Update: The US Military confirmed today that the five Iranians arrested in northern Iraq last week were indeed connected to an Iranian Revolutionary Guard faction that funds and arms insurgents in Iraq. The names of the detainees have not been released. The AP reported:
The five detainees are connected to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Qods Force (IRGC-QF), an organization known for providing funds, weapons, improvised explosive device technology and training to extremist groups attempting to destabilize the government of Iraq and attack coalition forces.
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Previously…
It is being reported by a couple of sources, but nothing firm yet, that Hassan Abbasi, the Former Iranian Revolutionary Guard Leader and Ahmadinejad’s chief strategic counselor, was arrested in the raids this week in Erbil, Iraq.
According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, an Arab newspaper published in London and Beirut has a tape recording of Abbasi when he spoke of Iran’s secret plans, which include “a strategy drawn up for the destruction of Anglo-Saxon civilization.”
Condoleezza Rice said in an interview this week that President Bush authorized the arrests in Irbil. Good for Bush.
A U.S. Army statement said the building where the men were detained did not have diplomatic status. (Washington Times)
SOS Iran and Regime Change Iran reported this news as did the Bazteb News in Iran:
Based on unconfirmed received reports from reliable sources in Iraq, Hassan Abbasi was among those who was arrested in the Thursday, January 11th early-morning raid in the Iraqi town of Erbil.
Hassan Abbasi known by his friends as “The Dr. Kissinger of Islam,” is the guru of the Islamic Republic’s revolutionary guard corps which puts volunteers and recruits through rigorous training in four camps funded and run by the Revolutionary Guard. The boot camp includes physical training, ideological indoctrination, building explosives, code-cracking classes, and finally foreign languages classes, specifically Arabic and English as well as many other ‘useful’ languages.
Abbasi has been among the highest ranking members of the Islamic regime’s terror operations for many years, acting as Khamenei’s foreign policy and defense advisor. Abbasi has had an active voice under not only Khamenei but also Rafsanjani and Khatami as well. The Martyrdom Brigades of the Global Islamic Awakening is controlled by Abbasi. A while back Abbasi was heard telling a crowd of Basijis about Iran’s secret plans, which include “a strategy drawn up for the destruction and eradication of the entire Anglo-Saxon civilization.”
Report Update:
Among others, Abbassi works very closely with Muqtada Al-Sadr in running the Mahdi army and other insurgency groups; it is entirely possible that Abbassi would have been in Erbil.
American Thinker and The Jawa Report have more on the Irbil raid.
YouTube has video of Hassan Abbasi lecturing on “America in Iraq” HERE:
(This video is in Persian)
Maybe he took matters into his own hands?
ABC News reported on Sunday morning that the detained Iranians are members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard – Qods Force:
The US military has issued a statement saying the five detainees are connected to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard – Qods Force (IRGC-QF).
“[IRGC-QF is] an organisation known for providing funds, weapons, improvised explosive device technology and training to extremist groups attempting to destabilise the Government of Iraq and attack Coalition forces,” the statement said.
Dan Riehl has more on “The Dr. Kissinger of Islam”.
