*Three* Massive Explosions Rock Iran's Oil Heartland

I added this as an update to the "nuke" post, but it seems important enough for a new post.

Three strong explosions jolted southern Iran on Thursday, the semi-official Fars news agency reported, but gave no information about possible casualties.

"Three explosions were so strong that they shook windows of houses," the agency said, adding that the explosions happened in Khorramshahr in the border province of Khuzestan.

Khuzestan, the heartland of Iran's oil industry, has been simmering with unrest among the province's mostly Arab population for more than a year.

Slightly more than half of Iran's are 69 million people are Persians and the rest are ethnic Azeris, Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen, Baluchis and Lors.

Three massive explosions in the "heartland of Iran's oil industry" which is "simmering with unrest"?

Please say it isn't so.

How will my heart go on?

Corrected: Whoops, wrote "Iraq" in the header. It's Iran.

I Wonder If This Has Anything To Do With Anything Update:

Iran to Execute Seven Arabs For "Anti-Government Activity" In Oil-Rich Khuzestan Province

Iran is planning to execute seven Arabs sentenced to death after a secret summary trial, this according to three United Nations human rights investigators.

The families of the seven men from Ahvaz, the capital of oil-rich Khuzestan province (south-west Iran), were told earlier this week that the executions would occur “in the next few days”. Seething with resentment over high levels of unemployment, Khuzestan is home of anti-government movement.

The UN officials said the seven were part of a larger group of Arabs arrested in June 2006 in the province on charges including intent to destabilise Iran and overthrow its government. Three were executed last month.

The suspects were also accused of training in Iraq by US, British and Israeli officials, said Philip Alston, the UN Human Rights Council's expert on summary executions, and fellow investigators Leandro Despouy and Manfred Nowak.

Well, they always claim that. But it's still time to say "Nice oil industry you got 'ere, Colonel. Be a shame if sometin' were to 'appen to it."

Now, am I saying I approve of terrorists blowing up Iranian oil infrastructure?

Of course not.

But, like Reuters, all I see here are some "insurgents" with a plucky, can-do attitude. And a dream.

posted by Ace at 05:20 PM

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