A source on politics, war, the Middle East, Arabic poetry, and art.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
AP sources
Between AP and Reuters always go for Reuters which has professional and knowledgeable staff in the Middle East unlike the AP. Look at this, and look who they rely on for information: ""The Basij began as cannon fodder for the Revolutionary Guard during the war with Iraq. Now, they are there to do the dirty work for them: breaking up parties, hassling women about their hijab (head covering) and much more violent acts," said Meir Javedanfar, an Iranian-born independent analyst living in Israel. The Basij has leaders based in mosques in every village and city throughout Iran, giving it the widest security network in the country, said Mehdi Khalaji, a senior fellow with The Washington Institute for Near East Policy and a specialist in Iranian politics." (thanks Christopher)