Iran-Terrorism: Terrorist Trainings by Mullahs’ Qods Force and Ministry of Intelligence
The following is the first part of a special report on the Iranian regime’s extraterritorial terrorist activities:
History of Training Centres
Since early 1993, Khamenei started setting up training camps for non-Iranian Moslems and left the job to be pursued by Mullah Mohammed Ali Taskhiri, head of International Relations in Khamenei’s Office. The candidates for such camps are selected and introduced by the Regime’s cultural, intelligence and terrorist organs in foreign countries. The Qods Force elements stay with the candidates as their hosts, instructors and companions throughout the period in the camps in order to closely assess and select them for their intelligence and terrorist missions and put them under further special trainings.
Recruiting and Training Non-Iranian Terrorists
The Clerical Regime has set up various organs for exporting fundamentalism including; The Islamic Culture and Communications Organization, Ahl Al-Beit International Assembly, The Assembly for Associating Islamic Sects, The Cultural Advisors, various foundations, etc. One of the major duties for the above-mentioned organs is to recruit and select forces for submitting them to the Qods Force or the Intelligence Ministry after passing them through primary trainings and security checks.
The Training Admin. in the Qods Force is responsible for ideological, political and military training as well as organizing such elements in terrorist teams. On this basis, the Training Admin. in the Qods Force has been one of the most serious and active sections in the Force.
Apart from various training centers in Iran, the Training Admin. has set up additional training centers in other countries including Sudan, Lebanon and Bosnia.
In the Intelligence Ministry, the Training Section is in charge of training and employing non-Iranian forces. The Section is nicknamed Tajik.
The Intelligence Ministry and the Qods Force take coordinated measures with the Foreign Ministry to transfer secretly the recruited forces into and out of Iran. Many of them enter Iran through intermediate countries with passports issued by the Clerical Regime. They also leave Iran by the same passports for intermediate countries, change their passports and leave for the target countries.
The Qods Force Training Centers
a. Imam Ali Training Barracks
The Training Admin. of the Qods Force is located in Imam Ali Barracks, Tehran, Tajrish Sq. Alborz Kooh St. The camp vicinity is to the north of Sa’ad Abad Palace where Shah’s Guard Div. was stationed. The first commander of the Training Admin. was called Brig. Gen. Pasdar Shams. Prior to this, he was commander of the Badr terrorist force. The Camp’s commander at that time was Brig. Gen. Pasdar Orooj who at the same time was Shams’s deputy. Before taking up this responsibility, Orooj was commander of the Special Guards Corps ( in charge of Khamenei’s protection) and was previously an IRGC commander in Lebanon. A few years later, Shams became commander of the IRGC in Bosnia and Orooj took his place as commander of the Training Admin. while keeping his last post.
Later on, Pasdar Noroozi took over as commander of Imam Ali Camp. He handed over his post to Nozari in 1997 who has so far been the commander of the Camp.
The military training level in the Camp-specially in guerrilla warfare - is high (under staff and command course). In addition to the Qods Force personnel, non-Iranian citizens are also receiving training in this camp. The subjects include; political and ideological training, explosion and demolition, handling different kinds of bombs, methods of installing and concealing bombs, shooting while riding a car and a motorcycle, handling various kinds of arms, ambush and counter ambush, persuasion and watching, body building.
The Qods Force commanders believe that the camp is self sufficient in terms of instructors. They have quite a few numbers of instructors with extra territorial operations (terrorist operations). A commander in the Qods Force while stating his opinion about Imam Ali camp, said:” The Qods Training Admin. established an intelligence university in the camp where the Qods Force personnel were trained at the beginning and later, combatant forces from other countries joined the university. Those combatants (i.e. the terrorists) who recently assassinated the Japanese translator of the book The Satanic Verses and Shahpoor Bakhtiar were trained in Imam Ali Barracks under the command of Orooj.” Training terrorists has been going on continuously in the camp during recent years.
b. Bahonar Barracks
The Qods Force set up Bahonar Barracks in 1993 in Challus Highway, around Karaj Dam and near the Bilwa village. The camp is located in an area called Bagh Sarhang. The camp soon turned into one of the most important training camps. Foreign citizens recruited by the Qods Force are trained in this camp except Central Asian citizens who are generally trained in Imam Ali Barracks. Keeping secrets and controlling information is strictly observed in the camp. The courses are organized in such a way that the trainees’ level of information about each other is at minimum.
The subjects taught in the camp are: guerrilla warfare principles, keeping secrets, methods and tactics of reconnaissance and gathering information, getting to know arms, body building, handling explosives and different kinds of arms. Moreover, the terrorists in Bahonar Barracks learn how to accomplish their missions in different environments and when arrested how to keep their secrets - specially their ties with the Regime. In addition to military and tactical trainings, the terrorists also receive ideological and political training including parts of jurisprudence and fundamentals.
The camps priorities change with different situations. In some situations, the camp introduces special and intensive courses. For example, in Spring 1995 according to the special situation in Bahrain, Bahonar Camp started training a group of 9 and a team of 2 of its agents for special missions in Bahrain. Again, in September 1995 another group of 6 was put under special and intensive trainings.
Since year 1996 the camp started training foreign instructors. The aim was to train instructors in other countries in order to keep the trainings going on in more extensive level.
After 11 Sep. events, an official from Bahonar Barracks said in a private session:” Our activities have become more important after 11 Sep. events. It has been decided to be more cautious in security matters for selecting agents for training until the excitements die down. Despite all the excitements, we did not stop the training. For instance, a training course for instructors was opened in Feb. 2002 in which a group of 22 Arab citizens were trained and they went back to their countries to teach what they have learned to others.”
c. Imam Sadegh Camp
Imam Sadegh Camp is located in Qom and is connected to the Qods Force. The camp is a terrorist training center. It is next door to 17 th Ali Ibn Abitaleb Brigade Garrison and is separated from it by a wall. All terrorist methods and fundamentalist subjects are taught to non-Iranian elements including Egyptians, Iraqis and Lebanese.
d. Nahawand School
The school is situated 45 km away from Nahawand city and is supervised by the IRGC. This is where non-Iranian agents including Lebanese and Afghans receive espionage and terrorist training.
e. Beit Al-Moghaddas Religious Training College, Qom
The Clerical Regime set up an organ in Khamenei’s Office since early 1990 called The Assembly for Associating Islamic Sects to recruit Sunni Moslems. The assembly was chaired by Akhawan Waez Zadeh Khorasani. Simultaneously, Khamenei set up another organ called Ahl Al-Beit International Assembly to recruit non-Iranian Shi’ite Moslems which was chaired by mullah Mohammed Ali Taskhiri. For the time being, the former assembly’s chairman is Taskhiri and the latter is chaired by Ali Akbar Velayati. In order to train non-Iranian agents, the Qods Force established Beit Al-Moghaddas Religious Training College in Qom in cooperation with The Assembly for Associating Islamic Sects. Dean of the college is called Brig. Gen. Pasdar Sadegh Nazhad who is a commander in the Qods Force. Brig. Gen. Pasdar Ahmad Sharifi, a commander in the Qods Force, who took part in the explosion of Khobar towers in Saudi Arabia is also stationed in this college.
The college is organized in two parts:
(1). Khatam Center, which is responsible for finding and recruiting forces abroad,
(2). Gha’em Center, which is responsible for training non-Iranian agents. The Center offers trainings for Sunni and Shi’ite Moslems simultaneously.
History of Training Centres
Since early 1993, Khamenei started setting up training camps for non-Iranian Moslems and left the job to be pursued by Mullah Mohammed Ali Taskhiri, head of International Relations in Khamenei’s Office. The candidates for such camps are selected and introduced by the Regime’s cultural, intelligence and terrorist organs in foreign countries. The Qods Force elements stay with the candidates as their hosts, instructors and companions throughout the period in the camps in order to closely assess and select them for their intelligence and terrorist missions and put them under further special trainings.
Recruiting and Training Non-Iranian Terrorists
The Clerical Regime has set up various organs for exporting fundamentalism including; The Islamic Culture and Communications Organization, Ahl Al-Beit International Assembly, The Assembly for Associating Islamic Sects, The Cultural Advisors, various foundations, etc. One of the major duties for the above-mentioned organs is to recruit and select forces for submitting them to the Qods Force or the Intelligence Ministry after passing them through primary trainings and security checks.
The Training Admin. in the Qods Force is responsible for ideological, political and military training as well as organizing such elements in terrorist teams. On this basis, the Training Admin. in the Qods Force has been one of the most serious and active sections in the Force.
Apart from various training centers in Iran, the Training Admin. has set up additional training centers in other countries including Sudan, Lebanon and Bosnia.
In the Intelligence Ministry, the Training Section is in charge of training and employing non-Iranian forces. The Section is nicknamed Tajik.
The Intelligence Ministry and the Qods Force take coordinated measures with the Foreign Ministry to transfer secretly the recruited forces into and out of Iran. Many of them enter Iran through intermediate countries with passports issued by the Clerical Regime. They also leave Iran by the same passports for intermediate countries, change their passports and leave for the target countries.
The Qods Force Training Centers
a. Imam Ali Training Barracks
The Training Admin. of the Qods Force is located in Imam Ali Barracks, Tehran, Tajrish Sq. Alborz Kooh St. The camp vicinity is to the north of Sa’ad Abad Palace where Shah’s Guard Div. was stationed. The first commander of the Training Admin. was called Brig. Gen. Pasdar Shams. Prior to this, he was commander of the Badr terrorist force. The Camp’s commander at that time was Brig. Gen. Pasdar Orooj who at the same time was Shams’s deputy. Before taking up this responsibility, Orooj was commander of the Special Guards Corps ( in charge of Khamenei’s protection) and was previously an IRGC commander in Lebanon. A few years later, Shams became commander of the IRGC in Bosnia and Orooj took his place as commander of the Training Admin. while keeping his last post.
Later on, Pasdar Noroozi took over as commander of Imam Ali Camp. He handed over his post to Nozari in 1997 who has so far been the commander of the Camp.
The military training level in the Camp-specially in guerrilla warfare - is high (under staff and command course). In addition to the Qods Force personnel, non-Iranian citizens are also receiving training in this camp. The subjects include; political and ideological training, explosion and demolition, handling different kinds of bombs, methods of installing and concealing bombs, shooting while riding a car and a motorcycle, handling various kinds of arms, ambush and counter ambush, persuasion and watching, body building.
The Qods Force commanders believe that the camp is self sufficient in terms of instructors. They have quite a few numbers of instructors with extra territorial operations (terrorist operations). A commander in the Qods Force while stating his opinion about Imam Ali camp, said:” The Qods Training Admin. established an intelligence university in the camp where the Qods Force personnel were trained at the beginning and later, combatant forces from other countries joined the university. Those combatants (i.e. the terrorists) who recently assassinated the Japanese translator of the book The Satanic Verses and Shahpoor Bakhtiar were trained in Imam Ali Barracks under the command of Orooj.” Training terrorists has been going on continuously in the camp during recent years.
b. Bahonar Barracks
The Qods Force set up Bahonar Barracks in 1993 in Challus Highway, around Karaj Dam and near the Bilwa village. The camp is located in an area called Bagh Sarhang. The camp soon turned into one of the most important training camps. Foreign citizens recruited by the Qods Force are trained in this camp except Central Asian citizens who are generally trained in Imam Ali Barracks. Keeping secrets and controlling information is strictly observed in the camp. The courses are organized in such a way that the trainees’ level of information about each other is at minimum.
The subjects taught in the camp are: guerrilla warfare principles, keeping secrets, methods and tactics of reconnaissance and gathering information, getting to know arms, body building, handling explosives and different kinds of arms. Moreover, the terrorists in Bahonar Barracks learn how to accomplish their missions in different environments and when arrested how to keep their secrets - specially their ties with the Regime. In addition to military and tactical trainings, the terrorists also receive ideological and political training including parts of jurisprudence and fundamentals.
The camps priorities change with different situations. In some situations, the camp introduces special and intensive courses. For example, in Spring 1995 according to the special situation in Bahrain, Bahonar Camp started training a group of 9 and a team of 2 of its agents for special missions in Bahrain. Again, in September 1995 another group of 6 was put under special and intensive trainings.
Since year 1996 the camp started training foreign instructors. The aim was to train instructors in other countries in order to keep the trainings going on in more extensive level.
After 11 Sep. events, an official from Bahonar Barracks said in a private session:” Our activities have become more important after 11 Sep. events. It has been decided to be more cautious in security matters for selecting agents for training until the excitements die down. Despite all the excitements, we did not stop the training. For instance, a training course for instructors was opened in Feb. 2002 in which a group of 22 Arab citizens were trained and they went back to their countries to teach what they have learned to others.”
c. Imam Sadegh Camp
Imam Sadegh Camp is located in Qom and is connected to the Qods Force. The camp is a terrorist training center. It is next door to 17 th Ali Ibn Abitaleb Brigade Garrison and is separated from it by a wall. All terrorist methods and fundamentalist subjects are taught to non-Iranian elements including Egyptians, Iraqis and Lebanese.
d. Nahawand School
The school is situated 45 km away from Nahawand city and is supervised by the IRGC. This is where non-Iranian agents including Lebanese and Afghans receive espionage and terrorist training.
e. Beit Al-Moghaddas Religious Training College, Qom
The Clerical Regime set up an organ in Khamenei’s Office since early 1990 called The Assembly for Associating Islamic Sects to recruit Sunni Moslems. The assembly was chaired by Akhawan Waez Zadeh Khorasani. Simultaneously, Khamenei set up another organ called Ahl Al-Beit International Assembly to recruit non-Iranian Shi’ite Moslems which was chaired by mullah Mohammed Ali Taskhiri. For the time being, the former assembly’s chairman is Taskhiri and the latter is chaired by Ali Akbar Velayati. In order to train non-Iranian agents, the Qods Force established Beit Al-Moghaddas Religious Training College in Qom in cooperation with The Assembly for Associating Islamic Sects. Dean of the college is called Brig. Gen. Pasdar Sadegh Nazhad who is a commander in the Qods Force. Brig. Gen. Pasdar Ahmad Sharifi, a commander in the Qods Force, who took part in the explosion of Khobar towers in Saudi Arabia is also stationed in this college.
The college is organized in two parts:
(1). Khatam Center, which is responsible for finding and recruiting forces abroad,
(2). Gha’em Center, which is responsible for training non-Iranian agents. The Center offers trainings for Sunni and Shi’ite Moslems simultaneously.
posted by Marko at 12/02/2005 11:20:00 AM
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