Wahied Wahdat-Hagh Iran
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IRAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY the Islamic Republic of Iran
IRAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Islamic Republic of Iran is a constitutional, theocratic republic in which Shia Muslim clergy and political leaders vetted by the clergy dominate the key power structures. Government legitimacy is based on the twin pillars of popular sovereignty--albeit restricted--and the rule of the supreme leader of the Islamic Revolution. The current supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was chosen by a directly elected body of religious leaders, the Assembly of Experts, in 1989. Khamenei’s writ dominates the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. He directly controls the armed forces and indirectly controls internal security forces, the judiciary, and other key institutions. The legislative branch is the popularly elected 290-seat Islamic Consultative Assembly, or Majlis. The unelected 12-member Guardian Council reviews all legislation the Majlis passes to ensure adherence to Islamic and constitutional principles; it also screens presidential and Majlis candidates for eligibility. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was reelected president in June 2009 in a multiparty election that was generally considered neither free nor fair. There were numerous instances in which elements of the security forces acted independently of civilian control. Demonstrations by opposition groups, university students, and others increased during the first few months of the year, inspired in part by events of the Arab Spring. In February hundreds of protesters throughout the country staged rallies to show solidarity with protesters in Tunisia and Egypt. The government responded harshly to protesters and critics, arresting, torturing, and prosecuting them for their dissent. As part of its crackdown, the government increased its oppression of media and the arts, arresting and imprisoning dozens of journalists, bloggers, poets, actors, filmmakers, and artists throughout the year. -
Guardian Politics in Iran: a Comparative Inquiry Into the Dynamics of Regime Survival
GUARDIAN POLITICS IN IRAN: A COMPARATIVE INQUIRY INTO THE DYNAMICS OF REGIME SURVIVAL A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Georgetown University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Government By Payam Mohseni, M.A. Washington, DC June 22, 2012 Copyright 2012 by Payam Mohseni All Rights Reserved ii GUARDIAN POLITICS IN IRAN: A COMPARATIVE INQUIRY INTO THE DYNAMICS OF REGIME SURVIVAL Payam Mohseni, M.A. Thesis Advisor: Daniel Brumberg, Ph.D. ABSTRACT The Iranian regime has repeatedly demonstrated a singular institutional resiliency that has been absent in other countries where “colored revolutions” have succeeded in overturning incumbents, such as Ukraine, Georgia, Serbia, Kyrgyzstan and Moldova, or where popular uprisings like the current Arab Spring have brought down despots or upended authoritarian political landscapes, including Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, Libya and even Syria. Moreover, it has accomplished this feat without a ruling political party, considered by most scholars to be the key to stable authoritarianism. Why has the Iranian political system proven so durable? Moreover, can the explanation for such durability advance a more deductive science of authoritarian rule? My dissertation places Iran within the context of guardian regimes—or hybrid regimes with ideological military, clerical or monarchical institutions steeped in the politics of the state, such as Turkey and Thailand—to explain the durability of unstable polities that should be theoretically prone to collapse. “Hybrid” regimes that combine competitive elections with nondemocratic forms of rule have proven to be highly volatile and their average longevity is significantly shorter than that of other regime types. -
The Intelligence Organization of the IRGC: a Major Iranian Intelligence Apparatus Dr
רמה כ ז מל ו תשר מה ו ד י ע י ן ( למ מ" ) רמה כרמ כ ז ז מל מה ו י תשר עד מל מה ו ד ו י ד ע י י ע ן י ן ו רטל ( למ ו מ" ר ) כרמ ז מה י עד מל ו ד י ע י ן ו רטל ו ר The Intelligence Organization of the IRGC: A Major Iranian Intelligence Apparatus Dr. Raz Zimmt November 5, 2020 Main Argument The Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has become a major intelligence apparatus of the Islamic Republic, having increased its influence and broadened its authorities. Iran’s intelligence apparatus, similar to other control and governance apparatuses in the Islamic Republic, is characterized by power plays, rivalries and redundancy. The Intelligence Organization of the IRGC, which answers to the supreme leader, operates alongside the Ministry of Intelligence, which was established in 1984 and answers to the president. The redundancy and overlap in the authorities of the Ministry of Intelligence and the IRGC’s Intelligence Organization have created disagreements and competition over prestige between the two bodies. In recent years, senior regime officials and officials within the two organizations have attempted to downplay the extent of disagreements between the organizations, and strove to present to domestic and foreign audience a visage of unity. The IRGC’s Intelligence Organization (ILNA, July 16, 2020) The IRGC’s Intelligence Organization, in its current form, was established in 2009. The Organization’s origin is in the Intelligence Unit of the IRGC, established shortly after the Islamic Revolution (1979). -
Khomeinism April 2020
Khomeinism April 2020 1 Table of Contents Ideology ......................................................................................................................................................... 3 Governing ...................................................................................................................................................... 4 Khomeinism Abroad ...................................................................................................................................... 5 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................................... 6 2 Khomeinism Khomeinism is an ideology and a system of governance derived from Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, leader of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. Khomeini was such a singular figure that the U.S. government assessed the revolution would not have taken place without him. This piece will discuss Khomeinism’s ideology, governance structure, and influence abroad. Ideology The Islamic Republic’s founding father was a rebel within the Shiite clerical establishment. Khomeini departed from the quietists among Iran’s clerical establishment who argued against clerical involvement in daily governance. He advocated for a more active role for clerics in the ship of state, once dubbing the quietists “court mullahs.” To demonstrate Khomeini’s extreme views on the proper Islamic governing model, the Central Intelligence Agency once cited a Western scholar in one of its assessments, -
How Iran Would Apply Its Asymmetric Naval Warfare Doctrine in the F
Occasional Paper Series Obsolete Weapons, Unconventional Tactics, and Martyrdom Zeal: How Iran Would Apply its Asymmetric Naval Warfare Doctrine in a Future Conflict By Jahangir Arasli GEORGE C. MARSHALL EUROPEAN CENTER FOR SECURITY STUDIES No. 10 April 2007 ISSN 1863-6039 The George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies The George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies is a leading trans- atlantic defense educational and security studies institution. It is bilaterally sup- ported by the U.S. and German governments and dedicated to the creation of a more stable security environment by advancing democratic defense institutions and relationships; promoting active, peaceful engagement; and enhancing enduring partnerships among the nations of North America, Europe, and Eura- sia. The Marshall Center Occasional Paper Series The Marshall Center Occasional Paper Series seeks to further the legacy of the Center’s namesake, General George C. Marshall, by disseminating scholarly essays that contribute to his ideal of ensuring that Europe and Eurasia are de- mocratic, free, undivided, and at peace. Papers selected for this series are meant to identify, discuss, and influence current defense related security issues. The Marshall Center Occasional Paper Series focus is on comparative and interdisci- plinary topics, including international security and democratic defense manage- ment, civil-military relations, strategy formulation, terrorism studies, defense planning, arms control, peacekeeping, crisis management, regional and coop- erative security. The Marshall Center Occasional Papers are written by Marshall Center faculty and staff, Marshall Center alumni, or by individual, invited con- tributors, and are disseminated online and in a paper version. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the George C. -
Axis of Abuse: U.S. Human Rights Policy Toward Iran and Syria, Part 2 Hearing Committee on Foreign Affairs House of Representati
AXIS OF ABUSE: U.S. HUMAN RIGHTS POLICY TOWARD IRAN AND SYRIA, PART 2 HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE MIDDLE EAST AND SOUTH ASIA OF THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION SEPTEMBER 22, 2011 Serial No. 112–73 Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Affairs ( Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.foreignaffairs.house.gov/ U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 68–447PDF WASHINGTON : 2011 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate 0ct 09 2002 15:02 Dec 01, 2011 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 F:\WORK\MESA\092211\68447 HFA PsN: SHIRL COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida, Chairman CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey HOWARD L. BERMAN, California DAN BURTON, Indiana GARY L. ACKERMAN, New York ELTON GALLEGLY, California ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American DANA ROHRABACHER, California Samoa DONALD A. MANZULLO, Illinois DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey EDWARD R. ROYCE, California BRAD SHERMAN, California STEVE CHABOT, Ohio ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York RON PAUL, Texas GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York MIKE PENCE, Indiana RUSS CARNAHAN, Missouri JOE WILSON, South Carolina ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey CONNIE MACK, Florida GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia JEFF FORTENBERRY, Nebraska THEODORE E. DEUTCH, Florida MICHAEL T. MCCAUL, Texas DENNIS CARDOZA, California TED POE, Texas BEN CHANDLER, Kentucky GUS M. BILIRAKIS, Florida BRIAN HIGGINS, New York JEAN SCHMIDT, Ohio ALLYSON SCHWARTZ, Pennsylvania BILL JOHNSON, Ohio CHRISTOPHER S. -
U.S. and Iranian Strategic Competition
1 U.S. AND IRANIAN STRATEGIC COMPETITION: Iran’s Perceptions of its Internal Developments and their Implications for Strategic Competition with the U.S. in the Gulf, Sept. 2010 – March 2011 By Alexander Wilner May 17, 2011 Anthony H. Cordesman Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy [email protected] 2 With the assistance of Adam Seitz of the Marine Corps University, the Burke Chair has compiled a series of chronological reports that focus on Iranian perceptions of national security and assess Iran‟s intentions concerning competition with the US. The latest version of these reports is entitled “U.S. and Iranian Strategic Competition: Iran's Perceptions of its Ballistic Missile Program and Competition with the US and the Gulf, Sept. 2010 – Feb. 2011,” and is available on the CSIS web site at http://csis.org/publication/us-and- iranian-strategic-competition-2. Previous versions include “U.S. and Iranian Strategic Competition: Iranian Views of How Iran‟s Asymmetric Warfare Developments Affect Competition with the US and the Gulf, Sept. 2010 – Feb. 2011” (http://csis.org/publication/us- and-iranian-strategic-competition-1). The Iranian government‟s statements and actions provide considerable insight into the country‟s strategic competition with the US. They help show how the regime perceives and responds to external pressure and its relationship with the international community. The regime‟s rhetoric regarding its “soft war” against external cultural influence and domestic liberalism as well as laws such as the proposed Supervision of Members of Parliament bill provide key insights into the changing nature of the regime and its outlook. -
Iran – UNHCR – Human Rights – Universities
Refugee Review Tribunal AUSTRALIA RRT RESEARCH RESPONSE Research Response Number: IRN33262 Country: Iran Date: 7 May 2008 Keywords: Iran – UNHCR – human rights – universities This response was prepared by the Research & Information Services Section of the Refugee Review Tribunal (RRT) after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the RRT within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. This research response may not, under any circumstance, be cited in a decision or any other document. Anyone wishing to use this information may only cite the primary source material contained herein. Questions 1. Please provide information on the presence of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Iran and the government’s attitude to the UNHCR and persons working for it. 2. Please provide information on Azad University and any incidences of dissidence at the University. 3. Please provide information on the “Human Law Firm” website. 4. Please advise if there are human rights advocacy groups in Iran? Is there information to indicate the extent of solitary as opposed to network activism? 5. Please provide information on Iranian dissident or human rights groups operating in Australia. 6. Please provide background information on political and human rights issues over the past five years in Iran and, in particular, the context of speaking out on human rights issues in 2006? RESPONSE 1. Please provide information on the presence of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Iran and the government’s attitude to the UNHCR and persons working for it. -
Policy Notes November 2020
THE WASHINGTON INSTITUTE FOR NEAR EAST POLICY NOVEMBER 2020 POLICY NOTES NO. 89 Iran’s 2021 Presidential Vote and the Tightening of Regime Control Mehdi Khalaji n June 18, 2021, Iran will hold its thirteenth presidential election since the formation of the Islamic Republic. This follows a precedent of O conducting regular national votes for the presidency, Majlis (parliament), Assembly of Experts, and, since 1999, municipal leadership. The democratic exercise has proceeded despite remarkable progress by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in establishing full-scale Islamic totalitarianism, personalization A portrait of Supreme of power, and a hardening of the security state, while seeking to cripple civil Leader Ali Khamenei society. The main purpose in maintaining an electoral process at all might be hovers behind President as a release valve for public discontent, at least for short periods, offering the Hassan Rouhani, whose fleeting prospect of change. term concludes next year. Photo: REUTERS MEHDI KHALAJI IRAN’S 2021 PRESIDENTIAL VOTE Observers both within Iran and abroad have an irrelevant, elections still play an important role in extraordinarily poor track record of predicting who the country’s political system. They allow for the might succeed an Iranian president once he has promise of change, amid depleted hopes for reform reached the end of his two-term limit. Each of the or revolution, in a national climate where costs have three last such outcomes—Mohammad Khatami’s grown for not only political activity but also civil and victory in 1997, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s in 2005, social activity such as NGO efforts. The 2020 Majlis and Hassan Rouhani’s in 2013—has been a surprise. -
Assessing the Domestic Roles of Iran's Islamic
THE ARTS This PDF document was made available CHILD POLICY from www.rand.org as a public service of CIVIL JUSTICE the RAND Corporation. EDUCATION ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT Jump down to document6 HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit NATIONAL SECURITY research organization providing POPULATION AND AGING PUBLIC SAFETY objective analysis and effective SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY solutions that address the challenges SUBSTANCE ABUSE facing the public and private sectors TERRORISM AND HOMELAND SECURITY around the world. TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE Support RAND WORKFORCE AND WORKPLACE Purchase this document Browse Books & Publications Make a charitable contribution For More Information Visit RAND at www.rand.org Explore the RAND National Defense Research Institute View document details Limited Electronic Distribution Rights This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law as indicated in a notice appearing later in this work. This electronic representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for non-commercial use only. Unauthorized posting of RAND PDFs to a non-RAND Web site is prohibited. RAND PDFs are protected under copyright law. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of our research documents for commercial use. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please see RAND Permissions. This product is part of the RAND Corporation monograph series. RAND monographs present major research findings that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND mono- graphs undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity. The Rise of the Pasdaran Assessing the Domestic Roles of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Frederic Wehrey, Jerrold D. -
Contemporary Militaristic Philosophy in the Islamic Republic of Iran
The Journal for Interdisciplinary Middle Eastern Studies Volume 4, Spring 2019, pp. 97-121 DOI: https://doi.org/10.26351/JIMES/4/4 ISSN: 2522-347X (print); 2522-6959 (online) Between the IRGC and Neo-conservatives: Contemporary Militaristic Philosophy in the Islamic Republic of Iran Moshe-Hay Hagigat Abstract For almost four decades the Islamic Revolutionary Guardian Corps (IRGC) has been the most powerful organization in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Over the years that have passed since the Islamic revolution, the IRGC considers itself not only the guardian of the Islamic Republic of Iran but also the keeper of the Shiite flame. Nevertheless, every military organization requires a philosophic-strategic “brain” to guide it and to advise it with its theoretical wisdom along with a think tank. This article will present two of the most popular theorists and rhetoricians who give philosophical advice to the IRGC: Hassan Abassi and Saeed Qasemi. In addition, the article will show an overview of their theories regarding Iran’s and the IRGC’s role in our time and lives. Keywords: The Islamic Republic of Iran, Shi’a, The Islamic Revolutionary Guardian Corps, IRGC, Mehdi, Hassan Abassi, Saeed Qasemi Dr. Moshe-Hay Hagigat [email protected] 97 98 Moshe-Hay Hagigat Introduction During the 40 years that have passed since the Islamic Revolution in Iran, and especially in the last decade, the Islamic Revolutionary Guardian Corps (IRGC, Sepah-e Pasdaran-e Enqelab-e Eslami) has been a rising power within the Iranian governmental mechanism. The IRGC turns out to be the dominant color in the Iranian fabric, mostly as a result of functioning as the trusted servant of the supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. -
Marco Marsili
This study was supported by the European Social Fund (FSE) and by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal, under research grant No. SFRH/BD/136170/2018. Panel M06: Transnational Religious Fundamentalism in Eurasia, 24 September 2020, h. 9:00-11:00 CET Middle East Politics: Rightful and Legitimate Institutions or Terror Organizations? Marco Marsili Centro de Investigação do Instituto de Estudos Políticos da Universidade Católica Portuguesa (CIEP-UCP); Centro de Estudos Internacionais (CEI-IUL) do Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL); Centro de Investigação, Desenvolvimento e Inovação da Academia Militar (CINAMIL); Centro de Investigação e Desenvolvimento do Instituto Universitário Militar (CIDIUM) § Is it reasonable to label state institutions as a "terrorist organizations"? Does it make sense? Is it lawful? § This research is aimed to investigate if a political party represented in a national parliament – or even a state or a government entirety or partially – can be considered a "terror organization", and therefore proscribed. Scope and § Through the analysis of some cases, this study assesses the legitimacy – or the lawfulness – of some Middle East political purpose of institutions. § The research takes into account, inter alia, the case of Hezbollah, a the study radical Islamic Shiite organization based in Lebanon, and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), a Sunni movement based in Gaza, both backed by the government of Tehran – Iran is also considered. § A broader framework in the region should take