[Dean's World] Dave Price: U.S. To Declare Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps A Terrorist Group

[notify at powerblogs.com]

Posted by Dave Price:
U.S. To Declare Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps A Terrorist Group
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1187146286.shtml


   A kind of [1]declaration of war?

     The United States has decided to designate Iran's Revolutionary
     Guard Corps, the country's 125,000-strong elite military branch, as
     a "specially designated global terrorist," according to U.S.
     officials, a move that allows Washington to target the group's
     business operations and finances.
     The Bush administration has chosen to move against the
     Revolutionary Guard Corps because of what U.S. officials have
     described as its growing involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan as
     well as its support for extremists throughout the Middle East, the
     sources said. The decision follows congressional pressure on the
     administration to toughen its stance against Tehran, as well as
     U.S. frustration with the ineffectiveness of U.N. resolutions
     against Iran's nuclear program, officials said.

   Well, that's interesting. And kudos to Dems if the part about
   "congressional pressure" is true and refers to them.
   Apparently the IRGC have fingers in a lot of pies:

     "They are heavily involved in everything from pharmaceuticals to
     telecommunications and pipelines -- even the new Imam Khomeini
     Airport and a great deal of smuggling," said Ray Takeyh of the
     Council on Foreign Relations. "Many of the front companies engaged
     in procuring nuclear technology are owned and run by the
     Revolutionary Guards. They're developing along the lines of the
     Chinese military, which is involved in many business enterprises.
     It's a huge business conglomeration."

   Iran cannot be allowed to kill our soldiers with impunity, but a
   full-scale war or bombing raids would be a disproportionate response
   and could be counterproductive in terms of undermining Iran's fascist
   mullahs domestically. This is a measured step in the right direction,
   and bolsters the case of Iranian reformers who argue the mullahs are
   turning Iran into a pariah state.

References

   1. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR2007081401662_pf.html