Iran boosts Qods shock troops in Venezuela: Pentagon predicts U.S. clash with Islamist paramilitary

Welcome to our backyard. Game on.

Iran is increasing its paramilitary Qods force operatives in Venezuela while covertly continuing supplies of weapons and explosives to Taliban and other insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to the Pentagon's first report to Congress on Tehran's military.

The report on Iranian military power provides new details on the group known formally as the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), the Islamist shock troops deployed around the world to advance Iranian interests. The unit is aligned with terrorists in Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, North Africa and Latin America, and the report warns that U.S. forces are likely to battle the Iranian paramilitaries in the future.

The Qods force "maintains operational capabilities around the world," the report says, adding that "it is well established in the Middle East and North Africa and recent years have witnessed an increased presence in Latin America, particularly Venezuela."

The report provides the first warning in an official U.S. government report about Iranian paramilitary activities in the Western Hemisphere. It also highlights links between Iran and the anti-U.S. government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who has been accused of backing Marxist terrorists in Colombia.

The report gives no details on the activities of the Iranians in Venezuela and Latin America. Iranian-backed terrorists have conducted few attacks in the region. However, U.S. intelligence officials say Qods operatives are developing networks of terrorists in the region who could be called to attack the United States in the event of a conflict over Iran's nuclear program.

I knew Iran had their tentacles in many parts of the world, especially in Afghanistan, but this is very troubling.
www.washingtontimes.com...

[edit on 21-4-2010 by jibeho]

[edit on 21-4-2010 by jibeho]

reply to post by jibeho


Just to give you the heads up.

US intelligence also said Suddam had WMD's and Suddam was helping Osama, I would look at this more of a PR stunt to once again point the finger of blame at Iran and to get the mantra going, "Iran is bad and does bad things"
just like the Iraq war mantra "Suddam is a threat to our freedoms with his WMD's"

just getting the people ready for the attack on Iran so they won't fight it and say "well, they did bring it on themselves by meddeling in other countries"

Where have I heard that before????

en.wikipedia.org...

The Quds Force reports directly to the Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Its current commander is Brigadier General Qassem Suleimani.

While "little is reliably known" about the force by outsiders as of 2007, its size was estimated at 15,000 troops and operatives

The force is described as "active in dozens of countries." According to former U.S. Army intelligence officer David Dionisi, Quds force is organized into eight different directorates based on geographic location:

Western countries
Iraq
Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India
Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan
Turkey
North Africa
Arabian peninsula
Republics of the former USSR

its no surprise they are in venezuela

Originally posted by munkey66
reply to post by jibeho

 

US intelligence also said Suddam had WMD's and Suddam was helping Osama, I would look at this more of a PR stunt to once again point the finger of blame at Iran and to get the mantra going, "Iran is bad and does bad things"
just like the Iraq war mantra "Suddam is a threat to our freedoms with his WMD's"

just getting the people ready for the attack on Iran so they won't fight it and say "well, they did bring it on themselves by meddeling in other countries"

Where have I heard that before????

Same old story, different characters. Thanks for the post, worth keeping an eye on.

Not going to flame the source. US intelligence is what it is.

But if they're boosting these guys maybe they've got a little counterpunch ready? Like those bioweapons we always hear about.

reply to post by munkey66


The Qods have been around since the fall of the Shaw and they are widely known to be involved in a variety of activities. Iran has been methodically buddying up to Chavez for a reason. The Qods can now operate freely from a base within our hemisphere and in much closer proximity to the US.

Close your eyes if you must. Maybe the threat will just go away.

Yet noone bats an eyelid when the U.S. maintiains their presence in MANY more places than Iran. The U.S. has military bases in many countries.

The U.S. just doesn't like the fact that other countries are working together without them. It's tentacles of power are receding and other countries have wisened up and realise that the U.S. are in it only for themselves really. Truth, justice and the American way? Pffffffft

I can see why Iran would find something in common with Venezuela and would be able to work together. Both countries have had political interference from the U.S. - coups and what not, both produce oil, both have been slandered by the U.S. after announcing dealing in Euros as opposed to the dollar...

Personally I think the U.S. is either going to lose it's crown gracefully or will go down fighting and plunge the world into the war of all wars.

Sounds bogus in it's tone and rhetoric. Typical piece of propaganda designed against Venezuela. The US industrial military complex wants to control their oil. So they try to release things that say they are in league with the greatest foe of the US.

Backing Marxist rebels in Columbia? That is not accurate. Venezuela has a hands off approach to Colombia's rebel problem (and there are several rebel groups there). Additionally, the story fails to mention that Colombia has been launching military incursions into Venezuelan territory. The story released is a sham. (I'm sure Iran has foreign agents. most governments do)

im just going to take a shot in the dark and say iran has been funding venezuala's big talk lately, and we already know venezualas been arming the mexican cartels in the narco-revolution happening in mexico right now.

they are trying to fuel the fire going on beneath the US, to make us spend more money and bring the fight to our doorstep. where did you think the cartels got all their paramilitary training and AK's? how much you want to bet the we start seeing the cartels with RPG's and more russian
toys?

viva la ahmadenjad

Originally posted by LurkerMan we already know

Probably from the same source the op's story is from...
I live in South America, and I follow the regional geopolitical situation very closely, and nor Chavez or Venezuela as a whole want a conflict with the US, they just don't want to have any Northamerican involvement in their own country's politics. (i.e. US embassy backing the coup d'etat, the CIA giving millions of dollars to "non-profit organizations", the us-armed Colombia military ignoring the borders, etc...
Believe me, i think that most "Americans" would agree in a lot of things with Bolivarianism if they took the time of listening and reading the ORIGINAL SOURCE of the discourse and not some foxnews interpretation of the "Radical Extremist Leftie iran-honey Chavez"...
Bye.

Originally posted by itchy_tartan_blanket
Yet noone bats an eyelid when the U.S. maintiains their presence in MANY more places than Iran. The U.S. has military bases in many countries.

The U.S. just doesn't like the fact that other countries are working together without them. It's tentacles of power are receding and other countries have wisened up and realise that the U.S. are in it only for themselves really. Truth, justice and the American way? Pffffffft

I can see why Iran would find something in common with Venezuela and would be able to work together. Both countries have had political interference from the U.S. - coups and what not, both produce oil, both have been slandered by the U.S. after announcing dealing in Euros as opposed to the dollar...

Personally I think the U.S. is either going to lose it's crown gracefully or will go down fighting and plunge the world into the war of all wars.

The Qods are not standard Iranian military and we are not talking about Iran setting up a formal military base. The qods operate under the radar and by a different set of rules.

Originally posted by drakus

Originally posted by LurkerMan we already know

Probably from the same source the op's story is from...
I live in South America, and I follow the regional geopolitical situation very closely, and nor Chavez or Venezuela as a whole want a conflict with the US, they just don't want to have any Northamerican involvement in their own country's politics. (i.e. US embassy backing the coup d'etat, the CIA giving millions of dollars to "non-profit organizations", the us-armed Colombia military ignoring the borders, etc...
Believe me, i think that most "Americans" would agree in a lot of things with Bolivarianism if they took the time of listening and reading the ORIGINAL SOURCE of the discourse and not some foxnews interpretation of the "Radical Extremist Leftie iran-honey Chavez"...
Bye.

Not sure what you are driving at here. My source is from the Washington Times not Fox News and the report is based on a recently released Pentagon report contained within the source.

not like its a big secret buddy.

of course they dont as a whole, hence the reason they operate through mexico.

bye.

[edit on 21-4-2010 by LurkerMan]

Originally posted by jibeho
and the report is based on a recently released Pentagon report contained within the source.

Exactly. You may trust the Pentagon.
I know they are full of sh*t.
Here in S.A. we are used to these "Reports" that they make everytime they want to f*ck with some Government.
And No, Chavez does not want an armed conflict with the USA.

reply to post by drakus

And No, Chavez does not want an armed conflict with the USA.

I never said Chavez did want a conflict with US. This isn't about Chavez specifically. He will buddy up with anyone who can offer him something of personal value. Just like he is so chummy with Sean Penn. Chavez gets to be photographed with a big time Hollywood celebrity. Russia has weapons and money. Ditto for Iran and China etc... He just got a tight little loan for $20 billion from China...

He is allowing the Qods to move in for his personal gain and they are now in our proverbial backyard. Unfortunately, for Chavez, this could all backfire on him because he is so willing to easily sell his country out to the highest bidders. The bidders just may bight back to get a piece of Chavez's pie.

That is the point here. Simple intel. Simple answer.
Yes, I trust the Pentagon in matters such as this.

[edit on 21-4-2010 by jibeho]

This report is probably true. Quds forces are essentially akin to our Green Berets and even SFOD-D at times. They are clandestine warriors who train and equip friends of thier enemies but also maintain a rather large front in order to maintain funding independant of the Iranian Gov't. In that way they are like the CIA clandestine ops dept. These guys are nasty buggers, and are dug in in alot of nations that don't care for the west that much.