WASHINGTON, Aug. 15, 2007
U.S. Labels Iran Guard "Terror" Group
Part Of Broader Effort To Curtail Violence In Iraq, Afghanistan, And Middle East
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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad pins a medal of honor on an Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander in this April 4, 2007 file photo in Tehran. The U.S. may classify the Revolutionary Guard as a "terrorist" organization. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
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Timeline The U.S. And Iran Key events in once friendly, now contentious relationship between Washington and Tehran.
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Timeline Iran Nuclear Chronology Events in development of Iran's nuclear program since it first came to light.
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Fast Facts Iran Learn about the people, economy and history.
At the same time, it is intended to send a message to countries doing business in Iran that the United States is serious about isolating Tehran and is willing to slap sanctions on companies that continue to trade with Iran even if the United Nations is not, according to U.S. officials.
A decision in principle has been made to name at least parts of the Revolutionary Guard a "specially designated global terrorist" group under an executive order signed by President Bush in 2001 as part of larger post-Sept. 11 measures to fight extremism, the officials said.
Debate continues over whether to designate all or just part of the corps, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the determination, which must be approved by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, is not finalized.
The move will be the first such designation of a foreign government entity and would cut the designees off from the U.S. financial system and freeze assets that it, its members or subsidiaries have in U.S. jurisdictions. It would also allow the Treasury to move against firms subject to U.S. law that transact with the group.
It remains unclear when the step will be formally announced but officials said it has been weighed for months as the United States has lost patience with Iran amid charges the guard corps is supplying weapons to Shiite insurgents in Iraq and the Taliban in Afghanistan and as international efforts to shut down the Iranian nuclear program have bogged down.
The White House and State Department both refused to discuss the matter but officials acknowledged that Washington is working to punish Iran financially in a bid to force it to change objectionable behavior.
"The hope is that you make it much more difficult and raise the cost for them to engage in these kinds of activities to the extent that they recalculate whether or not they want to engage in these activities," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.
The designation will mean that Rice has found that the Revolutionary Guard Corps "has committed, or poses a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States," according to the executive order.
Iran, the country, has been designated a "state sponsor of terrorism" since 1984 by the State Department.
The impending move serves the administration's goal of ratcheting up pressure on Tehran, European and Asian companies with interests in Iran, and the U.N. Security Council, where a new sanctions resolution on the nuclear issue has languished under Chinese and Russian objections.
The news broke on the eve of a three-day Middle East trip by the State Department's third-ranking diplomat, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns, who has been the point man on Iranian sanctions issues.
Burns is meeting with Israeli officials in Jerusalem on Wednesday to discuss a $30-billion, 10-year U.S. military aid package for the Jewish state and regional security issues, "including the challenge posed by Iran," the department said in a statement on Tuesday.
Israeli concerns about Iran and its nuclear program are well known and the sanctions to be imposed against the Revolutionary Guard, its subsidiaries and business partners will likely be welcomed there.
Yet, the preliminary decision to blacklist the corps comes as the United States and Iran have begun a tentative, if yet unsuccessful, engagement on Iraqi security issues.
The U.S. ambassador in Baghdad, Ryan Crocker, has met twice with his Iranian counterpart in recent months for landmark talks at which the two sides agreed to continue discussions although no progress has been discerned by U.S. officials.
The Guard, which operates outside Iran's conventional army with its own air, naval and land wings, is known to have extensive business interests and investments in Iran, but the extent of its holdings outside the country is not clear.
© MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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See all 71 Commentshttp://www.prisonplanet.com/hijack_suspects_alive_and_well.htm
It has no additions by an editor who has no relation to story. The "confusion" that he--and you--hide behind,hasn''t been cleared up after six long years. And, he has absolutely nothing to say about how the FBI came up with the picture of the still living suicide hijacker that belonged to a living Waleed al Shiri.
Of course, we could have gotten the pictures of the ''hijackers'' from any of the numerous cameras in the airports the ''hijackers'' went through-=-but the only picture that I have seen is the one of Atta and friend at a Maine airport catching a connector to their alleged ''hijack.''
Not all muslims "hate us"
It's the extremists with the help of the media that make it seem that way.
I know a muslim Doctor and his family. They are truely wonderful Americans who have more class and integrity than a lot of people.
They love this country and the people.
- What is he really doing ??? ------ Attacking Hillary for 2 days, He went back to Texas for the sole reason if he stayed in the White House he & Bush would be convicted for violating the Hatch Act.
Not true. Never had an abortion, don't want one. Don't smoke pot; never have. Never killed a baby, but did intubate and save several during my time as a medic. I can't stand sandals as they are uncomfortable.
Ah, but I can read, and I can think independently, and I don't get my news from Rush. It is so nice that the Right Wingers have someone who can tell everyone how to think, instead of teaching them to think on their own. The last refuge of the uninformed is to call those they disagree with names.
I feel nothing but pity for these people.
We'll have a terror attack in a month or so. It will be blamed on Iranians. We'll all be upset. Bush will push us toward war.
I hope this time someone in Congress stands up and says not just NO but ... well, No would be okay too.
Instead of asking me why I hate Muslims so much, why don't you ask yourself- WHY DO MUSLIMS HATE ME AND YOU??? Can you answer that for me? I don't follow a religious doctrine that mandates me to force conversion on people, if not willingly, then by the sword.
I have a real f$cking problem with people coming to this country and impose their religious beliefs on me- beliefs that include beating your wife (or killing her altogether), getting your hand chopped off for stealing, etc.
Instead of asking me why I hate Muslims so much, why don't you ask yourself- WHY DO MUSLIMS HATE ME AND YOU??? Can you answer that for me? I don't follow a religious doctrine that mandates me to force conversion on people, if not willingly, then by the sword.
I have a real f$cking problem with people coming to this country and impose their religious beliefs on me- beliefs that include beating your wife (or killing her altogether), getting your hand chopped off for stealing, etc.
Now I know better. These folks aren't terrorist sympathizers at all. They are terrorists, using the internet to drum up support for their cause. They use every headline, every statistic they can to discredit those that keep us safe. Remember the enemy is techno savy.
Judge for yourself. Read what they have to say. Concentrate on one of the below, and see if there is EVER a positive comment made about ANY of our foreign policy, efforts to protect ourselves, or the administration.
mcdazz, Prinzowhales, FeelFree1, tuckerndfw, V_1618, drummer94, j-whitman.
They mask themselves as liberals, but even liberals have a more moderate point of view. Ask yourself, would you agree as strongly about the point of view as they portray ?
Note how often they are on the site. Don't they have a job? Who could afford to do this? Who would WANT to do this, other than a fanatic ?
Don't believe they "support the troops", they know this is a popular aspect of our culture since Vietnam. There see no harm in giving lip service, they don't mean it.
Notice how they make the worst possible scenario out of everything. They play upon your fears, and claim the President is doing so.
Sure, there are a few left wing folks that would be as radical as these, but judge for yourself. Don't be fooled!
Blackwater & others are paid by our Government & profit from hedge funds, where the managers make millions.... & Religious & political wing nuts
IRG - Isn't funded in any way by the government, but by big business..... They are a mulit-national private orginization --
--- I'm not sticking up for them, but, you can't ignore the similarities.
So, for everyone's edification, Prinzowhales's link (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1559151.stm) which he sent below, and claims is proof that 7 of the 9/11 terrorists still live is an article dated 9/23/2001.
FURTHERMORE, at the bottom of that story is a link that the editor has inserted, telling how, "The story, written in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, was about confusion at the time surrounding the names and identities of some of the hijackers...THE STORY HAS BEEN SITED EVER SINCE BY SOME AS EVIDENCE THAT THE 9/11 ATTACKS WERE PART OF A CONSPIRICY. We%u2019ve carried the full report, executive summary and main findings and, as part of the recent fifth anniversary coverage, a detailed guide to what%u2019s known about what happened on the day. BUT CONSPIRACY THEORIES HAVE PERSISTED. The confusion over names and identities we reported back in 2001 may have arisen because these were common Arabic and Islamic names."
Prinzowhales, you obviously don't understand the english language very well! The story you quote has a retraction.
Tell another lie, terrorist.
Posted by bizzzz at 01:22 PM : Aug 15, 2007
If the time ever comes that you might be faced with such a thing in the USA, then you can and should shout ~ "This is what the Bush-Cheney administration has wrought upon our country." "This is the price we must pay for the OIL"
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