Reports: US to label Iran's Revolutionary Guard as 'terrorist organization'

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

The United States will be labeling Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a "specially designated global terrorist" organization according to U.S. White House officials.

According to reports, U.S. President George W. Bush will label the group under Executive Order 13224 which "provides a means by which to disrupt the financial support network for terrorists and terrorist organizations by authorizing the U.S. government to designate and block the assets of foreign individuals and entities that commit, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism."

"Anyone doing business with these people will have to re-evaluate their actions immediately. It increases the risks of people who have until now ignored the growing list of sanctions against the Iranians. It makes clear to everyone who the IRGC and their related businesses really are. It removes the excuses for doing business with these people," said an unnamed U.S. official.

U.S. officials say that Iran's growing involvement in terrorist acts in Afghanistan, Iraq and their support for Middle Eastern Muslim extremists are some of several reasons officials are considering the move. It is reported that Iran's continuing involvement in nuclear activities is another cause for the addition.

If the U.S. labels Iran's military as a terrorist organization, it would be the first time that any country has added an armed forces unit of any sovereign government to its list of terrorist groups. Iran has been on the U.S. list of state sponsored terrorism since 1984.

Iran continues to deny that their nuclear program is being used to build nuclear bombs, saying that their program is for "peaceful purposes."

"This kind of news is within the propaganda and psychological activities of the US statesmen against the Islamic Republic of Iran and it is professionally worthless," said an unnamed Iranian official.

Iran's Revolutionary guard controls the air force, navy and ground forces and was created in 1979.

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Sources

"US moving to name Iran's Revolutionary Guard terror group" — Turkish Press, August 15, 2007
Robin Wright. "Iranian Unit to Be Labeled 'Terrorist'" — Washington Post, August 15, 2007
"US Considering Terrorist Label for Iran's Revolutionary Guards" — Voice of America, August 15, 2007
"Executive Order 13224" — Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism, December 20, 2002

External links

U.S. Department of State List of terrorist organizations and personnel

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