http://www.geostrategy-direct.com/geostrategy-direct/secure/2011/06_08/do.as p
U.S. intelligence IDs IRGC officer who trained Syrians for crackdown http://www.geostrategy-direct.com/geostrategy-direct/images/2011/mchizari1.j pg Officials said Chizari and Suleimani were the key to the resilience of the Assad regime in the face of nationwide protests. _____ . Role: Iran Quds Force No. 3 commander . Notoriety: Arrested by U.S. troops in Baghdad in 2006 WASHINGTON - The United States has identified a leading Iranian officer as helping President Bashar Assad quell the revolt in Syria. The U.S. intelligence community has deemed Mohsen Chizari a leading Iranian facilitator of the Assad regime. Officials said Chizari was responsible for training at Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, whose officers were helping quell the anti-Assad revolt in Syria. "He is in charge of training the Syrians as well as sending Iranian advisers to help the security forces," an official said. On May 18, the Treasury Department identified Chizari and Qassem Suleimani as Iranian facilitators of the Assad crackdown. Suleimani, commander of IRGC's Quds Force, was designated the "conduit for Iranian material support to the Syrian General Intelligence Directorate." Chizari was identified as commander of training at the Quds Force. The Quds Force was responsible for IRGC foreign operations, including training and equipment of such Iranian proxies as Hamas, Hizbullah and Islamic Jihad, all of which have been based in Damascus. http://www.geostrategy-direct.com/geostrategy-direct/images/2011/syriacrackd .jpg Syrian anti-government protesters in Nawa near the southern town of Daraa, the epicentre of protests that have shaken President Bashar al-Assad's once uncontested rule. <http://www.opposingviews.com/i/did-us-israel-sabotage-iran-s-nuclear-progra m> AFP/Getty Images/AFP/Getty Images _____ "Mohsen Chizari, an Iranian military officer who is the No. 3 leader in the Quds Force in charge of training," Treasury said. Officials said Chizari and Suleimani were the key to the resilience of the Assad regime in the face of nationwide protests. They said the two IRGC commanders were monitoring the revolt and advising the Assad leadership. IRGC was said to be providing several levels of assistance over the last 10 weeks. Officials said Chizari and Suleimani provided training and equipment that allowed Syrian intelligence to track opposition organizers through the Internet. For Chizari, this marked his second major mission abroad in less than five years. In 2006, Chizari was operating in Iran's neighbor, Iraq, where he was arrested by the U.S. military. Within days, the IRGC officer was released. On April 29, the White House imposed sanctions on IRGC for alleged help to the Assad regime in trying to quell the revolt. But the White House did not elaborate except to say that IRGC's Quds Force was working with Syrian General Intelligence. "Iran is providing material support to the Syrian government related to cracking down on unrest in Syria," the White House said. "The conduit for this Iranian material support to the Syrian General Intelligence Directorate is the IRGC-QF." Officials confirmed reports by the opposition that Hizbullah was also helping support the Syrian Army and security forces to battle the protesters. They said Hizbullah provided manpower as well as equipment to the Assad regime. "The Iranians are helping Assad but they are also hedging their bets and are in contact with the opposition as well," an official said. "IRGC is in contact with the Muslim Brotherhood." [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, discuss-os...@yahoogroups.com. -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor biso...@intellnet.org http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: osint-subscr...@yahoogroups.com Unsubscribe: osint-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. 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