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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Mutiny within Iran’s Revolutionary Guard after it incurs heavy losses in Syria |
| 2015-11-05 |
| Mullahs playing hardball Tehran and London, Asharq Al-Awsat—A rising death toll within Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Syria is leading to a mutiny among some senior commanders, who have refused to obey orders to fight in the war-torn country, according to a source close to the Revolutionary Guard. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Asharq Al-Awsat the commanders, who are also joined by a number of junior officers, have now been referred to a court-marshal on charges of “mutiny and treason.” Iran, which alongside Russia is Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s main international ally, has denied it has combat troops in Syria, claiming it has only sent officers and generals within an advisory capacity to assist both the Syrian army and Hezbollah militias. The semi-official Fars news agency said on Tuesday some 30 military personnel from the Revolutionary Guard have been killed in Syria in recent weeks, including high-ranking figures such as Col. Mostafa Ezzatollah, Gen. Farshad Hasoonizadeh, and Gen. Hossein Hamedani, who were all killed in Aleppo. Meanwhile, the source told Asharq Al-Awsat several Revolutionary Guard generals from Ahvaz province, which has a large Iranian–Arab population, have “chosen retirement and pursuing business activities” rather than having to head to Syria. The Revolutionary Guard court-marshals have now opened an official investigation into the large numbers of suddenly retired generals from the region in what they called “this critical time” for the Revolutionary Guard, according to the source. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is charged with defending the values of Iran’s Islamic Revolution both inside the country and abroad and members must pledge unwavering loyalty to the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The source also said a recent rise in deaths among the much-feared Quds Force—an elite paramilitary unit of the Revolutionary Guard charged with carrying out foreign missions—has led its leadership to begin recruiting higher-ranking officers to fight in Syria. Iranian opposition publication Rooz Online has reported recently that the Revolutionary Guard have begun utilizing new recruitment initiatives in the Sistan and Baluchistan province, in order to bolster their depleting ranks. Recruiters are targeting the province’s religious and ethnic minorities—which include Kurds, Baluchs, and Sunni Muslims—as well as the poor, offering the equivalent of 830 dollars for six weeks’ service in Syria following training. |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #7 They are sending basic forces now. Losing top leadership may not be appealing. |
| Posted by: newc 2015-11-05 22:50 |
| #6 Usually Persian and Arab "guard" and "elite" units are very good at beating up civilians and local militia units A likely, and mainly accurate, generalization. However, the IRGC started off as a paramilitary, internal security organization. It still functions in that role, though it gained the trappings of a more conventional force (actually it's more powerful than Iran's regular military)after the Iran-Iraq war. Despite that, the IRGC is currently organized for waging unconventional(asymmetric) warfare. Also, being Iranian, there's also the usual habit of "making a rial or two on the side" involved. The IRGC has significant influence in the Iranian economy, and they're not "institutional" holdings. My suspicion is that there aren't many inclined to drop everything and play professional soldier. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2015-11-05 13:21 |
| #5 Usually Persian and Arab "guard" and "elite" units are very good at beating up civilians and local militia units. When facing a determined foe, they do not perform well and take large numbers of casualties and then flee. Learning how to fight properly is hard and takes discipline. Usually something that arab and persian units have a severe lack of. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2015-11-05 11:09 |
| #4 The Revolutionary Guard is very good at intimidating civilians. Against an enemy that actually shoots back, not so much. |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2015-11-05 08:26 |
| #3 When your buddy just got fed his lunch, you're gonna think about not eatin at the same hotdog stand. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2015-11-05 05:46 |
| #2 Sven, you are correct. However, I suspect the Russians are in Syria because the RG is not up to the task. We may hear more stories of dead Iranians in Syria. |
| Posted by: jvalentour 2015-11-05 00:27 |
| #1 ASHARQ AL-AWSAT is owned by the Saudi Royal family. While I am not calling BS I would like to see other sources. |
| Posted by: Sven the pelter 2015-11-05 00:22 |