By Jim Emerson, staff writer

This week the world learned of a massacre in the township of Houla Syria. According to witnesses over 100 people have been slaughtered by Syrian militias intent upon killing opponents of the Syrian regime and their families. Because Houla, located in central Syria, is a strong hold of the Free Syria Army rebel forces and is the home of many military defectors and their families it’s a prime target for Syrian forces.

State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland stated that, “Iran’s hand is clearly visible in the killing of more than 100 people, including scores of young children”. The group commonly believed to have carried out the slaughter is a pro Assad militia known as the Shabiha. The Shabiha is a well-armed organized street gang modeled after a similar gang operating in Iran, The Basij. The gangs are used by the government to terrorize the civilian population into compliance without actually using … Continue Reading:Houla massacre: Lessons from Iran