Sunday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 12.18.2005:

Iran President's Bodyguard Dies in Ambush

Iran Focus: a pro-MEK website

One of the bodyguards of Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was killed and another wounded when an attempt to ambush the presidential motorcade was thwarted in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan, according to a semi-official newspaper and local residents.

“At 6:50 pm on Thursday, the lead car in the presidential motorcade confronted armed bandits and trouble-makers on the Zabol-Saravan highway”, the semi-official Jomhouri Islami reported on Saturday.

“In the ensuing armed clash, the driver of the vehicle, who was an indigenous member of the security services, and one of the president’s bodyguards died, while another bodyguard was wounded”, the newspaper, which was founded by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, wrote.

Ahmadinejad traveled to the restive province, where ethnic Baluchis have been fighting for years for autonomy, on Wednesday and returned to Tehran on Friday afternoon. Tehran often refers to anti-government activists and political opponents of the Islamist regime as “bandits” and “trouble-makers”.

The newspaper report made no mention of Ahmadinejad’s whereabouts during the attack on his bodyguards’ vehicle, but Zabol residents reached by telephone said there were rumors in the town that the hard-line president himself was the target of the attack, which took place near Zabol. READ MORE

The Balouch are fiercely independent.

However, for months now there have been rumors that the Rafsanjani and Khatami factions may attempt to have Ahamdinejad assassinated in hopes of obtaining a "grand bargain" with the international community which leaves the regime in place while they continue their secret nuclear program. Ahmadinehad has been threatening many in the Rafsanjani and Khatami factions with arrest under corruption charges.

Whether this has anything to do with this report is unknown, but assassinating Ahmadinejad without also assassinating the rest of the leadership is likely to have a negative consequences, as it would give false hope to the international community desperate for solution.

The losers would be the democratic forces in Iran and likely give Iran time to go nuclear.

Michael Ledeen's thoughts.

Alan Peters discussed the recent assassination attempt on Ahmadinejad's life and possible connections to the C-130 crash in Tehran last week. Photos.

Here are a few other news items you may have missed.

• Monsters & Critics reported that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has ordered the conditional suspension of the additional protocol of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
• Iran Focus reported that Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad signed into law a bill that lays the foundations for a new military organisation to develop ballistic missiles.
• Iran Focus reported that the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution censuring widespread human rights violations in Iran.
• Radio Free Europe reported that European Union leaders have formally condemned Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad's remarks on Israel.
• Reuters reported that the United States and Europe have stepped up planning for tougher diplomatic action should Tehran follow through on threats to resume critical nuclear activities.
• The Wall Street Journal reported that Iran meets Wednesday with America's three main European allies for a showdown over the Iranians' nuclear program.
• DEBKAfile reported that a sort of collective delusional hysteria is sweeping the Iranian populace. War preparations?
• Reuters reported that the leaders of six pro-U.S. Gulf Arab states meet on Sunday to discuss Iran's nuclear ambitions.
• The Telegraph reported that young Iranians are seeking out the ski slopes of Iran for a taste of freedom they fear they will soon lose under Ahmadinejad.
• And finally, Alan Peters reported that while modern Iranian women have been pushing the limits, his sources inside of Iran are saying that President Ahmadi-Nejad's has decree that in future all women had to wear a black tent-like garment called a "chador." A photo analysis of present Iranian dress and where Ahmadinejad wants it to go.