Iranian Unit to Be Labeled 'Terrorist'

[BrucePrime]

The United States has decided to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, the country's 125,000-strong elite military branch, as a "specially designated global terrorist," according to U.S. officials, a move that allows Washington to target the group's business operations and finances.

The Bush administration has chosen to move against the Revolutionary Guard Corps because of what U.S. officials have described as its growing involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as its support for extremists throughout the Middle East, the sources said. The decision follows congressional pressure on the administration to toughen its stance against Tehran, as well as U.S. frustration with the ineffectiveness of U.N. resolutions against Iran's nuclear program, officials said.

The designation of the Revolutionary Guard will be made under Executive Order 13224, which President Bush signed two weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to obstruct terrorist funding. It authorizes the United States to identify individuals, businesses, charities and extremist groups engaged in terrorist activities. The Revolutionary Guard would be the first national military branch included on the list, U.S. officials said -- a highly unusual move because it is part of a government, rather than a typical non-state terrorist organization.

The order allows the United States to block the assets of terrorists and to disrupt operations by foreign businesses that "provide support, services or assistance to, or otherwise associate with, terrorists."

The move reflects escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran over issues including Iraq and Iran's nuclear ambitions. Iran has been on the State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism since 1984, but in May the two countries began their first formal one-on-one dialogue in 28 years with a meeting of diplomats in Baghdad.

The main goal of the new designation is to clamp down on the Revolutionary Guard's vast business network, as well as on foreign companies conducting business linked to the military unit and its personnel. The administration plans to list many of the Revolutionary Guard's financial operations.

"Anyone doing business with these people will have to reevaluate their actions immediately," said a U.S. official familiar with the plan who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the decision has not been announced. "It increases the risks of people who have until now ignored the growing list of sanctions against the Iranians. It makes clear to everyone who the IRGC and their related businesses really are. It removes the excuses for doing business with these people."

For weeks, the Bush administration has been debating whether to target the Revolutionary Guard Corps in full, or only its Quds Force wing, which U.S. officials have linked to the growing flow of explosives, roadside bombs, rockets and other arms to Shiite militias in Iraq and the Taliban in Afghanistan. The Quds Force also lends support to Shiite allies such as Lebanon's Hezbollah and to Sunni movements such as Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

ARTICLE CONTINUES

[supercar]

The word 'terrorist' is a bit of a misnomer. We are actually fighting the radical Muslims.

[Unlimited]

The word 'terrorist' is a bit of a misnomer. We are actually fighting the radical Muslims.

...no were actually creating radicals so we can fight them, blindly you forget iraq was at peace..

[BrucePrime]

...no were actually creating radicals so we can fight them, blindly you forget iraq was at peace..

Internal rebellions ruthlessly repressed, the gassing of Kurds in the al'Anfal campaign, wars with Iran, an invasion of Kuwait, persecution of minorities, border skirmishes with Turkey, allowed extremist Sunni groups to operate in Iraqi Kurdistan...yes, Iraq was a country at peace.

But you are right about one thing, the Revolutionary Guard and the Quds Force were never radical...

According to Federation of American Scientists, the primary mission of the Quds Force is to organize, train, equip, and finance foreign Islamic revolutionary movements. It further states that the Quds Force maintains and builds contacts with underground Islamic militant organizations throughout the Islamic world.

The (Iranian Revolutionary Guard's) main role is in national security, responsible for internal and border security, as well as law enforcement. It is also responsible for Iran's missile forces. The operations of the AGIR are geared towards asymmetric warfare and less traditional duties. These include the control of smuggling, control of the Strait of Hormoz, and resistance operations...During the Lebanese civil war, the AGIR allegedly sent troops to train fighters in response to the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon[9].

Yup, George Bush created these groups and radicalized them.

Edited August 15, 2007 by BrucePrime

[Cradle of Fish]

wars with Iran

Backed by the US btw

[Oxymoron]

Well Amajehadin better get his house in order or we will do it for him.

[BrucePrime]

Backed by the US btw

As well as the UK, France, West Germany, and the USSR. In a very weird twist, when the Soviets moved troops to the Iranian border, Carter's White House told Moscow the US would defend Iran.

What's your point? It doesn't disprove anything I said.

[Princess Serenity]

Well Amajehadin better get his house in order or we will do it for him.

I doubt that'll happen. From what I saw/heard from the news it might take a while.

But I don't know.

[Bob26003]

"Force always attracts men of low morality."

~ Einstein

[BrucePrime]

Hey kids, look! A drug-addict is trying to lecture us about morality!

[Bob26003]

Hey kids, look! A drug-addict is trying to lecture us about morality!

Einstein was a drug addict?

Anyway, it's common sense. Bruce, you are supposed to strive for peace, not war.

[Oxymoron]

Einstein was a drug addict?

Anyway, it's common sense. Bruce, you are supposed to strive for peace, not war.

We are supposed to strive for peace not for war, tell that to Osama. or are we not allowed to fight back should we turn the oter cheek?

[Bob26003]

We are supposed to strive for peace not for war, tell that to Osama. or are we not allowed to fight back should we turn the oter cheek?

You guys let Osama go so you could focus on Iraq, remember?

[The Silver Thong]

Hey kids, look! A drug-addict is trying to lecture us about morality!

Whats your point? George W Bush is/was a cokehead/drunk. Once an addict always an addict right, and you have complete trust in him.

[questionmark]

Whats your point? George W Bush is/was a cokehead/drunk. Once an addict always an addict right, and you have complete trust in him.

The point is that, when some people on this forum loose an argument they always start hacking around on Bob's former habits. As if that would turn the table on him.

[BrucePrime]

Bob? Who said anything about Bob? I was talking about Einstein. Little known fact -- he was a huge morphine addict. And he liked hookers.

Besides, there was no argument being made. Thus, there was no argument to lose. Bob just posted something that he thought would be witty, but really made no sense. I guess you could say he was making an argument, if you want to make a stretch, and it was for the US action. Which, by the way, Mods...can you check to see if Bob's account has been hacked? It's not like him to say anything in support of America.

If I ever do bring up Bob being a drug-addict, it's only because Bob himself likes to attack people for their former habits.

Edited August 15, 2007 by BrucePrime

[The Silver Thong]

The point is that, when some people on this forum loose an argument they always start hacking around on Bob's former habits. As if that would turn the table on him.

Yes I see that to, and Bob takes way to much crap from a select few here.

[Oxymoron]

Yes I see that to, and Bob takes way to much crap from a select few here.

Oh lets all have a communal cry over poor bob.

[Cradle of Fish]

Bob? Who said anything about Bob? I was talking about Einstein. Little known fact -- he was a huge morphine addict. And he liked hookers.

Everyone gets high on something, even if its patriotism or self-righteousness.

[BrucePrime]

Everyone gets high on something, even if its patriotism or self-righteousness.

I prefer ground-up moon-rocks.

[Cradle of Fish]

I prefer ground-up moon-rocks.

I figured you for more of a Rush Limbaugh junkie actually.

[BrucePrime]

I figured you for more of a Rush Limbaugh junkie actually.

Since there is only one Rush Limbaugh (that I know of), he'd be prohibitablly expensive to try to smoke or inject.

[aztek]

Bob? Who said anything about Bob? I was talking about Einstein. Little known fact -- he was a huge morphine addict. And he liked hookers.

despite that he did acheve more than most if not all of us on this forum ever will, if one looks into history he'll see lots of great mind, and famous ppl had addiction to something, sometimes i think it promotes great ideas, it sure helped many artists to wright songs.

what guy doesn,t like hookers?

Edited August 15, 2007 by aztek

[Birmingham]

Not that anyone could not see this action against the Iranian Revolutionary Guards coming. It is basicly the private army of the iranian government. Designed to counter the Regular Iranian Army, which the Iranian fundementalists did not concider reliable enough. And acts at the behalf of the hardliners. It has been involved in terrorism, training missions and kidnappings. But because it is not part of the regular Iranian Army, it gives the Iranian government a cutout between what happens and who is responcable. Notice Ahmaninigad says that in the case of Iran getting cought with their hands in the cookie jar, it is not the Iranian Army that is responcable. But he never says anything about the R.G. having their hands in the jar.

This is going to hurt the R.G. They are a money making operations. Why the Guards are better paid than the regular Iranian Army. For example - there is talk that the reason the R.G. went after the 15 British Servicemen a couple of months ago, was that the dowl that was being inspected carried stolen cars destined for a R.G. used car lot. So freeezing of bank accounts will put a pinch on the R.G. I'm just surprised it has not happened before.

[ships-cat]

The point is that, when some people on this forum loose an argument they always start hacking around on Bob's former habits. As if that would turn the table on him.

Very well said Questionmark. I disagree on most things with Bob, right down to the time of day, (err... understandable as we live in different time-zones), but I'm getting VERY impatient with these drug refferences. It would make this battered old cat VERY happy if we stop making references to them, unless they DIRECTLY relate to the topic.

Bob? Who said anything about Bob? I was talking about Einstein. Little known fact -- he was a huge morphine addict. And he liked hookers.

I'm sorry Bruce, but that smacks of sophistry.

Everyone gets high on something, even if its patriotism or self-righteousness.

To each, their own.. providing it doesn't harm anyone else. (with the exception of Aubergines... but then that's obvious)

Not that anyone could not see this action against the Iranian Revolutionary Guards coming. It is basicly the private army of the iranian government.

hee hee- OK - I'm being a BIT mischeivous... but surely ALL Nation-Statee military units come into that catagory ?

Meow Purr.