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By Farzin Hashemi
Europe's Deadly Inaction and Misguided Policy on Iran
- Thursday, 16 February 2017 09:17
- Written by Farzin Hashemi
On Tuesday, 14 February 2017, the US representative office of the
National Council of Resistance revealed in a press conference in
Washington D.C. new information about the Islamic Revolutionary Guard
Corps (IRGC) hosting terrorist training camps for foreign fighters. The
information was obtained by the network of the Peoples Mojahedin
Organisation of Iran (PMOI/MEK).
The network has found that every month, hundreds of forces from Iraq,
Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan -- countries where the regime is involved
in frontline combat -- receive military training before being returned
to their home countries. Other, smaller groups are also trained in other
countries for terrorist acts and operations. For operations in
countries where there is no open warfare - including Persian Gulf
countries such as Bahrain and Kuwait -- terrorist teams are trained.
The NCRI further revealed that in addition to the forces who are
trained for military action as part of the regime’s overall meddling in
the region, terrorist units of the Quds Force are also trained in
separate and secret units and are dispatched to various countries.
The destructive role of the IRGC and its involvement in terrorism is
“beyond reasonable doubt” under the highest standard of a court of law.
Right from its inception, simultaneous with its role in suppression of the Iranian people, it has been engaged in terrorist activities throughout the region. It created Hezbollah in Lebanon in early 1980s, which took Western hostages under IRGC direction.
Right from its inception, simultaneous with its role in suppression of the Iranian people, it has been engaged in terrorist activities throughout the region. It created Hezbollah in Lebanon in early 1980s, which took Western hostages under IRGC direction.
In 1990 the IRGC set up an extraterritorial Force called the Quds
Force, which aimed to further expand its meddling in other countries and
its support for terrorism. There was very little European response to
hostage taking in the 1980s and to increasing numbers of assassinations
of Iranian dissidents in Europe. Europe certainly failed to grasp the
devastating consequences of its conciliatory policies. Those
consequences included but were not limited to emboldening terrorist acts
by the IRGC and its affiliates. Western neglect of the IRGC effectively
encouraged Sunni extremists to counter Iranian influence by taking the
same path and resorting to their own terrorism in pursuit of their
objectives. After all, if Iran can force Europe to make concessions by
resorting to terrorism and blackmail why wouldn’t other extremists
follow the same path?
Today, where does Europe stand on the IRGC and its role in Syria?
Where does Europe stand on the IRGC’s role in formation of paramilitary
terrorist groups in Iraq or its role in Yemen helping the Houthi? Are
they still failing to recognize the connection between the IRGC’s spread
of extremism and terrorism and the negative impact of their own policy
towards the heart of Islamic fundamentalism?
Despite the IRGC’s undeniable conduct in Syria, which can only be
described as war crimes, and despite its role in domestic suppression,
it seems as though it is business as usual for Europe. The European
countries seem to be so eager to get their hands on Iranian market that
they are prepared to not only ignore Tehran’s rogue behavior and its
consequence for Western interests and the Iranian people, but also to
trample on their own principles and values.
This ignorance was on display this week when a Swedish delegation
traveled to Iran headed by the country’s Prime Minister. Female members
of the delegation had agreed, perhaps voluntarily, to cover their hair
while they were in Iran. The film of these women marching before Rouhani
could only be seen as humiliating for Europeans, surrendering to the
demand of a fundamentalist regime has rightly been recognized as the
leading state sponsor of terrorism. It is also insulting to the true
Muslims who are dismayed that their religion is being misrepresented by
forcing other women to act against their conviction only to appease the
mullahs in Tehran.
Europe is not only accepting humiliation but is also helping the very
entity that is responsible for war crimes and support for terrorism.
The IRGC, through its various subsidiaries, is currently dominating
Iran’s economy.
Minister of Defense Hossein Dehghan announced in early January 2017
that the main government plans regarding petroleum, gas, oil, transport,
dams, water transfer, telecommunication and IT are currently assigned
to Khatam-al Anbiya, a major corporation affiliated with the IRGC.
Reuters also reported on 19 January 2017 that “of nearly 110
agreements worth at least $80 billion that have been struck since the
[nuclear] deal was reached in July 2015, 90 have been with companies
owned or controlled by Iranian state entities.”
The Europeans are fully aware that the Iranian companies dealing with
them are affiliated with the IRGC. As one European businessman who had
recently visited Iran acknowledged we could see that the decision makers
are not those who were negotiating with us but the quiet man in the
meeting who was from the IRGC.
For many years through its network in Iran, the MEK has exposed
mullahs’ secret nuclear weapons program being run by the IRGC, as well
as IRGC engagement in terrorism, missile program and atrocities against
Iranian peoples, but so far Europeans have decided to ignore these
facts.
It is time for Europe to end its deadly inaction vis-à-vis the IRGC
and its policy on Iran. It is, indeed, time to revise its approach on
Iran by looking beyond short term economic interests. The negative
consequences far outweigh the short-term benefits of helping, through
business, the leading state sponsor of terrorism and in particular its
most suppressive arm, the IRGC. More important, European governments
should realize that the clerical regime is very vulnerable and shaky at
home. Europe should not put all its eggs in one basket, nor give away
crucial leverage. It should be reminded that the clerical regime is
desperately in need of relations with Europe, and could be forced to
make important sacrifices in pursuit of those relations.
Toward this end, the following steps must be taken:
1. Stop all business with the IRGC and its affiliate companies, and
make all trade with Tehran contingent upon its halting executions and
ending IRGC meddling in other countries and support for terrorism.
2. Call for immediate removal of the IRGC and its affiliates from
Syria, or impose punitive sanctions if Tehran refuses to do so.
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