Iran marks revolution with crackdown on opposition

February 12, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The Iranian security forces unleashed a crushing sweep against opposition protesters Thursday as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad used the 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution to defy the West and boast his country was now a “nuclear state.”

The massive show of force appeared to give authorities the upper hand on the most important day of the Iranian political calendar. The state-backed rally dwarfed anti-government gatherings, which were far smaller than other outpourings of dissent in recent months.

Police clashed with anti- government demonstrators in several sites around Tehran, firing tear gas to disperse them and paintballs to mark them for arrest. Gangs of hard-liners also attacked senior opposition figures — including the wife of the head of the reform movement.

Still, the day’s events showed that authorities must rely on full-scale pressures to keep a lid on demonstrations, and any breathing room may be limited. Opposition supporters are certain to regroup and look for weak spots in the ruling system.

In his address to a crowd of hundreds of thousands — many bused into Tehran’s Freedom Square — Ahmadinejad sought to shift attention from the nation’s political troubles, boasting instead about Iran’s advancements in nuclear technology. He also dismissed new U.S. sanctions and denigrated President Barack Obama’s efforts to repair relations.

Iran has the capacity to make weapons-grade nuclear fuel if it chooses, the Iranian leader declared, adding that Iran had succeeded in enriching uranium to 20 percent and was now a “nuclear state.”

“We have the capability to enrich uranium more than 20 percent or 80 percent, but we don’t enrich [to this level] because we don’t need it,” he said. “When we say we do not manufacture the bomb, we mean it, and we do not believe in manufacturing a bomb. If we wanted to manufacture a bomb, we would announce it.”

The Obama administration dismissed Iran’s contention it is enriching uranium at a higher level.

Ahmadinejad has been staunchly backed by Iran’s ruling clerics since his disputed re-election in June touched off the worst internal turmoil in Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Now many opposition groups are denouncing the entire Islamic system.

This is what deeply worried authorities preparing for Thursday’s 31st anniversary of the Islamic state. Any significant protests or clashes would be seen as a major embarrassment on a day intended to showcase national achievements and unity.

An array of riot police, undercover security agents and hard-line militiamen fanned out across Tehran in what appeared to be the largest and most strategic deployment since the post-election mayhem.

Security forces were seen in nearly every neighborhood. They had one primary goal: to keep protesters from gaining momentum after weeks of arrests and warnings from authorities.

Opposition Web sites spoke of groups of protesters in the hundreds — compared with much larger crowds in past demonstrations.

Some analysts predict the opposition could move away from large street marches in favor of strikes and boycotts. “The crackdown has been very tough,” said Meir Javedanfar, an analyst. “The lower turnout means either people are scared or, more likely, they will change tactics.”

Despite the smaller opposition turnout, there were reports of clashes in Tehran. Foreign media is banned from street reporting under rules imposed by Iranian authorities.

At least one opposition leader was attacked but not injured. Dozens of hard-liners with batons and pepper spray attacked the convoy of a senior opposition leader, Mahdi Karroubi, smashing his car windows and forcing him to turn back as he tried to join the protests, his son Hossein Karroubi told the AP.