The upcoming war with Iran is again back in the news and while the international media is awash with reports and discussions about the recent Iranian missile test, some usually savvy observers, such as Tom Englehardt and Tony Karon, now say that the US-Israeli aggression on Iran will not happen at all. So which is it - Iranian missiles raining down on Israel or no war at all?
Neither.
First, let's get one thing straight. Iran can, and probably will, launch some missiles at Israel if it is attacked. This makes perfectly good sense since it is absolutely clear that if the USA decides to strike at Iran this will be solely at the behest of the Israel Lobby. Unlike the war with Iraq which has more than one sponsor, *only* the Israel Lobby and the Neocons are pushing for a war with Iran. And yes, Iran has missiles which can reach Israel. And no, these missiles are not "primitive" Scud-like "cigars" but rather advanced missiles. For example, the Shahab-3 features course correction and terminal manoever capability while the Fajr-3 might well be MIRVed. Keep in mind that according to the Jerusalem Post Iran currently has 600 Shahab-3s pointed at Israel while, according to the Israeli state radio, Iran's ally Hezbollah has another 40'000 rockets ready to be fired at Israel. There is a strong element of propaganda here, but even if we cut down these figures by, say, 50-80%, this still represents a potentially powerful retaliatory force any Israeli government will have to take into account. This is also quite besides the point for a very simple reason: missiles do not win wars.
Iranian commanders understand this very well. Furthermore, there are only a limited number of militarily significant targets in Israel simply because Israel's armed forces will only play a marginal role, if at all, in the strike on Iran. Sure, it would make a great deal of sense for the Iranians to strike at Israel for *political* reasons, but there is nothing they could strike in Israel which would make much of a difference militarily, simply because the attack, when it happens, will be a US attack.
US military targets are much, much closer to Iran. They are all over Iraq, they are in Afghanistan, they are in Kuwait, they are all over the Persian Gulf, and they are in Turkey. In fact, the most lucrative of these targets are in the immediate proximity of Iran, think "Green Zone" for example.
The reality is that Iranian long range missiles "capable of hitting Israel" will not play a crucial role in the upcoming war, at least not from a military point of view and the recent missile tests in Iran are just part of a PR effort to look fierce and scare the Israelis. I am not sure whether this is a good tactic or not, but that's all there is to it. Paradoxically, the Iranians, the Americans and the Israelis all share a common propaganda goal: to make the Iranian missiles look as scary as possible. No wonder that the media is going berserk over this non-issue!
Let's now look at the "no war will happen" arguments. It is amazingly simple: Israel, by recently engaging in a public 'rehearsal" for its bombing plans against Iran has lost any hope to achieve a surprise and therefore is not going to attack Iran after all. I am frankly baffled that anyone would take this silly argument seriously. Here is why:
1) Israel will not attack Iran not because it lost the "element of surprise" but because it simply cannot attack Iran, at least not meaningfully. The Israeli Air force probably can fly to the Natanz nuclear facility and drop some bombs and, with enough in-flight refuelling it could even strike deeper inside Iran. But besides a very limited one-time bombing run on Iran there is nothing the Israelis can do. Only the US Air Force and Navy have the means for a country-wide bombing and missile strike campaign in which targets are 're-visited' and which could last for anywhere between several days to several weeks.
2) The entire "element of surprise" discussion about the upcoming war is plain silly: this will be the most announced war in history. Has everyone forgotten that we already were at the brink of war last year? And the year before? Furthermore, the US Navy has brought so much firepower to the region by now that the Iranians can have no doubts whatsoever about the obvious fact that the USA's preparation time is now down to zero and that a war can start literally any minute now. There is no element of surprise, not even tactical, left and hence the USA and Israel cannot "loose it".
The reality is that all the actors in the upcoming war as fine ready, as ready as can be.
One guy got it right: Pepe Escobar. Check out his article "Iran's Missiles are Just for Show". Not only does Escobar explain that the missile issue is vastly overblown, but he even outlines the *real* preparations the Iranians have made:
General Mohammad Ali Jafari has been the supreme IRGC commander since September 2007. Over a week ago, after a groundbreaking interview to the conservative newspaper Jam e-Jam, he announced a very deep structural IRGC decentralizing shake-up, under the orders of Khamenei himself.
Most key regional commanders were replaced. Jafari had already organized the fusion between the Pasdaran - the military elite - and the Bassij militias.
What this means in practice is that Iran now has 30 armies - one in every province, all of them interconnecting Pasdaran and Bassij, all of them with members of both bodies training together. Esfandiari Safari, writing in the Iranian newspaper Rooz, interprets Jafari's new set up as "the response from the IRGC's high command to the imminent attack they are waiting for".
The relevance of this reorganization and fusion of the Pasdaran with the Basiji is not only relevant in case of a ground invasion (as the sentence "30 armies - one in each province" suggests). It is also relevant, much more so in fact, as an exercise in what the Americans would call "continuity of government" i.e., it prepares the entire country to operate even under a massive assault of US cruise missiles and bombers. Be decentralizing the key elements of political and military power the Iranians are basically denying the Americans the option to "decapitate" the government and to prevent a sustained resistance to their attack. Lastly, since the USA, with the blessing of the Democrats, has embarked on a massive terror & subversion campaign inside Iran, this fusion of the Pasdaran and the Basiji makes it possible to combat local insurgencies with locally available ressources. Make no mistake, the Iranians are as ready as can be, regardless of the missiles sideshow.
Showing posts with label Pasdaran. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pasdaran. Show all posts
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Monday, March 31, 2008
Iranian General Played Key Role in Brokering Iraq Cease-Fire
by Leila Fadel for McClatchy Newspapers
Iraqi lawmakers traveled to the Iranian holy city of Qom over the weekend to win the support of the commander of Iran's Qods brigades in persuading Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr to order his followers to stop military operations, members of the Iraqi parliament said.
Sadr ordered the halt on Sunday, and his Mahdi Army militia heeded the order in Baghdad, where the Iraqi government announced it would lift a 24-hour curfew starting early Monday in most parts of the capital.
But fighting continued in the oil hub of Basra, where a six-day-old government offensive against Shiite militias has had only limited gains.
So far, 488 people have been killed and more than 900 wounded in the offensive, Iraqi Interior Ministry officials said.
The backdrop to Sadr's dramatic statement was a secret trip Friday by Iraqi lawmakers to Qom, Iran's holy city and headquarters for the Iranian clergy who run the country.
There the Iraqi lawmakers held talks with Brig. Gen. Qassem Suleimani, commander of the Qods (Jerusalem) brigades of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and signed an agreement with Sadr, which formed the basis of his statement Sunday, members of parliament said.
Ali al Adeeb, a member of Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki's Dawa party, and Hadi al Ameri, the head of the Badr Organization, the military wing of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, had two aims, lawmakers said: to ask Sadr to stand down his militia and to ask Iranian officials to stop supplying weapons to Shiite militants in Iraq.
"The statement issued today by (Muqtada al Sadr) is a result of the meetings," said Jalal al-Din al Saghir, a leading member of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq. "The government didn't have any disagreement with the Sadrists when it went to the city of Basra. The Sadrist movement is the one that chose to face the government."
"We asked Iranian officials to help us persuade him that we were not cracking down on the Sadr group," said an Iraqi official, who asked for anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject.
He described the talks as successful but said hard-line Sadrists could goad the government into over-reacting and convince Sadr that the true aim of the Iraqi Security Forces is to destroy the Sadrists.
"I will not be surprised if the whole thing collapses," he said.
In addition to Sadr, who is in Qom pursuing religious studies, Iraqi lawmakers met Suleimani, said Osama al Nejafi, a legislator on the parliamentary committee formed to solve the Basra crisis.
"An agreement was signed," Nejafi said, referring to Sadr. "Iran was part of the problem and an effective part of the negotiations."
Sadr issued a nine-point statement Sunday saying he would renounce anyone who carried arms against the government and government forces. The statement also asked the government to halt all raids against the Mahdi army, end detentions of militia members who had not been charged and implement the general amnesty law.
To preserve the "unity" of Iraq Sadr called for an end to "all armed manifestations in Basra and in all provinces."
The Qom discussions may or may not bring an end to the fighting but they almost certainly have undermined Maliki - who made repeated declarations that there would be no negotiations and that he would treat as outlaws those who did not turn in their weapons for cash. The blow to his own credibility was worsened by the fact that members of his own party had helped organize the Iran initiative.
"The delegation was from the United Iraqi Alliance (dominated by the Dawa party and the Supreme Council of Iraq), and the Prime Minister was only informed. It was a political maneuver by us," said Haider al Abadi, a legislator from Maliki's Dawa party. "We had evidence (that Muqtada and Iranian-backed militants were fighting security forces) and we sent people urgently...If we had been waiting for one year in Baghdad we wouldn't have had this result." The delegation is expected to return to Iraq Monday.
Maliki welcomed Sadr's statement as a positive development, said his advisor Sadiq al Rikabi. Anyone who abandons weapons and goes home would not be pursued, he said, adding that the offensive would continue against a list specific targets, but he would not give details, Maliki -- who had said he would not leave Basra until the Shiite militias were defeated -- was expected to remain in Basra for a few more days, he said.
Following Sadr's announcement a curfew was lifted in most of the capital, while the Sadr controlled areas of Sadr City, New Baghdad and Kadhemiya remained under 24-hour lockdown. The U.S. military still surrounded the Shiite slum of Sadr City, named for Sadr's father and a stronghold of support for Sadr. It was still unclear what the effect the statement had Sunday night.
In another blow to Maliki, his security advisor, Saleem Qassim al Taee, known as Abu Laith Al-Kadhimi, was killed in the fighting in Basra. The Dawa party member had lived in exile under Saddam's regime for 20 years.
"With great sorrow the prime minister's office mourns one of its employees," it said in a statement. "(He) was killed by a treacherous shell during his national duty which was launched by criminal hands who are stained by crime and killing."
In Basra Mahdi Army militants fought to keep their strongholds but were overrun by Iraqi Security Force in the eastern neighborhood of Tanuma. U.S. and British aircraft conducted four air strikes in the city, the U.S. military said. In downtown Basra in the area of al Timimiyah Iraqi forces surrounded the neighborhood as coalition aircraft struck Sunday morning, residents said.
But the Iraqi security forces still couldn't penetrate the vast Shiite slum of Hayaniyah or al Qibla, two Mahdi Army stronghold of Basra.
Following Sadr's statement both the Sadr office in Basra and Sadr City said that their fighters would obey the orders and go home. But militants on the ground in Basra said they would continue to fight in self-defense.
"We will stay in our positions because the government didn't stop the raids and the attacks against the Mahdi Army and their areas," Abu Muamal said. "We are waiting for clear orders from our command and we will not withdraw until the situation is clarified."
McClatchy Special Correspondents Ali al Basri contributed from Basra, Qassim Zein from Najaf and Laith Hammoudi from Baghdad.
Iraqi lawmakers traveled to the Iranian holy city of Qom over the weekend to win the support of the commander of Iran's Qods brigades in persuading Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr to order his followers to stop military operations, members of the Iraqi parliament said.
Sadr ordered the halt on Sunday, and his Mahdi Army militia heeded the order in Baghdad, where the Iraqi government announced it would lift a 24-hour curfew starting early Monday in most parts of the capital.
But fighting continued in the oil hub of Basra, where a six-day-old government offensive against Shiite militias has had only limited gains.
So far, 488 people have been killed and more than 900 wounded in the offensive, Iraqi Interior Ministry officials said.
The backdrop to Sadr's dramatic statement was a secret trip Friday by Iraqi lawmakers to Qom, Iran's holy city and headquarters for the Iranian clergy who run the country.
There the Iraqi lawmakers held talks with Brig. Gen. Qassem Suleimani, commander of the Qods (Jerusalem) brigades of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and signed an agreement with Sadr, which formed the basis of his statement Sunday, members of parliament said.
Ali al Adeeb, a member of Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki's Dawa party, and Hadi al Ameri, the head of the Badr Organization, the military wing of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, had two aims, lawmakers said: to ask Sadr to stand down his militia and to ask Iranian officials to stop supplying weapons to Shiite militants in Iraq.
"The statement issued today by (Muqtada al Sadr) is a result of the meetings," said Jalal al-Din al Saghir, a leading member of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq. "The government didn't have any disagreement with the Sadrists when it went to the city of Basra. The Sadrist movement is the one that chose to face the government."
"We asked Iranian officials to help us persuade him that we were not cracking down on the Sadr group," said an Iraqi official, who asked for anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject.
He described the talks as successful but said hard-line Sadrists could goad the government into over-reacting and convince Sadr that the true aim of the Iraqi Security Forces is to destroy the Sadrists.
"I will not be surprised if the whole thing collapses," he said.
In addition to Sadr, who is in Qom pursuing religious studies, Iraqi lawmakers met Suleimani, said Osama al Nejafi, a legislator on the parliamentary committee formed to solve the Basra crisis.
"An agreement was signed," Nejafi said, referring to Sadr. "Iran was part of the problem and an effective part of the negotiations."
Sadr issued a nine-point statement Sunday saying he would renounce anyone who carried arms against the government and government forces. The statement also asked the government to halt all raids against the Mahdi army, end detentions of militia members who had not been charged and implement the general amnesty law.
To preserve the "unity" of Iraq Sadr called for an end to "all armed manifestations in Basra and in all provinces."
The Qom discussions may or may not bring an end to the fighting but they almost certainly have undermined Maliki - who made repeated declarations that there would be no negotiations and that he would treat as outlaws those who did not turn in their weapons for cash. The blow to his own credibility was worsened by the fact that members of his own party had helped organize the Iran initiative.
"The delegation was from the United Iraqi Alliance (dominated by the Dawa party and the Supreme Council of Iraq), and the Prime Minister was only informed. It was a political maneuver by us," said Haider al Abadi, a legislator from Maliki's Dawa party. "We had evidence (that Muqtada and Iranian-backed militants were fighting security forces) and we sent people urgently...If we had been waiting for one year in Baghdad we wouldn't have had this result." The delegation is expected to return to Iraq Monday.
Maliki welcomed Sadr's statement as a positive development, said his advisor Sadiq al Rikabi. Anyone who abandons weapons and goes home would not be pursued, he said, adding that the offensive would continue against a list specific targets, but he would not give details, Maliki -- who had said he would not leave Basra until the Shiite militias were defeated -- was expected to remain in Basra for a few more days, he said.
Following Sadr's announcement a curfew was lifted in most of the capital, while the Sadr controlled areas of Sadr City, New Baghdad and Kadhemiya remained under 24-hour lockdown. The U.S. military still surrounded the Shiite slum of Sadr City, named for Sadr's father and a stronghold of support for Sadr. It was still unclear what the effect the statement had Sunday night.
In another blow to Maliki, his security advisor, Saleem Qassim al Taee, known as Abu Laith Al-Kadhimi, was killed in the fighting in Basra. The Dawa party member had lived in exile under Saddam's regime for 20 years.
"With great sorrow the prime minister's office mourns one of its employees," it said in a statement. "(He) was killed by a treacherous shell during his national duty which was launched by criminal hands who are stained by crime and killing."
In Basra Mahdi Army militants fought to keep their strongholds but were overrun by Iraqi Security Force in the eastern neighborhood of Tanuma. U.S. and British aircraft conducted four air strikes in the city, the U.S. military said. In downtown Basra in the area of al Timimiyah Iraqi forces surrounded the neighborhood as coalition aircraft struck Sunday morning, residents said.
But the Iraqi security forces still couldn't penetrate the vast Shiite slum of Hayaniyah or al Qibla, two Mahdi Army stronghold of Basra.
Following Sadr's statement both the Sadr office in Basra and Sadr City said that their fighters would obey the orders and go home. But militants on the ground in Basra said they would continue to fight in self-defense.
"We will stay in our positions because the government didn't stop the raids and the attacks against the Mahdi Army and their areas," Abu Muamal said. "We are waiting for clear orders from our command and we will not withdraw until the situation is clarified."
McClatchy Special Correspondents Ali al Basri contributed from Basra, Qassim Zein from Najaf and Laith Hammoudi from Baghdad.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Saker interview with Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich
I have recently posted an interesting piece by Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich entitled "Iran Intelligence Report: Another Psychological Warfare?". This was not the first time I had read Soraya's very interesting and insightful articles about Iran and this latest piece prompted me to contact Soraya and ask her for an interview. Soraya kindly agreed to my request and it is my real pleasure today to resume my "Saker interviews" series with a (virtual) conversation with her.
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Q: First, could you please introduce yourself in a couple of words. I know that you have an interesting bio and that you lived in several countries, including Iran. Could you please give us some details about yourself?
A. I am an Iranian-American with a degree from International Relations from U.S. As an independent researcher, I have focused on U.S. foreign policy towards Iran and Iran’s nuclear program and the role of lobby groups in foreign policy decisions. I think of myself as a peace activist and have become a ‘political essayist’ because I think that building awareness is important and people can make a change. I am also a public speaker and radio commentator.
Q: Also, just to set the record straight, do you consider yourself a supporter or an opponent of the current government of the Islamic Republic of Iran?
A. I support a secular democracy. Having said that, I must emphasize that there is a clear distinction between Iran as a country, as a nation with over 10,000 years of history, and the current government policies. While I disagree with the internal policies of the Islamic Regime of Iran regarding human rights and democracy, I strongly support Iran's right for independence, national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Q: In your article you mention the Mojahedeen-e Khalgh (MEK) group. In the western corporate media it is very rarely mentioned. This group is listed on the State Department's list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations but a number of observers have also alleged that this group is supported by the USA and especially the CIA. What can you tell us about this group, its activities in Iran and its relationship with the USA?
A. Mojahedeen-e Khalgh/National Council of Resistance (also known by their acronyms MEK/MKO/NCRI) is a terrorist group in every sense. U.S. and EU also consider them as a terrorist group, and yet they are supported by the United States. In act, it is such an irony that Mr. Bush declares a war on terror, depletes our treasury, American soldiers die in order to keep us safe from ‘terrorists’, yet our tax dollars are being spent not on keeping terrorists in comfort. Upon invading Iraq, 3800 MEK terrorists were given ‘special persons status’ by the orders of this administration. When this order was issued, there was considerable surprise even at the State Department briefing (source: US State Department Daily Briefing).
The so-called political arms of the group solicits funds in Washington. They have major backers such as Daniel Pipes and Patrick Clawson who in May 2003, Daniel Pipes and Patrick Clawson recommended that “when the secretary of state next decides whether or not to re-certify the MEK as a terrorist organization,” that official “should come to the sensible conclusion that it poses no threat to the security of the United States or its citizens.” Pipes and Clawson went on to praise the MEK as a potential U.S. ally.
These sentiments are echoed in Europe where their leader roams around the European parliament. Hardly the treatment a terrorist should receive.
As for their relation with Iran - The MEK is deeply hated by the majority of Iranians because of their [alliance] with Saddam Hossein during the Iran-Iraq war. The MEK are responsible for killing Iranians and the American government now thinks they can install them as a substitute to the Iranian regime.
The MEK claims to have exposed Iran’s nuclear plant under construction – however, Sy Hersh exposed their Israeli connections. And the essay I wrote, further exposed the role the US/Israel has in mind for them.
Q: Even before the publication of the 2007 NIE it was quite obvious that all this nonsense about an alleged Iranian nuclear weapons program being developed right under the noses of the IAEA inspectors was just a pretext for "regime change" in Iran. But what about the accusation that Iran is training, funding, arming and even possibly directly supporting various Shia factions in Iraq, including the Badr Corps and the Mehdi Army? What do you make of the US accusation that the Pasdaran's Quds Force is operating in Iraq against US occupation forces?
A. I have not seen any credible evidence to support these accusations. But, the Iraqi government at the highest level such as Prime Minister Nouri Maleki, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hoshyar Zebari, all have repeatedly appreciated Iranian cooperation for Iraq's stability and security. However, I just find it odd that the U.S. is always losing military equipment. Not only was the war planning poor, but it seems that the arms are coming from the US, and not from Iran. In the latest scandal it has been discovered that $1 billion in military equipment is missing in Iraq.
Laura Strickler, CBS News, said, "Tractor trailers, tank recovery vehicles, crates of machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades are just a sampling of more than $1 billion in unaccounted-for military equipment and services provided to the Iraqi security forces, according to a new report issued today by the Pentagon Inspector General and obtained exclusively by the CBS News investigative unit."
Q: In his testimony to Congress General Petraeus said: In the past six months we have also targeted Shia militia extremists, capturing a number of senior leaders and fighters, as well as the deputy commander of Lebanese Hezbollah Department 2800, the organization created to support the training, arming, funding, and, in some cases, direction of the militia extremists by the Iranian Republican Guard Corps' Qods Force. A Hezbollah "department 2800" directed by the Quds Force, that sounds very specific. What do you make of that accusation?
A. This is curious indeed. World Public Opinion came out with a poll taken in 4 Moslem countries, Egypt, Morocco, Indonesia, and Pakistan. With a vast margin, they all thought that the US is seeking to undermine Islam. Every time there is news of an incident, it is reported as ‘Islamist radicals, Islamist terrorist, racial Islam’ and so forth. Not a single terrorist is identified by his or her nationality, they are always identified by their religion, I presume because we lack the intelligence to identify the perpetrator’s nationality – unless we want to make a point about Islam being a terrorist religion. – which could explain why the Moslem world is so apprehensive about America. So I am dumbfounded how in Iraq, General Petraeus who I dare say is the Green Zone, managed to know exactly who is training a specific group in such minute detail. One must also understand that Hezbollah has fought hard to become a legitimate group in Lebanon – it is one thing to fight against Israel as a force, another to be ‘terrorists’ in Iraq. Moreover, if Iran wants to do something in Iraq, regretfully, it has its own people.
Q: The Neocons have succeeded in getting Congress to pass a resolution declaring that the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (Pasdaran) is a 'terrorist' organization. Since the latter are under the direct command of Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, does that not amount to declaring him and the entire Iranian government as 'terrorist'?
A. Since Ayatollah Khamenei is the chief commander of Iranian Army and Revolutionary Guards as well, then one might assume that Ayatollah himself is accused indirectly. I forget how many years it has been since they have said Iran is a state sponsor of terrorists. But, I don't think those who passed this resolution, really meant the Ayatollah. I think the main purpose of this resolution is to create a dispute between the two main branches of Iranian military organization--the regular Army and the Revolutionary Guards on one hand and also to justify economic pressure on the Revolutionary Guards, such as blocking its assets outside Iran.
However, Mr. Rafsanjani (the former president and the current Chairman of the Assembly of Experts) responded to this law that it is against the entire Iranian nation. And even the moderates such a former president Khatami expressed almost the same opinion, but in a different way. Moreover, it seems that there is not much enthusiasm to enforce this resolution.
Q: Speaking of Ali Khamenei, he is a very interesting figure. According to Wikipedia, he is not Persian but Azeri and even though he is at the helm of a majority Persian country he is also the spiritual leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah and its leader Hassan Nasrallah (even though most Lebanese Shia are followers of Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah, a Lebanese Arab). What is your take on this little know personality (at least in the West), on his role in today's Iran, and on his relationship with President Ahmadinejad?
A. Yes, that's true Ali Khamenei as a religious leader and as an Ayatollah has many followers and not just in Lebanon. In Shia, there is no Pope-like figure that everyone follows. All Shia Grand Ayatollahs, whether Arab or Iranian, while they have common and extremely close perception of Shiism even as they hold different view in many details. For example, the Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani in Najaf, who was born in the Iranian city of Mashhad is the most influential man in Iraq, who can send shockwaves through Iraq with a Fatwa. All Iraqi Shias listen to him and follow his command in despite of Iraqis being Arabs.
So, the same holds for Lebanon; many Shias despite being Arabs follow Ayatollah Khamenei as their spiritual leader while others follow Grand Ayatollah Fadl-Allah - These two are close friends. Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah is a political leader and not a spiritual leader, though he is a medium rank Shia cleric. Nasrallah came out as a hero for defending Lebanon against Israel during the 33-day war – Ahamadinejad is a hero to many for resisting the U.S. intimidation and defending Iran’s sovereign right.
Q: There have been a number of changes at the head of the Pasdaran recently with Brigadier General Mohammad Ali Jaafari replacing Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi who was appointed to the position of Senior Advisor to the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei for Military Affairs. Similarly, Saeed Jalili has replaced Ali Larijani as Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and chief nuclear negotiator. What do you make of these changes? Are they are reflection of infighting among various groups inside the Iranian government?
A. It is hard to say, it could be because of many reasons. As you may know, it is a policy in any country that no one should occupy a key position, specially in the military and security for a long period. That is what happens and even in the U.S. high-ranking generals, in spite of their loyalty and service are replaced all the time. I think, this could be the main reason for the recent changes in Sepah (the IRGC or Pasdaran. VS), though, I do not exclude other possibilities.
Q: What kind of political opposition is there in Iran today? What has been going on between the 'Conservative' and 'Reformist' parties in Iran? What about the so-called 'ultra-conservatives' lead by Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi? It is often said that President Ahmadinejad has disappointed his supporters? Is that true and, if yes, who do you believe might succeed him?
A. "Ahmadinejad: rock star in rural Iran" (see CS monitor article)
Q: According to Wikipedia, Iran is only 51% Persian. The US has often used the ethnic diversity of the countries who dared to refuse its supremacy to break them apart into smaller, subservient, parts fully dependent on Washington's goodwill. One only needs to see how the US financed and supported the various nationalist movements in the former Soviet Union or former Yugoslavia to impose its rule by the old 'divide and conquer' tactic. Is there are risk that the USA might repeat this with Iran?
A. Wikipedia is not a very reliable source. As you know, very often some people might change and edit the posted material. Furthermore, nobody knows exactly the precise percentage of ethnic diversity of Iran. Even the Iranian government can’t give the exact figure, what is at hand is based on guestimations. For centuries, Iranians have intermingled from different parts of Iran, greater Persian Empire and even different parts of the Middle East. So, it is really foolish to map out Iran based on ethnicity.
But, the second part of your question about the possibility of creating ethnic problem for Iran, I say yes, there might be small groups of western-supported separatists, like PJAK [Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan] who commit terrorism. Please see the article Movers and Shakers of U.S. foreign Policy
But the analogy of the former Soviet Union or even former Yugoslavia is not appropriate here. The former Soviet Union was made of different Nations occupied by Russia. The former Yugoslavia came to existence only after World War I. On the other hand, Iran has been a nation for more than 2500 years. The sense of national pride and long history is very strong amongst the vast majority of Iranians.
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Q: First, could you please introduce yourself in a couple of words. I know that you have an interesting bio and that you lived in several countries, including Iran. Could you please give us some details about yourself?
A. I am an Iranian-American with a degree from International Relations from U.S. As an independent researcher, I have focused on U.S. foreign policy towards Iran and Iran’s nuclear program and the role of lobby groups in foreign policy decisions. I think of myself as a peace activist and have become a ‘political essayist’ because I think that building awareness is important and people can make a change. I am also a public speaker and radio commentator.
Q: Also, just to set the record straight, do you consider yourself a supporter or an opponent of the current government of the Islamic Republic of Iran?
A. I support a secular democracy. Having said that, I must emphasize that there is a clear distinction between Iran as a country, as a nation with over 10,000 years of history, and the current government policies. While I disagree with the internal policies of the Islamic Regime of Iran regarding human rights and democracy, I strongly support Iran's right for independence, national sovereignty and territorial integrity.Q: In your article you mention the Mojahedeen-e Khalgh (MEK) group. In the western corporate media it is very rarely mentioned. This group is listed on the State Department's list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations but a number of observers have also alleged that this group is supported by the USA and especially the CIA. What can you tell us about this group, its activities in Iran and its relationship with the USA?
A. Mojahedeen-e Khalgh/National Council of Resistance (also known by their acronyms MEK/MKO/NCRI) is a terrorist group in every sense. U.S. and EU also consider them as a terrorist group, and yet they are supported by the United States. In act, it is such an irony that Mr. Bush declares a war on terror, depletes our treasury, American soldiers die in order to keep us safe from ‘terrorists’, yet our tax dollars are being spent not on keeping terrorists in comfort. Upon invading Iraq, 3800 MEK terrorists were given ‘special persons status’ by the orders of this administration. When this order was issued, there was considerable surprise even at the State Department briefing (source: US State Department Daily Briefing).
The so-called political arms of the group solicits funds in Washington. They have major backers such as Daniel Pipes and Patrick Clawson who in May 2003, Daniel Pipes and Patrick Clawson recommended that “when the secretary of state next decides whether or not to re-certify the MEK as a terrorist organization,” that official “should come to the sensible conclusion that it poses no threat to the security of the United States or its citizens.” Pipes and Clawson went on to praise the MEK as a potential U.S. ally.
These sentiments are echoed in Europe where their leader roams around the European parliament. Hardly the treatment a terrorist should receive.
As for their relation with Iran - The MEK is deeply hated by the majority of Iranians because of their [alliance] with Saddam Hossein during the Iran-Iraq war. The MEK are responsible for killing Iranians and the American government now thinks they can install them as a substitute to the Iranian regime.
The MEK claims to have exposed Iran’s nuclear plant under construction – however, Sy Hersh exposed their Israeli connections. And the essay I wrote, further exposed the role the US/Israel has in mind for them.
Q: Even before the publication of the 2007 NIE it was quite obvious that all this nonsense about an alleged Iranian nuclear weapons program being developed right under the noses of the IAEA inspectors was just a pretext for "regime change" in Iran. But what about the accusation that Iran is training, funding, arming and even possibly directly supporting various Shia factions in Iraq, including the Badr Corps and the Mehdi Army? What do you make of the US accusation that the Pasdaran's Quds Force is operating in Iraq against US occupation forces?
A. I have not seen any credible evidence to support these accusations. But, the Iraqi government at the highest level such as Prime Minister Nouri Maleki, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hoshyar Zebari, all have repeatedly appreciated Iranian cooperation for Iraq's stability and security. However, I just find it odd that the U.S. is always losing military equipment. Not only was the war planning poor, but it seems that the arms are coming from the US, and not from Iran. In the latest scandal it has been discovered that $1 billion in military equipment is missing in Iraq.
Laura Strickler, CBS News, said, "Tractor trailers, tank recovery vehicles, crates of machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades are just a sampling of more than $1 billion in unaccounted-for military equipment and services provided to the Iraqi security forces, according to a new report issued today by the Pentagon Inspector General and obtained exclusively by the CBS News investigative unit."
Q: In his testimony to Congress General Petraeus said: In the past six months we have also targeted Shia militia extremists, capturing a number of senior leaders and fighters, as well as the deputy commander of Lebanese Hezbollah Department 2800, the organization created to support the training, arming, funding, and, in some cases, direction of the militia extremists by the Iranian Republican Guard Corps' Qods Force. A Hezbollah "department 2800" directed by the Quds Force, that sounds very specific. What do you make of that accusation?
A. This is curious indeed. World Public Opinion came out with a poll taken in 4 Moslem countries, Egypt, Morocco, Indonesia, and Pakistan. With a vast margin, they all thought that the US is seeking to undermine Islam. Every time there is news of an incident, it is reported as ‘Islamist radicals, Islamist terrorist, racial Islam’ and so forth. Not a single terrorist is identified by his or her nationality, they are always identified by their religion, I presume because we lack the intelligence to identify the perpetrator’s nationality – unless we want to make a point about Islam being a terrorist religion. – which could explain why the Moslem world is so apprehensive about America. So I am dumbfounded how in Iraq, General Petraeus who I dare say is the Green Zone, managed to know exactly who is training a specific group in such minute detail. One must also understand that Hezbollah has fought hard to become a legitimate group in Lebanon – it is one thing to fight against Israel as a force, another to be ‘terrorists’ in Iraq. Moreover, if Iran wants to do something in Iraq, regretfully, it has its own people.
Q: The Neocons have succeeded in getting Congress to pass a resolution declaring that the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (Pasdaran) is a 'terrorist' organization. Since the latter are under the direct command of Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, does that not amount to declaring him and the entire Iranian government as 'terrorist'?
A. Since Ayatollah Khamenei is the chief commander of Iranian Army and Revolutionary Guards as well, then one might assume that Ayatollah himself is accused indirectly. I forget how many years it has been since they have said Iran is a state sponsor of terrorists. But, I don't think those who passed this resolution, really meant the Ayatollah. I think the main purpose of this resolution is to create a dispute between the two main branches of Iranian military organization--the regular Army and the Revolutionary Guards on one hand and also to justify economic pressure on the Revolutionary Guards, such as blocking its assets outside Iran.
However, Mr. Rafsanjani (the former president and the current Chairman of the Assembly of Experts) responded to this law that it is against the entire Iranian nation. And even the moderates such a former president Khatami expressed almost the same opinion, but in a different way. Moreover, it seems that there is not much enthusiasm to enforce this resolution.
Q: Speaking of Ali Khamenei, he is a very interesting figure. According to Wikipedia, he is not Persian but Azeri and even though he is at the helm of a majority Persian country he is also the spiritual leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah and its leader Hassan Nasrallah (even though most Lebanese Shia are followers of Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah, a Lebanese Arab). What is your take on this little know personality (at least in the West), on his role in today's Iran, and on his relationship with President Ahmadinejad?
A. Yes, that's true Ali Khamenei as a religious leader and as an Ayatollah has many followers and not just in Lebanon. In Shia, there is no Pope-like figure that everyone follows. All Shia Grand Ayatollahs, whether Arab or Iranian, while they have common and extremely close perception of Shiism even as they hold different view in many details. For example, the Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani in Najaf, who was born in the Iranian city of Mashhad is the most influential man in Iraq, who can send shockwaves through Iraq with a Fatwa. All Iraqi Shias listen to him and follow his command in despite of Iraqis being Arabs.
So, the same holds for Lebanon; many Shias despite being Arabs follow Ayatollah Khamenei as their spiritual leader while others follow Grand Ayatollah Fadl-Allah - These two are close friends. Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah is a political leader and not a spiritual leader, though he is a medium rank Shia cleric. Nasrallah came out as a hero for defending Lebanon against Israel during the 33-day war – Ahamadinejad is a hero to many for resisting the U.S. intimidation and defending Iran’s sovereign right.
Q: There have been a number of changes at the head of the Pasdaran recently with Brigadier General Mohammad Ali Jaafari replacing Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi who was appointed to the position of Senior Advisor to the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei for Military Affairs. Similarly, Saeed Jalili has replaced Ali Larijani as Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and chief nuclear negotiator. What do you make of these changes? Are they are reflection of infighting among various groups inside the Iranian government?
A. It is hard to say, it could be because of many reasons. As you may know, it is a policy in any country that no one should occupy a key position, specially in the military and security for a long period. That is what happens and even in the U.S. high-ranking generals, in spite of their loyalty and service are replaced all the time. I think, this could be the main reason for the recent changes in Sepah (the IRGC or Pasdaran. VS), though, I do not exclude other possibilities.
Q: What kind of political opposition is there in Iran today? What has been going on between the 'Conservative' and 'Reformist' parties in Iran? What about the so-called 'ultra-conservatives' lead by Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi? It is often said that President Ahmadinejad has disappointed his supporters? Is that true and, if yes, who do you believe might succeed him?
A. "Ahmadinejad: rock star in rural Iran" (see CS monitor article)
Q: According to Wikipedia, Iran is only 51% Persian. The US has often used the ethnic diversity of the countries who dared to refuse its supremacy to break them apart into smaller, subservient, parts fully dependent on Washington's goodwill. One only needs to see how the US financed and supported the various nationalist movements in the former Soviet Union or former Yugoslavia to impose its rule by the old 'divide and conquer' tactic. Is there are risk that the USA might repeat this with Iran?
A. Wikipedia is not a very reliable source. As you know, very often some people might change and edit the posted material. Furthermore, nobody knows exactly the precise percentage of ethnic diversity of Iran. Even the Iranian government can’t give the exact figure, what is at hand is based on guestimations. For centuries, Iranians have intermingled from different parts of Iran, greater Persian Empire and even different parts of the Middle East. So, it is really foolish to map out Iran based on ethnicity.
But, the second part of your question about the possibility of creating ethnic problem for Iran, I say yes, there might be small groups of western-supported separatists, like PJAK [Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan] who commit terrorism. Please see the article Movers and Shakers of U.S. foreign Policy
But the analogy of the former Soviet Union or even former Yugoslavia is not appropriate here. The former Soviet Union was made of different Nations occupied by Russia. The former Yugoslavia came to existence only after World War I. On the other hand, Iran has been a nation for more than 2500 years. The sense of national pride and long history is very strong amongst the vast majority of Iranians.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Iran's Left Camp Voices Strong Support for IRGC
TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- We all support the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), former Iranian Parliament Speaker Mehdi Karroubi said, underlining solidarity of Iran's left and right camps against the US efforts to label the IRGC as a terrorist group.
Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, the secretary general of the leftist E'temad Melli (National Trust) Party underlined Iranians' national solidarity in the face of enemy threats despite the existing differences in tastes.
"When it comes to the campaign against the world arrogance, for instance, we should all be with each other because they hatch plots against all of us. Americans have a single look at us and believe that we are all bad and harmful. Thus, we should stand united against foreign enemies and support our ruling system," Karroubi said.
Asked to comment on the United States' military threats to Iran, he dismissed any military invasion of Iran as "rather unlikely", saying that he views such statements "more as bluffing".
"As senior American officials say, any military invasion of Iran will result in deep regret for the US," he added.
Also in response to questions about the recent approval of the US Senate for labeling Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist group, Karroubi said, "This is hatred and animosity. IRGC is a sacred institution which has risen from the revolution, that is to say, IRGC is formed of those who were in the prisons of Shah and those who safeguarded our revolution. According to our Constitutional law, IRGC is among our armed forces."
"We are all supporters of the IRGC and this measure (of the US Senate) is merely aimed at undermining the IRGC," Karroubi continued.
Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, the secretary general of the leftist E'temad Melli (National Trust) Party underlined Iranians' national solidarity in the face of enemy threats despite the existing differences in tastes."When it comes to the campaign against the world arrogance, for instance, we should all be with each other because they hatch plots against all of us. Americans have a single look at us and believe that we are all bad and harmful. Thus, we should stand united against foreign enemies and support our ruling system," Karroubi said.
Asked to comment on the United States' military threats to Iran, he dismissed any military invasion of Iran as "rather unlikely", saying that he views such statements "more as bluffing".
"As senior American officials say, any military invasion of Iran will result in deep regret for the US," he added.
Also in response to questions about the recent approval of the US Senate for labeling Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist group, Karroubi said, "This is hatred and animosity. IRGC is a sacred institution which has risen from the revolution, that is to say, IRGC is formed of those who were in the prisons of Shah and those who safeguarded our revolution. According to our Constitutional law, IRGC is among our armed forces."
"We are all supporters of the IRGC and this measure (of the US Senate) is merely aimed at undermining the IRGC," Karroubi continued.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Iran threatens to attack 170 US targets
The Jerusalem Post reports that Iran threatened Monday to attack some 170 American targets in the Middle East and around the world if it is attacked by Israel or the US, Israel Radio reported.
A high-ranking officer from the country's Revolutionary Guards told the force's official journal, The Guards, that Teheran succeeded, after extended and comprehensive work, to identify hundreds of strategic American targets in the Middle East and around the world.
The Revolutionary Guards' Ground Forces Command is able to easily kill American nationals staying in the Middle East. "Several years ago they [Americans] were far away from us by thousands of kilometers. Now they are so close we can touch them," the Iranian general said.
On Sunday former US ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton told Tory delegates in Britain that efforts by the UK and the EU to negotiate with Iran had failed and that he saw no alternative to a pre-emptive strike on suspected nuclear facilities in the country.
A high-ranking officer from the country's Revolutionary Guards told the force's official journal, The Guards, that Teheran succeeded, after extended and comprehensive work, to identify hundreds of strategic American targets in the Middle East and around the world.
The Revolutionary Guards' Ground Forces Command is able to easily kill American nationals staying in the Middle East. "Several years ago they [Americans] were far away from us by thousands of kilometers. Now they are so close we can touch them," the Iranian general said.
On Sunday former US ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton told Tory delegates in Britain that efforts by the UK and the EU to negotiate with Iran had failed and that he saw no alternative to a pre-emptive strike on suspected nuclear facilities in the country.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Hizbullah spiritual leader: Senate declared war on Iran
Sheik Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah slams vote to label Revolutionary Guard a terror organization
by Roee Nahmias and Dudi Cohen
"The declaration of the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group is a declaration of war," Sheik Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah, Hizbullah's spiritual leader, said Sunday in response to a Senate resolution on Wednesday calling on the State Department to include the dominant branch in Iran's army on its list of terrorist organization.
"The American Senate's decision to include the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which are an integral part of the Iranian army, as a terrorist organization, amounts to a declaration of war and so does the Senate's daring decision to vote in favor of a resolution to divide Iraq," Fadlallah said.
"This reflects the dangerous intentions for the region and we can see it as an American move ahead of more wars in countries in the region in order to destabilize them and shake their security and politics," he added.
"He who follows America's political moves understands clearly that the Bush administration has not given up its ambition to plunge the region into war and chaos," he said. "The American Congress is pretending to be trying to change the attitude of this administration but in fact they are working together and are towing the line of the Zionist lobby to widen the scope of American aggression in the region."
"The escalation caused by the Bush administration under the banner of 'a conflict against Iran's regional hegemony,' despite the calming role played by the Iranian government in the political and religious fields and despite its willingness to sacrifice its scientific knowledge in the nuclear field to peaceful purposes, proves that the American administration wants the Arabs to enter a new arms race that serves American coffers and turns them into a tool for the American Army when Bush decides to make another stupid move in the region," Fadlallah said.
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Note: the article incorrectly identifies Sheik Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah as the "spiritual leader of Hezbollah". In reality, while Fadlallah is the senior spiritual leader for many of the Shia Muslim in Lebanon, the spiritual leader of Hezbollah is Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, the current Supreme Leader of Iran.
by Roee Nahmias and Dudi Cohen
"The declaration of the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group is a declaration of war," Sheik Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah, Hizbullah's spiritual leader, said Sunday in response to a Senate resolution on Wednesday calling on the State Department to include the dominant branch in Iran's army on its list of terrorist organization.
"The American Senate's decision to include the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which are an integral part of the Iranian army, as a terrorist organization, amounts to a declaration of war and so does the Senate's daring decision to vote in favor of a resolution to divide Iraq," Fadlallah said.
"This reflects the dangerous intentions for the region and we can see it as an American move ahead of more wars in countries in the region in order to destabilize them and shake their security and politics," he added."He who follows America's political moves understands clearly that the Bush administration has not given up its ambition to plunge the region into war and chaos," he said. "The American Congress is pretending to be trying to change the attitude of this administration but in fact they are working together and are towing the line of the Zionist lobby to widen the scope of American aggression in the region."
"The escalation caused by the Bush administration under the banner of 'a conflict against Iran's regional hegemony,' despite the calming role played by the Iranian government in the political and religious fields and despite its willingness to sacrifice its scientific knowledge in the nuclear field to peaceful purposes, proves that the American administration wants the Arabs to enter a new arms race that serves American coffers and turns them into a tool for the American Army when Bush decides to make another stupid move in the region," Fadlallah said.
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Note: the article incorrectly identifies Sheik Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah as the "spiritual leader of Hezbollah". In reality, while Fadlallah is the senior spiritual leader for many of the Shia Muslim in Lebanon, the spiritual leader of Hezbollah is Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, the current Supreme Leader of Iran.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Iran Monitors Movements in Persian Gulf
TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said its defense troops have launched a new system which brings all movements in the Persian Gulf and the Straight of Hormoz under Iran's online control.
The system called 'Hod Hod' (Hoopoe) has been designed by IRGC experts and provides the Iranian troops with the possibility to monitor even the subtlest moves on the surface or in the air.
According to IRGC, Hod Hod which is equipped with the most advanced cameras and electronic boxes dispatches the recorded footages and photographs to different military centers round the clock 24 hours a day.
Hod Hod which is capable of taking high resolution and high quality pictures and images even at nights, will provide the opportunity to the IRGC troops - who are currently using different radar and electronic systems - to gain a better online control over the entire region.
The system called 'Hod Hod' (Hoopoe) has been designed by IRGC experts and provides the Iranian troops with the possibility to monitor even the subtlest moves on the surface or in the air.
According to IRGC, Hod Hod which is equipped with the most advanced cameras and electronic boxes dispatches the recorded footages and photographs to different military centers round the clock 24 hours a day.
Hod Hod which is capable of taking high resolution and high quality pictures and images even at nights, will provide the opportunity to the IRGC troops - who are currently using different radar and electronic systems - to gain a better online control over the entire region.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
US Senate brands Iran Guard 'terrorist organization'
AFP - The US Senate has called for Iran's Revolutionary Guards to be officially designated a "foreign terrorist organization," a day after the House of Representatives passed a similar measure.
The Senate on Wednesday voted 76-22 for the non-binding amendment sponsored by Republican Jon Kyl and independent Joseph Lieberman to place the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, or Pasdaran, on the US terrorist blacklist.
Such a designation if adopted by the US government would open the corps and affiliated companies to economic sanctions.
The measure is a "sense of the Senate" amendment, which means it cannot impact the president's foreign policy, but is an important symbolic measure expressing will of lawmakers.
It says that senators agree it is in the critical national interest of the United States to prevent Iran turning Shia extremists in Iraq into a "Hezbollah type force."
The amendment says that senators believe that "inside Iraq" US economic, military, diplomatic economic and intelligence "instruments" should be used to back US policy against the government of Iran and "its proxies."
US military officials and lawmakers have accused the Revolutionary Guard of arming Shiite militias in Iraq, and supplying sophisticated roadside bombs used to kill US soldiers in the war-torn nation.
The US administration also accuses Iran of seeking to build an atomic bomb under the cover of a civilian nuclear program, a charge Tehran denies.
During a debate among Democratic presidential hopefuls on Wednesday night, the amendment was criticized as helping lay the foundation for President George W. Bush to take possible military action against Tehran.
"I have no intention of giving George Bush the authority to take the first step on a road to war with Iran," said former senator and presidential hopeful John Edwards at the debate at Dartmouth College.
Long-shot candidate Mike Gravel blasted front-runner Senator Hillary Clinton for supporting the amendment. "And I am ashamed of you, Hillary, for voting for it."
Clinton defended her vote, saying by designating the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization "gives us the options to be able to impose sanctions on the primary leaders to try to begin to put some teeth into all this talk about dealing with Iran."
The Bush administration said in August it would designate all or part of the Guard as a terrorist organization.
The US blacklist, which already includes Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah, bars named groups from gaining access to the US financial system.
The House of Representatives adopted a similar text on Tuesday against the backdrop of rising tensions between Iran and the United States and a scathing attack on the United States by Iran's hardline president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, before the UN General Assembly.
The House bill also calls for penalizing foreign companies with US subsidiaries which invest in Iran, particularly in the oil and gas sector.
Iran has been on the US government state sponsors of terrorism blacklist for more than two decades.
Already this year, the US government escalated financial sanctions against Tehran.
The US Treasury and other government agencies have blacklisted and applied asset freezes against at least 15 Iranian entities.
Most, including the Atomic Energy Organization and the Mesbah Energy Company, operate in the nuclear, energy and industrial industries.
The Senate on Wednesday voted 76-22 for the non-binding amendment sponsored by Republican Jon Kyl and independent Joseph Lieberman to place the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, or Pasdaran, on the US terrorist blacklist.
Such a designation if adopted by the US government would open the corps and affiliated companies to economic sanctions.
The measure is a "sense of the Senate" amendment, which means it cannot impact the president's foreign policy, but is an important symbolic measure expressing will of lawmakers.
It says that senators agree it is in the critical national interest of the United States to prevent Iran turning Shia extremists in Iraq into a "Hezbollah type force."
The amendment says that senators believe that "inside Iraq" US economic, military, diplomatic economic and intelligence "instruments" should be used to back US policy against the government of Iran and "its proxies."
US military officials and lawmakers have accused the Revolutionary Guard of arming Shiite militias in Iraq, and supplying sophisticated roadside bombs used to kill US soldiers in the war-torn nation.
The US administration also accuses Iran of seeking to build an atomic bomb under the cover of a civilian nuclear program, a charge Tehran denies.
During a debate among Democratic presidential hopefuls on Wednesday night, the amendment was criticized as helping lay the foundation for President George W. Bush to take possible military action against Tehran.
"I have no intention of giving George Bush the authority to take the first step on a road to war with Iran," said former senator and presidential hopeful John Edwards at the debate at Dartmouth College.
Long-shot candidate Mike Gravel blasted front-runner Senator Hillary Clinton for supporting the amendment. "And I am ashamed of you, Hillary, for voting for it."
Clinton defended her vote, saying by designating the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization "gives us the options to be able to impose sanctions on the primary leaders to try to begin to put some teeth into all this talk about dealing with Iran."
The Bush administration said in August it would designate all or part of the Guard as a terrorist organization.
The US blacklist, which already includes Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah, bars named groups from gaining access to the US financial system.
The House of Representatives adopted a similar text on Tuesday against the backdrop of rising tensions between Iran and the United States and a scathing attack on the United States by Iran's hardline president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, before the UN General Assembly.
The House bill also calls for penalizing foreign companies with US subsidiaries which invest in Iran, particularly in the oil and gas sector.
Iran has been on the US government state sponsors of terrorism blacklist for more than two decades.
Already this year, the US government escalated financial sanctions against Tehran.
The US Treasury and other government agencies have blacklisted and applied asset freezes against at least 15 Iranian entities.
Most, including the Atomic Energy Organization and the Mesbah Energy Company, operate in the nuclear, energy and industrial industries.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Two interviews with Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi
Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, former C-in-C of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Corps and current advisor for military affairs to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has recently given two interviews:
West Has Launched a “Media War“
TEHRAN, Sept. 23--Iran is working only for the peace, security and the welfare of the Iranian nation as well as the nations of the region, said a senior military advisor to Iran’s leader, Yahya Rahim Safavi.
Speaking in an exclusive interview in Press TV’s “4Corners“, Major General Safavi added that the West will not succeed in its propaganda war against Iran.
“We are in the headlines of the western media. They have started a media war against Iran in the last few years but they already realized that it is doomed,“ he said.
Safavi, the former head of Islamic Revolution’s Guards Corps (IRGC), was speaking on the occasion of the 27th anniversary of the onset of the Iraq-imposed war in which Iranians courageously defended their country against the brutal onslaught of Saddam Hussein’s Army, which was supported by the West and most Arab regimes.
He noted that the Revolutionary Guards have made tremendous progress in the field of defense.
“Right now, the IRGC has turned into a regular revolutionary army with an Islamic ideology while at the beginning of the war it was only a force to defend the country,“ he said.
The military advisor, who prefers to be called a professor due to his years of teaching in a university, said the IRGC shares the role of defending the country with the Iranian Army, since the two are arms of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Referring to foreign threats, he said, “It seems very unlikely that the foreign troops in the region could start another attack because they have been busy with the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and they should focus on that.
Wise and rational people, who are taking care of the war in Iraq, will not risk another attack.“
Safavi stressed that Iran is ready to foil the enemies’ attacks.
Commenting on Iraqi insecurity, he said, “The CIA has armed some 10,000 forces of former Baathist members to fight Al-Qaeda. So, the main problem is the US policies and their improper understanding of cultural and tribal complexities of Iraq.“
He reiterated that Iran has had no military role in Iraq, pointing out that the US has not been able to come up with any evidence to prove Iran’s military involvement in Iraq.
“However, we have enough evidence to show that the US has been arming the counter-Iranian military forces in Iraq,“ he said.
Safavi noted that the security of Iraq is important for Iran for the simplest reason that there are millions of Iranian pilgrims going to Iraq’s holy sites annually and Iraq’s security is to the benefit of the two countries.
“Iran has now a strong intelligence system and missiles. We are closely watching the foreigners’ moves in the neighboring countries by highly advanced satellite technology and advanced radars. If they enter our airspace or our territorial waters, they will get a fair response,“ he said.
Safavi said the equipment shown in the Saturday’s military parade only offer a glimpse of the Iranian arsenal and Iran will not reveal its true defense capabilities unless it’s necessary.
“Our military capabilities are beyond the imagination of our enemies,“ he said.
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Iran has become an extra-regional power
The United States must acknowledge that Iran is a powerful state, Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi said here on Sunday.
On the 27th anniversary of the Iraqi invasion of Iran, the Mehr News Agency conducted an interview with Safavi, who is currently the Supreme Leader’s senior advisor on military affairs, in which he elaborated on the roots of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, the threats that Iran is currently facing, the missile capabilities of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and the recent restructuring of the country’s defense system.
Following are excerpts of the interview:
“White House officials should know that the Islamic Republic of Iran will not yield to political and economic pressure.
“If they think wisely and think about their interests, and if they want energy, political, and economic cooperation with Iran, they must recognize Iran as a power.”
Roots of the Iran-Iraq war
The victory of the Islamic Revolution created a new situation for the U.S., and it soon cut ties with the Islamic Republic, said Safavi, who was the commander of the IRGC for ten years.
With the Islamic Revolution, Iran’s geopolitical situation changed since the U.S. lost its main ally in the region, which caused a change in the bipolar world system in favor of the Soviet Union.
He cited former Iranian prime minister Mehdi Bazargan’s efforts in the provisional government to reestablish ties with the U.S. and the problems created by former president Abolhassan Banisadr and his connection with the terrorist Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) as some of the reasons which prepared the ground for the invasion of Iran by Saddam Hussein’s Baath regime.
The Western powers, which were worried about the influence of the Islamic Revolution on regional Arab countries, encouraged Saddam to attack Iran, he added.
Saddam, who wanted to replace the shah as the regional power after the Islamic Revolution, attacked Iran under the pretext that the 1975 Algiers Agreement was imposed on Iraq.
The former IRGC commander said the Baathists began to modernize the Iraqi army in 1975, five years before Iraq attacked Iran.
Between 1975 and 1980, they spent billions of dollars buying arms so that Iraq eventually had the most powerful army in the region, he added.
He described the current regional situation as very critical.
“This does not mean that the United States wants to begin a new war. They already have over 200,000 troops in the region, but despite this, they face three challenging problems,” he noted.
“First, they do not exactly know how Iran will deal with them. I mean they are incapable of calculating the depth and extent of Iran’s (potential) response to their threatening actions… Their second concern is about the security of Israel, and thirdly, they are extremely worried about the oil and energy problems ahead, both in Iraq and the region. One reason for this could be the dramatic increase in the oil price, which recently hit about 81 U.S. dollars per barrel, and even the price of a barrel of oil for OPEC countries, including Iran, has risen to more than 71 U.S. dollars.
“If there is a little spark in the Persian Gulf area, which contains 65 percent of all the world’s oil reserves, the oil price could easily rise to 100 dollars per barrel.
“I think that the rational people in the U.S. Congress and the Democratic Party will not allow the current U.S. administration to declare a new war.”
In Iraq, the United States’ political and military situation has greatly diminished, he stated.
“Despite all this, the Iranian armed forces will carefully monitor the upgrading of the U.S. military and the enemy’s provocative moves in the entire region.”
Iran’s role in regional peace and security
The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that the Persian Gulf and the Middle East region should enjoy lasting peace and security, but unfortunately, U.S. forces came from the other side of the globe and disrupted the region’s security through military occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, he noted.
Iran desires peace in the region and this can be realized by signing defense treaties with the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, he added.
The United States destroyed two major enemies of Iran, namely the Taleban in the east and Saddam Hussein in the west, and this benefited Iran, he said, adding that recent developments have increased Iran’s political influence in the region.
Pointing out that U.S. officials once thought that they could surround Iran by occupying Afghanistan and Iraq, he said, “Now, the Americans should realize that the 200,000 troops they have deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan are in Iran’s firing range.”
The future of Iraq and Afghanistan
The future of Iraq and Afghanistan is unpredictable, he stated, adding that as a public relations move, the U.S. might reduce troop levels in Iraq, although it actually intends to maintain its military bases in Iraq and the Persian Gulf for years.
Although the U.S. has received millions of dollars from the Iraqi government to equip the Iraqi police and armed forces, the objective has still not been realized, he observed.
The weapons Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups are currently using are far more advanced than the weapons the Iraqi armed forces possess, and U.S. troops will slowly leave Iraq, so Iraqis, and not U.S. forces, will suffer casualties in terrorist attacks, he added.
IRGC ballistic missiles
“Today, one of our means to confront an invasion is the deterrent power of the ballistic missiles of the IRGC Air Force. They are domestically designed and are being mass-produced by the Defense Ministry,” he stated.
“Currently, we enjoy a good situation in the missile industry. Our missile capabilities are not what the U.S. thinks,” he said, adding that Iran has made the necessary preparations to protect its missile sites from the enemy.
Iran has such great missile capabilities that even if a certain percentage of its arsenal were to be destroyed, the remaining missiles would be devastating for the enemy, he observed.
IRGC’s asymmetrical warfare strategy
“Currently, at a time when we feel the threats of extra-regional powers such as the U.S. against the Islamic Republic of Iran, we have revised the structure of Iran’s armed forces. The training methods, war strategy, and military doctrine of the armed forces, and especially of the three branches of the IRGC, have been revised. We have designed arms and equipment suitable for extra-regional warfare. We have named this strategy comprehensive defense, Alavi battle, and asymmetrical warfare,” Safavi explained.
This strategy means that we identify the enemy’s weak and strong points so that we can confront the enemy with the utmost efficiency, he said.
“It is true that the enemy has superior weaponry, but we have never put our trust in weapons. Rather, we have adopted a human-centered approach and have courageous, faithful, and wise human forces as well as self-contained, dynamic, fast, and effective units,” he added.
West Has Launched a “Media War“
TEHRAN, Sept. 23--Iran is working only for the peace, security and the welfare of the Iranian nation as well as the nations of the region, said a senior military advisor to Iran’s leader, Yahya Rahim Safavi.
Speaking in an exclusive interview in Press TV’s “4Corners“, Major General Safavi added that the West will not succeed in its propaganda war against Iran.
“We are in the headlines of the western media. They have started a media war against Iran in the last few years but they already realized that it is doomed,“ he said.
Safavi, the former head of Islamic Revolution’s Guards Corps (IRGC), was speaking on the occasion of the 27th anniversary of the onset of the Iraq-imposed war in which Iranians courageously defended their country against the brutal onslaught of Saddam Hussein’s Army, which was supported by the West and most Arab regimes.
He noted that the Revolutionary Guards have made tremendous progress in the field of defense.
“Right now, the IRGC has turned into a regular revolutionary army with an Islamic ideology while at the beginning of the war it was only a force to defend the country,“ he said.
The military advisor, who prefers to be called a professor due to his years of teaching in a university, said the IRGC shares the role of defending the country with the Iranian Army, since the two are arms of the Islamic Republic of Iran.Referring to foreign threats, he said, “It seems very unlikely that the foreign troops in the region could start another attack because they have been busy with the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and they should focus on that.
Wise and rational people, who are taking care of the war in Iraq, will not risk another attack.“
Safavi stressed that Iran is ready to foil the enemies’ attacks.
Commenting on Iraqi insecurity, he said, “The CIA has armed some 10,000 forces of former Baathist members to fight Al-Qaeda. So, the main problem is the US policies and their improper understanding of cultural and tribal complexities of Iraq.“
He reiterated that Iran has had no military role in Iraq, pointing out that the US has not been able to come up with any evidence to prove Iran’s military involvement in Iraq.
“However, we have enough evidence to show that the US has been arming the counter-Iranian military forces in Iraq,“ he said.
Safavi noted that the security of Iraq is important for Iran for the simplest reason that there are millions of Iranian pilgrims going to Iraq’s holy sites annually and Iraq’s security is to the benefit of the two countries.
“Iran has now a strong intelligence system and missiles. We are closely watching the foreigners’ moves in the neighboring countries by highly advanced satellite technology and advanced radars. If they enter our airspace or our territorial waters, they will get a fair response,“ he said.
Safavi said the equipment shown in the Saturday’s military parade only offer a glimpse of the Iranian arsenal and Iran will not reveal its true defense capabilities unless it’s necessary.
“Our military capabilities are beyond the imagination of our enemies,“ he said.
-------
Iran has become an extra-regional power
The United States must acknowledge that Iran is a powerful state, Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi said here on Sunday.
On the 27th anniversary of the Iraqi invasion of Iran, the Mehr News Agency conducted an interview with Safavi, who is currently the Supreme Leader’s senior advisor on military affairs, in which he elaborated on the roots of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, the threats that Iran is currently facing, the missile capabilities of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and the recent restructuring of the country’s defense system.
Following are excerpts of the interview:
“White House officials should know that the Islamic Republic of Iran will not yield to political and economic pressure.
“If they think wisely and think about their interests, and if they want energy, political, and economic cooperation with Iran, they must recognize Iran as a power.”
Roots of the Iran-Iraq war
The victory of the Islamic Revolution created a new situation for the U.S., and it soon cut ties with the Islamic Republic, said Safavi, who was the commander of the IRGC for ten years.
With the Islamic Revolution, Iran’s geopolitical situation changed since the U.S. lost its main ally in the region, which caused a change in the bipolar world system in favor of the Soviet Union.
He cited former Iranian prime minister Mehdi Bazargan’s efforts in the provisional government to reestablish ties with the U.S. and the problems created by former president Abolhassan Banisadr and his connection with the terrorist Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) as some of the reasons which prepared the ground for the invasion of Iran by Saddam Hussein’s Baath regime.
The Western powers, which were worried about the influence of the Islamic Revolution on regional Arab countries, encouraged Saddam to attack Iran, he added.
Saddam, who wanted to replace the shah as the regional power after the Islamic Revolution, attacked Iran under the pretext that the 1975 Algiers Agreement was imposed on Iraq.
The former IRGC commander said the Baathists began to modernize the Iraqi army in 1975, five years before Iraq attacked Iran.
Between 1975 and 1980, they spent billions of dollars buying arms so that Iraq eventually had the most powerful army in the region, he added.
He described the current regional situation as very critical.
“This does not mean that the United States wants to begin a new war. They already have over 200,000 troops in the region, but despite this, they face three challenging problems,” he noted.
“First, they do not exactly know how Iran will deal with them. I mean they are incapable of calculating the depth and extent of Iran’s (potential) response to their threatening actions… Their second concern is about the security of Israel, and thirdly, they are extremely worried about the oil and energy problems ahead, both in Iraq and the region. One reason for this could be the dramatic increase in the oil price, which recently hit about 81 U.S. dollars per barrel, and even the price of a barrel of oil for OPEC countries, including Iran, has risen to more than 71 U.S. dollars.
“If there is a little spark in the Persian Gulf area, which contains 65 percent of all the world’s oil reserves, the oil price could easily rise to 100 dollars per barrel.
“I think that the rational people in the U.S. Congress and the Democratic Party will not allow the current U.S. administration to declare a new war.”
In Iraq, the United States’ political and military situation has greatly diminished, he stated.
“Despite all this, the Iranian armed forces will carefully monitor the upgrading of the U.S. military and the enemy’s provocative moves in the entire region.”
Iran’s role in regional peace and security
The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that the Persian Gulf and the Middle East region should enjoy lasting peace and security, but unfortunately, U.S. forces came from the other side of the globe and disrupted the region’s security through military occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, he noted.
Iran desires peace in the region and this can be realized by signing defense treaties with the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, he added.
The United States destroyed two major enemies of Iran, namely the Taleban in the east and Saddam Hussein in the west, and this benefited Iran, he said, adding that recent developments have increased Iran’s political influence in the region.
Pointing out that U.S. officials once thought that they could surround Iran by occupying Afghanistan and Iraq, he said, “Now, the Americans should realize that the 200,000 troops they have deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan are in Iran’s firing range.”
The future of Iraq and Afghanistan
The future of Iraq and Afghanistan is unpredictable, he stated, adding that as a public relations move, the U.S. might reduce troop levels in Iraq, although it actually intends to maintain its military bases in Iraq and the Persian Gulf for years.
Although the U.S. has received millions of dollars from the Iraqi government to equip the Iraqi police and armed forces, the objective has still not been realized, he observed.
The weapons Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups are currently using are far more advanced than the weapons the Iraqi armed forces possess, and U.S. troops will slowly leave Iraq, so Iraqis, and not U.S. forces, will suffer casualties in terrorist attacks, he added.
IRGC ballistic missiles
“Today, one of our means to confront an invasion is the deterrent power of the ballistic missiles of the IRGC Air Force. They are domestically designed and are being mass-produced by the Defense Ministry,” he stated.
“Currently, we enjoy a good situation in the missile industry. Our missile capabilities are not what the U.S. thinks,” he said, adding that Iran has made the necessary preparations to protect its missile sites from the enemy.
Iran has such great missile capabilities that even if a certain percentage of its arsenal were to be destroyed, the remaining missiles would be devastating for the enemy, he observed.
IRGC’s asymmetrical warfare strategy
“Currently, at a time when we feel the threats of extra-regional powers such as the U.S. against the Islamic Republic of Iran, we have revised the structure of Iran’s armed forces. The training methods, war strategy, and military doctrine of the armed forces, and especially of the three branches of the IRGC, have been revised. We have designed arms and equipment suitable for extra-regional warfare. We have named this strategy comprehensive defense, Alavi battle, and asymmetrical warfare,” Safavi explained.
This strategy means that we identify the enemy’s weak and strong points so that we can confront the enemy with the utmost efficiency, he said.
“It is true that the enemy has superior weaponry, but we have never put our trust in weapons. Rather, we have adopted a human-centered approach and have courageous, faithful, and wise human forces as well as self-contained, dynamic, fast, and effective units,” he added.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
IRGC Warns West against Invasion of Iran
TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) warned West against any invasion of Iran, and stressed that the Iranian nation would stand up to any possible aggression by hegemonic powers, alluding to the US and its allies.
In a statement issued on Wednesday to mark the anniversary of US-backed Iraqi imposed war on Iran (1980-1988), the IRGC underlined full preparedness of the Iranian nation to defend the country.
The statement further pointed to the role of the enemies and the arrogant powers during the Iraqi imposed war on Iran in the 1980s, and blasted them for equipping the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein with advanced weapons and huge financial and intelligence support against the Islamic Republic.
It said while the brave Iranian soldiers made great sacrifices and put an end to the myth of invincibility of the arrogant powers especially the US during the imposed war, now that Iran has acquired great experiences its armed forces are even much more prepared to deal with possible aggressions.
Meantime, the General Headquarters of the Armed Forces also voiced its full preparedness to deal with any kind of enemy threats.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Iranian armed forces said that the sacred bloods that the brave soldiers dedicated for defending the country during eight-year US-backed imposed war have gifted full preparedness to the Iranian Armed Forces.
"The General Headquarters of the Armed Forces is well aware of the current situation in the region and has mobilized its forces in the Army of the Islamic Republic, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the Defense Ministry, the Basij (volunteer forces) and the Islamic Republic of Iran Police (IRIP) to defend the country and the aspirations of the late Imam Khomeini," the statement said.
In a statement issued on Wednesday to mark the anniversary of US-backed Iraqi imposed war on Iran (1980-1988), the IRGC underlined full preparedness of the Iranian nation to defend the country.The statement further pointed to the role of the enemies and the arrogant powers during the Iraqi imposed war on Iran in the 1980s, and blasted them for equipping the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein with advanced weapons and huge financial and intelligence support against the Islamic Republic.
It said while the brave Iranian soldiers made great sacrifices and put an end to the myth of invincibility of the arrogant powers especially the US during the imposed war, now that Iran has acquired great experiences its armed forces are even much more prepared to deal with possible aggressions.
Meantime, the General Headquarters of the Armed Forces also voiced its full preparedness to deal with any kind of enemy threats.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Iranian armed forces said that the sacred bloods that the brave soldiers dedicated for defending the country during eight-year US-backed imposed war have gifted full preparedness to the Iranian Armed Forces.
"The General Headquarters of the Armed Forces is well aware of the current situation in the region and has mobilized its forces in the Army of the Islamic Republic, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the Defense Ministry, the Basij (volunteer forces) and the Islamic Republic of Iran Police (IRIP) to defend the country and the aspirations of the late Imam Khomeini," the statement said.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
How the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps plans to fight
The following is a partial transcript of an interview with former IRGC Commander (now advisor for military affairs to the Supreme Leader of Iran) which which aired on Channel 2, Iranian TV on November 12, 2006:
General Yahya Rahim Safavi: The Shahab 3 missiles, which were fired with a cluster warhead, deviated a few meters [from the target]. Considering the extent of the explosion, a few meters is...
Interviewer: Is this within the norms of missile operations?
General Yahya Rahim Safavi: Naturally, a 20-30 meter [deviation] is acceptable, because the force of the explosion and the radius of the shockwaves exceed 20 or 30 meters.
[...]
The Americans and the countries that have satellite systems – especially those that monitor Iran's airspace or the atmosphere – can see our missile launchings clearly - not the radar systems, but the satellite systems of the various countries. They see both the launching and landing points. It is completely obvious to them that these were real maneuvers. In fact, the maneuvers were carried out with combat weapons, and were not just for show.
[...]
The Americans have many weaknesses. In fact, in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, they clearly displayed their strengths and weaknesses. We have planned our strategy precisely on the basis of their strengths and weaknesses.
[...]
We don't see any motivation among the American forces in Iraq. They are very cowardly. There are even scenes from Iraq in which they are seen crying. When their commanders encounter a problem, they burst into tears. We did not see such spectacles in the eight years of the Iran-Iraq war. I can therefore say that our advantage over the foreign forces is moral and human.
Of course, in accordance with the technology that we have or that we are able to obtain from other countries, we have equipped our armed forces with the most advanced anti-aircraft, anti-helicopter, anti-tank, and anti-ship weapons. The equipment used in these wargames was only part of what we have. We never reveal all our cards to the enemy. We used only a small sample of our personnel and equipment.
[...]
Interviewer: General, the viewers asked whether the IRGC has the ability to conduct active and defensive electronic warfare.
General Yahya Rahim Safavi: I'm not at liberty to talk about some things, because they are highly classified. But I can say that our communications systems are very advanced. We can communicate with all our units. Even at the brigade level, we maintain five levels of contact and communication with our units. We make full use of satellite systems, and can handle the enemy's satellite systems. We can disrupt the satellite systems of the enemy. We can disrupt the communication networks of the enemy.
[...]
Interviewer: General, the viewers asked many questions about the destructive power of the Shahab 2 and 3 missiles. If it is not secret, please tell us.
General Yahya Rahim Safavi: The Shahab 3 missile has a cluster warhead, and consequently, its destructive power exceeds several kilometers, because the warhead spreads into bomblets. [It can be used] against large bases, large concentrations of people, aircraft carriers... even against aircraft carriers, because it explodes from above, so it can completely destroy an aircraft carrier with its planes.
As for the Shahab 2 missile – its warhead carries approximately 900 kilograms of explosives. It has about 20 tons of fuel. This missile uses 12-20 tons of fuel, and its warhead carries 900 kilograms of explosives, so it has very great explosive power.
Interviewer: Does the Shahab series include a Shahab 4, Shahab 5, and so on?
General Yahya Rahim Safavi: I would rather not answer that.
[...]
As I pointed out, starting a war with another country or attacking it is currently not part of our plans or strategy. But if the Zionist regime or the Americans make problems for us and organize attacks against us... The Zionist regime is about 1,300 kilometers from our centers. If we have a missile range of 2,000 kilometers, it is only natural that a distance of 1,300 kilometers is within this range.
I'd like to say something else. If the Zionist regime was defeated by a group of Hizbullah in Lebanon... After all, Hizbullah is a small group in Lebanon, which defeated the Israeli army in this 33-day war. How can Israel withstand a great nation that numbers 70 million, 90 percent of which are Shiites? As for the IRGC and the Basij – we have 10 million Basij members and strong Revolutionary Guards. There is no comparison. Therefore, I do not believe that the Zionists would even dream of threatening us. If they do, they will face the greatest danger to their very existence. I say again: We are interested in peace and quiet in the Middle East. We have no policy of attacking [anyone], but we will respond to any invading power with a force that they cannot even imagine. Neither the Americans nor the Zionists know what complex, precise, and intelligence-based plans we have designed in order to defend our country and to deal with their possible attacks.
General Yahya Rahim Safavi: The Shahab 3 missiles, which were fired with a cluster warhead, deviated a few meters [from the target]. Considering the extent of the explosion, a few meters is...
Interviewer: Is this within the norms of missile operations?
General Yahya Rahim Safavi: Naturally, a 20-30 meter [deviation] is acceptable, because the force of the explosion and the radius of the shockwaves exceed 20 or 30 meters.
[...]
The Americans and the countries that have satellite systems – especially those that monitor Iran's airspace or the atmosphere – can see our missile launchings clearly - not the radar systems, but the satellite systems of the various countries. They see both the launching and landing points. It is completely obvious to them that these were real maneuvers. In fact, the maneuvers were carried out with combat weapons, and were not just for show.
[...]
The Americans have many weaknesses. In fact, in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, they clearly displayed their strengths and weaknesses. We have planned our strategy precisely on the basis of their strengths and weaknesses.
[...]
We don't see any motivation among the American forces in Iraq. They are very cowardly. There are even scenes from Iraq in which they are seen crying. When their commanders encounter a problem, they burst into tears. We did not see such spectacles in the eight years of the Iran-Iraq war. I can therefore say that our advantage over the foreign forces is moral and human.
Of course, in accordance with the technology that we have or that we are able to obtain from other countries, we have equipped our armed forces with the most advanced anti-aircraft, anti-helicopter, anti-tank, and anti-ship weapons. The equipment used in these wargames was only part of what we have. We never reveal all our cards to the enemy. We used only a small sample of our personnel and equipment.
[...]
Interviewer: General, the viewers asked whether the IRGC has the ability to conduct active and defensive electronic warfare.
General Yahya Rahim Safavi: I'm not at liberty to talk about some things, because they are highly classified. But I can say that our communications systems are very advanced. We can communicate with all our units. Even at the brigade level, we maintain five levels of contact and communication with our units. We make full use of satellite systems, and can handle the enemy's satellite systems. We can disrupt the satellite systems of the enemy. We can disrupt the communication networks of the enemy.
[...]
Interviewer: General, the viewers asked many questions about the destructive power of the Shahab 2 and 3 missiles. If it is not secret, please tell us.
General Yahya Rahim Safavi: The Shahab 3 missile has a cluster warhead, and consequently, its destructive power exceeds several kilometers, because the warhead spreads into bomblets. [It can be used] against large bases, large concentrations of people, aircraft carriers... even against aircraft carriers, because it explodes from above, so it can completely destroy an aircraft carrier with its planes.
As for the Shahab 2 missile – its warhead carries approximately 900 kilograms of explosives. It has about 20 tons of fuel. This missile uses 12-20 tons of fuel, and its warhead carries 900 kilograms of explosives, so it has very great explosive power.
Interviewer: Does the Shahab series include a Shahab 4, Shahab 5, and so on?
General Yahya Rahim Safavi: I would rather not answer that.
[...]
As I pointed out, starting a war with another country or attacking it is currently not part of our plans or strategy. But if the Zionist regime or the Americans make problems for us and organize attacks against us... The Zionist regime is about 1,300 kilometers from our centers. If we have a missile range of 2,000 kilometers, it is only natural that a distance of 1,300 kilometers is within this range.
I'd like to say something else. If the Zionist regime was defeated by a group of Hizbullah in Lebanon... After all, Hizbullah is a small group in Lebanon, which defeated the Israeli army in this 33-day war. How can Israel withstand a great nation that numbers 70 million, 90 percent of which are Shiites? As for the IRGC and the Basij – we have 10 million Basij members and strong Revolutionary Guards. There is no comparison. Therefore, I do not believe that the Zionists would even dream of threatening us. If they do, they will face the greatest danger to their very existence. I say again: We are interested in peace and quiet in the Middle East. We have no policy of attacking [anyone], but we will respond to any invading power with a force that they cannot even imagine. Neither the Americans nor the Zionists know what complex, precise, and intelligence-based plans we have designed in order to defend our country and to deal with their possible attacks.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Iran Slams Kouchner comments and reiterates threat to US forces
TEHRAN -- Iranian media launched a blistering attack on France Monday after its foreign minister warned the world to brace for war.
Kouchner said Sunday his country must prepare for the possibility of war against Iran over its nuclear program.
The French minister also told RTL radio and LCI television that the world's major powers should use further sanctions against Iran.
Kouchner said France had asked French firms not to bid for tenders in the Islamic Republic.
The Israeli occupying regime was quick to welcome the acerbic remarks by Kouchner, describing them as "positive".
The Zionist regime is the Middle East's sole nuclear power, which is believed to possess more than 200 atomic warheads.
In an editorial, Iran's IRNA news agency said, "The new occupants of the Elysee want to copy the White House," referring to the French presidential palace.
It said that since Nicolas Sarkozy took over as president from Jacques Chirac and promoted closer ties with the US, "he has taken on an American skin".
"The French people will never forget the era when a non-European moved into the Elysee," it said.
Sarkozy has himself bluntly warned that Iran risks being bombed if the nuclear standoff is not resolved
In Sunday's interview, Kouchner said, "We have to prepare for the worst, and the worst is war."
IRNA added: "The occupants of the Elysee have become the executors of the will of the White House and have adopted a tone that is even harder, even more inflammatory and more illogical than that of Washington."
France has economic interests in Iran, especially in the oil and automobile industries, but its line on the nuclear standoff has hardened considerably since Sarkozy came to power.
Iran has said it will never initiate any attack but will respond with crushing force if any strike is launched on its territory.
A top general in the Revolutionary Guards said that Iran's missiles could hit a range of targets belonging to US troops operating in neighboring Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Today the Americans are around our country but this does not mean that they are encircling us. They are encircled themselves and are within our range," General Mohammad Hassan Koussechi told IRNA.
"If the United States is saying that they have identified 2,000 targets in Iran, then what is certain is that it is the Americans who are all around Iran and are equally our targets."
-------
(Note: this is the third time that a senior Pasdaran commander openly threatens to retaliate against US forces in the Middle East. Before General Mohammad Hassan Koussechi the same threat was previously made by Brigadier General Mohammad Ali Jaafari, the recently appointed commander of the Pasdaran, and by Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, former commander of the Pasdaran and currently Senior Advisor to the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei for Military Affairs. It is worth remembering here that the Pasdaran control Iranian missile forces and that they are directly subordinated to the Supreme Leader)
UPDATE:
ElBaradei urged the world to remember Iraq before considering any similar
action against Tehran.
"There are rules on how to use force, and I would hope that everybody would have gotten the lesson after the Iraq situation, where 70,000 innocent civilians* have lost their lives on the suspicion that a country has nuclear weapons," ElBaradei told reporters.
He was alluding to a key U.S. argument for invading Iraq in 2003, that
Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear arms.
Four years later, no such arsenals have been found.
ElBaradei, speaking outside a 144-nation meeting of his agency, urged both sides to back away from confrontation, in comments addressed both to Iran and the U.S.-led group of nations pressing for new U.N. sanctions on Tehran for its refusal to end uranium enrichment.
-------
*El Baradei is wrong here. The actual figure of casualties after the US invasion of Iraq is already over one million (sldo see updated info box on the lower right of this page)
Kouchner said Sunday his country must prepare for the possibility of war against Iran over its nuclear program.
The French minister also told RTL radio and LCI television that the world's major powers should use further sanctions against Iran.
Kouchner said France had asked French firms not to bid for tenders in the Islamic Republic.
The Israeli occupying regime was quick to welcome the acerbic remarks by Kouchner, describing them as "positive".
The Zionist regime is the Middle East's sole nuclear power, which is believed to possess more than 200 atomic warheads.
In an editorial, Iran's IRNA news agency said, "The new occupants of the Elysee want to copy the White House," referring to the French presidential palace.
It said that since Nicolas Sarkozy took over as president from Jacques Chirac and promoted closer ties with the US, "he has taken on an American skin".
"The French people will never forget the era when a non-European moved into the Elysee," it said.
Sarkozy has himself bluntly warned that Iran risks being bombed if the nuclear standoff is not resolved
In Sunday's interview, Kouchner said, "We have to prepare for the worst, and the worst is war."
IRNA added: "The occupants of the Elysee have become the executors of the will of the White House and have adopted a tone that is even harder, even more inflammatory and more illogical than that of Washington."
France has economic interests in Iran, especially in the oil and automobile industries, but its line on the nuclear standoff has hardened considerably since Sarkozy came to power.
Iran has said it will never initiate any attack but will respond with crushing force if any strike is launched on its territory.
A top general in the Revolutionary Guards said that Iran's missiles could hit a range of targets belonging to US troops operating in neighboring Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Today the Americans are around our country but this does not mean that they are encircling us. They are encircled themselves and are within our range," General Mohammad Hassan Koussechi told IRNA.
"If the United States is saying that they have identified 2,000 targets in Iran, then what is certain is that it is the Americans who are all around Iran and are equally our targets."
-------
(Note: this is the third time that a senior Pasdaran commander openly threatens to retaliate against US forces in the Middle East. Before General Mohammad Hassan Koussechi the same threat was previously made by Brigadier General Mohammad Ali Jaafari, the recently appointed commander of the Pasdaran, and by Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, former commander of the Pasdaran and currently Senior Advisor to the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei for Military Affairs. It is worth remembering here that the Pasdaran control Iranian missile forces and that they are directly subordinated to the Supreme Leader)
UPDATE:
The chief UN nuclear inspector criticized talk of attacking Iran as hype Monday, invoking the war in Iraq and saying such options should only be considered as a last resort and only if authorized by the UN Security Council.
"I would not talk about any use of force," said Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in an indirect response to French warnings that the world had to be prepared for the possibility of war in the event that Iran obtains atomic weapons.
(...)
ElBaradei urged the world to remember Iraq before considering any similar
action against Tehran.
"There are rules on how to use force, and I would hope that everybody would have gotten the lesson after the Iraq situation, where 70,000 innocent civilians* have lost their lives on the suspicion that a country has nuclear weapons," ElBaradei told reporters.
He was alluding to a key U.S. argument for invading Iraq in 2003, that
Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear arms.
Four years later, no such arsenals have been found.
ElBaradei, speaking outside a 144-nation meeting of his agency, urged both sides to back away from confrontation, in comments addressed both to Iran and the U.S.-led group of nations pressing for new U.N. sanctions on Tehran for its refusal to end uranium enrichment.
-------
*El Baradei is wrong here. The actual figure of casualties after the US invasion of Iraq is already over one million (sldo see updated info box on the lower right of this page)
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Second direct Iranian warning to the USA
(see the first one here)
TEHRAN, Sept 11-- The commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said on Tuesday that the country has identified US weak points in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The comments by Brigadier General Mohammad Ali Jaafari, appointed head of the elite force by the leader of Islamic Revolution just 10 days ago, come amid mounting tensions between Tehran and Washington over Iran's peaceful nuclear drive and its role in Iraq.
"The Revolutionary Guards have identified all the weak points of the enemy in Iraq and Afghanistan and based on this have consolidated the defensive capabilities of the country," Brigadier General Jaafari said.
"And if the enemy wants to take any impudent action the Islamic republic will for sure give a decisive response," he said, according to state broadcasting.
Tehran has always warned of a tough response to any aggression while insisting it would never initiate an attack.
Brigadier General Rahim Yahya Safavi, Jaafari's predecessor and now special military advisor to the leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had warned last week that the United States has not realized how at risk its troops were.
Iran has strongly insisted on its nuclear rights and vehemently denies seeking nuclear weapons and also rejects charges regarding its interference in Iraq, saying it fully supports the Baghdad government's drive to restore security in the war-torn country.
TEHRAN, Sept 11-- The commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said on Tuesday that the country has identified US weak points in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The comments by Brigadier General Mohammad Ali Jaafari, appointed head of the elite force by the leader of Islamic Revolution just 10 days ago, come amid mounting tensions between Tehran and Washington over Iran's peaceful nuclear drive and its role in Iraq."The Revolutionary Guards have identified all the weak points of the enemy in Iraq and Afghanistan and based on this have consolidated the defensive capabilities of the country," Brigadier General Jaafari said.
"And if the enemy wants to take any impudent action the Islamic republic will for sure give a decisive response," he said, according to state broadcasting.
Tehran has always warned of a tough response to any aggression while insisting it would never initiate an attack.
Brigadier General Rahim Yahya Safavi, Jaafari's predecessor and now special military advisor to the leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had warned last week that the United States has not realized how at risk its troops were.
Iran has strongly insisted on its nuclear rights and vehemently denies seeking nuclear weapons and also rejects charges regarding its interference in Iraq, saying it fully supports the Baghdad government's drive to restore security in the war-torn country.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Safavi: US troops vulnerable in ME
Iran's Press TV reports that Iran's former IRGC Commander says 200,000 US troops are in weak positions in the Middle East and Iran has identified all their locations.
Senior Advisor to the Leader for Military Affairs, Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, made the remark Monday in a meeting with Imam Hussein University faculty in Tehran.
Safavi said recent incidents have turned the region into the hub of political and security developments.
He referred to the US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq as well as the stance of the Iranian president, both of which he maintains have increased Iran's geopolitical influence in the region.
The senior military official termed the control of Iraq and the Persian Gulf's oil and gas reserves as the main reason behind the US attack on Iraq.
Major General Safavi highlighted the miseries of the US in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying the United States has paid a high price for its war-mongering policies.
Senior Advisor to the Leader for Military Affairs, Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, made the remark Monday in a meeting with Imam Hussein University faculty in Tehran.Safavi said recent incidents have turned the region into the hub of political and security developments.
He referred to the US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq as well as the stance of the Iranian president, both of which he maintains have increased Iran's geopolitical influence in the region.
The senior military official termed the control of Iraq and the Persian Gulf's oil and gas reserves as the main reason behind the US attack on Iraq.
Major General Safavi highlighted the miseries of the US in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying the United States has paid a high price for its war-mongering policies.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Iran preparing for war with the U.S. via Lebanon
Tehran - Iran is threatening to strike the U.S. with "stronger punches" while Hezbollah vows it is ready to become "dismembered limbs to keep Iran strong and dignified." This will likely leave Lebanon in the crossfire.
The Commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Gen. Rahim Safawi (left in picture), who met Hizbullah's deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem (right in picture) at a religious conference in Tehran, has threatened the United States with "Stronger Punches" and an Iranian dissident expected the group to strike in Lebanon.
Safawi made the remarks in an interview with the Iranian daily Keyhan stressing that "America will receive stronger strikes and punches from the Revolutionary Guards in the future."
"We will not remain silent in the face of American pressure and we will use all the force we have to confront the Americans. The Revolutionary Guard Corps has a tremendous power … and we have sophisticated weapons," he said.
Meanwhile, Iranian dissident Mohsen Sazghar, who was one the Revolutionary Guards founders, said the guards would escalate attacks against U.S. targets in "Afghanistan, Iraq and Lebanon" is retaliation for labeling the group a terrorist organization.
According to Elaph, the following is from a censored part of an interview Hassan Nasrallah gave to Iranian TV, as quoted by the reporter who conducted the interview:
We are ready to become dismembered limbs to keep Iran strong and dignified, for we are strong if Iran is strong. I am but a small soldier for Imam Khamenei. In Maroun al-Ras, 40 members from the Hizbullah forces stood against a contingent from the Zionist entity, and only 13 of them were martyred. The youth of Hizbullah acted in the name of Imam Khomeini and invoked Imam Hussein, and saluted the Iranian people.
In a related development, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (pictured right with Qassem) on Saturday described Israel as "the flag of Satan" and said the Jewish state was destined to fall apart.
"The Zionist regime is the flag bearer of violation and occupation and this regime is the flag of Satan," Ahmadinejad told an international religious conference in Tehran, which was attended by Qassem and other religious figures.
"It is not unlikely that this regime be on the path to dissolution and deterioration when the philosophy behind its creation and survival is invalid," he said.
His comments came in the wake of a 30-billion-dollar arms deal between Israel and the United States which explicitly mentioned the threat of a "resurgent" Iran.
Washington and Israel, which is widely considered to be the Middle East's sole if undeclared nuclear power, are increasingly alarmed by Iran's nuclear program, which they suspect is a cover to develop atomic weapons.
Tehran insists the program is for peaceful, civilian energy purposes.
"The United States understands that Israel lives in an increasingly dangerous region... where Iran is resurgent, where Iran is seeking a nuclear capability, where it is seeking to expand its conventional power," U.S. Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns said before signing the memorandum of understanding for the aid package in Jerusalem on Thursday.
There is now a nexus of cooperation between Iran, Syria, Hizbullah... and other groups that are responsible for conflict in this region," including the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, Burns said.
With current U.S. defense aid to Israel standing at 2.4 billion dollars a year, the new package will raise the value of assistance by 600 million dollars annually on average, officials said.
Iran also is the ostensible reason for Washington's controversial plans to install a missile defense system in Eastern Europe, a move which has sparked fierce condemnation from Russia.
The U.S. military wants to build a radar station in the Czech Republic and a launching site in Poland with 10 long-range interceptors capable of shooting down missiles.
It claims the system would defend Europe against attacks from limited missile strikes by smaller military powers such as Iran.
Ahmadinejad claimed on Thursday that if deployed, the U.S. system would threaten all of Asia.
"Such a plan goes beyond threatening one country. It concerns most of the continent, Asia," he said at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), according to a translation by organizers.
Iran has observer status at the SCO, which comprises China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Iran consistently refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist in the Middle East, and Ahmadinejad sparked outrage in the international community when he said Israel should be "wiped off the map" shortly after coming to power in 2005.
In June he said a "countdown" had begun that would end with Lebanese and Palestinian militants destroying Israel. His government last year hosted a conference on the Holocaust, questioning the German Nazi genocide of the Jews during World War II.
-------
Note: this article comes form the very anti-Hezbollah and pro-Empire website Ya Liban. I rate it as the Lebanese version of Debka. The primary source for the quote of Nasrallah in this article is an even more dubious website called From Beirut the the Beltway (whose name is probably the best indication of its ideological affiliations). Nevertheless, sometimes even such highly biased sources can be used to get some deliberately leaked info. In this case, the alleged statement by Hassan Nasrallah about his willingness to fight to defend Iran from a US aggression is consistent with his spiritual obligation to Ali Khamenei as Hezbollah's 'Wilayat-e-Faqih' - which can be very loosely translated as 'spiritual leader' (the opinion that Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah is the spiritual leader of Hezbollah is mistaken). Even if Hasrallah was was misquoted, this article at least shows the awareness of the Imperial stooges in Lebanon that there could be hell to pay for them in case of a US attack on Iran.
The Commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Gen. Rahim Safawi (left in picture), who met Hizbullah's deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem (right in picture) at a religious conference in Tehran, has threatened the United States with "Stronger Punches" and an Iranian dissident expected the group to strike in Lebanon.
Safawi made the remarks in an interview with the Iranian daily Keyhan stressing that "America will receive stronger strikes and punches from the Revolutionary Guards in the future."
"We will not remain silent in the face of American pressure and we will use all the force we have to confront the Americans. The Revolutionary Guard Corps has a tremendous power … and we have sophisticated weapons," he said.
Meanwhile, Iranian dissident Mohsen Sazghar, who was one the Revolutionary Guards founders, said the guards would escalate attacks against U.S. targets in "Afghanistan, Iraq and Lebanon" is retaliation for labeling the group a terrorist organization.
According to Elaph, the following is from a censored part of an interview Hassan Nasrallah gave to Iranian TV, as quoted by the reporter who conducted the interview:
We are ready to become dismembered limbs to keep Iran strong and dignified, for we are strong if Iran is strong. I am but a small soldier for Imam Khamenei. In Maroun al-Ras, 40 members from the Hizbullah forces stood against a contingent from the Zionist entity, and only 13 of them were martyred. The youth of Hizbullah acted in the name of Imam Khomeini and invoked Imam Hussein, and saluted the Iranian people.
In a related development, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (pictured right with Qassem) on Saturday described Israel as "the flag of Satan" and said the Jewish state was destined to fall apart.
"The Zionist regime is the flag bearer of violation and occupation and this regime is the flag of Satan," Ahmadinejad told an international religious conference in Tehran, which was attended by Qassem and other religious figures.
"It is not unlikely that this regime be on the path to dissolution and deterioration when the philosophy behind its creation and survival is invalid," he said.
His comments came in the wake of a 30-billion-dollar arms deal between Israel and the United States which explicitly mentioned the threat of a "resurgent" Iran.
Washington and Israel, which is widely considered to be the Middle East's sole if undeclared nuclear power, are increasingly alarmed by Iran's nuclear program, which they suspect is a cover to develop atomic weapons.
Tehran insists the program is for peaceful, civilian energy purposes.
"The United States understands that Israel lives in an increasingly dangerous region... where Iran is resurgent, where Iran is seeking a nuclear capability, where it is seeking to expand its conventional power," U.S. Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns said before signing the memorandum of understanding for the aid package in Jerusalem on Thursday.
There is now a nexus of cooperation between Iran, Syria, Hizbullah... and other groups that are responsible for conflict in this region," including the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, Burns said.
With current U.S. defense aid to Israel standing at 2.4 billion dollars a year, the new package will raise the value of assistance by 600 million dollars annually on average, officials said.
Iran also is the ostensible reason for Washington's controversial plans to install a missile defense system in Eastern Europe, a move which has sparked fierce condemnation from Russia.
The U.S. military wants to build a radar station in the Czech Republic and a launching site in Poland with 10 long-range interceptors capable of shooting down missiles.
It claims the system would defend Europe against attacks from limited missile strikes by smaller military powers such as Iran.
Ahmadinejad claimed on Thursday that if deployed, the U.S. system would threaten all of Asia.
"Such a plan goes beyond threatening one country. It concerns most of the continent, Asia," he said at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), according to a translation by organizers.
Iran has observer status at the SCO, which comprises China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Iran consistently refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist in the Middle East, and Ahmadinejad sparked outrage in the international community when he said Israel should be "wiped off the map" shortly after coming to power in 2005.
In June he said a "countdown" had begun that would end with Lebanese and Palestinian militants destroying Israel. His government last year hosted a conference on the Holocaust, questioning the German Nazi genocide of the Jews during World War II.
-------
Note: this article comes form the very anti-Hezbollah and pro-Empire website Ya Liban. I rate it as the Lebanese version of Debka. The primary source for the quote of Nasrallah in this article is an even more dubious website called From Beirut the the Beltway (whose name is probably the best indication of its ideological affiliations). Nevertheless, sometimes even such highly biased sources can be used to get some deliberately leaked info. In this case, the alleged statement by Hassan Nasrallah about his willingness to fight to defend Iran from a US aggression is consistent with his spiritual obligation to Ali Khamenei as Hezbollah's 'Wilayat-e-Faqih' - which can be very loosely translated as 'spiritual leader' (the opinion that Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah is the spiritual leader of Hezbollah is mistaken). Even if Hasrallah was was misquoted, this article at least shows the awareness of the Imperial stooges in Lebanon that there could be hell to pay for them in case of a US attack on Iran.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard says Iran wants peace
ESFAHAN, Iran, Aug 17 -- The commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard said Friday that his country is after the establishment of peace and stability in the Middle East.
"We trust on our strong military power but Iran has a defensive strategy and we are after the establishment of peace and stability in the Middle East", Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi said.
The US has launched a fresh round of war-on nerves by threatening to put Iran's IRGC forces on black list as a terrorist group, a move that has won no public support both at home and outside the United States.
In an interview on the occasion of the happy anniversary of Imam Hussein's birthday (Peace be upon him) and foundation of Revolutionary Guard, Safavi said, "The Guard forces possess highly sophisticated weapons and military equipment and stands ready to respond to foreign troops stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan, Persian Gulf, defending the country's interests.
"Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps possesses the greatest defensive force in the Middle East." He said.
Safavi said that Iran has access to the state-of the art military technology and is able to defend against the enemies and safeguard its interests through applying the trained forces to use sophisticated defensive and attack warfare.
"Of course we have changed our military doctrine and strategies after the US-led Iraq and Afghanistan invasion and have equipped our forces with modern surface to surface and land to sea missiles to fend off the extra-territorial powers", the Commander of the IRGC Added.
Safavi said Iran's missiles can hit any target in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea and no boat or warship frequenting the region can escape from the Iranian missiles.
Iran's Revolutionary Elite Guard Corps is equipped with 2,000km range guided surface to surface Ballistic missiles, said the official, adding that Iran also enjoys surface to air Tor-M1 anti-missile system.
"Iran has trained some 12,000,000 volunteer (Basij) forces, organized under 2500 battalion named "Ashura," the commander added.
Safavi also praised IRGC's Ground Force capabilities, saying that the Iranian anti-tank missiles can penetrate into the Israeli Merkava and US-made Abraham tanks.
"We trust on our strong military power but we are after the establishment of peace and stability in the Middle East, and Iran has a defensive strategy", said the official.
The US has launched a fresh round of war-on nerves by threatening to put Iran's IRGC forces on black list as a terrorist group, a move that has won no public support both at home and outside the United States.
"West has to accept Iran's influence and power in the Middle East region and observe Iran's rights," commander of IRGC said.
Rahim Safavi said, "Western powers have got to know that Iran has turned to a regional power and establishment of the security in the region without observing Iran's rights is not possible."
He said that the US pressure on Iran and its propaganda campaign against IRGC are owing to the national defense force's success to defend the country during the eight-year imposed war.
Safavi clarified that Iran is a political and security force in the region and the security of the region requires Iran's active participation.
The commander of the IRGC, Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi said the Iranian surface to sea missiles can fire any target in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea.
"We trust on our strong military power but Iran has a defensive strategy and we are after the establishment of peace and stability in the Middle East", Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi said.
The US has launched a fresh round of war-on nerves by threatening to put Iran's IRGC forces on black list as a terrorist group, a move that has won no public support both at home and outside the United States.
In an interview on the occasion of the happy anniversary of Imam Hussein's birthday (Peace be upon him) and foundation of Revolutionary Guard, Safavi said, "The Guard forces possess highly sophisticated weapons and military equipment and stands ready to respond to foreign troops stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan, Persian Gulf, defending the country's interests.
"Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps possesses the greatest defensive force in the Middle East." He said.
Safavi said that Iran has access to the state-of the art military technology and is able to defend against the enemies and safeguard its interests through applying the trained forces to use sophisticated defensive and attack warfare.
"Of course we have changed our military doctrine and strategies after the US-led Iraq and Afghanistan invasion and have equipped our forces with modern surface to surface and land to sea missiles to fend off the extra-territorial powers", the Commander of the IRGC Added.
Safavi said Iran's missiles can hit any target in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea and no boat or warship frequenting the region can escape from the Iranian missiles.
Iran's Revolutionary Elite Guard Corps is equipped with 2,000km range guided surface to surface Ballistic missiles, said the official, adding that Iran also enjoys surface to air Tor-M1 anti-missile system.
"Iran has trained some 12,000,000 volunteer (Basij) forces, organized under 2500 battalion named "Ashura," the commander added.
Safavi also praised IRGC's Ground Force capabilities, saying that the Iranian anti-tank missiles can penetrate into the Israeli Merkava and US-made Abraham tanks.
"We trust on our strong military power but we are after the establishment of peace and stability in the Middle East, and Iran has a defensive strategy", said the official.
The US has launched a fresh round of war-on nerves by threatening to put Iran's IRGC forces on black list as a terrorist group, a move that has won no public support both at home and outside the United States.
"West has to accept Iran's influence and power in the Middle East region and observe Iran's rights," commander of IRGC said.
Rahim Safavi said, "Western powers have got to know that Iran has turned to a regional power and establishment of the security in the region without observing Iran's rights is not possible."
He said that the US pressure on Iran and its propaganda campaign against IRGC are owing to the national defense force's success to defend the country during the eight-year imposed war.
Safavi clarified that Iran is a political and security force in the region and the security of the region requires Iran's active participation.
The commander of the IRGC, Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi said the Iranian surface to sea missiles can fire any target in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea.
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