Quds Force Commander’s Advice to Gen Petraeus
March 30, 2010 by Steven OHern · 3 Comments
Although it’s previously been reported that Kassim Suleimani (or Qassem Suleimani), the commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force, made contact with U.S. forces during the battle for Basra in March 2008, hearing General David Petraeus recall the event is noteworthy. In February, the current CENTCOM commander answered questions at the Institute for the Study of War, the think tank headed by Dr. Kimberly Kagan. From the transcript of the Q&A with General Petraeus comes this insight into the boldness of the Quds Force:
You know, in the middle of the battle with the militia in March and April of 2008, a message was conveyed to me by a very senior Iraqi leader from the head of the Qods Force, Kassim Suleimani, whose message went as follows.
He said, General Petraeus, you should know that I, Kassim Suleimani, control the policy for Iran with respect to Iraq, Lebanon, Gaza, and Afghanistan. And indeed, the ambassador in Baghdad is a Qods Force member. The individual who’s going to replace him is a Qods Force member.Now, that makes diplomacy difficult if you think that you’re going to do the traditional means of diplomacy by dealing with another country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs because in this case, it is not the ministry. It’s not Mottaki who controls the foreign policy, again, for these countries, at least. It is, again, a security apparatus, the Qods Force, which is also carrying out other activities.
SECDEF Gates: Iran’s Supply of EFPs to Afghanistan Increased
February 1, 2009 by Steven OHern · 1 Comment
Last week, the Washington Post reported that Iran’sshipment of explosively formed projectiles (EFPs) (also known as explosively formed penetrators) into Afghanistan has slightly increased. The Washington Post quoted Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates,
Gates also warned of Iranian interference in Afghanistan, pointing to a slightly increased flow of weapons including components of lethal munitions known as “explosively formed projectiles.” He said Iran wants to “have it both ways,” seeking economic and diplomatic benefits of relations with Kabul while still attempting to impose “the highest possible costs” on U.S. and coalition troops.
Gates also noted that Iran has been busy in the western hemisphere.
Iranian activities have been troubling in other parts of the world, Gates said, including Latin America, where Iran is setting up “a lot of offices and a lot of fronts.”
Analysis: Iran’s supply of EFPs to the Taliban in Afghanistan is not new. A 2007 report by the Washington Post described an interception of EFPs and other weapons from Iran. As the current economic situation occupies the new Obama Administration and leaders in much of the world, Iran and the IRGC Qods Force, the primary Iranian group responsible for such intervention outside of Iran, continue to work largely unimpeded and even little noticed.
Iran Reduces EFP Attacks in Iraq
December 15, 2008 by Steven OHern · Leave a Comment
Attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq using explosively formed penetrators (EFPs) have reduced substantially according to LtGen Thomas Metz, past commander of Multi-National Corps-Iraq and currently the leader of the military’s effort to defend against roadside bombs. According to a Los Angeles Times article, attacks dropped only because of a decision by Iranian backed groups that were employing EFPs:
“In the past three months, they have gone way down,” Metz said. “Someone has made a decision on the Shia side in connection with Iran . . . to bring them down.”
Armor-piercing bombs now being found are less-sophisticated versions built in Iraq, not smuggled in from Iran, he said.
The devices never accounted for more than about 5% of all roadside bombs but have caused about 35% of the casualties, Metz said.
Iraqi government spokesman Ali Dabbagh was also quoted in the LA Times article stating that Iran had taken a more “positive stance” in recent months.
Analysis: EFPs are devastatingly effective even against the improved armor on Humvees and against other armored vehicles. A Royal Air Force C-130 was so disabled by an EFP attack in Maysan that it had to be destroyed in place. Why Iran has elected to reduce EFP attacks in Iraq is debatable. Perhaps Iran does not want to upset the planned U.S. withdrawal from Iraq that will leave an Iraqi government amenable to Iran’s bidding. Such a result has been Iran’s goal since the 2003 invasion. Regardless, the EFP remains a formidable weapon that Iran will continue to deploy in irregular wars fought by its proxies.
Qods Force Officer Arrested in Baghdad
November 22, 2008 by Steven OHern · Leave a Comment
The New York Times reported this week that an IRGC Qods Force officer was arrested at the Baghdad International Airport. The U.S. military announced that the man was arrested because of his involvement in smuggling weapons into Iraq. The Qods Force officer worked for “an organization within the Quds Force involved in the construction and repair of religious sites in Iraq.” The NYT also reported the man was carrying cocaine.
UPDATED NOVEMBER 23, 2008 – DETAINEE RELEASED: Reuters reported that the Qods Force officer, identified as “Nader Qorbani, the deputy head of the headquarters for reconstructing religious sites in Iraq,” had been released. Reuters also quoted Iraq’s Deputy Foreign Minister Labeed Abbawi regarding the inappropriate arrest by US forces, “The Americans detained him. We called them and asked them to release him and we can confirm that the arrest was unlawful,” Abbawi told Reuters. “He’s working here on a contract and he’s been working here for some time.”
Analysis:The IRGC, of which the Qods Force is a part, operates numerous companies which conduct legitimate business while also providing fronts for operational activity such as intelligence gathering and weapons smuggling.
IRGC Trains Syrians to Fight Sunnis
November 17, 2008 by Steven OHern · Leave a Comment
According to the Jerusalem Post the IRGC has in the past four months established intelligence cells in Lebanon, comprised of Syrian agents and Lebanese Hizbollah members, whose aim is to track down and annihilate extreme Sunni armed cells. The Jerusalem Post cited reporting by the Kuwaiti-based daily A-Siyasa.
Beginning in late July 2008, approximately 200 IRGC officers previously posted in Iraq, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates began forming cells composed of Lebanese Hezbollah, Amal, and Syrian intelligence officers.
The IRGC trained intelligence cells are tasked to identify and locate Sunni terror cells and to learn their sources of money and weapons. The intelligence cells also have the mission to kill or capture Sunni terrorists.
Analysis:Syrian intelligence has again aligned itself with Iran against its fellow Sunni nations. The intelligence operation shows again how the IRGC positions itself as a trainer, supplier, and leader of proxy forces that carry out the actual missions, similar to its use of Lebanese Hezbollah and Iraq Shiite militias in the past. This operation also displays the ability of the IRGC to surge forces capable of organizing, training and equipping intelligence and action forces into an area and commence operations in a relatively short period of time.
