Formation of new paramilitary Bassij battalions throughout Iran a further suppressive step

NCRI – Deputy Commander of the paramilitary Bassij Force in East Azerbaijan Province, Colonel Ali Saeedi, announced, “The third phase of the military drills for Ashura battalions in East Azerbaijan’s Kolebar region” has been completed, according to the semi-official daily Jomhouri Islami on July 5.

In a bogus show of strength, he said,” One million people in the (East Azerbaijan) province have been organized in Ashura and Al-Zahra battalions to defend the goals of the revolution.”

Deputy Commander of the country’s Bassij Force, Hossein Khaleqi, said that “more than 350,000 people from the tribal population” have been “organized in military battalions.” 

Fearful of the growing hatred for the mullahs’ regime, the Commander of the Bassij, Brig. Gen. Mohammad Hejazi, said, “The enemies are trying to sow discord between the government and the people.” He emphasized the need to strengthen the suppressive forces as a “national duty.”
 
The absolute suppressive mobilization in various provinces such as East and West Azerbaijan, Kerman, Sistan and Baluchistan, Khuzestan, Kurdistan, Ilam, Chahar Mahal va Bakhtiyari and Tehran, is before anything else the result of a growing fear by the mullahs of the volatile state of the nation.
  
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
July 7, 2006