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In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate The Triumph or Failure of the Islamic Revolution of Iran: THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTION AND THE IMPOSED WAR Written by Martyr Mustafa Chamran Commander of the Non-Organized Forces and Imam Khomeini’s Representative to the Supreme Defense Council Council for the Celebrations of the Third Anniversary of the Victory of the Islamic Revolution Compiled, Translated and Edited by The Ministry of Islamic Guidance Published by the Council for the Celebrations of the Third Anniversary of the Victory of the Islamic Revolution Tehran, 1982 In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate The Triumph or Failure of the Islamic Revolution of Iran: Its Impacts on the Region, Islamic Countries and the World The triumph of the Islamic Revolution of Iran with its new criteria shook the unsteady foundations of regional reactionary and subservient governments which joined each other and put their efforts into suppressing the Iranian Revolution and to prevent its expansion. The U.S.A., too, lost its greatest stronghold in the region. All its local oil interests and other valuable resources. It could, therefore, by no means, tolerate the continuation of such a Revolution, especially when it realized that its oil interests were thus endangered in other countries in the region as well, and that the Iranian Revolution was going to spread to neighboring countries to eradicate colonialism and foreign exploitation in those lands. International Zionism also, having lost its greatest friend and base in the region was now faced with a new powerful, revolutionary and intrepid foe, and therefore it could not remain silent. Thus, conspiracies were initiated to crush the Islamic Revolution of Iran ranging from creating domestic 1 Martyr Mustafa Chamran difficulties and problems to direct military action of the U.S. in Tabas which, through a miracle, failed. The imperialists dealt numerous blows to the Iranian Revolution: They conspired in different frontier areas; in government offices, in the army; they caused conflicts under the guise of radical leftist organizations or cliques connected with the satanic, despotic ex-regime as symbolized by the ex- Shah, under the guise of different nationalities and religions, they fermented strikes in factories to undermine the national industry; they brought about chaos in the area of agriculture to stop agricultural production; they launched an economic blockade, vicious propaganda, and calamities; they spread false rumors, lies, and so on. These were some manifestations of the enemy’s all-round and coordinated conspiracy against the Islamic Revolution of Iran, all directed to isolate this country in the world. Finally, as a quietus, Iraq, imagining that the new regime in Iran was at the point of downfall, launched an all-out attack on Iran. At 2 P.M. on September 22, 1980, Iraqi aircrafts bombed Tehran airport and airports in most other cities. Twelve Iraqi divisions, which had long been kept in a state of combat-preparedness beyond the frontier started their all-out invasion along the 800 km. border from the north of Qasr-i- Shirin to Khorramshahr and Abadan. While the Iranian Army was occupied with internal difficulties, some people chanted slogans for its dissolution, others gave vent to the grudges accumulated against the army during the past decades, and still others tried to slaughter the army like sacrificial sheep. Perplexed, dumbfounded, and overwhelmed by their inferiority complex, the military had totally lost their human and military personality. The officers were unable to 2 The Islamic Revolution and the Imposed War command and the subalterns did not obey the commanders. Strikes, confusion, confrontation and demonstrations were rife inside our armed forces. The enemy’s fifth column, giving out vehement and seditious slogans and exciting the crude feelings within the military personnel, practically eliminated military discipline and prevented any constructive military measures. The U.S.-imposed economic blockade had caused a shortage of spare parts for military hardware. The dismissal of foreign military specialists together with the reigning disarray had actually caused a total standstill everywhere. Whatever had remained of our military forces had already been worn out in local battles and engagements in Kurdistan, Gombad-i-Qabus and Khorramshahr. Consequently, at the onset of the enemy’s invasion, only two divisions - Ahvaz 92nd Division and Kermanshah Division - showed some signs of life. These were incompletely organized, poorly equipped, demoralized and totally lacking combat- preparedness. That is why the enemy, supported by twelve panzer divisions, advanced rapidly, soon reaching the approaches of the large cities of Abadan, Ahvaz and Dezful. The enemy’s largescale invasion of Khuzistan was launched after a diversionary attack in the Qasr-i-Shirin area. On the basis of his estimation of the military forces of Iraq and Iran, and prompted by western calculations, Saddam imagined that he could topple the Islamic regime of Iran in three days and that by winning this war, he could compensate for the moral consequences of the Arabs defeat in their wars against Israel and that as the victor - the victor of a new Qadissiyya - he could assume the leadership of the Arab world - an ambition which has been consuming him for years. 3 Martyr Mustafa Chamran Well, Saddam’s forces, pounding at the weakened forces of the Iranian Islamic Army, drew on fast until they approached the large cities. At this point, people entered the arena, blocking the enemy’s advance and performing brilliant feats of arms. The heroic people of Khorramshahr sacrificing their children and dealing the hardest blows to the enemy, achieved such glorious deeds of self-sacrifice, courage and martyrdom that Khorramshahr came to be known as ‘the city of blood and resistance” thus immortalizing itself in history with a legend of heroic, popular resistance and love for the Iranian Islamic Revolution. In other areas, too, wherever Iraqi forces met with masses of people in the cities, their advance came to a standstill, so that finally the offensive enemy took on a defensive position. The course of the war changed, and Saddam’s schemes for capturing strategic points in Iran and for overthrowing the Iranian Islamic regime were thwarted. During the first days of the invasion, enemy forces enjoyed the best situation whereas ours were in the worst and weakest, of conditions. The enemy force was approximately twenty times as much as ours; especially as to equipment and ammunition. There was no balance between the two warring parties. The enemy could but capture deserts, deserted areas, some portions of the uninhabited frontier regions and some unimportant small towns. After people had engaged in battle, thus preventing further enemy advance, the army was gradually able to equip and organize itself, to repair its tanks and armored personnel- carriers, to bring these to the battle scenes and to, little by little, solve its internal problems. In the course of time, the army brought the initial 20 to 1 ratio of forces to a new 3 to 1 ratio. Since, according to world military laws, offensive 4