Suicide bombing in Iran kills 43, including 6 Revolutionary Guards Commanders
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A suicide bombing yesterday in Pishin killed at least 6 Revolutionary Guards commanders and 37 other people and appears to be an attempt to strike at the leadership of the nation’s premier security forces. Tehran attributes the bombing to what it alleges are “western” efforts to destabilize Iran. There are also concerns the bombing may be related to the possible failing health or death of th supreme leader, raising the possibility of a violent struggle for succession.
The Revolutionary Guards took control of security for the restive Sistan-Baluchistan province last April, and local groups accuse the Guards-backed regime there of “persistent crimes” against the people. A militant group calling itself Jundallah —”soldiers of God”— has claimed responsibility and says the attack was revenge for the Revolutionary Guard’s actions in Sistan-Baluchistan.
Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad alleges the bombing is linked to US, British and Pakistani intelligence services, despite Jundallah’s being alleged to have direct ties to al Qaeda and/or the Pakistani Taliban, both of which are enemies of the US, UK and Pakistan. He is quoted by domestic and international media saying “The criminals will soon get a response for their anti-human crimes”, and state media issued a statement saying “revenge” would come “not in the distant future”.
The US State Department condemned the attack and said the allegation of US involvement was entirely false. The official US statement expressed communion in mourning with the Iranian people and the families of innocent victims.
The return to bellicose language, accusations against the west and threats of revenge, is of added concern, because Iran is to sit down with international negotiators, including US diplomats and IAEA officials this week to discuss an inspections and third-party processing regime that could allow Iran to legally obtain nuclear energy and medical-use uranium while preventing the development of nuclear weapons capability.
Some Iran skeptics have floated the idea that Iran’s own regime might be interested in using this attack as an excuse to claim the need for defensive weapons or to stall negotiations on a serious nuclear inspections clampdown, with the aim of getting the bomb or getting close enough to have it “at the ready” if necessary.
UPDATE, 2:40 GMT, 20 October 2009: IAEA chief Mohammed el Baradei says the first day of renewed multilateral talks with Iran, regarding full access to the Qom facility for UN inspectors and joint foreign nuclear fuel processing by Russia and France has gone well and that negotiations are moving in a positive direction.
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