(American Enterprise Institute) Will Fulton - 48 Iranians held captive by Syrian rebels since August arrived in Tehran on Jan. 9, after a prisoner exchange between rebels and the Assad government led to their release. Iranian media revealed the names of some of the hostages who hold active positions within the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) ground forces. We can now confirm that Iran has been deploying training teams to Syria. Tehran is actively assisting and mentoring Assad's military in the suppression of its people. The nature and significance of the hostages were apparent from the official party that met them on their return to Iran, including several key IRGC commanders. The hostages were apparently important senior leaders in the IRGC. Most Iranian covert military and terrorist operations abroad are conducted by the IRGC Quds Force. This incident demonstrates that elements of regular IRGC military units have also been sent on operations beyond Iran's borders.
2013-01-15 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive