The step “recognizes the reality that Iran is not only a State Sponsor of Terrorism, but that the IRGC actively participates in, finances, and promotes terrorism as a tool of statecraft.”
That is true, as The Complete Infidel’s Guide to Iran shows in detail. This is a welcome recognition of reality and a repudiation of the polite fictions that have hamstrung U.S. foreign policy for decades, and continue to do so to a tremendous degree.
“Trump designates elite Iranian military force as a terrorist organization,” by Nicole Gaouette, CNN, April 8, 2019:
Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump announced Monday the US will formally designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, a move some in the administration had opposed over concerns about potential risks to US troops in the Middle East.
The step “recognizes the reality that Iran is not only a State Sponsor of Terrorism, but that the IRGC actively participates in, finances, and promotes terrorism as a tool of statecraft,” Trump said in a statement that described the IRGC as “the Iranian government’s primary means of directing and implementing its global terrorist campaign.”
Administration officials said the move is a response to Iran’s destabilizing behavior across the Middle East, including support for the regime in Syria, Houthi rebels in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as for assassination plots in Europe and the US.The announcement aims to drive a stake through the heart of a central institution in Iran. Formed after the Islamic revolution in 1979, the IRGC is not only Iran’s most powerful military institution, it holds deep influence over domestic politics and the economy, with interests extending to and beyond the construction, telecommunications, auto and energy industries.
Iran responds
Beyond the internal dissent the designation triggered within the US government, the move could also increase tensions with allies, particularly Iraq, where the IRGC has ties to militias and officials, and Lebanon, where it backs Hezbollah, which is part of the government.Iran’s Supreme National Security Council responded Monday by declaring the US a “state sponsor of terrorism” and American troops operating in the region as “terrorist groups,” according to IRNA, Iran’s state-run news agency.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran declares itself in reciprocity against the unlawful and unreasonable action of the United States today, considering the United States as a terrorist sponsored government and the Central Command of the United States, CENTCOM, and all its affiliated forces as terrorist groups,” the National Security Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran said in a statement, IRNA reported.
“Obviously, the US regime will take all the responsibility for the dangerous consequences of this undertaking,” the statement said….
somehistory says
Next, declare cair a domestic terror organization and all who support it, or raise funds for it, are terrorists. And right after, declare the mb a terror org and all who fund or support it or are “children orgs” of the mb, are terrorists.
Perhaps iran has taken notice of the fact that omar and ttlaib are part of Congress…part of the “government” and…blah, blah, blah.
Along with the “guard corps” and hezbollah, they are all part of the “wild beast” satan uses to spread islam by the sword…and every other way.
underbed cat says
The visit with the Egyptian President al Sisi, if it goes well, may be a turning point for President Trump. The Egyptian President may confirm that the MB was designated as the leadership of terror groups in Egypt and had been underground until the breakout welcome speech from the previous administration that allowed them more access to operate in the U.S… The M.B. poised threats for Egypt. This could lead to changes in our administration since they have operated in the in our government as educated suited consultants, built Islamic organizations, such as muslim schools and mosques, advised military, worked in homeland security and had a lot of access to money to influence. The appearance of speaking calmly, peaceful and denying ties to jihad to blend in, but meanwhile they are developing political parties, to promote sharia law. Freedom and Justice, now that is a stretch if your educated about their islamic goals and have read harsh sharia law that will be “enforced” for all once the numbers and influence get laws passed. Either he already has a clear picture…or just confirmed it.
J D.S says
I’m glad that president Trump is declaring the Islamic Rev Guard as a terrorist group, should have been done long They have their fingers in many pies throughout the mid east and beyond
.Does anyone not believe that Mosques and Muslim schools in the U.S. and other countries are sponsored by the MB and other terrorist groups…Personally I believe that a mosque should not be allowed to be built in the U.S. unless a Church is built and /or repaired in the Muslim countries.
martin says
In a way, it does not matter who sponsors them… you wont find mosques teaching budhism.
Truth says
Great move by President Trump. Obama is probably livid.
sheliak says
Just hope the Trump administration neocons are not taking calculated baby steps toward a US attack on Iran. That would be an unmitigated disaster for america.
martin says
And hitlary scrubs iran off her list of possible places to claim asylum lol.
Buraq says
The perfect storm: economy on the rocks, Islam’s ‘brown shirts’ tagged for what they are, and next …….? Well, Islam is not a religion! Then the Mullahs will be teed-up nicely for a military knock out blow!
Clowns!
Naildriver says
Well, perhaps the USA is a ‘terrorist’ state, as no one is better at kicking ass than the USA; but the enemy is Islam not ‘terrorism’, as the propagandists have crafted these effective incidents from Islam.
This anachronistic notion that we must be above the Islamics in war is absurd, since war is a messy bloody business.
People in the West need to decide what side they are on by way of the truth — not this incessant hog wash of appeasement, collusion for ‘national interests’ and fear.
And speaking of fear, it is amazing Hillary actually stood in front of the nation and expressed her fear that if we make Muslims mad, by not allowing tens of thousands of unvetted Syrians into our country– that, in general, Muslims would be offended, and that would produce more terrorists! Well, by all means Hillary let’s all convert then, so as not to make Muslims mad at us! I say let’s really make them mad — so they show themselves as the monsters they in Mohammed’s example ARE, once and for all. Have courage, people.
The problem is, it is the collusionists and traitors as Hillary and Obama, who have confused the public to such a degree that few understand what is at stake in this clash of cultures involving billions of people.
The very future of mankind is at stake, and if the West permits Islam to be established as a credible and protected entity, then mankind is doomed to a future of insanity: a status quo of warring states forever trying to murder the inhabitants of the other, with an ever expanding nuclear proliferation.
Islam has to go.
And if Islam could be killed with the acts of a terrorist as seen in Norway or New Zealand I’d say go for it, but such moves only strengthen Islam, in this propagandist war, but the truth in this days age could really put a pox on this evil system, Islam, and rot it — but not when laws criminalize free speech.
Iran currently enjoys, among many nations and people on the left, this history where our meddling brought about an end to their attempt at ‘democracy’ and the consequential tyranny of the Shah. We should take pride in that involvement and not pretend Muslims have any capacity for running their nations in a sane fashion collectively — did you politicians not see what the popular Egyptian votes did in Egypt , Palestine or Iraq?
That history needs to be debunked, as it can be, and Islam put back into focus as the real enemy all along. The government is essential in declaring Islam the menace it is, so do write your congressman.
elee says
Hear hear! We saved them from government-mandated communist atheism in 1953, brought them an enlightened 20th-century government for a quarter of a century, and they invade our embassy, kill our people, and call us The Great Satan.
Rufolino says
They only reason they call America “the Great Satan” is that America IS great and it isn’t under the Islamic heel.
gravenimage says
Spot on, Rufolino.
gravenimage says
Naildriver wrote:
This anachronistic notion that we must be above the Islamics in war is absurd, since war is a messy bloody business.
……………….
What claptrap. We did not have to become Nazis in order to defeat the Fascists, and we don’t have to start raping women or targeting children as Muslims do in order to defend against Islam.
*Of course* we are better than pious Muslims–that is a major part of what we are defending. The idea that our defending our values is anachronistic is appalling.
Naildriver says
Your history is very poor, as much as I wish you were right. I generally like your thinking too.
No we don’t have to become Nazi, but neither do we have to submit to Islam’s terror either, with out returning it to them as a culpable entity. Islam and the adherents are as culpable as the Nazi families were for Hitler that baked apple pies.
War is horrible. It’s a nightmare and there is no sugar coating it. The allies and ‘us’ dropped the nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and carpet bombed Tokyo to a firey hell.
Shall I describe the results on men women and children — hundreds of thousands of perfectly non- military people, Graven?
You misunderstand or perhaps I misstated or used the wrong word — but, for too long we have resorted to lies and propaganda for claiming ‘national interests’ without seeing what the consequences will be, in not holding Islam itself culpable, for this jihad phenomena,– treating it on a case by case basis where Islam is always cleansed of any responsibility. The longer this continues the bloodier the inevitable conflict will be — not to mention the degradation of our society in freedoms and those values you claim we have.
gravenimage says
Naildriver wrote:
Your history is very poor, as much as I wish you were right. I generally like your thinking too.
…………………..
Well, thank you for your reply. But no, my history is not poor. Where did we have to adopt the tactics or values of the Fascists in order to defend against them? Of course, we did not.
More:
No we don’t have to become Nazi, but neither do we have to submit to Islam’s terror either, with out returning it to them as a culpable entity.
…………………..
Well, the idea that there is nothing between embracing the horrors of those we fight or submitting to them makes *no sense*. Did you forget that we *defeated* the Fascists?
More:
Islam and the adherents are as culpable as the Nazi families were for Hitler that baked apple pies.
…………………..
We fought against the Fascists, but we did not then go on to prosecute–or enslave, or murder–those who baked apple pies for the Nazis. You might want to review the Nuremberg Trials to see who was prosecuted and why.
More:
War is horrible. It’s a nightmare and there is no sugar coating it. The allies and ‘us’ dropped the nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and carpet bombed Tokyo to a firey hell.
Shall I describe the results on men women and children — hundreds of thousands of perfectly non- military people, Graven?
…………………..
This is ridiculous. I didn’t say that war was nice–just that we don’t have to embrace the savagery of our enemies to win.
The main thing was that we were focused on stopping the aggression from the Axis. After they surrendered, we did not continue to go after ordinary Germans and Japanese–only those guilty of war crimes. Despite your claims, we specifically *didn’t* go after those who had done the equivalent of baking pies for the Nazis.
More:
You misunderstand or perhaps I misstated or used the wrong word — but, for too long we have resorted to lies and propaganda for claiming ‘national interests’ without seeing what the consequences will be, in not holding Islam itself culpable, for this jihad phenomena,– treating it on a case by case basis where Islam is always cleansed of any responsibility. The longer this continues the bloodier the inevitable conflict will be — not to mention the degradation of our society in freedoms and those values you claim we have.
…………………..
*Of course* we should recognize the threat of Islam–recognizing its threat and defending against it is *very* different from our adopting its barbarism ourselves.
Naildriver says
I had no intention to say we adopt Islam’s barbarisms nor did I do so. War is hell however; and avoiding the truth of Islam’s culpability actually is corruption no better than Islam., Graven . You have twisted my meanings, and if your history isn’t poor its selective. I stand by my good post.
gravenimage says
Well, I’m glad you are not saying we should adopt Islam’s savagery, but saying “this anachronistic notion that we must be above the Islamics in war is absurd” certainly implies it.
And no–I have not twisted this meaning–although it is always possible that you meant something other than what you said.
As for history, we did not adopt Fascism in order to defeat the Fascists–we did not conquer countries and enslave their populaces; instead, we freed them. War itself is never pretty–but our fight was indeed as clean as possible.
And how am I avoiding the truth of Islam by regularly exposing it?
Islam should be isolated again, as it was for centuries–we were largely safe from Jihad during this period.
Naildriver says
I am flattered you so scrutinize my post, but you are reading into it some things that aren’t there and taking others out of context – I really don’t think we are at such a great divide here, graven.
gravenimage says
Hopefully not, Naildriver–I have always respected your posts.
Walter Sieruk says
To designate those brutal ruffians who makeup Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization is both appropriate and fitting That terrorist group [the RG] to many violent despicable and unconscionable things For one example of the many terrible things they do ,is that they have a sinister and ruthless and violent hand in holding up that rogue terror state which is that oppressive ,brutal and cruel tyrannical Islamic regime of Iran.
This heinous Islamic regime of Iran is even false in its name. For it has the title of “The Islamic Republic of Iran.” It is Islamic for sure, but its falsely called a “republic.” This is because a real Republic comes from the Latin word; res-publica meaning “The property of the people” This is one thing that this brutal and harsh Islamic tyranny is not. For the mullahs and ayatollahs who have the strong and terrible power in this Islamic have much control. Even the Iranian parliament is much influenced by those ruling Muslim clerics.
Those mullahs and ayatollahs of this Islamic dictatorship come down very hard on the human rights of the Iranian people through their ruthless gang of thugs who are called “The Republican Guard.” This is awful and despicable.
christianblood says
Walter Sieruk
Revolutionary guards and Hezbollah protect Syrian Christians from the CIA, Mosad and Saudi-backed jihadist terrorists in Syria! Watch the good talk below about it on the video below, start it from the 2:45 mark:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FditmX8qSBw
gravenimage says
I thought christianblood might show up here, claiming that Jihad terrorists’ purpose is to protect Christians from those evil Jews and Americans. Doesn’t he even realize how absurd he sounds?
I don’t have time to watch that video right now, but Marcus Papadopoulos is infamous for his hatred of Israel. He regularly bashes them for daring to give everyone medical treatment.
He is also a big friend of the appalling Islamophilic Jeremy Corbyn.
christianblood says
Graven
Dr. Marcus is a reasonable person and does not have specific hate for Israel but he is passionately anti imperialist and anti Nato.
gravenimage says
I finally had a chance to watch this video–it is from Iran’s propaganda arm, Press TV, and hosted by the appalling Kaveh Taghvai. It starts out lauding the horror of the Mullah’s takeover of Iran, and the Revolutionary Guards defense of this tyranny. We are supposed to applaud Iran hanging gay people, vowing to wipe Israel off the map, stoning women to death, and persecuting Christians.
The show approvingly notes that Iran is saying that America is terrorism, but Jihad is not.
And *of course* christianblood considers hatred for Israel to be “reasonable”–he has shown that consistently here. He screams “God bless Hezb’allah!” and celebrates their Jihad against Israel.
The other guest, Ian Williams, claims that it is instead Mossad and the CIA that are terrorist organizations–how *dare* democracies defend themselves? Bad dhimmis! He is thrilled that the Mullahs are still in power.
On his Twitter feed he sneers at concerns over antisemitism.
Williams is also a big fan of Venezuela’s starving its people. He hates democratic Taiwan still having any presence at the UN, and wants the only power to be the bloody Chinese Communists.
Then Marcus Papadopoulos makes the absurd claim–echoed by christianblood–that the purpose of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards is to protect Christians–despite their actually regularly persecuting Christians.
But christianblood is fine with this, as well–saying that all Christians persecuted in Iran are actually “American spies”. Good grief…
Walter Sieruk says
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards are rightly and justly classified as a Terrorist organization.
For example a teenage girl in Iran was talking to her boyfriend on the phone and then the Revolutionary Guard walked over to her and shot her dead. They did that wicked and malicious thing to her because she was talking to her boyfriend and they also didn’t like her clothing. [1] That was a clear cut case of murder and vicious Islamic madness by Iran’s Islamic state “ police”, who call themselves the “Revolutionary Guards”, they got away with their hideous and malice –filled evil because the mullahs as well as other villains in power in that tyrannical Islamic regime
[1] A TIME TO BETRAY by Reza Kahlili page 240
gravenimage says
Trump designates Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps a terrorist organization
……………
Excellent news!
Naildriver says
I concur, Graven.
But, it is still upon the script and narrative that Islam isn’t to be blamed; and that it is these pesky upstart dictator wannabes, and mis-guided hijackers of Islam that the USA has a problem with — not ‘good’ Muslims.
Islam is to be blamed, and both the Shia 18% and Sunni 80% which comprise over 90 percent of all Muslims aren’t different enough to say Islam is not a monolith as a belief system — (even though they murder each other too.)
The narrative that Islam is a variety of beliefs, but essentially good, has to be effectively debunked.
This latest designation that these devotees in Iran are terrorists, as always with Islam’s devotees — they find it useful too, as they dodge behind these various groups; devotees from across ethnic and racial, social and denominations, tribes, citizens and nations across the globe — all these Muslims have one source: the Koran, and set of laws: the sharia; so, Islam ultimately needs to be designated the terrorist organization — this is the crux of this war on ‘terror’. …that Islam is the enemy.
There is an old saying regarding one area of ignorance — ‘Ignorance of the law is no excuse’. This in my view applies to those who worry innocent Muslims will be caught up in a broader designation as enemies of the USA.
gravenimage says
Yes, Naildriver–there needs to be a more general recognition that it is Islam itself that this the threat, not just Al Qaeda or the Taliban or Boko Haram or Iran’s Revolutionary Guards–I agree.
Still, this is a step in the right direction, and I still welcome it.