SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
(Photo: DoD/flickr/cc)
Iran Designates US Central Command a 'Terrorist Group' Operating in the Middle East
"If Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is a 'terrorist organization' because it has 'been directly involved in terrorist plotting, malign activity and outlaw behavior in many countries' then what label could justly describe the entirety of the US military & national security state?"
Apr 08, 2019
Iran's Supreme National Security Council on Monday officially designated U.S. Central Command operating in the Middle East as a terrorist group.
The move was a direct reaction to the Trump administration earlier in the day designating the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) in a similar fashion.
As the Iranian FARS News Agency reports, the statement from the SNSC
declared the United States a "terrorist government," and blacklisted the "CENTCOM and all its affiliates a terrorist group" to reciprocate Washington's controversial decision to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization.
In a statement issued on Monday evening, the SNSC--that is headed by President Hassan Rouhani--condemned Washington's move, calling it "an illegal and dangerous action" that poses a "major threat to regional and international peace and security and grossly violates the rules of international law."
In its declaration, the SNSC also invoke the ongoing carnage in Yemen being carried out by the U.S.-backed Saudi coalition, and charged that the U.S. government and its allies "have always been advocates of extremist groups and terrorists" in the Middle East. The American military, the Iranians argued, must take responsibility for "the dangerous consequences of its adventures" in the region.
The move by Tehran followed a formal request by Foreign Minister Javad Zarif submitted to Iran's President Hassan Rouhani:
In a letter to President Rouhani, Zarif requests the U.S. army and CENTCOM be put on Iran's list of terrorist groups in response to today's U.S. designation of the IRGC as an FTO. https://t.co/8r6eMSvYLp
-- Erika Naegeli (@erikanaegeli) April 8, 2019
While anti-war voices in the U.S. condemned the State Department's new designation of the IRGC as just the latest policy by the Trump administration designed to bring the two countries closer to war, the Iranian response was not unexpected.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council on Monday officially designated U.S. Central Command operating in the Middle East as a terrorist group.
The move was a direct reaction to the Trump administration earlier in the day designating the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) in a similar fashion.
As the Iranian FARS News Agency reports, the statement from the SNSC
declared the United States a "terrorist government," and blacklisted the "CENTCOM and all its affiliates a terrorist group" to reciprocate Washington's controversial decision to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization.
In a statement issued on Monday evening, the SNSC--that is headed by President Hassan Rouhani--condemned Washington's move, calling it "an illegal and dangerous action" that poses a "major threat to regional and international peace and security and grossly violates the rules of international law."
In its declaration, the SNSC also invoke the ongoing carnage in Yemen being carried out by the U.S.-backed Saudi coalition, and charged that the U.S. government and its allies "have always been advocates of extremist groups and terrorists" in the Middle East. The American military, the Iranians argued, must take responsibility for "the dangerous consequences of its adventures" in the region.
The move by Tehran followed a formal request by Foreign Minister Javad Zarif submitted to Iran's President Hassan Rouhani:
In a letter to President Rouhani, Zarif requests the U.S. army and CENTCOM be put on Iran's list of terrorist groups in response to today's U.S. designation of the IRGC as an FTO. https://t.co/8r6eMSvYLp
-- Erika Naegeli (@erikanaegeli) April 8, 2019
While anti-war voices in the U.S. condemned the State Department's new designation of the IRGC as just the latest policy by the Trump administration designed to bring the two countries closer to war, the Iranian response was not unexpected.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council on Monday officially designated U.S. Central Command operating in the Middle East as a terrorist group.
The move was a direct reaction to the Trump administration earlier in the day designating the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) in a similar fashion.
As the Iranian FARS News Agency reports, the statement from the SNSC
declared the United States a "terrorist government," and blacklisted the "CENTCOM and all its affiliates a terrorist group" to reciprocate Washington's controversial decision to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization.
In a statement issued on Monday evening, the SNSC--that is headed by President Hassan Rouhani--condemned Washington's move, calling it "an illegal and dangerous action" that poses a "major threat to regional and international peace and security and grossly violates the rules of international law."
In its declaration, the SNSC also invoke the ongoing carnage in Yemen being carried out by the U.S.-backed Saudi coalition, and charged that the U.S. government and its allies "have always been advocates of extremist groups and terrorists" in the Middle East. The American military, the Iranians argued, must take responsibility for "the dangerous consequences of its adventures" in the region.
The move by Tehran followed a formal request by Foreign Minister Javad Zarif submitted to Iran's President Hassan Rouhani:
In a letter to President Rouhani, Zarif requests the U.S. army and CENTCOM be put on Iran's list of terrorist groups in response to today's U.S. designation of the IRGC as an FTO. https://t.co/8r6eMSvYLp
-- Erika Naegeli (@erikanaegeli) April 8, 2019
While anti-war voices in the U.S. condemned the State Department's new designation of the IRGC as just the latest policy by the Trump administration designed to bring the two countries closer to war, the Iranian response was not unexpected.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy