Qods Force’s physical presence in Iraq
By: Reza Shafa
The Qods Force has some 40,000 men in Iraq. In January 2007, in a press conference in London, the Iranian Resistance revealed a detailed list of 32,000 on mullahs’ payroll with their account numbers in Iranian banks and their ranks in the IRGC’s military hierarchy.
In addition, to pursue its goal in Iraq, the Qods Force has established dozens of terrorist and intelligence networks throughout the country.
Over the past few years, millions of books, pamphlets, CDs, posters and ideological banners promoting the teachings of the mullahs’ supreme leader Ali Khamenei have been pouring into Iraq by the agents of the force.
To follow the guidelines from Tehran, the Qods Force has bought or rented more than three thousand buildings, apartments, farms, hotels, shops and other properties in Iraq. These premises have been used as safe houses, hide outs for the force’s commanders and intelligence agents of the Qods Force and rendezvous points for members of terrorist squads.
The real state purchases have been mostly made in the three Shiite strong holds of Najaf, Karbala and Basrah. The Iranian regime’s tactics have been widly scrutinized by the media in the country.
Qods Force front entities for fulfilling its task in Iraq
To manage its day-to-day business in the country, the force has been using front organizations. Various front organizations have made it easy for IRGC and Qods Force to conduct their covert and illegal activities; employing such networks have provided the necessary cover for the Iranian regime to keep a low profile while having a hand in most of terrorist operations in Iraq. At the same time, it is difficult for authorities to blow the covers and get the terrorists out since they are well mixed with the ordinary citizens.
By setting up a number of charitable organizations, mostly in Shiite dominated parts of the country, the Qods Force is expanding its covert intelligence and terrorist networks.
The Ramadan Garrison with its four tactical bases: Fajr in the southern city of Ahwaz, Zafar in the western city of Kermanshah, Raad and Nasser in the northwestern cities of Marivan and Naqadeh on the Iranian side of the border provide logistic support for the Qods Force operations in Iraq.
The force in coordination with the Iranian regime’s embassy in Baghdad and based on the friendly relations with the Iraqi government contacts the Iraqi political groups.
Kazemi Qomi has a pivotal role in Iraq; he is a veteran Qods Force commander with a mission initially not as a diplomat but as a field officer for the mullahs’ ominous intentions in Iraq.
To be continued
——
Reza Shafa is an expert on the Iranian regime’s intelligence networks, both in Iran and abroad. He has done extensive research on VAVAK (MOIS), IRGC’s Intelligence Office, and Quds Force among others. Currently he is a contributor to NCRI website.
