Fear and Loathing in the Revolutionary Guards
In an act of open insubordination, during the March 10th demonstrations in Tehran, seven members of the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) security forces refused to shoot at protesters on the streets. Arrested and jailed in Tehran’s infamous Evin prison for interrogation, they are still being interrogated as the Iranian regime’s authorities debate how to deal with them.
During the interrogations the regime’s intelligence sources have repeatedly warned the seven — identities still unknown — that they must reveal the names of the “leaders” of the organization(s) they are taking orders from, as well as disclose the names of any other member of the IRGC and Basij forces working undercover.
To that end, the commanders of the Basij have joined the interrogators and are absolutely determined to make the connection between the insubordinate guards and the authors of a recent letter written to Mohammad-Ali Jafari, the chief commander of the Revolutionary Guards. The open letter, published at various sites, was penned by a number of top-ranking but anonymous members of the IRGC. In it, they announce their defiance of their orders and their refusal to treat protesters with violence.
The accused reject all knowledge of such a letter.
The commanders of the IRGC are said to be debating the proper form of disciplinary action. Where a few have suggested that firing them would be just punishment, the majority are reluctant to consider letting it go at that, certain that any and all those who refuse to follow orders must be severely punished.
But execution does not seem to be an effective deterrent. Back in August 2010, a number of the IRGC members who were arrested and detained for insubordination were drugged and then buried alive. But, of course, the news didn’t stay under wraps for very long. Soon enough, it was widely reported by blogs and human rights organizations.
Tragic but really important news. Thank you.
It seems to me that the regime of the fanatics is showing A LOT of lines of possible fracture.
Will Muslim unrest shake the Iranian regime at its core?
Hopefully, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. I also wouldn’t rely on a favorable out come of the unrest from any U.S. response, they passed on that once already. It’s too bad because Iranians are a whole different kettle of fish than the Arab world but unfortunately cursed as well with Mohammed and the religion of misery and its 4th century enslavement. An Iranian fried of mine and his wife used to go back a couple of times a year to visit, both wearing western clothing, not any more, he said things really changed for the worse about 2 years ago. Now he said it doesn’t matter what you wear, you may not be able to leave. His disappointment in all of this stems from the fact this is a revolt against the mullahs and their puppets in government, not against some ruthless dictator. Under the Shaw we had a very open and fun society, not without normal dictator problems but at least we had freedom.
The issue of an army willing to use live fire or no on its own citizens is a troubling one. It seems to have been the deal breaker at Tiananmen Square as well as the recent uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.
One could state that one of the factors in the mix is whether the members of an uprising are seen by soldiers to be a true cross section of the country as may have been the case in favor of the uprising in Egypt or whether protesters are an easily identified and narrower group as was unfortunately the case apparently when the Ohio National Guard opened fire on students at Kent St. in 1970.
if the u.s. had a president with any skill, other than ruining “his” own country, then i see ample opportunity but not now
the failure to act upon the uprisings a couple years ago shows where the u.s. policy stands
In the words of Michael Ledeen, “faster, please!”
Typo note: It looks like you mean to use “insubordination” in the first clause of your first sentence. However, it currently states, “In an act of open subordination …”
Thanks for a good article. I hope we see more of your work.
The beatings and beheadings will continue until morale improves!
That pesky affliction of morality.
Can’t have that.
As a certain contributor to this site often says, “faster, please.”
Wow, so there are actual humans in the IRGC? Gives me a little hope, y’know?
I spent five years in Sa’udi Arabia, so I am not unfamiliar with other cultures. But one incident from an earlier time still haunts me. While I was in the Army, I met an Iranian helicopter pilot training in the USA. He was quite friendly and personable, and we got along well. One day he announced that he had to go back to Iran and he would be executed. I tried to talk to him, but he was adamant. He went back to Iran, and was executed.
The article would be more convincing if the author had given some sources for his information; or at least an idea of where he gets his stuff.
As is, it seems like a lot of wishful thinking. I still remember a saying I read when I was a kid, about Persia (Iran): “believe nothing of what you hear and only half of what you see.”
I really hope this is true. i feel so sorry for the young people that are going through horrendous things. if truly ppl from the army will rebel and refuse to use violence-that is the only way i see it can work. since there will be no assistance from the western world. as an Israeli- i would like to add that i trust revolutions that are done against Islamist fundamental regime than i do those who calls for ‘democracy’ and mean bringing one to power. at list in Iran they know exactly what the dangers are.
Zioness,
I deal in fact, not fiction. Everything I write is not only researched but checked and rechecked from all kinds of sources. I don’t see how you would think that Pajamas Media would publish something that was made up! And when it comes to the Iranian regime, after all, hasn’t the whole world seen that facts are stranger than fiction?!
Ever wonder what would happen if US Armed Forces were ordered to fire on us?
An officer in the US military can quote his oath, and explain
how it _really_does_ make him, personally, the final authority
in the final analysis, when the administration tries to use the
military to subvert the Constitution.
A lowly enlisted man such as myself can only repeat the answer to
a _very_ unofficial question asked by the sergeant who gave me my
orientation briefing when I joined up:
I would shoot the SOB who gave the order.
Not much
Our military will defend against enemies but big difference between our military and Syria
One reason why israel survived it’s wars is that Egyptian and Syrian military leadership was appointed often for political reasons
If your military is base for propping up political legitimacy you have lost already. Will work for sometime but long term reality you need consent of the people.
US has that and more. More power and willing human resource than ever . We lack in political will and direction.
For thise who do not know Ms. Zand-Bonafshi’s excellent work or follow her writings on planet-iran.com, she is one of the leading Iranian activists and is in constant touch with the student leaders. Her father is an imprisoned journalist in Tehran.
Dear John,
Planet Iran does not exist anymore! It was shut down in November 2010! But thank you for mentioning it
Just when I think I’ve heard them all. How Novel….”drugged them and then buried them alive”. I wander if they left any oxygen around for when the woke up or if that was it? I guess I’ll just have to ponder that one for a while.
Barry,
They were buried in cement…so no, there would have been no holes for any of them to wake up! That was the point…
And this group of mideavil bedlamites wants to rule the world and some of our ‘progressives’ don’t have a problem with it.
We Americans must sensibly stand aside and watch these uprisings and hopefully, eventual revolutions, in the Middle East/North Africa run their course, and try as we’re able, to contain them within that area. These mercurial religious cultures are beyond our Western conditioning/understanding as we simply don’t think the same way, and our standards of military/civil relationships are simply inapplicable in Islamic-influenced areas. We Euro-Americans have absolutely no background for anything other than observation there, our western-liberal-arts academe is groping among mirrors; these Islamist social attitudes are alien.
We (myself included, naturally) can comment and speculate endlessly, but we must be realistic and accept the fact that unless we’re born, raised and were/are a living part of that Islamist milieu, we simply can’t know what we’re talking about.
Somewhere (WSJ) today I read about an emerging “cold war” between Iran and Saudi Arabia…..but I think it’s realistic that we Americans should treat Muslim/Islamism as as Cold War II, and these depraved and volatile Islamist areas should be “curtained” off, cordoned off, from the rest of civilization.