In unprecedented move, U.S. names Iran's Revolutionary Guards a terrorist group

[webfact]

In unprecedented move, U.S. names Iran's Revolutionary Guards a terrorist group

By Lesley Wroughton and Parisa Hafezi

 

File Photo: Members of the Iranian revolutionary guard march during a parade to commemorate the anniversary of the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88), in Tehran September 22, 2011. REUTERS/Stringer

 

WASHINGTON/DUBAI (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Monday he would name Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization, in an unprecedented step that drew Iranian condemnation and raised concerns about retaliatory attacks on U.S. forces.

 

The action by Trump, who has taken a hard line toward Iran by withdrawing from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and re-imposing broad economic sanctions, marks the first time the United States has formally labelled another nation's military a terrorist group.

 

The U.S. step, which takes effect on April 15, prompted an immediate response from Iran, whose Supreme National Security Council in turn designated U.S. military forces as a "terrorist organization," Iranian state-run TV reported.

 

"The U.S. military bases and their military forces in the region will be considered terrorist bases and terrorist forces that will be dealt with and confronted accordingly," Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Iranian state TV, calling the U.S. decision "a major strategic mistake."

 

"The IRGC is the Iranian government's primary means of directing and implementing its global terrorist campaign," Trump said in a statement. His administration has long criticized Iran for its influence in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

 

Critics of Trump's decision said it was largely symbolic because U.S. law already carried penalties of up to 20 years in prison for U.S. persons who deal with the IRGC because of its designation under another U.S. sanctions program, the U.S. Specially Designated Global Terrorist list.

 

POTENTIAL BACKLASH

Senior U.S. military commanders share Trump's concerns about Iran and the IRGC but long opposed the designation due to concern over a potential backlash against U.S. forces in the Middle East and the problems it could create for U.S. partners who have a relationship with Iran, U.S. officials say.

 

The Pentagon declined to discuss what the U.S. military was doing to protect American troops from any retaliation by the IRGC or Iran-aligned militia in places like Iraq.

 

U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the designation did not mean the U.S. military would start treating the IRGC like al Qaeda, Islamic State or other militants that it can target at will.

 

"This is not about going to war with Iran or killing a bunch of Iranians. Absolutely not," said one, adding the U.S. military had not been given any new direction to "go after" Iranian forces.

 

Three Iranian officials said that despite Tehran's harsh rhetoric, Iran's reaction will be "diplomatic and mild."

 

Jason Blazakis, a former State Department official who oversaw the process for labelling foreign terrorist organizations, said he believed the IRGC designation was done for purely symbolic and domestic political reasons that could have deadly consequences for U.S. troops.

 

He said it could prompt Qassem Soleimani, the powerful commander of the Quds Force, the IRGC's elite foreign espionage and paramilitary contingent, to allow IRGC-controlled Shi'ite Muslim militias to retaliate against U.S. forces in Iraq.

 

"I imagine that tight leash he (Soleimani) has had on them (Shi'ite militias) will be less tight. He could call for them to take actions against U.S. assets in places like Baghdad's Green Zone," he continued, referring to the Iraqi capital's diplomatic and governmental enclave.

 

The only "theoretical benefit" the designation could provide is to make it slightly easier for the Justice Department to prosecute people for providing "material support" to the IRGC, he said. The Department already has the authority for similar prosecutions under an executive order signed by President George W. Bush soon after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks by al Qaeda.

 

GUARDS' HUGE INFLUENCE

The IRGC is in charge of Iran's ballistic missile and nuclear programs. Tehran has warned that it has missiles with a range of up to 2,000 km (1,242 miles), putting Israel and U.S. military bases in the region within reach.

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is up for reelection on Tuesday, warmly welcomed the designation and tweeted "Thank you, my dear friend, U.S. President Donald Trump... for meeting another of my important requests."

 

Set up after Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution to protect the Shi'ite clerical ruling system, the Guards have great sway in Iran's political system, controlling swathes of the economy and armed forces.

 

Their involvement in Iran's banking and shipping industries could complicate matters with U.S. allies including the European Union. The new designation makes it easier to prosecute EU or other companies or individuals that do business with Iran.

 

The Iranian currency weakened on Monday, falling to 143,000 rials to the U.S. dollar from Sunday's rate of 138,000 rials, according to the website Mesghal.com.

 

The United States has already blacklisted dozens of entities and people for affiliations with the IRGC, but not the organization as a whole.

 

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a strident critic of Iran, has pushed for the change in U.S. policy as part of the Trump administration's tough posture toward Tehran.

 

"This designation is a direct response to an outlaw regime and should surprise no one," Pompeo said.

 

The State Department said on Monday the IRGC has been engaged in terrorist activity since its inception, including the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 Americans, and a foiled plan to attack the Saudi ambassador to the United States on U.S. soil.

 

Previous administrations considered designating the entire IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization but decided the risk to U.S. forces overseas was too great, former U.S. officials said.

 

(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton in Washington and Parisa Hafezi in Dubai; additional reporting by Jeff Mason, Arshad Mohammed, Jonathan Landay, Phil Stewart in Washington; and by Dan Williams in Jerusalem; Writing by Doina Chiacu and Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Alistair Bell and Sandra Maler)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-04-09

[mania]

While all US Presidents have usually suffered being Israel's shield ...This one has gone full lap dog

 

[malagateddy]

But remember this..if hilary clinton had won .. america would have went gung ho into syria.

Sent from my SM-G7102 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[fxe1200]

And vice versa. Iran named the US army a terrorist group and added it to their terrorist blacklist.

 

Why conceal half of the news TV?

[car720]

2 hours ago, mania said:

While all US Presidents have usually suffered being Israel's shield ...This one has gone full lap dog

 

indeed.  The word pathetic comes to mind.

[bristolboy]

9 minutes ago, fxe1200 said:

And vice versa. Iran named the US army a terrorist group and added it to their terrorist blacklist.

 

Why conceal half of the news TV?

And did that happen before or after the US declared the Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization? That's quite a lame point you've raised.

 

[fxe1200]

5 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

And did that happen before or after the US declared the Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization? That's quite a lame point you've raised.

 

The same day.

[bristolboy]

On 4/9/2019 at 8:54 AM, fxe1200 said:

The same day.

The question was did it happen before or after? In your worlse is the smallest unit of time 1 day?

Iran designates U.S. military forces as 'terrorist' group: state TV

 

Iran’s top security council has designated U.S. military forces a “terrorist organization” in reaction to Washington’s decision to blacklist Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist group.

“Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has labeled American military forces as terrorist organization,” Iran’s state-run TV reported on Monday.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-iran-guards/iran-designates-us-military-forces-as-terrorist-group-state-tv-idUSKCN1RK1W2

Edited April 10, 2019 by metisdead
Oversize font reset to normal, again.

[newatthis]

2 hours ago, malagateddy said:

But remember this..if hilary clinton had won .. america would have went gung ho into syria.

Sent from my SM-G7102 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

And if yesterday was Sunday, today would be Monday. Whoopee Doo

[Nigel Garvie]

2 hours ago, fxe1200 said:

And vice versa. Iran named the US army a terrorist group and added it to their terrorist blacklist.

 

Why conceal half of the news TV?

Just name the vile orange chump a terrorist group of one, and add in the IDF - make my day.

 

[Galactus]

another bs from Trump America.

naming another sovereign country's army as a terrorist group!

just to create more problems and tension in middle east.

now, Israel got a lot of courage form this fascist trump and his USA and they are planning to annex all the occupied land stolen by Israel from Palestine!

more bloodshed is coming and USrale lives in denial. they have no chance in that region if all those muslim middle east countries unite against.

they think US will support them forever. nope, they just use Israel and jews for their own agenda.

[Srikcir]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

President Donald Trump said on Monday he would name Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization

Might certain Middle East countries name Israel Defense Force as a terrorist organization using the same criteria as Trump?

[CGW]

Bet old "Bomber Bolton" has his sticky fingers in this, war or nothing is his obvious agenda, if you have to change the rules - so be it! 

[roobaa01]

according to al jazeera iran has reached lease agreement with syria to use mediterranean port facilities commercially and militarily which ismuch more worrisome.

 

wbr

roobaa01

[Nigel Garvie]

18 minutes ago, roobaa01 said:

according to al jazeera iran has reached lease agreement with syria to use mediterranean port facilities commercially and militarily which ismuch more worrisome.

 

wbr

roobaa01

Why worry, Iran is Shia, as are a minority of Syrians, and Lebanese.  They are all in the minority in the Muslim world surrounded by Sunni enemies (Like the US's lovely friends Al Qaeda). US and UK will lick the Saudi jackboot any day of the week for a share of their oil, and weapons sales.

[ravip]

5 hours ago, fxe1200 said:

And vice versa. Iran named the US army a terrorist group and added it to their terrorist blacklist.

 

Why conceal half of the news TV?

Now who is correct? That's the million $ question.

The US army or the Iran army? Who has devastated countries and massacred more?

[ThaiFelix]

1 hour ago, CGW said:

Bet old "Bomber Bolton" has his sticky fingers in this, war or nothing is his obvious agenda, if you have to change the rules - so be it! 

Bolton, as a neo-conservative, needs to keep finding imaginary bogeymen under the beds in order to feed the US propaganda machine to keep the people living in fear.

[CGW]

4 minutes ago, ThaiFelix said:

Bolton, as a neo-conservative, needs to keep finding imaginary bogeymen under the beds in order to feed the US propaganda machine to keep the people living in fear.

Bolton was one of the founder members of the PNAC (Project for the New American Century) as you state he is a neo conservative, since the writing which is a long term foreign policy with the ultimate aim being to promote American leadership worldwide, the usual suspects are also members including off course Cheney, Rumsfield, Wofowitz etc. He seems to be bound and determined to carry out the agreed policy, he is doing well - with help off course...................

[cryo]

7 hours ago, mania said:

While all US Presidents have usually suffered being Israel's shield ...This one has gone full lap dog

 

America is producing all of its own oil and even exporting so it no longer needs to keep the middle east sweet. This is why the Jerusalem embassy and the Goalan heights issues have suddenly disappeared from Americas don't touch or get involved brief. You will see many more issues like this sorted and not as previously pushed under the table. America importing oil = the middle east very strong whist America exporting oil = the middle east very weak.

 

Ken.

 

[car720]

4 hours ago, bendejo said:

There is some dirty business between DT and Iran going back some years.  Looks like he's trying to create some distance.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/08/21/trumps-business-of-corruption

 

 

 

and what about the correlation between Iran, Trump and Huawei??

[fxe1200]

7 hours ago, bristolboy said:

And did that happen before or after the US declared the Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization? That's quite a lame point you've raised.

 

...better a lame point, than none!

[Jingthing]

This is so obviously just a tactic by 45 to help keep Bibi in power. It will likely work.

 

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

 

[observer90210]

Many a country in the world with big mouth politics or extremist policies, should it be in the Middle East or in the West, has it's quota of covert or non covert operatives,  to do the dirty work of their respective governances.

[from the home of CC]

when the dust finally settles in Yemen, I believe they probably will have wished they labelled the Saudi forces in the same light..

[ravip]

20 hours ago, ravip said:

Now who is correct? That's the million $ question.

The US army or the Iran army? Who has devastated countries and massacred more?

Seems there is an answer >>> Article

[mikebike]

21 hours ago, roobaa01 said:

according to al jazeera iran has reached lease agreement with syria to use mediterranean port facilities commercially and militarily which ismuch more worrisome.

 

wbr

roobaa01

Why?

[Jingthing]

4 minutes ago, ravip said:

Seems there is an answer >>> Article

Warning -- only click on the above link if you want to read Iranian regime propaganda. To ravip -- if you're going to post explicit propaganda like that, it would be more ethical if you included the entire link rather than a mystery meat link. It's from Press tv (Iran regime controlled). 

[ravip]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

Warning -- only click on the above link if you want to read Iranian regime propaganda. To ravip -- if you're going to post explicit propaganda like that, it would be more ethical if you included the entire link rather than a mystery meat link. It's from Press tv (Iran regime controlled). 

Sorry, I dont understand you. Please explain.

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, ravip said:

Sorry, I dont understand you. Please explain.

You link to Iranian regime propaganda without labeling it as such and you don't understand? OK. That makes sense.

[mikebike]

3 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Warning -- only click on the above link if you want to read Iranian regime propaganda. To ravip -- if you're going to post explicit propaganda like that, it would be more ethical if you included the entire link rather than a mystery meat link. It's from Press tv (Iran regime controlled). 

I read it. Seems to be a reasonable counterpoint to US media propaganda.