Iranian Elections

Arts and crafts

An amusing photograph of a Basij member painstakingly writing a sign (in English) reading DOWN WITH BRITISH SPY (h/t Naseem Faqihi on Twitter).

You wonder if they have a whole division dedicated to making these signs right now. Is that considered a good assignment? Are some signs a better assignment than others (oh, man, DEATH TO ISRAEL signs again?). So many questions.

Also, if you want a good chuckle, Iranian state television has some more details on the Khomeini "shrine bombing." Apparently the attacker tried to detonate the bomb inside, but the attack was foiled by Iranian police, so he was forced to blow himself up outside. (Guess that's why the blast caused almost no damage?)

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Did Iranian protesters really burn photos of Khomeini?

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wants the Green Movement to reveal the names of protesters who allegedly burned photos of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini last week. But there's growing suspicion in Iran that the whole controversy is a fabrication.

Background on the Basij

The Basij is essentially a large paramilitary force -- a militia -- organized after the 1979 revolution. It's under the control of the Revolutionary Guards, the elite branch of Iran's military that wields sizable influence over politics and the economy.

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Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivering a statement in Jerusalem on July 1, 2010. (Photo: AFP)
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A demonstration in London against the Israeli attack on the Gaza-bound flotilla. (Photo: AFP)
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