Ex-Revolutionary Guards General Reveals Dissent Within Elite Iranian Force

THE GUARDIAN: Former senior officer accuses Khamenei of having 'blood on his hands' and questions intentions over nuclear programme

A former general of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards has accused the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, of having blood on his hands over the brutal crackdown on the opposition, and described government claims that its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful as a "sheer lie".

In a letter to prominent opposition activist Mohammad Nourizad (website in Farsi), the former officer gives a rare glimpse of political dissent within the ranks of the elite force in charge of the nuclear programme and Khamenei's personal security.

Identified only by his initials, the general says that he and a number of his colleagues were threatened with execution for disloyalty and then – after a series of secret courts-martial – dismissed "because we refused to participate in the betrayals and the crimes committed by our seniors".

"I'm writing this letter to you to tell our people that there are still many generals and members of staff within the Revolutionary Guards who are opposed to these crimes and are waiting to join the people," the letter reads. » | Saeed Kamali Dehghan | Thursday, July 12, 2012

Hillary Clinton Claims Iran Is Becoming 'Military Dictatorship'
THE TELEGRAPH: Hillary Clinton has accused Iran of becoming a "military dictatorship" with a scathing attack on the growing influence of the country's powerful Revolutionary Guard.

In a clear signal Washington intends to make Iran's military hierarchy the prime target of a new round of United Nations sanctions, the US Secretary of State warned the elite unit had effectively mounted a silent coup.

"We see that the government of Iran, the supreme leader, the president, the parliament [are] being supplanted and that Iran is moving towards a military dictatorship," she said in a blunt assessment delivered to students in Qatar during a three-day tour of the Arabian peninsula.

"I fear the rise of the influence and power of the Revolutionary Guard poses a very direct threat to everyone."

The Revolutionary Guard is viewed by many as the dominant political, economic and military force in the country. With over 120,000 men under its command, it has become the bedrock of the Iranian regime, protecting Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the country's president who was once a Guard officer himself.

Since Mr Ahmadinejad's controversial re-election last June, it has further cemented its power by using its feared Basij paramilitary wing to lead the suppression of protests by the opposition's so-called Green Movement.

So brutal were the Basij's tactics that Britain and France yesterday led calls demanding an independent investigation into the post-election violence amid renewed allegations of widespread torture and even extrajudicial execution of political dissidents. Besides its political influence, the Revolutionary Guard has also caused international alarm because of its control over Iran's missile programme.

More than half of the Iranian cabinet is filled with ex-Guard veterans, and US National Security Adviser James Jones has said sanctions against it could "well trigger regime change" in Iran.

But It [sic] is the Revolutionary Guard's vast commercial empire that will be in America's sights for sanctions. >>> Adrian Blomfield, Middle East Correspondent | Monday, February 15, 2010

Iran Report: Security Forces Open Fire at Protesters
YNET NEWS: Hundreds of protesters gather near parliament building Wednesday afternoon, unofficial reports say. Rally violently broken off by Revolutionary Guard forces firing tear gas, live bullets at crowd. One woman reportedly wounded

Security forces in Iran violently clashed with protesters near parliament house in the capital of Tehran Wednesday afternoon, unofficial reports said.

Police officers are said to have used live ammunition against the crowd attending a rally protesting the disputed election results. According to one report, a young woman has been shot by security forces and could not be evacuated to a hospital.

Other protesters have been beaten with batons and the cellular network in the area has been completely cut off, to prevent participants from reporting about the violence or send images to others.

Sources in Tehran said that the protesters attempted to move towards Baharestan Square near parliament while holding hands. Many were wearing black bracelets in memory of Neda Soltani, the young woman who was shot to death by security forces last Saturday and became a symbol for the opposition's struggle. Other carried pictures of Soltani, or candles. >>> Dudi Cohen | Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Map of Tehran: Courtesy of the BBC
TIMES ONLINE: Riot Police Crush Protests in Tehran Amid Allegations of Brutality

It was a far cry from the massive demonstrations of last week. Today, just a few hundred protesters converged on Baharestan Square, opposite the Iranian Parliament, and they were brutally repulsed.

It was an exercise in courageous futility, not a contest. Thousands of riot police and militiamen flooded the area. They used teargas, batons and overwhelming force. Helicopters hovered overhead. Nobody was allowed to stop or to gather, let alone exercise their constitutional right to protest.

A video clip posted on YouTube showed young men and women, their faces concealed behind bandanas, throwing stones by a burning barricade and chanting “Death to the Dictator”.

Twitter was flooded with lurid messages. “They pull away the dead — like factory — no human can do this,” said one. “They catch people with mobile — so many killed today — so many injured,” said another. “In Baharestan we saw militia with axe chopping ppl like meat — blood everywhere,” said a third.

There was no way of confirming such reports. It was unclear how many people were injured and arrested, or whether anyone was killed. The handful of foreign reporters left in Tehran are barred from rallies, and all but the bravest Iranians now steer well clear of them.

All that can be said for certain is the regime has finally recaptured the streets through strength of numbers and the unrestrained use of violence. Thirty years after the Iranian revolution it no longer rules with consent, but with military might, and it is cracking down with all means at its disposal.

“Neither the system nor the people will give in to pressures at any price,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, declared on state-controlled television today. “I will insist on implementation of the law.”

Saeed Mortazavi, an Iranian prosecutor notorious for his abuse of prisoners, has been put in charge of arresting and investigating dissidents. >>> Martin Fletcher | Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Iranian Forces Ready to Clear Country of 'Hooligans'
CNN: TEHRAN, Iran -- Iranian protesters who "disturb the peace and stand up to security forces" will be considered a threat to the regime and will be met with a strong response, the country's Revolutionary Guard warned Monday.

"The guardians of the Islamic revolution and the courageous Basiji together with the security forces following the orders of the supreme leader and following him unquestioningly, are determined to act strongly to return peace and tranquility to society ... and to clean the country of these plotters and hooligans," the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement, according to Iran's state-run news agency, IRNA.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard is directly under the control of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and enforces the government's Islamic codes and morality. It was initially created to protect the leaders of the revolution, but over the years, it has broadened its scope. With more than 200,000 members, it is tasked with overseeing the country's crucial interests, including guarding its oil fields and missile arsenals.

The Basiji is a volunteer paramilitary force that takes orders from the Revolutionary Guard. It plays the role of de facto morality police and is often summoned to crack down on protests. It is unknown how large the force is, though estimates are in the millions.

At least 19 people were killed in clashes in Tehran on Saturday as Iranians took to the streets to protest the results of the June 12 presidential election, according to hospital sources.

Iranian-funded Press TV confirmed 13 fatalities, while unconfirmed reports put the number as high as 150. Tehran's prosecutor general's office said it has launched an investigation into the killings.

The station also said police arrested 457 people Saturday who vandalized property.

A statement purportedly from opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi on Sunday called on Iranians to "exercise self control" during protests in Tehran while still supporting their right to demonstrate against the government and the results of the election.

"The country belongs to you. The revolution and the system is your heritage," said the statement attributed to Moussavi posted on his Web site. "Protesting against lies and cheating is your right. Be hopeful about regaining your rights. Do not allow anyone who tries to make you lose hope and frighten you make you lose your temper." >>> | Monday, June 22, 2009

THE TELEGRAPH: Iran's Basij Force: The Shock Troops Terrorising Protesters

Protesters marching the streets of Tehran feared one thing more than any other: a sudden attack by the plain-clothed toughs of the Islamic Basij militia.

Armed with sticks, motorbike chains, knives and axes, the more extreme members have long been used as shock troops by the regime to cow demonstrators with brutal displays of violence.

Mounted on motorbikes, the militia's standard strategy is to charge the crowd, one man driving and another riding pillion using a truncheon to lash out at stragglers.

They have also been sent to raid university campuses, breaking bones and smashing up dormitories.

The movement - its name is Persian for "mobilisation" - began as a sort of volunteer Dad's Army, comprising old men and young boys fired with zeal during the Iran-Iraq war.

Under the command of the Revolutionary Guards, they would charge blindly across minefields with plastic keys, symbolising the martyr's entry to paradise, strung round their necks.

Officially, the Basij today number some five million: but only a fraction of its cadres are thought to be active.

Many joined simply for the benefits membership confers: an easier route to university or increased chances of promotion in government jobs.

In contrast, the armed men prowling the streets last week are a hard core, totally committed to the Supreme Leader and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. >>> By Angus McDowall | Sunday, June 21, 2009

BBC: Iran Guards Vow Protest Crackdown

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have threatened to crack down on any new street protests against the results of the country's presidential election.

In a statement, the guards vowed to react in a "revolutionary" way to suppress unauthorised demonstrations.

Reports are coming in that at least 1,000 demonstrators have gathered in a square in the centre of Tehran.

On Friday Ayatollah Ali Khamenei banned protests, prompting street violence in which at least 10 people died.

The capital has seen rallies both against and in support of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

'Revolutionary confrontation'

The Revolutionary Guards, Iran's elite security force, have close ties to the country's supreme leader.

In a statement posted on their website, they said their troops would break up street protests and force protesters from the streets.

"Be prepared for a resolution and revolutionary confrontation with the Guards, Basij [pro-government militia] and other security forces and disciplinary forces," they said.

"The Guards will firmly confront in a revolutionary way rioters and those who violate the law," they added. >>> | Monday, June 22, 2009

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Set to Join ‘US Terror List’
BBC: The US is preparing to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guards force as a foreign terrorist unit, officials say.

If confirmed, this will be the first time official armed units of a sovereign state are included in the list of banned terrorist groups.

The classification would allow the US to target the force's finances.

The US has repeatedly accused Iran of destabilising Iraq and Afghanistan, blaming the Revolutionary Guards for supplying and training insurgents.

There are currently 42 organisations on the state department's list of foreign terrorist organisations.

They include al-Qaeda, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and the Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Iran Guards ‘join US terror list’ (more)

SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL:
US Weighing Terrorist Label for Iran Guards

Mark Alexander