When a policeman is sent on a mission, his mind must be focused entirely on getting the job done, Brigadier General Ismail Ahmadi Moghaddam said in the first flag-raising ceremony he attended after moving to his new command last week. Using bullets is not the first way of dealing with criminals, but sometimes it is inevitable. If it becomes necessary, policemen must act in this way.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneis appointment of Ahmadi Moghaddam, a veteran paramilitary commander with a reputation for ruthlessness, was widely regarded as a move to place the law enforcement forces under the control of the Revolutionary Guards.
Reporters in Tehran said they saw Ahmadi Moghaddam outside Tehran University last Tuesday when State Security Forces charged at anti-government demonstrators. Dozens of peaceful protestors were injured or arrested.
In less than a week since Ahmadi Moghaddam has taken over as police chief, SSF agents have used excessive force in dealing with demonstrators in Tehran, Mahabad (northwest Iran), and Mashad (northeast Iran).
