Militants: Iranians Volunteer for Suicide Attacks

AP, The Guardian:

More than 400 young men and women have volunteered to carry out suicide bombing attacks against Americans in Iraq and targets in Israel, a militant group said Wednesday. READ MORE

The recruiting effort was detailed during a ceremony organized by the Headquarters for Commemorating Martyrs of the Global Islamic Movement, a shadowy group that has been seeking attackers for nearly a year.

The Iranian government has distanced itself from the organization. But the event was attended by Mahdi Rahimian, the head of the Martyr's Foundation and the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee, both quasi-government organizations run by hard-liners loyal to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

"Some 440 volunteers, most of them women, signed up today,'' said group spokesman Mohammad Ali Samadi.

Samadi, said members have already carried out suicide attacks inside Israel against Israeli military targets. But his group is not among those that have claimed responsibility for any previous attacks there.

Iran's hard-line rulers have long called for the destruction of Israel. Iranians are barred from traveling to Israel and Samadi suggested that his suicide bombers secretly infiltrate the Jewish state.