Khuzestan is Coalition's target (?)

There are 30 provinces in Iran. In the SW bordering Iraq and the Persian Gulf is Khuzestan. Its capital is Ahvaz and covers an area of 63,238 sq. km. (25% the size of the UK) Other major cities include Behbahan, Abadan, Andimeshk, Khorramshahr, Bandar Imam, Dezful, Shushtar, Omidiyeh, Izeh, Baq-e-Malek, Mah Shahr, Dasht-e-Azadegan, Ramhormoz, Shadegan, Susa, Masjed Soleiman, Minoo Island and Hoveizeh.

Site of much of the strife in the Iran / Iraq war there are some 4 million people, of which approximately two thirds are in urban centres and the remainder in rural areas.

Geographically Khuzestan can be divided into 2 regions, i.e. the plains in the South and West irrigated by the 850 Km long Karun and Karkeh and Jarahi rivers.The mountainous regions are situated to the north and east of the province, and are considered to be a part of southern regions of the Zagros mountain ranges.

Domination of Khuzestan was Saddam Hussein's primary strategic objective when he launched the Iran-Iraq war, which forced thousands of Iranians to flee the province, for it is this province which contains most of the oil and all of the exporting ports. Control would squeeze the country dry of revenue and would help set up internal intra-Arab strife - the Zionist long term objective of divide and conquer.

The city of Khorramshahr was almost completely destroyed as a result of Saddam's scorched earth policy. Fortunately, Iranian forces were able to prevent the Iraqis from attempting to spread the execution of this policy to other major urban centres.

The Iranian Embassy Siege of 1980 was a terrorist siege of the Iranian Embassy in London initiated by an Arab separatist group. Initially it emerged the terrorists wanted autonomy for Khuzestan; later they demanded the release of 91 of their comrades held in Iranian jails. The group which claimed responsibility for the siege- the Arab Popular Movement in Arabistan- gave a number of press conferences in the following months, referring to what it described as "the racist rule of Khomeini". It threatened further international action as part of its campaign to gain self- rule for Khuzestan. But its links with Baghdad served to undermine its argument that it was a purely Iranian opposition group; there were allegations that it was backed by Iraq. Their leader ("Salim" - Awn Ali Mohammed) along with four other members of the group were killed and the fifth member, Fowzi Badavi Nejad, was sentenced to life imprisonment.

It is assumed that any incursion / military action against Iran by the US / Coalition would be generally against the whole of the country. It is however likely that there have been persistent raids by specialist forces in the region preparatory to taking Khuzestan, it's oil ports, and it's stranglehold over the Straits of Hormuz, plus liason with anti Government forces.

This would be sold as a necessary action to prevent further SCIRI meddling in Iraqi affairs, and as a "low level" response to the supposed nuclear threat from Iran ... which everyone knows is a lot of bollocks.

Global Research have a fascinating breakdown of possible actions against Iran by Michael Keefer... some of it probably fanciful in tying in Turkey's entry to the EU with complianc in allowing use of air ports / space for such an assault.

"Since December 2005, however, there have been much firmer indications both that the planned attack will go ahead in late March 2006, and also that the Cheney-Bush administration intends it to involve the use of nuclear weapons." says Keefer.

If that is true the Mad Beekeepers of Bush's gang really will have lost their collective marbles and prepared us all for Armageddon. .... much heralded by Scott Ritter who gave the start date to Apocolypse June 2005.

John Pilger has an article this week in the New Statesman in which he echoes a lot of the Keefer article. Both of these stress the looming oil bourse that Iran has threatened in which oil would be traded in Euros and not the fiat oil-dollar. There is little evidence that this will ever happen ... it takes two to tango. Buyers have to use Euros to buy for which they have to sacrifice dollars ... where is the % for them ? Sellers are receiving $60-$70 on the spot when 4 years ago they were unhappy to take $15-20 ?

Of course the Iranians want to tweak Uncle Sam's nose, pull his beard , spit in his face... but precipitate nuclear war ?

It will be interesting to see if Mr Blair tags along, or if he consults the House of Commons before deciding to throw in the UK military effort.