Iranians listed as ‘shields’

TEHRAN – Thousands of Iranians are expected to volunteer to act as human shields in case of a military attack on one of the country’s key nuclear facilities, the group organising the effort said yesterday.

The volunteers would protect a nuclear reactor under construction with Russian help in the southern port city of Bushehr, said the Committee for the Commemoration of Martyrs of the Global Islamic Campaign. “Thousands of Bushehr’s people will sign up to protect the reactor,” said a spokesman for the group.He said the group, which has no links to any official organisation, had collected the names of 25 000 “martyrdom-seeking” volunteers across Iran since June.The ceremony was to be held today in Bushehr.Iran says its nuclear programme is geared solely to generating electricity.But Iranian officials have speculated Israel and Washington, which both accuse Tehran of seeking nuclear weapons, may try to destroy Bushehr with air strikes, just as Israeli warplanes did to Iraq’s Osirak reactor in 1981.Signing ceremonies for such groups are frequently held after Friday Prayer sermons in major cities.Despite their fiery threats to carry out suicide attacks against US or Israeli targets political analysts say such ceremonies are symbolic and have not led to any documented attacks.- Nampa-Reuters”Thousands of Bushehr’s people will sign up to protect the reactor,” said a spokesman for the group.He said the group, which has no links to any official organisation, had collected the names of 25 000 “martyrdom-seeking” volunteers across Iran since June.The ceremony was to be held today in Bushehr.Iran says its nuclear programme is geared solely to generating electricity.But Iranian officials have speculated Israel and Washington, which both accuse Tehran of seeking nuclear weapons, may try to destroy Bushehr with air strikes, just as Israeli warplanes did to Iraq’s Osirak reactor in 1981.Signing ceremonies for such groups are frequently held after Friday Prayer sermons in major cities.Despite their fiery threats to carry out suicide attacks against US or Israeli targets political analysts say such ceremonies are symbolic and have not led to any documented attacks.- Nampa-Reuters