Iranian Revolutionary Guard Refutes Damning Claims by Ex-General on Terror Connections
Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard, recently
blacklisted as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the US, declined statements
made by one of its ex-generals on the armed force’s links with terrorist groups
and cooperation with al-Qaeda in the early 90s.
Saeed Ghasemi, a retired general who gained
notoriety for his role in the Ansar-e Hezbollah militia, revealed in an
interview with the state-approved internet channel, Aparat, that in the 90s he
visited Bosnia to train Muslim fighters against the Serbs while wearing the
Iranian Red Crescent uniform.
In the same interview, Ghasemi admits that he is
divulging the fact since the Americans have already discovered the ploy and
written about it.
Lambasting Ghasemi’s revelations, Revolutionary
Guard spokesman, Ramazan Sharif, said: “Saeed Ghasemi’s remarks, who for a
while was in Bosnia voluntarily and has retired a long time ago, are his personal
views, devoid of credibility and are not shared by the IRGC (an acronym for the
Revolutionary Gaurd),” according to ISNA.
Sharif also downplayed Ghasemi’s comments and said:
“These types of comments by Ghasemi have precedents and the responsibility of
these comments are on him.” But he also warned Ghasemi and other retired
members of Revolutionary Guard to avoid “making irresponsible and untrue
claims” and not to provide “excuse and tools” to the enemy.
It is worth noting that the official response is the
first in a three-day-long controversy revolving around the Revolutionary
Guard’s involvement with al-Qaeda.
President Hassan Rouhani's office also dismissed the
remarks, saying that the claims help "the enemy".
The Iranian Red Crescent has also officially
dismissed Qassemi's claims and threatened to sue him. "If an individual or
a state entity has used the logo or uniform of the IRCS for operations against
the aims and principles of the International Red Cross Society, it definitely
happened without the permission of the IRCS or in coordination with it,"
IRCS announced. Even if the IRCS permission was sought, the statement argued,
it would have never been given, the relief group added.
"Based on the four conventions ratified in
Geneva, the IRCS is impartial in armed conflicts since it has the important
responsibility of supporting humanity and civilians," the statement has
insisted.