Reza Shafa
The U.S. military commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus speaking at a U.S. military base about 30 kilometers from the Iranian border, acknowledged the role of Hassan Kazemi-Qomi, Iran’s Ambassador to Iraq, as a top Quds Force commander in this country’s vicious cycle of violence.
Iran’s Quds force is the source of Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFP) deadly roadside bombs that has killed hundreds of U.S. troops in Iraq."
Kazemi-Qomi, a high ranking commander in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is specialized in Lebanon, Afghanistan and Iraq affaires. He has an infamous record of terrorist activities in each of those countries.
On December 23, 2003, he replaced Alireza Haqiqian as the Iranian charge d’affaires in Baghdad. In May 2005, the mullahs intensified their so-called diplomatic activities in Iraq and Kazemi-Qomi was promoted to the regime’s new ambassador to Iraq.
Prior to his current assignment to Iraq, Kazemi-Qomi was Tehran’s first consul in Harat, Afghanistan, where he established the Quds Force’s network of operatives there. He made great efforts in laying the foundation for a lasting relation with the local recruits of the force and its headquarters, Ansar Garrison of the IRGC, in the Iranian northeastern city of Mashhad.
"The ambassador is a Qods force member." He went on to say, "Now he has diplomatic immunity and therefore he is obviously not subject (to scrutiny). He is acting as a diplomat,†said Petraeus.
Petraeus continued by listing the types of weaponry Iran was supplying to the militias in Iraq and said, "This comprised advanced rocket-propelled grenades, shoulder-fired ‘Stinger-like’ air defense missiles and 240mm rockets. This was in addition to components used to make explosively formed projectiles (EFPs), a particularly deadly roadside bomb that has killed hundreds of U.S. troops in Iraq."
After Kazemi-Qomi’s role was revealed in the Mahdi Army forces offensive in Najaf, Kufa, Kut, and Sadr City, seizing control of public buildings and police stations while clashing with coalition forces, he was ordered to leave the country on April 8, 2004.
"They are responsible for providing the weapons, the training, and the funding and in some cases the direction for operations that have indeed killed U.S. soldiers," said the general describing the Quds Force.
In addition, the Iranian Resistance just revealed last Friday, "The deadly Quds Force has prepared a list of 8,331 Iraqi political, national and religious leaders opposing to the Iranian regime meddling in their country to be assassinated by its local recruits in Iraq,"
"The ruling clerics through 53 supposedly humanitarian entities are pursuing their criminal intents in Iraq. Another instrument to devour the nation is thousands of mullahs poured into Iraqi cities since 2003" the statement elaborated.
NCRI added, "According to information received from inside the regime, the Quds Force sent a certain amount of Mustard Gas to an area near Ashraf City (home to the members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran in Iraq) to poison the members of its opposition group in Iraq."
It seems that finally the true identity of Kazemi-Qomi, not as a diplomat, but as the commander of one of the most ruthless forces operating in Iraq, has finally been disclosed. The time has come to do away with the IRGC in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East to bring about and ensure a long lasting peace.
Reza Shafa is an expert on the Iranian regime’s intelligence networks.
