Rigi’s execution in Iran: Why can’t Pakistan do this?

Ahlul Bayt News Agency (ABNA.ir), Abdolmalek Rigi, head of Jundullah, a sectarian terrorist group (Iranian version of the Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan) was today executed in Iran for his involvement in terrorist acts against the state and people of Iran.

He was hanged at dawn at Tehran’s Evin prison in the presence of the families of his victims.

While this news has been widely reported in the international press, I could not help but notice three facts which are either ignored or distorted by the international media:

1. Jundullah, a terrorist organisation, is being presented as Sunni militancy. Far from truth, the group, Jundullah, does not represent Sunnis. Not unlike other terrorist organisations in the region, Al Qaeda, Taliban and Sipah-e-Sahaba, Jundullah recruits extremist (not moderate) Deobandi and Wahhabi Muslims. However, it would be naive as well as misleading to categorise Jundullah as a Sunni militant organisation. Jundullah is a terrorist organisation, and must be labelled as such.

2. The Iranian authorities’ quick hearing and execution of Rigi also points to another fact, i.e., the willingness and the resolve of Iran to track down and punish those beasts who kill in the name of religion or ethnicity. Now compare the Iranian response to terrorism with the Pakistani response to terrorism.

Why can’t Pakistan convict any terrorists?

The difference is clear. Whereas in Iran, the state and its various institutions are firmly committed to protect the state and the nation from acts of terrorism, in Pakistan, certain influential institutions (ISI in particular) are in fact creator, mentor and protector of terrorist organisations (such as Taliban, Al Qaeda, Sipah-e-Sahaba and Lashkar-e-Taiba).

In Pakistan, Jundullah is known for carrying out acts of terrorism not only against Shias in Quetta and Karachi (in collaboration with the Sipah-e-Sahaba) but also against other civilian and military targets. Only yesterday, 19 June 2010, four Junduallh terrorists were able to flee from police custody in Karachi.

The outcome is visible. In Iran, acts of terrorism are few and far between, but in Pakistan, they are an everyday affair.

3. The international media also largely ignored the confession of Rigi in which he acknowledged that the holy father of the ISI, i.e., American CIA, was involved in abetting and facilitating Jundullah’s terrorism against Iran.

Here is the transcript of Rigi’s confession broadcasted live on Press TV on February 25:

’After Obama was elected, the Americans contacted us and they met me in Pakistan. They met us after clashes with my group around March 17 in (the southeastern city of) Zahedan, and he (the US operative) said that Americans had requested a meeting.

I said we didn’t have any time for a meeting and if we do help them they should promise to give us aid. They said they would cooperate with us and will give me military equipment, arms and machine guns. They also promised to give us a base along the border with Afghanistan next to Iran.

They asked to meet me and we said where should we meet you and he said in Dubai. We sent someone to Dubai and we told a person to ask a place for myself in Afghanistan from the area near the operations and they complied that they would sort out the problem for us and they will find Mr. Rigi a base and guarantee his own security in Afghanistan or in any of the countries adjacent to Iran so that he can carry on his operations.

They told me that in Kyrgyzstan they have a base called Manas near Bishkek, and that a high-ranking person was coming to meet me and that if such high-ranking people come to the United Arab Emirates, they may be observed by intelligence people but in a place like Bishkek this high-ranking American person could come and we could reach an agreement on making personal contacts. But after the last major operation we took part in, they said that they wanted to meet with us.

The Americans said Iran was going its own way and they said our problem at the present is Iran… not al-Qaeda and not the Taliban, but the main problem is Iran. We don’t have a military plan against Iran. Attacking Iran is very difficult for us (the US). The CIA is very particular about you and is prepared to do anything for you because our government has reached the conclusion that there was nothing Americans could do about Iran and only I could take care of the operations for them.

One of the CIA officers said that it was too difficult for us to attack Iran militarily, but we plan to give aid and support to all anti-Iran groups that have the capability to wage war and create difficulty for the Iranian (Islamic) system. They reached the conclusion that your organization has the power to create difficulties for the Islamic Republic and they are prepared to give you training and/or any assistance that you would require, in terms of telecommunications security and procedures as well as other support, the Americans said they would be willing to provide it at an extensive level.’