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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Movements by Iran’s covert ops commander triggers kidnapping alert in U.S.
2004-03-10
From Geostrategy-Direct...
Iran and Syria have been planning a major terrorist offensive against Israel and the United States, Western intelligence sources say. Over the past few months, operatives have been meeting with leading terrorists in Damascus and Teheran. The plan envisions a demonstration of strength in wake of the expulsion of reformists from Iran’s parliament. That’s where Brig. Gen. Qassem Suleimani comes in. As commander of Iran’s Al Quds force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Command, Suleimani’s responsibility is for Iranian covert operations abroad. This means Suleimani is a key Iranian liaison with terrorist Teheran sponsored terrorists groups — particularly Hizbullah. Suleimani has visited all the countries in which Iran seeks to foment unrest. He is also so secret that he doesn’t show up even in a Google search of the Internet.
Not quite true.
He'll be there now, won't he?
Suleimani’s mission has included Afghanistan, where he was trying to undermine the U.S.-sponsored government of Hamid Karzai. He helped maintain Iran’s intelligence network deep inside Afghanistan to undermine U.S. efforts and establish Iran’s influence to its eastern neighbor. Toward this end, Suleimani has helped Al Qaida find safe haven in Iran. Today, Suleimani has been traveling frequently to Lebanon to meet with Hizbullah and aligned terrorist groups to plan for an offensive against Israel and the United States. Western intelligence sources said Suleimani has been working closely with Hizbullah’s foreign relations chief Imad Mughniyah on a plan to kidnap Israeli and American nationals in Europe and hold them for ransom.
That would be a remarkably stoopid move on the part of the Medes and the Persians...
Suleimani’s bosses in Teheran want to exploit Israel’s release of more than 440 prisoners in January. Iran believes that Israel and, perhaps the United States, can be pressured into releasing additional Hizbullah terrorists in Europe and even in the United States. Indeed, some key Hizbullah agents were arrested and prosecuted in North Carolina in 2003 in an elaborate credit card fraud scheme to raise money for the Beirut-based group. Other agents Iran and Hizbullah seek are in Germany, prosecuted for the bombing of a Kurdish restaurant in Berlin in 1996.

Hizbullah has been more than a willing partner in the Iranian plan being worked out by Suleimani. Hizbullah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah seeks to remain vital to Iran to ensure continued funding and project fear both in Lebanon and abroad. What Nasrallah worries about more than anything else is that Iran will cut off Hizbullah and leave it vulnerable to Israeli or U.S. attack. Hizbullah has been training agents to befriend Israelis or American Jews in Europe, the United States and in Israel itself. The plan is to lure the victims to Lebanon or the Gulf region, where they would be kidnapped and transferred to Iran or Lebanon. If this sounds familiar, this was the method Hizbullah employed to abduct Israeli Res. Col. Elhanan Tannenbaum in 2000. The planned ruses include romantic relationships, business opportunities or just plain friendship. With a considerable Hizbullah friendship in Asia, Europe and South America, the opportunities for abduction are endless.

Suleimani’s liaison has been Hizbullah’s Mughniyah. Mughniyah has vast experience with abductions, particularly of Americans and Europeans in the 1980s in Beirut. Intelligence sources said Mughniyah and Suleimani have agreed that Israelis and Jews would be the first choice followed by Western nationals. Under the plan, the abductors would be Mughniyah’s agents from Lebanon, carrying European and South American passports. Iranian intelligence operatives and diplomats as well as Hizbullah’s vast sleeper network abroad would aid the agents. So far, the sources said, Suleimani has ordered his agents abroad to assist Hizbullah and comply with any request from Mughniyah. A leading Hizbullah operative has already started to identify abduction targets and everything is being set in place. Suleimani has a force that could also operate in Iraq. These are members of a covert Shi’ite group, called Soldiers of Mohammed. This group, also known as Sipha, was trained by Hizbullah in Lebanon and later worked with Suleimani’s Al Quds division. With Iran shaking off any pretensions of reform rule or democracy, Suleimani could be a very busy man in the next few months.
It seems to me that they are getting everything in place for a show. They must be calculating that GW and the US will be too preoccupied with an election to start looking hard at Iran, and now that the reformists have been neutralized, it is time for Iran to make its big power play. Get your popcorn and NBC suits, folks. This may be the lull before the storm.
Posted by:Alaska Paul

#17  What a perfect thing to do on November 3rd.
Posted by: Anonymous2U   2004-3-10 11:12:26 PM  

#16  Some men you just can't reach...
So you beat their heads in with a baseball bat.
Posted by: tu3031   2004-3-10 10:46:25 PM  

#15  I think that they are just planning for the future. I suspect that they, like Europe and some others, expect that Kerry will be elected. That will pretty much give them a free hand to get ahead of the UN curve. I think that the mullas are better at nuancing than JFK.
Posted by: Arch   2004-3-10 7:03:10 PM  

#14  since Mughniyah's such an expert in abduction (thanks for the geostrategy-direct AP!), I'd suggest he get the full picture - have him abducted, filmed in a confession and hang his ass, like the Beirut CIA station chief they killed. Return his body from 25,000 feet via the Mossad Airmail Delivery system
Posted by: Frank G   2004-3-10 6:50:58 PM  

#13  I don't think anyone (requirement: functioning brain) will accuse the Black Hats of being too smart or too clever. When it comes to Foreign Policy and Public Statements, these guys remind me of the Emperor's New Clothes, Lol!

To paraphrase the other Foreign Policy Guru, "They never miss an opportunity to STFU."

tick tock Mullahfuckahs...
Posted by: .com   2004-3-10 6:36:50 PM  

#12  Wouldn't this be very very pretty stupid for a country with a lot of U.S. Military forces to the East (Afghanistan) and to the West (Iraq) not to mention the South (Persian Gulf)?

I think someone has their black turban on a bit tight....
Posted by: CrazyFool   2004-3-10 6:07:13 PM  

#11  B-a-r: Don't you know we already leveled Bam with our outer space laser earthquake ray? We should just do the same to Qom.
Posted by: Tibor   2004-3-10 5:49:22 PM  

#10  I guess this would be an appropriate time to reiterate our policy on negotiating with terrorists.

We don't negotiate with terrorists, we just bomb suspected nuclear and WMD research sites.
Posted by: Daniel King   2004-3-10 5:38:42 PM  

#9  a major wmd attack by groups(or by iran) controlled by the mulla's would illicit the most harshest response - most likely nuclear - on iran.

Unless the terrorist attack is via a nuclear chain reaction, or something else of immmense and disatrous proportions, I don't see any U.S. nuclear response in the offing. What I wouldn't mind seeing tho, is a MOAB dropped right into the center of Tehran and/or Damascus.
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2004-3-10 5:38:27 PM  

#8  These morons must think Carter is president. Please let them try something.
Posted by: Damn_Proud_American   2004-3-10 5:35:22 PM  

#7  Oooo-kay...

So you mooks want a "demonstration of strength", do ya? Fine. Keep watching your capitals...
Posted by: mojo   2004-3-10 5:32:01 PM  

#6  well a major attack would gurantee Bush re-election...if there is no attack and Bush is relected just wait for dec-jan...things are going to get dicey the next few years..

a major wmd attack by groups(or by iran) controlled by the mulla's would illicit the most harshest response - most likely nuclear - on iran. they still operate in the pre-911 world and have not felt the full fury of the United States....they would be smoked either by the United States or by Israel with American approval....
they should understand that we do have a fisrt use policy......
Posted by: Dan   2004-3-10 5:25:37 PM  

#5  BMN---It is close, very close, but mine is just a plain red fez....LOL!
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2004-3-10 5:23:27 PM  

#4  Popcorn: check
Beer: check
Oversized USA#1 clue-bat: check
Extra batteries for remote: check
...looks like I'm ready
Posted by: Rex Mundi   2004-3-10 5:21:45 PM  

#3  Paul--

Did someone steal your hat?
Posted by: BMN   2004-3-10 5:14:59 PM  

#2  "The planned ruses include romantic relationships"

Okay General Suleimani, I'm listening...whatcha got ?
Posted by: Carl in N.H   2004-3-10 5:10:59 PM  

#1  Hope the munitions stocks are back to pre-war levels. If the fit hits the shan, start lobbing MOABs into Tehran and the election will take care of itself.
Posted by: BH   2004-3-10 4:44:56 PM  

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