Iran's Student Basij Is a Quickly Growing and Powerful Force

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TEHRAN -- The early morning chill was still in the air when the children, some as young as 7, were lined up in front of their school for a ceremony during which they were instructed to shout, "Death to America," and hurl shoes at effigies of Uncle Sam, or the Great Satan, as he's known here.

The event, held at schools across the country, was part of the annual celebration of the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. It was organized by the Student Basij, a subdivision of Iran's powerful paramilitary movement, which in recent years has evolved into a powerful defender of the current regime.

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Iran's Student Basij Is a Quickly Growing and Powerful Force

The Basij first made a name for itself during the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, providing an endless stream of youthful volunteers, ready to walk across minefields or brave Iraqi fire to clear a way for r...

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