In the Memory of 30,000 Fallen Roses The Anniversary of the 1988 Massacre in Iran

28 years have gone since the horrific and brutal massacre of political prisoners that was carried out in just one short summer by the criminal mullahs ruling Iran.
In the summer of 1988, the clerical regime summarily and extra-judicially executed about 30,000 political prisoners held in jails across the country. This heinous massacre was carried out upon a fatwa by the Islamic regime founder, Ruhollah Khomeini.
There are strong indications that Khomeini’s fatwa was issued on July 26, 1988.
The Iranian regime has never acknowledged these executions, or provided any information as to how so many prisoners were killed in a matter of just a few months.
The majority of those executed were either serving prison sentences for their political activities or had already finished their sentences but their time in jail was extended.




Some of them had previously been imprisoned and released, but were re-arrested and executed as part of this heinous massacre.
The wave of executions of political prisoners began in late July and continued unabated for several months.
By the time it ended in the early autumn of 1988, some 30,000 political prisoners, the overwhelming majority activists of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK), were slaughtered.


A site of a mass grave for some of the victims of the 1988 massacre of political prisoners in Iran

Due to growing pressure State Dept. to Investigate Edited Video on Iran Talks

State Dept. Reopens Investigation In to Deliberately Edited Video on Iran Talks

Facing mounting pressure from members of Congress and from inquiring journalists, the State Department said on Wednesday that it has reopened its investigation into who ordered the video edit of a State Department briefing from December 2013.
Last week when the State Department admitted the video had been deliberately edited (after having originally stated it was a technical glitch) a spokesman said the investigation was over and ultimately could not determine who was responsible.
But on Wednesday State Department spokesman Mark Toner said that decision was overturned by Secretary John Kerry. “The secretary said he wants to dive deeper into this, look more into what happened, and try to get to the bottom of what happened,” Toner told reporters at the State Department briefing today.
Based on claims from the technician responsible for editing the video and her supervisor, officials said they believe that the order came from within the department of public affairs. Yet the technician and her supervisor, who recall having a discussion about the order, both say they can’t remember who called them and told them to do it, according to officials.
Spokespersons Jen Psaki and Marie Harf and other top public affairs officials from 2013 have vigorously denied calling for the deletion.
Toner said today investigators within the state department’s legal division have expanded the investigation to look through emails from “leadership positions” that might give some indications of who called for the edit. So far the emails haven’t offered any indication of who did this, or why, he said.
He also pointed out that no rules were broken when the video was originally edited, but that rules have since been put into place that would prohibit such action.
“But we're going to continue to look at additional troves of information in an effort to find out, again, what happened” Toner said.



Rep. Jason Chaffetz, Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, has called for an internal investigation by the State Department’s inspector general and sent a letter to Secretary Kerry requesting State Department documents and correspondences related to the decision to delete the video footage. He also sent a letter to the White House chief of staff requesting similar information after it was reported that one of its briefings transcripts omitted a line about the Iran nuclear negotiations.
For its part, the State Department says it plans to provide a preliminary response to Rep. Chaffetz on Wednesday.
Source: ABC News, 9 June 2016

US warns its citizens of travelling outside the country

The U.S. State Department has issued a warning to its citizens not to travel outside the country over possible risks of terrorism attacks

The U.S. State Department has issued a warning to its citizens not to travel outside the country over possible risks of terrorism attacks.

The travel alert, which is to be in effect until Feb. 24, comes amid information that terrorist groups continue to plan attacks in multiple regions by employing a “wide variety of tactics,” according to the State Department.
Authorities believe the likelihood of terror attacks will continue as members of ISIS return from Iraq and Syria, as well as the threat from “unaffiliated persons” planning attacks inspired by major terrorist organizations.
'U.S. citizens should exercise vigilance when in public places or using transportation,' said the alert released Monday. 'Be aware of immediate surroundings and avoid large crowds or crowded places. Exercise particular caution during the holiday season and at holiday festivals or events,' it said.
The travel alert was issued by the State Department on the same day that Belgium’s prime minister announced that Brussels would remain at the highest alert level for at least another week.
The increased security measures following the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris that killed 130 people have virtually shut down the Belgian capital.