Commander Asks Iran to Boost Support for Bahraini People

TEHRAN, April 26 (FNA)- A senior Iranian commander underlined the need for Iran to continue support for the oppressed people in the region, and said that Tehran should play a more direct role in supporting the popular uprising in Bahrain.
Commander of Iran's Basij (volunteer) Forces Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi said enemy is seeking to busy Iran with internal issues in a bid to make the Islamic republic stop its spiritual support for the oppressed regional nations.

He condemned enemies for such efforts, and warned that Iran's enemies "are trying to restrict us to internal issues in such a dangerous time when the oppressed nations need the Islamic Republic's assistance".

He added that the Islamic Revolution in Iran belongs to all the Muslim and oppressed people of the world, and warned that enemies are trying to make Iran instable domestically to hinder its active role in the region.

He pointed to the suppression of peaceful demonstrations in Bahrain and Yemen, and stressed that the Islamic Republic cannot sit idle under such a condition.

"If the current conditions do not allow us to get directly involved in the battlefield, we should change the conditions and play a direct role on this scene," Naqdi reiterated.

Two months after the eruption of mass protests in Bahrain, the kingdom still kills the opposition, jailing hundreds of activists in a crackdown that has unveiled the US administration's support for dictators in the region.

Since February 14, Manama has been conducting a brutal crackdown on protesters who want an end to the rule of the Al-Khalifa dynasty.

In March, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait deployed their troops in Bahrain to reinforce the armed clampdowns.

Bahrain's monarchy, since calling in Saudi troops to help crush protests, has been quietly dismantling the country's opposition.

According to media reports, the harsh crackdown has so far left tens of people dead and hundreds more injured.