I misreading something in that BBC Article?

'Iran' doesn't say that, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard is saying it. Basically peddling a conspiracy theory.

 

[Emily's Cat]

'Iran' doesn't say that, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard is saying it. Basically peddling a conspiracy theory.

Educate me - is the revolutionary guard not part of the Iranian government?

 

[crescent]

Educate me - is the revolutionary guard not part of the Iranian government?

Essentially, Iran has a split government, a Theocratic one that oversees a Civil one, and they don't always see eye-to-eye. The Theocratic side seems to be very slowly losing popularity with the population.

The Revolutionary Guard is tied to the Theocratic side of the government more than it is to the Civil side, it is essentially the military arm of the theocracy.

Wiki:

Whereas the regular military (or Artesh) was constitutionally mandated to defend Iran's borders and maintain internal order, the IRGC was mandated to protect the country's Islamic nature.[3] The Revolutionary Guards state that their role in protecting the Islamic system is preventing foreign interference as well as coups by the military or "deviant movements".[4][5]

If the west plays its card right, the Theocracy will slowly devolve to figure-head status, kind of like the British Monarchy. Right now, it looks as if the Theocracy might try to play this attack to their favor, even if that means playing up some obvious falsehoods.

 

[Emily's Cat]

Thank you.

 

[mgidm86]

Where any Americans killed? No?

Meh

My enemy attacked my enemy. They both want to destroy my way of life. Some terrorist attacked a country that sponsors terrorism. I'll admit it, I don't much care. I do care, just not much.

 

[theprestige]

If the west plays its card right, the Theocracy will slowly devolve to figure-head status, kind of like the British Monarchy.

So, after centuries of hegemonizing militancy, culminating in a global empire? That's what the west will get from Iran if we "play our cards right"?

 

[crescent]

So, after centuries of hegemonizing militancy, culminating in a global empire? That's what the west will get from Iran if we "play our cards right"?

I was kinda thinking that they would sort of gradually move from the current militant theocracy situation to the mostly powerless religious figurehead situation, but skip the enormous world empire part in the middle.

But hey, I've been wrong before.

 

[McHrozni]

The West needs to understand that we are actually on Iran's side as far as the really big terrorism problems go, and that the Arabian dictatorships are at least as much our enemies as Iran is.

The problem is that we have realized long ago that as far as the really big terrorism problems go, Iran is the largest single sponsor out there. Unlike the Sunni groups Iran doesn't care much for their factional affiliation and supports Islamic terrorists of all creeds, as long as they fulfill its goal of attacking western or Jewish targets.

We share a few enemies with Iran, they aren't too fond of ISIS, but that's it.

McHrozni