Iranian Revolutionary Guard to be taken off the terror list, an Oily Risky Proposition?
Dancing With the Oily Devils at the expense of U.S. National Security, say Lawmakers:
Oil Prices Surge. Putin, Oil Companies, Scapegoats Blamed. Need Iran’s Oil, says Administration, so we will take Iran Revolutionary Guard, off The Foreign Organization Terror List?
How much more can Americans take as U.S. Borders are out of control, Oil prices hurt all hard working Americans, Inflation is out of control, Crime spikes? All for Biden’s Wag the Dog War. Engaging with Terrorists in order to take down Putin, distract from the Administration’s failures?
Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02) joined over 80 House Republicans, led by Rep. Scott Franklin (FL-15), in a letter urging Secretary of State Antony Blinken to keep Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the designated list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). The letter comes in response to news reports that the Biden Administration is considering removing the IRGC’s FTO designation as part of a new nuclear deal with Iran.
“For years the IRGC has supported and participated in numerous human rights abuses and terrorist activities. They should not be removed from the FTO list until they can prove that they have ceased ALL terrorist activity,” said Miller-Meeks. “We should only be lifting FTO designations if Iran drastically changes their well-documented support for terrorist groups around the world. By removing the IRGC when it continues to engage in and support acts of terror tells the world that our sanctions carry no weight and are nothing more than political tools that can be cast aside whenever it is convenient.”
“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is one of the most dangerous terrorist groups in the world today,” said Franklin. “Through its sponsorship of terrorism, the IRGC is responsible for the deaths of countless innocent people and at least 600 U.S. troops. It has consistently sought the destruction of our partners and allies in the region, most notably Israel, and has been an obstacle to peace in the Middle East for decades. The Biden administration simply cannot reward this terrorist regime with any sort of legitimacy from the U.S. government.”
The full text of the letter,
Dear Secretary Blinken:
March 22, 2022
We write you today with grave concerns regarding the ongoing nuclear discussions with Iran and their potential impacts on our partner nations around the world. Specifically, we are deeply concerned about reports that the Biden Administration intends to remove the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) within the confines of a new Iran Nuclear Deal. We are united in strong opposition to any move to legitimize the IRGC’s reckless, destabilizing, and antisemitic actions throughout the Middle East.
The IRGC continues to actively participate in acts of terror and destabilizing actions in the region—particularly against one of our closest allies, Israel. It is also a chief supporter and enabler of other FTOs and insurgent groups in the region. These organizations include, but are not limited to: Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Houthi insurgency. The IRGC’s actions have led to decades of instability and conflict across the Middle East and the group is responsible for countless deaths, including more than 600 U.S. troops during the occupation of Iraq.
It is critical that we stand by our allies and partner nations and ensure that the IRGC is not given the benefit of removal of sanctions by delisting them as a FTO. This would reward them with greater freedom to increase their malign activities. Additionally, delisting the IRGC as a FTO would significantly bolster their financial resources. Many foreign companies abstain from conducting transactions with the IRGC to gain access to the U.S. market, but would no longer be subject to such restrictions.
Iran is the leading state sponsor of terror and continues to be the greatest threat to regional stability and our ally Israel. It is unconscionable that the United States should fail to exert maximum pressure on an evil and malign organization like the IRGC. We strongly urge against any decision that would legitimize the IRGC and allow them to further threaten democracy & freedom around the world.
Sincerely,
C. Scott Franklin Member of Congress
Elise Stefanik Member of Congress
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Background:
Created following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ primary responsibility is to protect the Iranian regime from internal and external threats. It has actively funded and supported several militant and terrorist groups including Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Houthi insurgency in Yemen.
The IRGC has significant control over Iran’s foreign policy and controls segments of the country’s economy, which it uses to fund its operations. It was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2019 because it “participates in, finances, and promotes terrorism as a tool of statecraft.”
U.S. forces killed IRGC leader Qassem Soleimani in 2020 in an effort to deter future IRGC attack plans against U.S. interests. According to a Pentagon report, the IRGC killed more than 600 U.S. troops during the occupation of Iraq while under Soleimani’s command.