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Clinton: Iran is becoming ‘military dictatorship’

By The World ⋅ February 15, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment
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Iran is “becoming a military dictatorship”, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said. She was speaking to students at a Qatar university during a tour of the region. She said Iran’s elite army corps, the Revolutionary Guard, had gained so much power they had effectively supplanted the government. Asked if the US was planning to attack Iran, Clinton said Washington wanted to bring the world community together to agree on sanctions against the Revolutionary Guard. Laura Lynch reports. Download MP3

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KATY CLARK:  I’m Katy Clark and this is The World, a co-production of the BBC World Service, PRI and WGBH in Boston.  Iran is veering toward a military dictatorship.  That’s the word from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today.  Speaking in Qatar, Clinton said Iran’s Revolutionary Guard is increasingly dominating the government in Tehran.  She made the comments as she seeks support for tougher sanctions targeting Iran’s nuclear program.  The World’s Laura Lynch reports.

LAURA LYNCH:  Hillary Clinton’s words were among the strongest she’s used since President Obama offered to engage with Iran.

HILLARY CLINTON:  Iranian officials have refused every offer to meet on its nuclear program.  So these actions, understandably, have caused us to wonder, what does Iran have to hide?

LYNCH: Clinton’s trip is part of an effort to gather support for tough, new sanctions against Iran and she made her case by warning that the country is becoming a military dictatorship.

HILLARY CLINTON:  We are planning to try to bring the world community together in applying pressure to Iran through sanctions adopted by the United Nations that will be particularly aimed at those enterprises controlled by the Revolutionary Guard which we believe is, in effect, supplanting the government of Iran.  That is how we see it.

LYNCH: In Tehran the state owned Arabic language TV channel, Al-Alam, which broadcasts to Arab nations, accused Clinton of trying to turn the world against Iran.

INTERPRETER:  A coordinated campaign intensifies day by day after every announcement made by Iran on its nuclear, space or defense developments.  The U.S. Shuttle diplomacy is aimed at incitement against Tehran.

LYNCH: But for others, Clinton’s assessment wasn’t news at all.  Afshin Molavi is an Iranian analyst with the New America Foundation.

AFSHIN MOLAVI:  I think what Secretary Clinton was saying was essentially catching up to the reality of Iran.  I also think it reflects the frustration that the Obama administration is feeling about Iran because they do feel that they went out on a diplomatic ledge and Iran did not meet them halfway.

LYNCH: Observers say the Revolutionary Guard has been extending its control in Iran for years with the blessing of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khameini.  Rasool Nafisi of the Rand Corporation has written a book about the Guard.

RASOOL NAFISI:  The process actually started with the revolution because the Revolution Guards are a new phenomenon in Iran combining political and military and security functions together.  What happened under Ayatollah Khomeini, the process accelerated to the point that in the 2005 election the takeover of the state was relatively completed.

LYNCH: Nafisi says that means the Guard has former members in the judiciary, the legislature, and of course, at the top of government including President Mahmoud Ahmedinajad.  And Afshin Molavi says even though the Ayatollah is the nation’s spiritual and constitutional leader, he’s cultivated close ties to the military.

MOLAVI:  In securing his legitimacy he increasingly looks to the barracks rather than the seminary.  And over the past 20 years or so he has increasingly allied himself with elements of the Revolutionary Guard and the question becomes, is the tail wagging the dog?  They do need each other.

LYNCH: Hillary Clinton said today the United States isn’t seeking to take military action against Iran, but she does want help in hitting the Revolutionary Guard where it hurts.  In the past few years the Guard has built up a lucrative and influential business portfolio controlling hundreds of key companies.  So it’s no surprise Clinton is urging others on the U.N. Security Council to support additional sanctions targeted at the economic interests controlled by the Guard.  For The World, I’m Laura Lynch.


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Discussion

One comment for “Clinton: Iran is becoming ‘military dictatorship’”

  • Ross Wolf

    Until now, Americans have never been faced with both the prospect of a nuclear attack from a terrorist state (IRAN) while concurrently having to rely on a U.S. President pathetically weak. Obama is more a threat to our national security than Iran. The President’s demonstrated weakness has invited terrorists and foreign Governments to challenge U.S. global interests, even attack America. If there is another terrorist attack on U.S. soil that causes significant damage, Americans will be extremely angry with Obama and his administration.

    While Obama threatens UN sanctions that have never worked against Iran, the dictatorship continues to provide weapons to Terrorists and likely will furnish small nukes to Terrorists in America and Israel once they develop them. Iran will then have the power to terrorize Governments and their Citizens with the indefinite prospect of or more small-nuke attacks, while denying accountability. Should a small nuke be detonated in the U.S., fearful Americans would stop investing, stop buying products except needed to live, the stock market could plummet wiping out most retirement plans; huge unemployment would certainly follow. Martial Law would likely be imposed. Obama has so bankrupted America, it might not be possible to invade Iran to take control of the country before they develop and distribute small nukes to terrorists worldwide. The best thing Obama could do now, is resign. Obama has failed the American People like no President before.

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