al-qaida chief ayman al-zawahiri the coordinator 2016 part 19-71-caliphate-sunni-shia-16

CdW Intelligence to Rent -2016- In Confidence [email protected]

Al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri The Coordinator 2016 Part 19-71-Caliphate-Sunni-Shia-16

In The "War of the Cross, we seek a Strategy, our Enemy has one."

The bells have now started ringing for the collapse of the Saudi regime; The geopolitics of the Middle East are being re-written before our very eyes, yet no one is truly at the helm. Iran may believe it is, some Arab states are floundering in an attempt to be, Turkey has given up after a series of failures, and the US is doing its utmost not to be. But, the simple reality may be that no one party runs this "Game of Thrones", and all are captive of short-term objectives, opportunism and the politics of spite. However, in the Middle East zero sum game, everything is viewed to be at the expense of someone else. One group's gain is inevitably seen as a loss for another or, at a minimum, generate a large harvest of spite. The Iran nuclear deal will be seen by Israel and some key Arab countries as a geopolitical loss, with consequences rising therefrom. Of course, it does not help that Iran is involved to various degrees in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and possibly even Yemen. Whether that is seen as a necessary Iranian defensive strategy or a legitimate and sophisticated game of influence, it is perceived as a drive for hegemony by actors ranging from the president of Turkey to the king of Saudi Arabia, to many in between.

‘Any differences?’ Iran Supreme Leader's cartoon equates ISIS with Saudi Arabia after executions3 Jan, 2016The execution of Nimr, a public figure popular with youths, alongside terrorists responsible for a series of bombings carried out between 2003 and 2006, provoked additional outrage in the Shia world. Iran summoned the Saudi ambassador, and just hours later, a mob set fire to the Saudi embassy in Tehran, chanting “Death to Al Saud!” – the ruling family of Saudi Arabia.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, released an incendiary cartoon comparing Saudi Arabia to Islamic State, after Riyadh carried out a death sentence against opposition Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. The satirical picture showing Saudi and Islamic State executioners standing side-by-side, with English captions reading “Any differences?” was published on his official website on Saturday. Khamenei also released a

“Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster”― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

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statement on Sunday promising “divine” retribution against Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia – Iran’s regional archrival. “Sheikh Nimr will

undoubtedly receive the grace of God and the hands of divine vengeance will surely snatch – by their necks – those cruel individuals who took his life and this is a source of comfort for us,” said Khamenei, who has greater political power than the president of Iran and status as a leading religious authority.

Jan 04, 2016 Russian Senator Slams US Position in Shiite-Sunnite ConflictTEHRAN (FNA)- Head of the Russian Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Konstantin Kosachev has made a critical statement about the US position in the conflict between Shiites and Sunnites in the Middle East. The senator published the statement on his facebook page where he called Washington stance "non-constrictive". His statement followed the US State Department reaction to the execution of 47 opponents by Saudi Arabia, Tass reported."While the EU via its Foreign Affairs Chief Federica Mogherini "yet dared to voice the "mantra about Saudi Arabia’s failure to comply with basic civil and political freedoms", Americans have remained true to themselves and their closest ally in the region," Kosachev said.Namely, the head of the press service of the US Department of State, John Kirby urged the leaders of the Middle East to double their efforts aimed at de-escalation of the conflict."That means that on this stage everyone is to blame. I am confident that if the escalation happens, it is only Iran and Syria who will remain among the perpetrators, which is usually the case with Americans in their sustainable practice to divide any situation into concealing those who are loyal to them and demonizing those who are not loyal to them," - Kosachev said.Earlier, Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry announced the execution of 47 people accused of terrorism. One of them was Nimr al-Nimr, the preacher known as an advocate for equality and constitutional reforms, a fighter against discrimination of Shiite minority residing in the east of the kingdom. The preacher was arrested on July 8, 2012 on charges of inciting mass protests and riots. In October 2014, the Saudi court sentenced him to death. On the night from Saturday to Sunday in the Iranian capital of Tehran, a group of protesters against the execution of al-Nimr penetrated into the territory of Saudi Arabia’s Embassy. The police managed to force them to leave the territory without using force and detained 40 protesters.

Jan 02, 2016 World Muslims Rise to Condemn Execution of Sheikh Nimr by S. Arabia TEHRAN (FNA)- Sunni and Shiite Muslims from across the world rushed to condemn the execution of prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr Baqr al-Nimr by the Riyadh government, vowing revenge. Saudi Arabia announced Saturday that it has executed the prominent Shiite Muslim cleric. After the declaration, thousands of Bahraini people poured to the streets and chanted "death to the al-Saud" slogans.

The Bahrainis who also carried some placards to show their support for Sheikh Nimr warned Riyadh that shedding the cleric's blood will not remain unanswered.





Lebanon's Hezbollah, Yemen's Ansarullah, Pakistan's Shiite Assembly and tens of Sunni and Shiite figures, groups and movements across

the world have rushed to condemn the Saudi regime, all underlining that Riyadh has poured oil to the flames of sectarian strife.

In Palestine, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) in a statement condemned the killing of the prominent Muslim cleric, and said, "The execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr shows that Saudi Arabia insists on pouring oil to the flames of sectarian sedition."

Sheikh Nimr's execution was also condemned by Head of Iraq's Badr Organization Hadi al-Ameri who expressed deep regret after hearing the news.The Iranian Sunni figures also showed reaction to the Saudi cleric's killing by Saudi Arabia.

Molawi Abdolhamid Ismailzehi, the Friday prayers leader of Iran's Southeastern city of Zahedan, expressed deep regret over Sheikh Nimr's execution, and said under the conditions that the Muslim world needs unity, the Saudi officials should have refrained from his killing.

Also, representative of Iran's Sunni-populated Southeastern province of Sistan and Balouchestan at the Assembly of Experts, Molawi Nazir Ahmad Salami, condemned Sheikh Nimr's execution, and said, "There is no difference between the Shiites and Sunnis and any person who is opposed to tyranny and brutality should show reaction and deplore the Saudi measure."

Also, Chairman of the Sunni Lawmakers' Fraction at the Iranian parliament Abed Fattahi deplored the execution of Sheikh Nimr by Riyadh, and said the bells have now started ringing for the collapse of the Saudi regime. He also said that Saudi Arabia's support for the terrorists, the mismanagement of Mina incident, execution of Sheikh Nimr and several other crimes by Riyadh, "closed the door of negotiations with the political structure of Saudi Arabia". Their remarks came after the Iranian seminaries held a protest rally in front of the Saudi embassy in Tehran on Saturday, and condemned execution of the Shiite cleric by chanting "death to al-Saud" slogans.The Iranian foreign ministry also strongly deplored Riyadh for killing the prominent cleric, and said the move proved the Saudi officials' "imprudence and irresponsibility", underlining that the Saudi regime will pay a heavy price for this crime.

"While the extremist and Takfiri terrorists have deprived the regional and world nations of security and tranquility and threaten certain regional governments' stability and existence, execution of a figure like Sheikh Nimr who didn’t have any instrument but words to pursue his political and religious goals merely shows the depth of imprudence and irresponsibility," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari said on Saturday.Saudi Arabia executed 47 people on Saturday for terrorism, including Sheikh Nimr, the country's Interior Ministry said in a statement. Most of those executed were said to be involved in a series of attacks carried out by Al-Qaeda between 2003 and 2006. 45 of those executed were of Saudi nationality, one Chadian, one Egyptian.

The Interior Ministry statement announcing the executions began with verses from the Quran, justifying the use of the death penalty, while state television showed footage of the aftermath of Al-Qaeda attacks over the last decade. Shortly afterward, Saudi Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al al-Sheikh appeared on Saudi Arabian television, hailing the executions as just.

Al-Qaeda is the number one enemy of Shiite Muslims, and the Saudi television did not explain how it could link the footage to the execution of a Shiite leader who has been the target of ISIL and Al-Qaeda.





Iranian high-ranking officials had regularly deplored Riyadh for handing down death sentence to prominent Shiite cleric, warning that execution of the

Sheikh Nimr would incur a heavy price in Saudi Arabia, and would set the stage for the fall of the Saudi regime.

Several rights activists had also warned Riyadh that execution of Sheikh Nimr would set fire to Saudi Arabia. Heretofore, Al Saud had frequently said that it plans to execute Sheikh soon, but the kingdom delayed it every time. According to an informed source, the new King and his hawkish cabinet members mean to send a message to the Shiite community, dissidents and Iran through the move to show they are ready to pay any price in confrontation with Tehran. Though Iran has repeatedly denied any link with the Shiite dissidents in Saudi Arabia.During the recent months, people across the world staged protest in support of Sheikh Nimr, calling for immediate release of the leader, warning the Wahhabi authorities against executing prominent Shiite cleric.Nimr was attacked and arrested in the Qatif region of Eastern Province in July 2012, and has been charged with undermining the kingdom’s security, making anti-government speeches, and defending political prisoners. Nimr has denied the accusations. In October 2014, a Saudi court sentenced Sheikh Nimr to death, provoking huge condemnations and criticism in the Middle East and the world.On October 25, Nimr’s family confirmed that the Saudi Supreme Court and the Specialized Appeals Court had endorsed a death sentence issued last year against him for inciting sectarian strife and disobeying King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The cleric has denied the charges. The Shiite cleric’s lawyer, Sadeq al-Jubran, had also said that Nimr could be executed as soon as the Saudi monarch approves his sentence.Human rights organizations have condemned Saudi Arabia for failing to address the rights situation in the kingdom. They say Saudi Arabia has persistently implemented repressive policies that stifle freedom of expression, association and assembly.

Jan 5, Three Sunni mosques in Iraq have been bombed and partially destroyed while at least two people have been killed in suspected retaliation for the execution of a Shia leader in Saudi Arabia, officials and police say. Groups of men wearing military uniforms detonated explosives at two mosques overnight in the Hilla region, south of Baghdad, while al-Fateh mosque in Sinjar, just outside Hilla, was also damaged in similar circumstances. Saudi Arabia executed 47 "terrorists", including the Shia religious leader Nimr al-Nimr and a convicted al-Qaeda leader, Faris al-Zahrani, on Saturday.

Unprecedented Tension Between Saudi Arabia, Iran Following Execution Of Shi'ite Cleric Nimr Al-NimrBy: E. Ezrahi and H. Varulkar* On January 2, 2016, Saudi Arabia's interior ministry announced that the kingdom had executed 47 individuals,[1] Sunni and Shi'ite, on various charges, including carrying out terrorist operations and inciting to terrorism; espousing takfiri ideology; attacking the military and security apparatuses; killing security officers and civilians; and acting to undermine Saudi Arabia's economy, standing, interests and its relations with "sister and ally countries."[2] Of those executed, 43 were Sunnis, members of an Al-Qaeda-affiliated group that acted in the kingdom in 2003-2004, targeting the army and security apparatuses as well as oil facilities. The most prominent of the Sunnis was Fares Aal Showil, aka Al-Zahrani, considered to have been one of the group's leaders and chief ideologues.The other four people executed were Shi'ites. The most prominent of them was





oppositionist cleric Nimr Baqr Al-Nimr, one of the leaders of the Shi'ite protests in Saudi Arabia, known for his criticism of the Saudi regime and his

support of Iran.[3] In 2012 he rejoiced in the death of then-crown prince Nayef bin Sa'ud bin 'Abd Al-'Aziz,[4] and in one of his sermons he explicitly declared his loyalty to Iran.[5] In July 2012 Al-Nimr was arrested in the Shi'ite city of Al-'Awamiyah, in the Al-Qatif region in eastern Saudi Arabia, on charges of inciting against the royal family and fomenting protest among the city's Shi'ite population. In October 2014 a Saudi court sentenced him to death for "igniting sectarian fitna" in the kingdom and disobeying the king with the aim of creating chaos and toppling the regime. Subsequently, the Saudi appellate court and the Supreme Court rejected Al-Nimr's appeal of the sentence.[6]Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday it was severing diplomatic ties with Iran following an attack on its embassy in Tehran during protests against the executions in the kingdom on Saturday. The interior ministry in Baghdad confirmed the attacks, which Haider al-Abadi, Iraqi prime minister, blamed on "Daesh [ISIL] and those who are similar to them".Saudi Mufti: The Executions Are Sanctioned By The Koran, SunnaThe Council of Senior Clerics, Saudi Arabia's top religious body, voiced its support for the executions, and its head, Saudi Mufti 'Abd Al-'Aziz bin 'Abdallah Aal Al-Sheikh, said that they were "based on the Koran and the Sunna." He added: "The sentences were according to the shari'a, and there is no doubt [regarding their validity], for these are the punishments set out in the Koran and they apply to everyone..." He also praised the independence and fairness of the Saudi judicial system, stressing that every capital case is reviewed by more than nine judges.[7] ( Iran, relying on the book of "Sectarianism" that is printed in "Hell," is behind "the burning of the Saudi embassy" (Al-Madina, Saudi Arabia, January 4, 2016) )Saudi Press: The Kingdom's Security Is A Red Line; This Was A Victory For JusticeThe Saudi press also rallied to defend the executions, particularly that of Shi'ite sheikh Nimr Al-Nimr. Front-page headlines declared that justice had been done and the kingdom's security had been defended. Editorials in the government papers likewise claimed that the executions had been justified. They argued that national security was a "red line" and that terrorists who had killed innocent people deserved death; that all the verdicts and sentences were handed down after due process, which demonstrates the fairness of the Saudi judiciary; and that the execution of the 47 terrorists, both Sunnis and Shi'ites, was part of Saudi Arabia's war on terror, which "makes no distinctions of religion, sect or gender," since "everyone is equal before the judiciary and the law."[8]It is noteworthy that Saudi analysts and op-ed writers likewise expressed sweeping support for the executions. Tariq Al-Homayed, the former editor of the London-based Saudi daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, wrote that they were necessary in order to protect Saudi Arabia from extremists and terrorists who threatened its security. He noted that the accused had received a fair and protracted trial, while they themselves never granted their victims even a single hour to flee. He also stressed that Saudis should not heed the criticism of Iran and others, because Saudi Arabia's security was more important.[9] Journalist Daoud Al-Shiryan wrote in the London-based Saudi daily Al-Hayat that Al-Nimr was an "Iranian agent" and that "his plan was no different than that of Osama bin Laden."[10] Liberal





journalist Mansour Al-Nuqidan justified the executions and called on Saudi Shi'ites to "help the authorities in keeping the adolescents and young people

from falling into the abyss of terrorism and the furnace of political extremism."[11] Saudi FM Announces Severing Of Diplomatic Ties With Iran Al-Nimr's execution sparked a storm in the camp of Iran and its supporters, and senior Iranian officials, headed by Supreme Leader Al i Khamenei, strongly condemned the action and the Saudi regime, and even threatened revenge. Enraged Iranian demonstrators set fire the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and rioted at the Saudi consulate in Mashhad in northern Iran.[12]In response to the Iranian statements, the Saudi Foreign Ministry issued an announcement condemning Iran, accusing it of supporting and harboring terrorists and of flagrantly intervening in the internal affairs of the region's countries and acting to destabilize them. The announcement said that "the statements of the Iranian regime expose its true [character], as expressed by [its] support for terror, and continue the policy of undermining the security and stability of the region's countries... By defending the actions of terrorists and justifying them, the Iranian regime becomes a partner to their crimes, and it bears full responsibility for its policy of incitement and escalation." It was further claimed that Iran harbored known terrorists for years and also financed and operated terror cells that were dispatched to the Gulf countries.[13] Subsequently, Saudi Arabia summoned the Iranian ambassador to Riyadh to protest the hostile statements by Iranian officials, and informed him that it viewed these statements as "a flagrant intervention in Saudi affairs".[14]The tension in the relations peaked later than day when Saudi Foreign Minister 'Adel Al-Jubeir announced at a press conference that Saudi Arabia was severing diplomatic ties with Iran. Al-Jubeir explained that Saudi Arabia refused to work with a "terror-supporting state that spreads chaos and sectarianism throughout the Islamic world," and added: "We will not allow Iran to threaten our security and to assist those who threaten the region's stability."[15] Gulf States Align With Saudi Arabia: The Executions A Crucial Measure In Defense Of Saudi Security Many Sunni Arab states, including Jordan, Egypt, Sudan and Tunisia, hastened to side with Saudi Arabia and condemned the attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran. Particularly noticeable in their support were the Gulf states, which hastened to defend Saudi Arabia's right to carry out the court's ruling as a punitive and deterrent measure.The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Dr. 'Abd Al-Latif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, issued an announcement in which he condemned the "barbaric attacks" on the Saudi embassy in Tehran and the Saudi consulate in Mashhad and placed full responsibility for these "terrorist actions" on the Iranian authorities. He claimed that Iran's failure to prevent them was a grave violation of its commitment to defend diplomatic representations in accordance with international law and the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. He condemned the "aggressive and inciting" Iranian statements regarding Saudi Arabia's execution of the terrorists, calling them a flagrant intervention in Saudi Arabia's internal affairs that had encouraged the attacks on the Saudi diplomatic representations. He declared that the GCC states stood with Saudi Arabia and emphasized their support for its decisions regarding the war on terror in all its forms and regarding the





pursuit and prosecution of terrorists and fomenters of fitna and riots.[16]In a similar vein, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh 'Abdallah bin Zayed Aal

Nahyan declared that his country "fully supported the sister [state] Saudi Arabia and the deterrent measures against terror and radicalism that it adopted as a clear message against terror and against those preaching fitna and riots in attempt to divide Saudi society and threaten it." He stated further that "carrying out the sentences handed down to the convicted individuals was Saudi Arabia's fundamental right after it was proven that they had committed the crimes, and a necessary measure to ensure the security of all members of the Saudi nation and all those residing on its soil."[17] Likewise, in response to the attacks on the Saudi representations in Iran, the UAE summoned the Iranian ambassador to protest these attacks and "Iran's intervention in a sovereign Saudi affair."[18]Bahrain also expressed support for the Saudi measures and announced that it too was severing diplomatic ties with Iran.[19] The Bahraini ministry of the interior even threatened to punish anybody criticizing the executions. An announcement it issued said: "It is Saudi Arabia's right to adopt all the security measures that it sees fit to preserve security and stability in its territory. We will take all necessary legal measures against any infringement or negative response to [Saudi Arabia's] execution of the sentences, via an announcement or declaration, and will view this as incitement to fitna and schism and as a threat to public safety."[20] ("Justice Has Been Done" (Al-Sharq, Saudi Arabia, January 3, 2016))As for the position of Oman, which is also a member of the GCC but is known to be close to Iran, there were conflicting reports. At first, the Omani foreign minister was quoted as saying that Al-Nimr's execution did not benefit conditions in the region. However, the Omani foreign ministry hastened to deny this on its Twitter account, emphasizing that Oman supported the GCC and its stance on the Iranian attacks and that the initial report was baseless.Criticism By Shi'ites In The Gulf States In contrast to their governments, Shi'ites in the Gulf condemned Sheikh Al-Nimr's execution, and protests, some of them violent, were held in the Shi'ite Al-Qatif province in eastern Saudi Arabia. Protestors chanted slogans against King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef, whom they held directly responsible for the execution, and called to topple the Saudi regime, and carried banners with the slogans "Death to the Aal Saud [Family]" and "Death to America."[25] Kuwaiti Shi'ite MP 'Adnan 'Abd Al-Samad described Al-Nimr's execution as "martyrdom" (istishhad) and warned that it would complicate the situation and provoke widespread responses, particularly since Al-Nimr preached a non-violent struggle.[26] In Bahrain, the Coalition of February 14 Youth, a Shi'ite opposition group that initiated the August 14, 2014 protests against the Bahraini regime, declared a general state of mourning commencing Sunday (January 3) and called for angry demonstrations throughout Bahrain. Demonstrations were indeed held in several locations, including in the Sitra peninsula, a Bahraini Shi'ite opposition stronghold, and the towns of Sanad and Al-Qadam.* E. Ezrahi is a research fellow at MEMRI; H. Varulkar is Director of Research at MEMRI.Endnotes:





[1] According to the announcement, the executions were carried out in 12 provinces in Saudi Arabia. In four of them the convicted men were executed by firing squad and in the rest they

were beheaded.[2] Al-Iqtisadiyya (Saudi Arabia), January 2, 2016.[3] Al-Iqtisadiyya (Saudi Arabia), January 2, 3, 2016; Al-Watan (Saudi Arabia), January 3, 2016.[4] See MEMRI TV Clip No. 3483, Saudi Shiite Cleric Nimr Al-Nimr Rejoices in the Death of Saudi Crown Prince Nayef: "He Will Be Eaten by Worms and Suffer the Torments of Hell in His Grave", June 27, 2012.[5] See MEMRI Inquiry & Analysis No. 482, Recent Rise in Sunni–Shi'ite Tension (Part III): Sectarian Strife in Saudi Arabia,February 24, 2009.[6] Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), October 25, 2015.[7] Al-Iqtisadiyya (Saudi Arabia), January 2, 2016, Okaz (Saudi Arabia), January 3, 2016.[8] Al-Riyadh, Okaz (Saudi Arabia), January 3, 2016.[9] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), January 3, 2016.[10] Al-Hayat (London), January 4, 2016.[11] 'Okaz (Saudi Arabia), January 4, 2016.[12] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 6152, Iran Furious Over Saudi Arabia's Execution Of Shi'ite Sheikh Nimr Al-Nimr[13] Al-Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), January 3, 2016.[14] Al-Iqtisadiyya (Saudi Arabia), January 2, 2016.[15] Al-Iqtisadiyya (Saudi Arabia), January 3, 2016.[16] Gcc-sg.org, January 3, 2016.[17] WAM News Agency (UAE), January 2, 2016.[18] Al-Sharq (Qatar), January 3, 2016.[19] Alarabiya.net, January 4, 2016.[20] Akhbar Al-Khalij (Bahrain), January 3, 2016.[21] Al-Rai (Kuwait), January 3, 2016.[22] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), January 4, 2016.[23] Al-Arab (Qatar), January 3, 2016.[24] Al-Raya, (Qatar), January 3, 2016.[25] Al-Akhbar (Lebanon), January 4, 2016. Videos of the protests were posted on social media. See: Facebook.com/waledfadhel/videos, facebook.com/mnbrar/videos, January 4, 2016.[26] Al-Jarida (Kuwait), January 2, 2016.

Iran Furious Over Saudi Arabia's Execution Of Shi'ite Sheikh Nimr Al-NimrIran reacted with fury to the execution of prominent Saudi Shi'ite sheikh Nimr Baqr Al-Nimr by the Saudi authorities on January 2, 2016. Iranian leaders threatened that his death would be avenged, declared that the Saudi regime was nearing its end, allowed enraged protestors to set fire to the Saudi embassy in Tehran, and changed the names of streets where Saudi representations are located to Sheikh Nimr Street.The following are excerpts from reactions by Iranian officials and regime bodies. Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei threatened Saudi Arabia with divine retribution: "The blood of this oppressed martyr, which was spilled unjustly, will have a rapid impact, and the hand of divine retribution will seize the Saudi politicians by the throat. This oppressed senior cleric did not take the step of calling upon the [Saudi] people to take up arms [against their regime], nor did he plot in secret. All he did was openly criticize [the Saudi regime]." Khamenei added that the execution was "a political error on the part of the Saudi regime. God will not relinquish [avenging] the blood of the innocent. The blood spilled unjustly will rapidly deliver a blow to the politicians and officials of this [Saudi] regime."[1] Khamenei's websites in Persian and English posted an image of Al-Nimr, with a quote from Khamenei's statements (see below).[2] On the same day, Khamenei's English-language website also posted the following images, which equate Saudi Arabia with ISIS.[3] Kayhan's editor, Hossein Shariatmadari, who is close to Supreme Leader Khamenei, called to take revenge on Saudi princes visiting the U.S. or Europe. In a





January 3 article, he described an anti-Iranian and anti-Shi'ite camp consisting of the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Israel, and claimed that Turkish

President Erdogan had collaborated with the Saudi King in Al-Nimr's execution. He wrote: "The execution of Ayatollah Nimr was a frightful crime on the part of the Saudis, who are the willing slaves of the U.S. This heralds a truth that cannot be denied, namely that the Aal Sa'ud family is coming to the end of its road in the course of its evil and criminal life, and therefore it is going mad. "The Saudis do not deny that they are very afraid for their future. Looking around the region... they see Islamic Iran, whose power is growing from day to day and who is liberating the outposts that were captured by the forces of arrogance [i.e., the U.S.] and handed over to their proxies in the region, such as Aal Sa'ud, and Aal Khalifa [the Bahraini royal family]. Iran is the only powerful opponent of ISIS and of other takfiri terrorist groups that were cultivated by the joint camp of Israel, Aal Sa'ud and Erdogan... Saudi Arabia knows that it has reached the end of its evil, treasonous and criminal life. Today, the more it struggles, the deeper it will sink into the quagmire... "Saudi Arabia is experiencing the exact same thing that is happening in the West Bank. Undoubtedly, if Saudi Arabia is not more criminal than the Zionist regime, it is [at least] no different from it. Hence, the Muslims must treat the Saudi princes, officials and military sites just as the Palestinian revolutionaries [treat the Zionist enemy]. In particular, we can express a hope that the hedonistic and murderous Saudi princes, who periodically visit America and Europe to travel and to party, will be targets for [those wishing to] avenge the death of Ayatollah Nimr, whose blood was spilled unjustly, [and those wishing to avenge] the blood of the oppressed women and children in Yemen, Nigeria, Syria, Iraq and [all other victims of] Aal Sa'ud's crimes and murders."[5]Basij commander Mohammad Reza Naqdi said: "Since its establishment by the criminal Britons, the cursed and defiled Saudi regime has done nothing but kill Muslims. The Muslims, both Shi'ite and Sunni, will surely avenge Sheikh Nimr's death, [punishing] especially the main elements [responsible for his execution], namely Britain, the U.S. and Israel."[6]The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) also issued a statement condemning the Saudi regime, which stated that "the demise of the Saudi regime is imminent" and that it "will surely pay a heavy price for this crime [of executing Al-Nimr]." The statement said further that "the criminal act of Aal Sa'ud… is part of a Zionist plot intended to widen the rift between the nations of Islam and between the Shi'a and the Sunna... Nimr's execution... demonstrates that these crimes emanate from the Wahhabi philosophy and the takfiri Salafi stream whose banner is now borne by ISIS... The blood of the martyred Nimr will cause the banner of this prominent cleric, the banner of resistance and fighting, to be raised aloft in all parts of the Hijaz by the Islamic nation in Saudi Arabia, especially by the zealous youth of the Hijaz. In the near future [this youth] will take powerful revenge upon the criminal Aal Sa'ud and will topple the very foundations of this hated anti-Islamic regime."[7] The head of the Majlis national security and foreign policy committee, Ala Al-





Din Boroujerdi, said that "there is no reason for the diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia to be good," and added: "I asked Foreign

Minister [Javad] Zarif to minimize the staff at the Saudi embassy in Tehran."[8]As another propaganda measure, the Iranian regime changed the names of the streets in Tehran and Mashhad where Saudi representations are located to Sheikh Nimr Street (see photo below).[9] After, on January 2, enraged protesters set fire to the Saudi embassy in Tehran and broke into the Saudi consulate in Mashhad in northern Iran, the spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, Hossein Jaber-Ansari, called on Iranians to avoid congregating in front of Saudi representations in the country, but expressed understanding for their feelings.[10] Iranian President Hassan Rohani condemned Al-Nimr's execution, but also the Iranian "extremists" who had rioted outside the Saudi representations, calling their behavior "a disgrace to the [Iranian] regime and a blow to Iran's honor."[11]The Tabnak website claimed that the torching of the Saudi embassy had been carried out by Saudis in the embassy itself.[12] The Fars news agency, which is close to the IRGC, published the following cartoons in response to Al-Nimr's execution:[13] Endnotes:[1] Farsi.khamenei.ir, January 3, 2016.[2] Farsi.khamenei.ir, english.khamenei.ir, January 3, 2016.[3] English.khamenei.ir, January 2, 2016.[4] Kayhan (Iran), January 3, 2016.[5] Kayhan (Iran), January 3, 2016.[6] Isna.ir/fa/news, January 3, 2016.[7] Sepahnews.ir, January 2, 2016.[8] Iribnews.ir, January 2, 2016.[9] Facebook.com/Iran.Military, January 3, 2016.[10] Mfa.ir (Iranian foreign ministry website), January 3, 2016.[11] President.ir/fa, January 3, 2016.[12] Tabnak.ir, January 3, 2016.[13] Fars (Iran), January 3, 2016.




al-qaida chief ayman al-zawahiri the coordinator 2016 part 19-71-caliphate-sunni-shia-16

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