The United States is moving toward blacklisting Iran's
Revolutionary Guard Corps as a "terrorist" organization, subjecting
at least part of the entity to financial sanctions in a new move
against the Islamic republic, a US official said on Tuesday.
A decision has been made in principle to name elements of the
corps a "specially designated global terrorist" group, but internal
discussions continue over whether it should cover the entire unit
or only its main military wing, the Al-Quds force, the official
said.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because a decision,
which must be approved by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, has
not yet been made. It was not immediately clear when the
designation, first disclosed by The Washington Post, would
be made public.
The Post, in a report published on its website Tuesday
night, said the administration wants to announce the sanctions
before the UN General Assembly meets next month in New York. The
anonymous official said the timing had not been decided and could
say only that "it's going to happen at some point."
The "specially designated global terrorist" designation was
created by President George W. Bush in 2001 as part of larger
post-September 11 measures to cut off funding for extremists.
The sanctions cut designees off from the US financial system and
freeze any assets that it, its members or subsidiaries may have in
US jurisdictions.
There was no indication on Tuesday as to how much money might be
involved, but the designation also allows US financial regulators
to move against businesses that have dealings with the
Revolutionary Guards.
The designation has been used frequently. It was last applied on
Monday against Fatah al-Islam, an Al-Qaida-inspired militant group
accused of links to Syria that has been involved in bloody fighting
with the Lebanese army at a refugee camp in northern Lebanon.
But a move against the Revolutionary Guards would be significant
as it is believed to be the first time a foreign government or
quasi-government agency will be so designated.
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.
US officials have in recent weeks stepped up complaints against
the corps, particularly the al-Quds force, which they accuse of
supporting insurgents in Iraq as well as the Taliban in
Afghanistan. It is also blamed for supporting the radical Hezbollah
movement in Lebanon.
At the same time, the United States has grown increasingly
concerned at Iran's refusal to comply with international demands
for it to come clean on its nuclear program, which Washington
alleges is a cover for an atomic weapons program. Iran has
repeatedly denied all of the US charges to growing irritation in
Washington.
(China Daily August 16, 2007)
