The Discerning Texan
All that is necessary for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing.
-- Edmund Burke
-- Edmund Burke
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Exposing Iran's Global Terror Network (UPDATED)
In a revealing expose, YNet News has published a detailed brief from an Iranian Opposition Group which clarifies the scope, organization and reach of Iran's global network of terror. It becomes is clear after reading the whole report that the so-called "UN Sanctions" which the press is so loudly crowing about amounts to the equivalent of pouring a glass of water onto a three-alarm fire. While the sanctions may mollify certain segments of the American center who are easily lulled into a false sense of security, these particular "sanctions" in the end have been so watered down by on-the-take Iranian clients Russia and China that they will have virtually no immediate impact whatsoever on the mullahs' behavior--which as the report below demonstrates has been inexcusable in a civilized world.
And so once again reality sets in when it comes to the impotency of State Department's 'realist diplomacy' in changing the behavior of a rogue state which shows no qualms whatsoever about openly targeting American interests, funding and equipping our enemies and murdering American forces in the field, and bragging about their open disregard of the UN when it comes to their nuclear ambitions. Isn't it about time America showed a little backbone to these thugs?
Opposition group: Iran behind 80 percent of terror attacks in world
Iran opposition group releases detailed brief on Tehran's Qods Force, an 'international Islamic army' exporting attacks worldwide
Iran is behind 80 percent of terror attacks around the world, and uses its elite Qods Force to export and coordinate attacks, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) said in a brief released Tuesday.
The NCRI is an umbrella group of Iranian opposition groups in exile, and its stated goal is to overthrow the Iranian government of Ayatollah Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In 2003, the US State Department added the NCRI to its list of banned terrorist organizations, and froze the organization's assets.
In its brief, the NCRI claimed to disclose the locations of central bases within Iran of the Qods Force, such as the "Imam Ali Training base," described as "one of the most important training bases." The location was given as "north of Tehran, in Alborz Kouh Street."
Another alleged location given in the brief is the "Khomeini Training base," said to be "located on Khavaran-Semnan highway, before reaching Pakdasht Township. Col. Rezai is the commander of the base, where a large number of foreign forces from Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine are being currently trained."
'Iran behind 80 percent of world terrorism'
In its statement, the NCRI said that "Tehran has the most extensive terror network in the world. It is responsible for some 80 percent of all major terror attacks - directly or indirectly - in the past two decades. Tehran has by far been the most sophisticated, well-funded state-sponsor of terrorism in the world."
Iran's Qods (Jerusalem) Force was the Islamic Republic's vehicle for exporting attacks around the world, the NCRI added.
"The Qods Force is the most secretive, elite, and skilled unit of the Iranian regime's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Formed in 1990, it is now responsible for all the extraterritorial activities of the Iranian regime, namely all terror attacks abroad," the NCRI said.
According to the brief, Qods Force commander, "Brig. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, directly reports to the regime's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei."
'Iran's embassies are terror coordination centers'
The brief included detailed alleged operational information on how Iranian embassies around the world are being used to coordinate Qods Force activities and terrorist operations.
"Final coordination of the Qods Force's activities around the world and provision of the appropriate diplomatic or other cover for its agents, the use of diplomatic facilities and immunities that facilitate receiving supplies and messages, weapons and military equipment for its terrorist agents fall within the responsibilities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tehran's embassies," the NCRI said.
Formed with the aim of creating "an international Islamic army," the Qods Force "has 12 directorates, as well as "International Affairs Units" in "Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Syria, Middle East, Russia, Africa, and Europe," the brief added.
It said the force also "trains non-Iranian terrorist forces… from Pakistan, Morocco, Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine and other Middle East countries. The training is provided to groups of 40 to 50 persons. The Force has dozens of garrisons across Iran in which it trains its non-Iranian operatives."
From the brief
The following are some of the locations of Qods Force bases and information on its garrisons contained in the brief:
"A. Imam Ali Training base. It is one of the most important training bases and is located north of Tehran, in Alborz Kouh Street .
B. Khomeini Training base. It is located on Khavaran-Semnan highway, before reaching Pakdasht Township. Col. Rezai is the commander of the base, where a large number of foreign forces from Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine are being currently trained.
C. Bahonar base. It is located on Chalous highway, near Karaj Dam. This is also among one of the most important training centers.
D. Qods Training Center in Nahavand. It is located 45km from the town of Nahavand, west of Iran . Foreign forces, including those from Lebanon and Afghanistan are trained here.
E. Qom 's Beit ol-Moghadas University in the city of Qom .
F. Training center in Tehran's Farahzad district.
G. Training center on Damavand highway.
H. Hezbollah Base in Varamin, southeast of Tehran.
I. Madani Base in Dezful, (southwest Iran ).
J. Bisotoun Base in Kermanshah, (western Iran).
K. Tangeh Kenesht Base in Kermanshah (western Iran).
L. Ghayour Training Base in Ahwaz (southwest Iran).
The Qods Force has six major garrisons along Iran's borders with other countries. They are tasked with following up terrorist operations in the neighboring countries. They are:
A. Ramadan Garrison (First Corps) in Kermanshah (west). Mission: Iraq.
B. Nabi-Akram Garrison (Second Corps) in Zahedan (southeast). Mission: Pakistan.
C. Hamza Garrison (Third Corps) in Orumieh (northwest). Mission: Turkey.
D. Ansar Garrison (Fourth Corps) in Mashad (northeast). Mission: Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Terrorist Units.
In addition to the six garrisons, the Force has several other corps, including:
A. The Sixth Corps. Mission: Persian Gulf states.
B. The Seventh Corps. Mission: Lebanon and Syria.
C. The Eighth Corps. Mission: African States.
D. The Ninth Corps. Mission: Europe and the United States."
UPDATE: Although the watered-down sanctions may have little short term impact on Iran's nuclear ambitions and terror sponsorship, there is a glimmer of hope that some of the financial sanctions just might have a positive long-term impact (that is, if the Russians and Chinese do not allow the Iranians to circumvent them). As Captain Ed reports:
Iran has acknowledged that its oil industry has fallen on hard times, and guess who they blame for their troubles? The Great Satan, this time, might not mind:
The fact that they even offer this as an excuse demonstrates the tough economic position in which the existing sanctions from the US has placed Iran. Even with the weak-kneed sanctions offered by the UN this week, those woes will only increase. As the economic noose tightens, the Iranians -- who by and large oppose Ahmadinejad's excessive provocations -- will start preparing political nooses, or perhaps even real nooses, if their disaffection grows large enough.
An internal removal of the mullahcracy and the establishment of a real democracy offers the safest and most effective path to prevent nuclear proliferation. The US and the West should insist on strict enforcement of the economic sanctions to expedite this development and to thoroughly discredit the theocracy that placed Iran in this poor position. At this rate, it looks like Iran will be unable to export oil by 2015, but their final economic collapse will happen long before that. If we can remain firm, we could avoid a lot of the bloodshed that would accompany our other options to stop Iran's nukes. (via It Shines For All).
And so once again reality sets in when it comes to the impotency of State Department's 'realist diplomacy' in changing the behavior of a rogue state which shows no qualms whatsoever about openly targeting American interests, funding and equipping our enemies and murdering American forces in the field, and bragging about their open disregard of the UN when it comes to their nuclear ambitions. Isn't it about time America showed a little backbone to these thugs?
Opposition group: Iran behind 80 percent of terror attacks in world
Iran opposition group releases detailed brief on Tehran's Qods Force, an 'international Islamic army' exporting attacks worldwide
Iran is behind 80 percent of terror attacks around the world, and uses its elite Qods Force to export and coordinate attacks, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) said in a brief released Tuesday.
The NCRI is an umbrella group of Iranian opposition groups in exile, and its stated goal is to overthrow the Iranian government of Ayatollah Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In 2003, the US State Department added the NCRI to its list of banned terrorist organizations, and froze the organization's assets.
In its brief, the NCRI claimed to disclose the locations of central bases within Iran of the Qods Force, such as the "Imam Ali Training base," described as "one of the most important training bases." The location was given as "north of Tehran, in Alborz Kouh Street."
Another alleged location given in the brief is the "Khomeini Training base," said to be "located on Khavaran-Semnan highway, before reaching Pakdasht Township. Col. Rezai is the commander of the base, where a large number of foreign forces from Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine are being currently trained."
'Iran behind 80 percent of world terrorism'
In its statement, the NCRI said that "Tehran has the most extensive terror network in the world. It is responsible for some 80 percent of all major terror attacks - directly or indirectly - in the past two decades. Tehran has by far been the most sophisticated, well-funded state-sponsor of terrorism in the world."
Iran's Qods (Jerusalem) Force was the Islamic Republic's vehicle for exporting attacks around the world, the NCRI added.
"The Qods Force is the most secretive, elite, and skilled unit of the Iranian regime's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Formed in 1990, it is now responsible for all the extraterritorial activities of the Iranian regime, namely all terror attacks abroad," the NCRI said.
According to the brief, Qods Force commander, "Brig. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, directly reports to the regime's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei."
'Iran's embassies are terror coordination centers'
The brief included detailed alleged operational information on how Iranian embassies around the world are being used to coordinate Qods Force activities and terrorist operations.
"Final coordination of the Qods Force's activities around the world and provision of the appropriate diplomatic or other cover for its agents, the use of diplomatic facilities and immunities that facilitate receiving supplies and messages, weapons and military equipment for its terrorist agents fall within the responsibilities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tehran's embassies," the NCRI said.
Formed with the aim of creating "an international Islamic army," the Qods Force "has 12 directorates, as well as "International Affairs Units" in "Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Syria, Middle East, Russia, Africa, and Europe," the brief added.
It said the force also "trains non-Iranian terrorist forces… from Pakistan, Morocco, Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine and other Middle East countries. The training is provided to groups of 40 to 50 persons. The Force has dozens of garrisons across Iran in which it trains its non-Iranian operatives."
From the brief
The following are some of the locations of Qods Force bases and information on its garrisons contained in the brief:
"A. Imam Ali Training base. It is one of the most important training bases and is located north of Tehran, in Alborz Kouh Street .
B. Khomeini Training base. It is located on Khavaran-Semnan highway, before reaching Pakdasht Township. Col. Rezai is the commander of the base, where a large number of foreign forces from Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine are being currently trained.
C. Bahonar base. It is located on Chalous highway, near Karaj Dam. This is also among one of the most important training centers.
D. Qods Training Center in Nahavand. It is located 45km from the town of Nahavand, west of Iran . Foreign forces, including those from Lebanon and Afghanistan are trained here.
E. Qom 's Beit ol-Moghadas University in the city of Qom .
F. Training center in Tehran's Farahzad district.
G. Training center on Damavand highway.
H. Hezbollah Base in Varamin, southeast of Tehran.
I. Madani Base in Dezful, (southwest Iran ).
J. Bisotoun Base in Kermanshah, (western Iran).
K. Tangeh Kenesht Base in Kermanshah (western Iran).
L. Ghayour Training Base in Ahwaz (southwest Iran).
The Qods Force has six major garrisons along Iran's borders with other countries. They are tasked with following up terrorist operations in the neighboring countries. They are:
A. Ramadan Garrison (First Corps) in Kermanshah (west). Mission: Iraq.
B. Nabi-Akram Garrison (Second Corps) in Zahedan (southeast). Mission: Pakistan.
C. Hamza Garrison (Third Corps) in Orumieh (northwest). Mission: Turkey.
D. Ansar Garrison (Fourth Corps) in Mashad (northeast). Mission: Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Terrorist Units.
In addition to the six garrisons, the Force has several other corps, including:
A. The Sixth Corps. Mission: Persian Gulf states.
B. The Seventh Corps. Mission: Lebanon and Syria.
C. The Eighth Corps. Mission: African States.
D. The Ninth Corps. Mission: Europe and the United States."
UPDATE: Although the watered-down sanctions may have little short term impact on Iran's nuclear ambitions and terror sponsorship, there is a glimmer of hope that some of the financial sanctions just might have a positive long-term impact (that is, if the Russians and Chinese do not allow the Iranians to circumvent them). As Captain Ed reports:
Iran has acknowledged that its oil industry has fallen on hard times, and guess who they blame for their troubles? The Great Satan, this time, might not mind:
Thanks for confirming the receipt of our messsage, Vaziri! Their own government has made it clear that they see us as an enemy at conferences where attendees were asked by their president to imagine a world without America and Israel. I guess imagining that would also imagine a world without the spare parts they need to fix their production issues at their oilfields.Oil Minister Kazem Vaziri Hamaneh has lamented that the development of Iran's oil industry was suffering from US pressure. "Iran has been under different sanctions for years and many companies have not been able to cooperate with our country for fear of US pressures," Vaziri Hamaneh said, according to the semi-official news agency Fars on Tuesday.
"They even do not easily deliver some dual-purpose equipment that we had previously bought. They cause trouble for us under different pretexts," he said.
The fact that they even offer this as an excuse demonstrates the tough economic position in which the existing sanctions from the US has placed Iran. Even with the weak-kneed sanctions offered by the UN this week, those woes will only increase. As the economic noose tightens, the Iranians -- who by and large oppose Ahmadinejad's excessive provocations -- will start preparing political nooses, or perhaps even real nooses, if their disaffection grows large enough.
An internal removal of the mullahcracy and the establishment of a real democracy offers the safest and most effective path to prevent nuclear proliferation. The US and the West should insist on strict enforcement of the economic sanctions to expedite this development and to thoroughly discredit the theocracy that placed Iran in this poor position. At this rate, it looks like Iran will be unable to export oil by 2015, but their final economic collapse will happen long before that. If we can remain firm, we could avoid a lot of the bloodshed that would accompany our other options to stop Iran's nukes. (via It Shines For All).
