Ayatollah Khamenei received a group of Iran’s Army Air Force commanders and staff on Monday. The event is a replica of the famous meeting of Imam Khomeini (RA) and the Army Air Force staff and commanders in memorable day of February 8, 1979 just three days before the victory of the Revolution of the same year.
Ayatollah Khamenei described the February 11 as a day when the public rallies to commemorate the Revolution would plunge the enemies in despair; “the upcoming February 26, 2016 is a day of Parliament and Assembly of Experts elections where a high turnout in the ballot boxes will infuse fresh blood into the veins of the system and will guarantee the Establishment against treacherous enemies,” he told the meeting of Air Force staff.
“The major objective of the enemy is to undermine the true nature and identity of the Islamic Republic; all the extensive frontlines where maleficent circles are entrenched work to prevent the Islamic Republic from its path toward ideals and goals of attaining sovereignty, and to restore to the country the ‘good old days’ of their virtually untrammeled curiosity,” he asserted.
The Leader did not rule out the probability of a full-fledged war against the Islamic Republic, however did say that it was highly unlikely at the current conditions; “the most important item on the agenda is a cultural war to deprive the nation and the system of their power components; when a nation is denied its power, it will definitely succumb to the pressures; and there will be no need to hard military invasion to subdue that nation,” he emphasized. “The nation exercises its natural rights, in regular and important bottlenecks, to decide whether their elected officials should remain in positions once they were bestowed or new officials should assume their positions; in a different interpretation, it is a renewal of allegiance to the ideals of the Revolution.”
He warned against ‘dangerous and at the same time a false polarization and rift between the nation and the system,’ which had been always a manifest objective of the enemy especially the United States; Ayatollah Khamenei provided a history of hostilities toward the Islamic Republic of Iran since the Revolution, i.e., a plot to disintegrate Iran and the Imposed War of 1980-88; “the nation had heavenly blessings and found triumph against all those plots and established the Islamic Republic of Iran as an unchallenged power in the region and an internationally recognized country,” he said.
“However,” the Leader of the Islamic Revolution believed, “the glory of the nation hinges upon attending to duties the Revolution assigns to us, one important duty being participation in elections.”
Ayatollah Khamenei addressed government officials directly elsewhere in his address, recommending them not to engage inordinately in the affairs of elections especially on campaign trails; “you should be the open and observing eyes of the system and they practice prudence in this regard; officials should not also turn a blind eye on enemies ever-changing plots; officials who fall in to optimism about the enemies, will not definitely be a subject of public accolade,” he told the meeting. “Enemy smiles, and you smile as well; but you should be aware of what plots lie behind enemy’s smile”
Leader of the Islamic Republic lampooned the US officials’ pose as defenders of human rights and democracy; “US allies in the region, where no election is at hand, and the Zionist regime who kills innocent children in Gaza and elsewhere in Occupied Territories, ironically enjoy full support of the Washington,” he added. "Some countries in region are not familiar with a phenomenon like elections and have no idea what election is! Then United States who claims support for democracy and human rights, fraternally allies with them! Impudent US does not answer simplest questions of public opinion. While Yemen is being bombed, it remains silent and aids aggressors with tanker aircrafts."
Meanwhile Ayatollah Khamenei asserted that "I have frequently reiterated that by 'enemy' we mean US government and administration, not the American people."
In conclusion, the Leader extended his praise to the Air Force which had displayed excellence, strength, and innovation since 37 years ago, and which would remain standing with the nation in line with recruitment from the same nation to add to its capabilities.
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