Behind the Headlines/October 10

In tonight’s program of Behind the Headlines we will look at Khamenei’s speech for the Basij militias at the Azadi stadium and find out who is the real target of his threats.

Why does the Iranian regime fear to join the FATF and refuses to ban money laundering and providing financial support to terrorist groups?

We will also look at the latest economic news of Iran and the role of the regime in the region’s trouble spots.

Our guests tonight to discuss these topics are Mehran Bayati and Maziar Shakori.

Mehran Bayati:

If you look back at last year’s events, you will notice that since last December the Iranian people have begun a nationwide protest movement whose main force are the young generation of our country.

Most of them are unemployed, do not conform to the regime’s ideological dogma and see no future for themselves under the current political system.

They want to by pass this regime and simply take their own destiny into their own hands. Naturally this movement has shaken the regime.

Now Khamenei has gathered the young Basiji militias in one place to claim that the Iranian youth are with the regime and that the “enemy” is wrong to say that they are against the system.

At the same time Khamenei has once again given a blank cheque to the Basijis to crack down on anyone who opposes his regime.

Khamenei has clearly realized that the freedom lover and informed Iranian youth are the one social force that is challenging his regime’s existence. At the same time I do not blame the Basijis, as they are mainly young unemployed people who are the victims of this regime.

Maziar Shakori:

Recently a female MP openly talked about the numerous social and economic problems that Iranians are facing and indirectly blamed Khamenei for all of them.

She told Khamenei that the moment that he agrees with the solutions that economic experts are suggesting, many of these problems would disappear, implying that Khamenei is the one main barrier in solving these problems of the nation.

In his speech at Azadi stadium Khamenei has told the Basijis as well as the security forces and the club-wielding thugs that they should continue their repressive measures against his opponents and crack down on any form of dissent.

He has clearly told the Basijis that the country of Iran belongs to them!!

All in all he has tried to inject some confidence into the minds of the small minority who obey his tyrannical regime while it faces major challenges from every conceivable corner.