Qods Force 'acting like a nation-state-backed terrorist organization' - US general

Long War Journal - Threat Matrix ^ | November 2, 2009 1:05 PM | Bill Roggio

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The Air Force Times' Sean Naylor scored an interview with Major General Mike Flynn, director of intelligence for General Stanley McChrystal, the commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan. There isn't a lot new here to longtime readers of The Long War Journal and Threat Matrix. Flynn gives an overview of the Taliban groups, notes that al Qaeda operatives serve as combat enablers for the Taliban, estimates Taliban forces in Afghanistan at between 19,000 to 27,000 fighters, and said Pakistan remains a major haven for the Taliban and al Qaeda.

Of particular interest are Flynn's comments on Iran and the role of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and Qods Force in Afghanistan. There is one small quibble, which I will note at the end.

“They are conducting intelligence operations,” he said, adding that the Qods Force was “playing games on both sides [of the Afghan-Pakistan border] that are very dangerous.”

The Qods Force was “probably” doing things in Afghanistan that were getting coalition troops killed, including providing weapons to insurgents and training the Taliban, he said.

U.S. forces in Afghanistan have not captured any Qods Force operatives, but “the Afghans have captured Iranians,” Flynn said, referring to four Iranians caught smuggling small arms in Nimruz in July. Asked if his people were “beating down the door” to interrogate the Iranians, Flynn answered “Yes,” before adding, “We have had great cooperation with the Afghans.”

[SolidWood]

Bush had the Revolutionary Guards (incl. Qods Force) declared as a terrorist organisation... whatever happened to that? Has Bambam retracted?

BTW some info on the "Qods Force":

Qods (Jerusalem) Force

Aprox. 5000-20,000 members, 10,000 of them Lebanese, Palestinian, Iraqi, Afghan, Gulf Arab and Kashmiri foreigners.

Reputed to be led by a certain Qasem Soleimani.

Has connections to islamist terror groups in the Middle East, Caucasus and Balkans and leftist terrorist groups like the Japanese Red Army, PKK and Armenian Secret Army.

Essentially the "foreign ops" arm of the Revolutionary Guards.

[cranked]

The IRGC, specifically its Quds force, is still listed or designated as a foreign terrorist organization or a “specially designated global terrorist” entity.

[piasa]

flynn