The 'Quds Force' (, translit. ''nirui-e-quds'',
Quds is the Arabic name for Jerusalem), is a special unit of
Iran's
Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (often called "revolutionary guards" in the west). According to
Federation of American Scientists, the primary mission of the Quds Force is to organize, train, equip, and finance foreign Islamic revolutionary movements. It further states that the Quds Force maintains and builds contacts with underground Islamic militant organizations throughout the Islamic world.
[1]
Some argue that the Quds Force mainly provides support to
Shi‘ite groups
Hezbollah and the
Badr Organization. The Quds Force reports directly to the
Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
[2][3] Its current commander is Brigadier General
Qassem Suleimani.
History
The Quds Force was created during the
Iran-Iraq war as a special unit from the broader
Pasdaran forces. After the war, Quds Force continued to support the
Kurds fighting
Saddam Hussein, during the war it had helped the Kurds fight the Iraqi military. The Quds also expanded their operations into other areas, most notably aiding
Ahmed Shah Massoud's Northern Alliance against the Soviets during the
Soviet war in Afghanistan and then helping Massoud after the war against
Taliban forces. There were also reports of the Quds forces lending support to Muslim
Bosnians fighting the
Serbs during the
Yugoslav wars.
[4]
According to the
Egyptian newspaper ''
Al-Ahram'', current Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad helped found Quds Force while he was stationed at the Ramazan garrison near Iraq during the late 1980s.
[5]
Organization
According to former
U.S. Army intelligence officer
David Dionisi, Quds force is organized into eight different directorates based on geographic location:
★
Western countries
★
Iraq
★
Afghanistan,
Pakistan, and
India
★
Palestine,
Lebanon, and
Jordan
★
Turkey
★
North Africa (HQ in Sudan)
★
Arabian peninsula
★ Republics of the former
USSR
In addition, Dionisi says that the Iranian headquarters of Quds Force was moved in 2004 from central Iran to the Iran-Iraq border in order to better supervise their Iraqi activities.
However other reports say that Quds Force is actually based in the former compound of the US Embassy, which was
overrun in 1979.
Mission Focus
The Quds force has three main areas of interest:
#
Hizballah operations in Lebanon
#
Iraqi Kurdistan
#
Kashmir, the
Balouch and
Afghanistan
In the past the Quds force has also supported the establishment of Hizballah branches in
Jordan and
Palestine.
Numerical Strength
The size of Quds Force is unknown, with some experts believing that Quds Force numbers no more than 2,000 people, with 800 core operatives, and others saying that it could number anywhere from 3,000 to 50,000.
[6][7][8] While it reports directly to the
Supreme Leader of Iran, there are debates over how independently Quds Force operates. Quds Force is considered by some analysts as "one of the best special forces units in the world."
Recent activities
The Quds Force trains and equips foreign Islamic revolutionary groups around the
Middle East. The
para-military instruction provided by the Quds Force typically occurs in
Iran or
Sudan. Foreign recruits are transported from their home countries to Iran to receive training. The Quds Force sometimes plays a more direct role in the military operations of the forces it trains, including pre-attack planning and other operation-specific military advice.
[9]
Afghanistan
Iran had supported the
Afghan Northern Alliance forces against the Taliban before the US invasion of Afghanistan, and almost began a war in 1999 when Taliban forces killed several Iranian officials.
[10][11]
Al Qaeda
Although Iran is hostile to the
Taliban and al-Qaeda, some Washington observers speculated that it was IRGC forces who were pursuing the idea of joint action.
[12] Iran has stated that a number of al-Qaeda leaders and members are in their custody, possibly including the son of
Osama bin Laden,
Saad bin Laden.
[13][14]
Lebanon
After the
2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, Quds Force has been cited as possibly providing the millions of US dollars being handed out by the group
Hezbollah for reconstruction.
[15]
Iraq
The American Enterprise Institute states that an Italian newspaper has reported that the Italian military intelligence service
SIMSI has said that Sadr and other militant groups were receiving US$70 million per month.
[16] The militant Iranian dissident group the
People's Mujahedin of Iran has reportedly provided the
United States Army with information as to the names of Quds Force commanders operating in Iraq and the networks they are facilitating to distribute arms from Iran.
[17] In November 2006 , with sectarian violence in Iraq increasing, US Gen.
John Abizaid accused Quds Force of supporting "Shi'a death squads" even while the government of Iran pledges support in stabilization.
[18] Similarly, in July 2007, Brig. Gen. Kevin J. Bergner of the U.S. Army alleged that members of the Quds Force aided in the planning of a raid on U.S. forces in the Iraqi city of Karbala in January 2007.
[19][20] It is said that In Iraq itself, Quds Force is based in the city of
Najaf near the offices of
Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and that it operates under the name Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf Al-Saqafieh Establishment, a purported cultural institution. According to former CIA officer
Robert Baer, Quds Force uses couriers for all sensitive communications.
[21]
2006 detainment in Iraq
On
December 24,
2006, American newspaper ''
The New York Times'' reported that at least four Iranians were captured by American troops in Iraq in the previous few days. According to the article, the US government suspected that two of them were members of Quds Force, which would be some of the first physical proof of Quds Force activity in Iraq.
[22] According to the
Pentagon, the Quds Force members were "involved in the transfer of
IED technologies from Iran to Iraq."
The two men had entered Iraq legally, although they were not accredited diplomats. Iraqi officials believed that the evidence against the men was only circumstantial, but on
December 29, and under US pressure, the Iraqi government ordered the men to leave Iraq. They were driven back to Iran that day.
[23] In mid-January 2007 it was said that the two Quds force officers seized by American forces were Brig. Gen. Mohsen Chirazi and Col. Abu Amad Davari. According to ''
The Washington Post'', Chirazi is the third highest officer of Quds Force, making him the highest-ranked Iranian to ever be held by the US.
[24]
American newspaper ''
The New York Sun'' reported that the documents described Quds Force as not only cooperating with Shi'a death squads, but also with fighters related to
al-Qaeda and
Ansar al-Sunna. It said that Quds Force had studied the Iraq situation in a similar manner to the US
Iraq Study Group, and had concluded that they must increase efforts with Sunni and Shiite groups in order to counter the influence of Sunni states.
[25]
US attack on Iranian liaison office
Main articles: US attack on Iranian liaison office in Arbil
On
January 11,
2007, US forces raided and detained five employees of the Iranian liaison office in
Irbil, Iraq. The US military says the five detainees are connected to the Quds Force.
[26][27] Alireza Nourizadeh, a political analyst of
Voice of America, states that their arrests are causing concern in Iranian intelligence because the five officials are knowledgeable of a wide range of Quds Force and Iranian activities in Iraq.
[28] According to American ambassador
Zalmay Khalilzad, one of the men in custody is Quds Force's director of operations.
[29]
Allegations of involvement in Karbala attack
Main articles: Karbala provincial headquarters raid
On
January 20,
2007, a group of gunmen attacked the Karbala Provincial Joint Coordination Center in
Karbala, captured four American soldiers, and subsequently killed them. The attackers passed through an Iraqi checkpoint at around 5:00pm, a total of five black
GMC Suburbans, similar to those driven by US security and diplomatic officials. They were also wearing American military uniforms and spoke fluent English. Because of the sophistication of the attack, some analysts have suggested that only a group like Quds Force would be able to plan and carry out such an action.
[30] Former
CIA officer
Robert Baer also suggested that the five Americans were killed by Quds Force in revenge for the Americans holding five Iranians since the January 11 raid in Irbil.
[31] It was reported that the US military is investigating whether or not the attackers were trained by Iranian officials;
[32] however, no evidence besides the sophistication of the attack has yet been presented.
On
July 2,
2007, the US military said that information from captured
Hezbollah fighter Ali Moussa Dakdouk established a link between Quds Force and the Karbala raid. The US military claims Dakdouk worked as a liaison between Quds force operatives and the Shia group that carried out the raid. According to the US, Dakdouk said that the Shia group "could not have conducted this complex operation without the support and direction of the Quds force."
[33]
Allegations of support for Iraqi militants
The Quds Force involvement in Iraq has been a heavily disputed issue of late. The U.S.
DoD (Department of Defense) has claimed that it has intelligence reports of heavy Islamic Revolutionary Guard involvement in Iraq in which the force is supplying Shia militias, including the
Mahdi Army. It is further claimed that US soldiers have been killed by Iranian-made or designed
improvised explosive devices. This claim is disputed by Iran in that the Mahdi Army leader, Moqtada al-Sadr is fiercely anti-Iranian and that the bulk of American military deaths in Iraq are due to a Sunni insurgency and not a Shiite one. Iran further disputes that former Iraqi army personnel, whom, prior to the 2003 invasion, the US and UK claimed were capable of deploying advanced missile systems capable of launching
WMDs within 45 minutes, would be incapable of designing and producing improvised explosive devices.
In June 2007 US General
Ray Odierno said that Iranian support for these Shia militia increased as the US itself implemented the 2007 "
troop surge."
[34] Two different studies have maintained that approximately half of all foreign insurgents entering Iraq come from
Saudi Arabia.
[35][36]
U.S. President Bush blames Quds Force
In a
February 14 2007 news conference US President
George W. Bush continued to say that the Quds Force was causing unrest in Iraq, stating “I can say with certainty that the Quds force, a part of the Iranian government, has provided these sophisticated
IEDs that have harmed our troops. And I'd like to repeat, I do not know whether or not the Quds force was ordered from the top echelons of government. But my point is what's worse -- them ordering it and it happening, or them not ordering it and it happening? And so we will continue to protect our troops. …to say it [this claim] is provoking Iran is just a wrong way to characterize the Commander-in-Chief's decision to do what is necessary to protect our soldiers in harm's way. And I will continue to do so. …Whether
Ahmadinejad ordered the Quds force to do this, I don't think we know. But we do know that they're there, and I intend to do something about it. And I've asked our commanders to do something about it. And we're going to protect our troops.…I don't think we know who picked up the phone and said to the Quds force, go do this, but we know it's a vital part of the Iranian government. …What matters is, is that we're responding. The idea that somehow we're manufacturing the idea that the Iranians are providing IEDs is preposterous...My job is to protect our troops. And when we find devices that are in that country that are hurting our troops, we're going to do something about it, pure and simple. …does this mean you're trying to have a pretext for war? No. It means I'm trying to protect our troops.â€
[37]
Although Ali Khamenei is the ultimate person in charge of the Quds Force, George Bush did not mention him.
[Who's Behind Iran's Death Squad? ''ABC News'', 14 February 2007] According to
Richard Clarke, "Quds force reports directly to the Supreme Ayatollah, through the commander-in-chief of the revolutionary guards."
Notes
1. Qods (Jerusalem) Force, Federation of American Scientists Intelligence Resource Program. Retrieved October 1, 2006.
2. Dionisi, 7
3. Iran demands nationals' release Retrieved on Feb. 14, 2007
4. Hirsh, Michael; Dehghanpisheh, Babak; Hosenball, Mark. "The New Enemy?", ''Newsweek'', February 15, 2007. Retrieved February 17, 2007.
5. Nawar, Ibrahim. "Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Justice versus freedom", ''Al-Ahram'', June 30, 2005. Retrieved January 7, 2006.
6. Daragahi, Borzou and Spiegel, Peter. "Iran's elite and mysterious fighters", ''Los Angeles Times'', February 15, 2007. Retrieved February 15, 2007.
7. "Experts: Iran's Quds Force Deeply Enmeshed in Iraq", ''Fox News'', February 15, 2007. Retrieved February 15, 2007.
8. Shane, Scott. "Iranian Force, Focus of U.S., Still a Mystery", ''The New York Times'', February 17, 2007. Retrieved February 17, 2007.
9. Dionisis, 8
10. "The Elusive Quds Force: The Iranian Special Ops unit accused of meddling in Iraq has a fierce history and powerful friends", ''Newsweek'', February 26, 2007. Retrieved March 14, 2007.
11. Karon, Tony. "TIME.com Primer: The Taliban and Afghanistan", ''Time Magazine'', September 18, 2001. Retrieved October 16, 2006.
12. Borger, Julian. "Al-Qaida helped to flee, US says", January 11, 2002. Retrieved October 15, 2006.
13. Saad bin Laden: The Key to Iranian-al-Qaeda Detente?
14. Zagorin, Adam and Klein, Joe. "9/11 Commission Finds Ties Between al-Qaeda and Iran", ''Time Magazine'', July 16, 2004. Retrieved October 15, 2006.
15. Foroohar, Kambiz. "Hezbollah, With 0 Bills, Struggles to Repair Lebanon Damage", September 28, 2006. Retrieved October 1, 2006.
16. Rubin, Michael. "The Puppetmasters", April 12, 2004. Retrieved October 1, 2006.
17. Pound, Edward T. "Special Report: The Iran Connection", ''U.S. News & World Report'', November 22, 2004. Retrieved November 1, 2006.
18. "Gen. Abizaid On Stabilizing Iraq", ''60 Minutes'', November 26, 2006. Retrieved November 27, 2006.
19. "[1]"
On January 5, 2007, Alireza Jafarzadeh, spoke for the Iran Policy Committee in Washington, where he said Quds force commanders are operative in Iraq. According to him, Quds Force in Iraq is run by a Brigadier General Abtahi, a veteran of Iranian activities in Lebanon. It is headquartered at Fajir Base, in the Iranian city Ahwaz.
20. Qods Force steps up terrorism, heightens sectarian violence, and expands proxies in Iraq (SPC), Strategic Policy Consulting, January 5, 2007. Retrieved January 9, 2007.
21. Baer, Robert. "Where's the Smoking Gun on Iran?", ''Time Magazine'', February 13, 2007. Retrieved February 13, 2007.
22. Glanz, James and Tavernise, Sabrina. "U.S. Is Holding Iranians Seized in Raids in Iraq", ''The New York Times'', December 24, 2006. Retrieved December 25, 2006.
23. Tavernise, Sabrina and Glanz, James. "U.S. and Iraq Dispute Role of Iranians but Free Them", ''The New York Times'', December 29, 2006. Retrieved December 30, 2006.
24. Wright, Robin and Trejos, Nancy. " Iranians captured inside Iraq", ''The Washington Post'', January 12, 2007. Retrieved January 13, 2007.
25. Lake, Eli. "Iran's Secret Plan For Mayhem", ''The New York Sun'', January 3, 2007. Retrieved January 3, 2007.
26. Arrested Iranians tied to group arming Iraqis: U.S. ''Reuters'' 14 January 2007
27. Iran complains to U.N. over diplomats' arrest -TV ''Reuters'', 20 January 2007
28. Zadeh, Ali Nouri. "US-Held Iranians Source of Major Concern for Tehran", ''Asharq Alawsat'', January 23, 2007. Retrieved January 24, 2007.
29. Hurst, Steven. "U.S. Envoy: Guard Quds Director Detained", ''The Guardian'', Januar 24, 2007. Retrieved January 25, 2007.
30. Schippert, Steve. "Qods Force, Karbala and the Language of War", ''Threats Watch'', January 29, 2007. Retrieved January 30, 2007.
31. Baer, Bob. "Are the Iranians Out for Revenge?", ''Time Magazine'', Januar 30, 2007. Retrieved January 30, 2007.
32. Glanz, James and Mazzetti, Mark. "Iran May Have Trained Attackers That Killed 5 American Soldiers, U.S. and Iraqis Say", ''The New York Times'', Januar 30, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2007.
33. "[US links Iran to attack in Iraq http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6260690.stm]", ''BBC News'', July 2, 2007. Retrieved July 2, 2007.
34. Pessin, Al. "US Could Begin Withdrawal if Iraqis Can Take Over from Surge, says Commander", ''VOA'', June 22, 2007. Retrieved June 22, 2007.
35. The battle for Saudi hearts and minds
36. Saudis' role in Iraq insurgency outlined
37. Press Conference by the President Retrieved on Feb. 14, 2007
References
★ Dionisi, David J. ''American Hiroshima: The Reasons Why and a Call to Strengthen America's Democracy''. Traffor Publishing, 2005. ISBN 1-4120-4421-9
★ Hirsh, Michael, Babak Dehghanpisheh, and Mark Hosenball,
"The New Enemy? Bush blames Iran’s Quds Force for a spike in anti-American violence in Iraq," ''Newsweek'',
February 15,
2007.
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