1) 2nd Thread on #Iran- #Iraq war: let’s discuss why Khomeini needed this devastating war &why did it continue the war for8 years and at what costs?
The #Iranian regime refers to Iran-Iraq was as"Holy Defense" trying to legitimize its biggest #CrimesAgainstHumanity
#DisbandIRGC

2) Let's start with some statistics only on #Iran's side. Obviously, the war was as destructive on #Iraqis. The losses and sufferings of families that had lost their loved ones, and their breadwinner could not be calculated.

3) Those who’ve lived in #Iran during the war, remember the overcrowded cemeteries,daily funerals, weeping& mourning of families and relatives in every street, becoming part of the daily life. Even in the most remote cities, no one was safe from the scourge of war and bombing.

4)Why did Khomeini wanted the war?
Javad Mansouri,a founder of #IRGC:"If there had not been a war the Islamic Revolution would've been destroyed. Through the war,we were able to suppress the internal counter-revolution &the grouplets (pejorative name4 #MEK)
A little background

5)Khomeini entered #Iran while extremely popular.Over 6m pple welcomed him on his arrival. Fed up W/Shah’s dictatorship,but given all progressive forces being in Shah’s SAVAK prisons,the public was unaware of Khomeini’s true nature.He made a lot of promises but betrayed them all.

6)Khomeini made many promises b4 taking power,but betrayed them all:"I may have said one thing yesterday &another today &another tomorrow. It does not make sense for me to say that because I said something yesterday,I have to stick to it."(Sahifa Noor, vol.18, p.178- Dec11,1983)

7)During the early days after the 1979 revolution, it was #MEK that stood up to the gradually advancing religious dictatorship. MEK paid a heavy price for exposing every new religious dictatorship.

8)In less than 2yrs, #MEK’s awareness campaign,exposed Khomeini to an extent that circulation of free Islamic Republic daily(his publication)was down to18K,while“Mojahed”,MEK’s official publication,(secretly published),circulated to more than600K daily.Khomeini couldn't endure MEK

9)Let’s hear from Khomeini, shortly after the war broke out:“At this time that we are engaged at war,calmness must be maintained.If some people make speeches across the country&their speeches cause tension,whoever he is,in whatever position,I will put him in his place.”(State-TV)

10)Shamkhani,IRGC chief &Secretary of SNSC:We had a movement inside the country,under the guise of demonstration of unemployed with a high school diploma, of Women against(forced) hijab,...this trend would have led to something b4 the war,if we didn’t prevent them.StateTV(2014)

11)In other words, after the victory of the 1979 Revolution, the peaceful demonstrations &just demands of different sectors of the society, if not thwarted, would have led to the regime’s overthrow. Now we can better understand why war was considered a “blessing” for the regime.

12)Let’s review the events that took place almost immediately after the war started. This may help in better understanding how Khomeini used the #Iran- #Iraq war, to cover its internal war against the Iranian people, their just demands &their main resistance force, the #MEK:

13)Khomeini had found the way to suppress the legitimate demands of the people, and though he had no military knowledge, he wanted to carry on the war, whatever the price. The result is indeed a clear case of #CrimesAgainstHumanity and #CrimesAgainstChildren

14)The war continued until May 24,1982,when Khorramshahr was liberated& #Iraqi forces were driven out of Iran. Undoubtedly,this could have been a good chance4 Khomeini to end the tragedy particularly since oil-rich Arab countries were willing 2compensate for the war-torn country.

15)But this is what Khomeini said:"Every day we have a blessing in war,which we enjoy in all scenes.We export our revolution to the world in war,our war is a war of right &wrong and cannot be ended."