Unidentified members of Iran's Assembly of
Experts, the group
that 'elects' and is supposed to oversee the
activities of country's
supreme leader. This photo was taken last march,
according to
the supreme leaders Web site.
Kayhan, Islamic
Republic of Iran
Supreme Leader
in Plea to Iranians Not to Fall for West's 'Soft War'
Iran's
supreme leader is sounding a bit less secure today. Presumably, this article
from the Islamic Republic's tightly-controlled Kayhan newspaper went to
press just hours before news broke that Tehran has been building a second
uranium enrichment plant. The leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, during a speech to the Assembly of
Experts, pleads with Iranians not to fall for
what he calls "Western soft war."
By Kian Mokhtari
September 25, 3009
Islamic Republic of Iran - Kayhan - Home Page (English)
TEHRAN: On Thursday, the
leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, said Tehran
must remain alert to U.S. and British plots against the Islamic Republic.
The leader told the Assembly
of Experts, "The British government, with its black 200-year record
against Iran, the United States and others, say 'we support the Iranians,' and
that they support the actions of some of us. … Therefore, we mustn't overlook
enemy plots aimed at creating divisions among us."
Ayatollah Khamenei said that
the United States and Britain were "cheered" by some of the incidents
that occurred after the June presidential election, which saw Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad reelected.
Since the election, Ayatollah
Khamenei and other officials have lashed out particularly at Britain for
fomenting the violence that rocked Tehran. The leader spoke of the
"strength, optimism and solidity in the Islamic system," while
pointing out the "sophistication and extensiveness of the enemy's planning
in the current situation."
Ayatollah Khamenei also
elaborated on the "soft warfare and principal methods of plotting by
adversaries of the Islamic Republic," and emphasized the importance of
maintaining a high level of alertness, an understanding the situation and
having courage. The leader spoke of the importance of maintaining unity when
dealing with new plots and tactics.
"The Islamic system has
thirty years of experience confronting all kinds of challenges. It is because
of the Islamic system's great development and the difficulty of its
achievements that the conspiracies and plots of its opponents have also
developed. That is why the all aspects of these plots must be identified in
order to overcome them," added the leader.
According to Ayatollah
Khamenei, there is at present only a small likelihood of war, and he opined:
"Right now, the enemy has decided to do psychological combat with the
Islamic system, or in other words, soft war. The central purpose of the enemy
is to transform our system's strengths and opportunities into weaknesses and
threats."
“An intelligent and vigilant
presence at the scene of events together with prudence is needed to counter
these plots” said the leader. “Of course, this presence will attract Divine
assistance."
'Divine assistance?: Fellow demonstrators struggle to stop the
bleeding of a young girl named Neda Agha Soltan, June 12. She
was shot
down by the regime's Basij - vigilante-enforcers of Iran's
leader, during a march against the results of recent presidential
election. This video is
not
for children:
CLICK HERE OR CLICK PHOTO TO WATCH 
The leader then elaborated on
the enemy's main tactics and plots: “One method of the enemy is to impair
optimism and hope, transforming them into pessimism and doubt.” He said it is
to indoctrinate people into seeing themselves at a dead-end or in a bad light,
and ultimately, “to take away the poise and drive o society.”
"The peoples' 85 percent
turnout in the presidential election, the repeated affirmations and affections
that are held for the Islamic system for 30 years, as well as the election of a
president with such an unprecedented and lopsided vote is one of our great
strengths.” The opponents of the system, however, “are exerting themselves to
transform this virtue into a source of doubt and pessimism."
Pointing toward the numerous
grounds for hope in the country, the leader added: "The country's solid
infrastructure and preparedness for a leap forward, very significant scientific
progress, the system's thirty-years of experience, an energetic, educated and
self-confident younger generation, and a twenty-year strategic plan defining
the movement of the country, are all outstanding triumphs that the opponents of
the Islamic Republic want to transform into weaknesses."
ALSO ON THIS AND FROM KAYHAN:
Kayhan, Iran:
Obama 'Lost in a World of Materialism'
Kayhan, Iran:
'Hillary's Old Umbrella'
Kayhan, Iran: Obama's Trip: 'How they Laughed in Moscow'
Kayhan, Iran:
Obama Can Kiss Iranian Help in Afghanistan Goodbye
Kayhan, Iran:
Iran Regime Says, 'Double Plus Good' on President Obama
Kayhan, Iran:
Voice of America and BBC the 'Spiritual Children' of Netanyahu and Lieberman
Kayhan, Iran:
'Zionist-Run News Media' are Wasting Their Time
Asia Times, Hong Kong:
'War on Terror' Somersault for U.S. and Iran
According to the leader,
attempting to sow discord among different sectors of society is yet another of
the enemy's soft war tactics.
"Today, signs of public
unity and empathy among the people are evident. Manifestations of this include
the presence of people at Friday Prayers during the Holy Month of Ramadan, the
big turnout at Qods Day rallies [Jerusalem Day], and a grand popular presence
during prayers for Eid al-Fitr throughout the country," the leader
stressed.
"Can one ignore the
enemy's pleasure over certain post-election issues and events, and then feign
ignorance?” The leader said the British government, "with its black 200
years record vis-ŕ-vis Iran, and also the U.S. government and other governments
who praise some Iranians and claim to support their nation, do so as all of
these people are part of the Islamic system. Therefore, we mustn't lose sight
of the extent of our adversary's hostility in their efforts to plot
conspiracies and sow discord."
Ayatollah Khamenei advised
elites and the "select" in society, as well as the nation's political
movements, to strengthen their insight. The leader then asked: "How can we
deny it, when the enemy was present, overtly and without any disguise, in the
street disturbances after the election? Therefore, insight is very important
for the influence it will have on the conduct of others," the leader
added.
Member
of Iranian Majlis, Ghodratollah Alikhani: 'The people's
trust
in this country's regime and leaders has been fractured.'
CHANNEL 1, Iran, June 18, CLICK HERE OR CLICK PHOTO TO WATCH
"In their soft war, the
adversaries of our system use an overwhelming amount telecommunications tools
to propagandize and attack the beliefs, power to discern, motivations and
foundations of our system and country," the leader continued.
Stressing that post-election
disturbances were fully pre-planned, Ayatollah Khamenei added: "Thanks to
the Grace of God, the conspiracy was defeated and the enemy's arrow ricocheted
back at themselves.”
"After the passage of
thirty years, Iran's Islamic Revolution is strong and firm and one can see the
part played by Divine Power in this. But God's Grace applies only as long as
all of us remain sincere in the service of the Revolution and its aims - and
not to resent any efforts that must be made along this path," the leader
extolled his listeners.
Ayatollah Khamenei expressed
welcome and condolences on the occasion of the martyrdom of the Mamousta Mullah
Muhammad Sheikh ul-Islam, the Kurdistan Province representative to the Assembly
of Experts who was assassinated on September 17. "The loss of this learned
man, who preached unity and believed in the fundamentals of our system, was a
painful loss. But those who committed this crime must know that their terrorist
and violent act will lead nowhere, and the aims of our opponents will not be
realized.
"The hand behind this
crime is certainly abroad and a member of the enemy's espionage agencies. But,
without doubt, Sunni seminarians and the Kurdish people will continue with
great enthusiasm in this revered martyr's path."
The 88-member Assembly of
Experts is an elected body with the power to appoint the leader of the Islamic
Revolution. It is headed by former president Ayatollah Ali Akbar
Hashemi-Rafsanjani.
