Especial Report - June 2, 2010

Millions allocated to recruiting Bassij militia

Tehran, June 2, 2010 – The clerical regime is spending millions of dollars and reorganizing its Bassij Force to attract new volunteers because of low morale of the force during last year’s nationwide uprising.

Bassijies who are in fact a branch of IRGC are currently headed by IRGC Brig. Gen. Mohammad-Reza Naqdi.

Regime is taking advantage of the dreadful economical condition of Iran’s population with 40 million people under poverty line and offers via IRGC noticeable wages, bonuses and benefits to attract new Bassij recruits, who would then be available to help suppress increasing popular protests.

“This year, over $485 million has been dedicated to the Bassij Force,” Gen. Naqdi announced during a recent confidential meeting in the central town of Shahr-e Kord.

To strengthen links between the security and military organization of the IRGC and the Ahmadinejad government, residential lands are being handed over to IRGC cadres. As a fact this was the subject of armed clashes in Ahwaz on May 31 amongst IRGC forces and residents of Jalizi region in Khozestan Province.

In comparison with other governmental agencies the personnel of this suppressive organ enjoy significant benefits such as low-interest loans, high salaries, bonuses, housing and etc.

This spoiled brat of Khamenei and Ahmadinejad is also dipping its paws deep in Iran’s economy making ordinary people even more poverty-stricken.

In addition to the projects in oil-gas field of South Pars which is mostly handed over to this organ and having many other key enterprises in its hands, there have been discussions in state-run media in recent days about the IRGC's involvement in managing construction projects for the Mehr Housing Plan, which provides housing to IRGC and Bassij personnel.

Naqdi noted that the plans are meant to ensure that Bassij personnel will appear on the scene during important occasions (read suppression of people): “In view of the orders of the Supreme Leader (Ali Khamenei), this year the expansion of Bassij activities, including the activities of youths, at mosques and in the context of cultural programs, will be a priority for us,” Naqdi said.

“Implementation of educational programs to recruit two million people in the public branch, education of one million people in Bassij activist branch and organizing them into various cells are among the most important implementation plans of Bassij.”

He revealed that Bassij has transferred most of its military activities to the IRGC’s Ground Forces and has dedicated itself to cultural and scientific activities as means to recruit more forces.

Mansour Meymaneh, deputy director of Imam Sajad IRGC Corps in the southern province of Hormuzgan, told a recent meeting in the port-city of Bandar Abbas that $6 million has been dedicated for supporting loans for Bassij personnel in the province.

“In light of the enemy’s soft-war against the values of the revolution and Islam, the Bassijies have the most important role in propagating religious and ideological values,” Meymaneh said.

The head of Students’ Bassij Organization, Hossein Qodyani, said Parliament’s Cultural and Research Committee has passed a resolution to allocate a budget of $4 million for the organization’s research branch. Qodyani expressed hope that the money will be used by student Bassij research centers.

Naqdi has announced that he wants to create ‘jihad’ groups, who would provide social services in order to recruit more agents; to which large sums of money are allocated.

The Pasdaran commander in the western city of Hamedan, Brig. Gen. AbdolrezaAzadi, said that budgets of up to $1 million are set aside for programs dedicated to ‘jihad’ camps.

Students Committee in Iran (Supporters of PMOI)