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Iran's Spy Commander Promises To 'Surprise The World'
[Daily Caller] A top Iranian general promised developments in Syria "will surprise the world" as thousands of Iran-backed troops have been deployed to uphold the regime.Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the leader of Iran's elite Quds Force, expressed the evolving nature of Iran's involvement in Syria while visiting the northwest region of Latakia in late May, home to the Alawite sect of President Bashar Assad. Soleimani was quoted by Iran's official news agency, IRNA. But the agency claimed it "takes no responsibility for the information," reports Agence France Presse. Between 10,000 and 20,000 Iranian or Iraqi fighters are reportedly moving to defend Damascus and Latakia. A combat brigade team of 1,500 fighters from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will make up the core of the force. Observers should take Soleimani's claim seriously, says Matthew McInnis, an expert at the American Enterprise Institute. Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fighters typically take an advisory role to local forces where Iran seeks to exert military control. But as war in Syria has intensified, endangering Iranian ally Bashar Assad, Iran has been pushed into a difficult position. "He has to do it," McInnis told The Daily Caller News Foundation, referencing Soleimani's increasingly limited options for keeping the Assad regime intact. Iranian fighters could become directly involved in combat, specifically around Damascus and in the northwest. This could lead to a "battle-hardened IRGC," breaking the psychological barrier from an advisory position to combat. "Once they've done that, it's going to be easier for them to think about boots on the ground in other areas of the region," said McInnis. Posted by: Besoeker 2015-06-11 |
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