speech [Independence of the country and the role of the army]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

I would like to express my congratulations to the noble people of Iran on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the Imam of the Age, the redeemer of the oppressed; the destroyer of the oppressors and the savior of mankind.

There are many differences between last year and this year. Last year, on such a date, we were drowned in sorrow; various kinds of sorrows, mass killings, problems with foreigners and traitors. Because of these great sorrows, the feast [`id] was forsaken. But this year, praise is to Allah, they have reemerged from all the internal and external bondages. The hands of all traitors and criminals- both internal and external- have been amputated; and this year, the government is from the people, and the people are for the government. Last year, the disciplinary forces were alienated from us and behaved like the enemy of the nation; and if there were individuals in their midst who supported the nation, they did not dare to expose themselves. Whereas today, the disciplinary forces, the army, the gendarmerie forces and the city police are in the fold of the nation. The people are of them; they are of the people. They serve Iran with sincerity and they serve Islam; they serve the Islamic Republic; and they serve the people while the people also support them wholeheartedly. Today, like at the time of the dawn of Islam when the soldiers of Islam were of the people and were in the fold of the people, the Islamic army is also in the fold of the people and is of the people themselves. They must support Iran, Islam and the nation while the nation must also support them fully.

The independence of the country is based on the army, on the ground and air forces; but on an army that relies on the nation; an army that is of the people themselves. In ungodly and non-Islamic regimes, the government is alienated from the people; the army is alienated from the people; and with the alienation of the military from the nation and the government from the people and the administration from the people; the regimes become unstable and cannot sustain their independence and can thus not resist the foreigners. Whereas a government that relies on the people and armed forces that relies on the people can safeguard their independence; they are able to rise against the foreigners. As you witnessed and we witnessed too, our great nation with the cooperation of the armed forces that had returned to the embrace of the nation, triumphed over the satanic forces; and the satanic forces were unable to prop up the former regime; and they will not be able to reinstate the likes of those regimes.

Today, our nation, our government and our armed forces are united. They all work together for the good of Islam and for the good of the Islamic country. This regime, this nation, this government and the government machinery are role models for the entire country. They should be aware of the benefits and advantages they and their nation can derive from the solidarity between the government and the people; the armed forces and the people; the gendarmerie and the people. Governments that come to power must learn lessons from a government that is Islamic; and from armed forces that are Islamic; and they should learn how to deal with the people.

Today, our disciplinary forces are of the people, and the people must support them wholeheartedly; and there must be fraternal ties and unity between them and the disciplinary forces and they must preserve the chain of command. If the armed forces do not uphold the chain of command, it will be in disarray and this is a betrayal to Islam and a betrayal to the Islamic Republic. The military must be strong; it must have self-confidence; and by the will of Allah, it is so. We and the entire nation support them; and I pray for the people; I pray for the armed forces and I pray for all levels of the government and the strata of people.

May God's peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.