Iranian Unit to Be Labeled 'Terrorist' - U.S. Moving Against Revolutionary Guard

The Washington Post ^ | August 15, 2007 | Robin Wright

[RDTF]

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.

The designation of the Revolutionary Guard will be made under Executive Order 13224, which President Bush signed two weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to obstruct terrorist funding. It authorizes the United States to identify individuals, businesses, charities and extremist groups engaged in terrorist activities. The Revolutionary Guard would be the first national military branch included on the list, U.S. officials said -- a highly unusual move because it is part of a government, rather than a typical non-state terrorist organization.

[RDTF]

ping

[lexington minuteman 1775]

tick...tick...tick...time is running out on the mullah’s!

[captjanaway]

Wonder what President Mahmoud Iminajihad is going to think about this.....

[DoughtyOne]

You know, it has driven me crazy from the start that we haven’t closed the border between Iraq and it’s three neighbors, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Iran. Just close the darned borders, then let the mullah truckers stew in their own sauces.

[RDTF]

“Iminajihad”

lol good one. I call him “Imanutjob”

[skinkinthegrass]

.

[Rennes Templar]

I think there’d be a small (or not so small) riot if we closed Iraq’s borders while ours still leak like a sieve.

[rockinqsranch]

“[The designation] will convince many in Iran’s elite that there’s no point in talking with us and that the only thing that will satisfy us is regime change.”

Works for me.

[Tennessean4Bush]

close the darned borders

It is not in the Bush family DNA to close a border. Any border.

[bobby.223]

Imahandjob works for me.

[bubman]

he probly won’t know since it won’t be printed in the NYSlime!!

[knyteflyte3]

bttt

[hole_n_one]

Iminajihad gets my vote.

[tobyhill]

What is this going to accomplish since we’ve severed ties with Iran 30 years ago?

[Screamname]

[kabar]

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

What congressional pressure? Congress has been trying to pass resoltutions preventing the President from launching any attacks against Iran without its permission. It sounds like people are starting to realize that we are in a very strategic position in Iraq vis-a-vis Iran. The WOT will not be won without regime change in Iran.

[DCPatriot]

Specifying a unit and not their entire military makes the Revolutionary Guards Corp., no different than Al Quada.

In that sense they could take them out without asking the UN (only 15 months left)

[kabar]

The key obstacle to stronger international pressure against Tehran has been China, Iran's largest trading partner. After the Iranian government refused to comply with two U.N. Security Council resolutions dealing with its nuclear program, Beijing balked at a U.S. proposal for a resolution that would have sanctioned the Revolutionary Guard, U.S. officials said.

Therein lies the rub.

[doug from upland]

Tammy Bruce calls him Amadinnerjacket.