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Iran's Jundallah Problem
Dec. 26, 2010
by MEA CYRUS
Iran is on the verge of emulating the U.S. tactic of shooting terrorists and insurgents inside Pakistan, according to the latest chatter in Iranian military and intelligence circles. Following the fatal suicide bombing in Chabahar on December 15 that killed and injured more than a hundred people during an important Shia ceremony, many military and security officials in Tehran have started talking openly about the need to cross the border and target Baluch insurgents on Pakistani soil. The suicide attacks on Iranian targets has worn Tehran's patience thin. Iran usually blames such attacks on Israel, the United States, and other Western countries such as the United Kingdom. But after recent attacks in Zahedan and other locations in Sistan and Baluchistan, Iran has increasingly blamed Pakistan.
General Mohammad Najjar, interior minister in the administration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander, said immediately after the Chabahar bombing, "Terrorists come from the other side of the border, where they receive equipment, training, and help to carry out such attacks."
By the "other side of the border," Najjar meant Pakistan. Over the past year, Iranian officials have become more severe in their warnings and are now placing responsibility on Islamabad to an unprecedented degree. Although Pakistan appears to have tipped off its neighbor in February 2010 about the presence of then Jundallah leader Abdolmalek Rigi on a passenger plane, leading to his arrest and swift execution, relations between the two countries over attacks on the Iranian side of the border have since deteriorated substantially.
Iran now publicly accuses Inter-Services Intelligence, Pakistan's lead intelligence agency, for helping Jundallah carry out its attacks. Islamabad denies the charges and has announced its readiness to cooperate with Tehran to investigate the mass killing in Chabahar.
It's not yet clear how serious Tehran is about turning its threats to carry out retaliatory strikes from within Pakistan into action. There have been reports that Iranian border police have crossed the international line in pursuit of insurgents and been confronted by their Pakistani counterparts. Tehran is not talking of hot pursuits this time, however. Its generals are urging politicians to authorize "preemptive strikes," like those employed by the United States and Israel.
Iran has already been taking such military action against organizations like Pejak, a Kurdish separatist group that uses Iraqi Kurdistan as its base. It is not unusual for Iranian forces to shell targets well inside Iraqi territory and, on occasion, to make ground incursions. Turkey has been doing likewise in northern Iraq for a long time. It seems that Iran wants to apply a version of its strategy in Iraq to resolve the security problem involving its eastern neighbor, as well.
Major General Hassan Firouzabadi, head of the Armed Forces General Command Headquarters, called on Pakistan to be more active against insurgents. Criticizing Islamabad for it lack of aggression, he warned, "If the current inaction by Pakistan continues, we will have to review our policies."
General Rashid, Firouzabadi's deputy, has explicitly called for entering Pakistani territory for preemptive strikes -- "the only answer to this problem," as far as he is concerned. He announced that the Revolutionary Guard land force has the capability to carry out such missions.
In the words of Kazem Jalali, spokesman for the Majles's Foreign Policy and National Security Committee, "Pakistanis should be warned to act and destroy terrorists' bases on their side, otherwise Iran has the right to defend its citizens." Referring to the trips Iranian officials have made to Pakistan after each attack to urge Islamabad into action, he added that "shuttle diplomacy" has proved ineffective in addressing the situation.
Dec. 26, 2010
by MEA CYRUS
Iran is on the verge of emulating the U.S. tactic of shooting terrorists and insurgents inside Pakistan, according to the latest chatter in Iranian military and intelligence circles. Following the fatal suicide bombing in Chabahar on December 15 that killed and injured more than a hundred people during an important Shia ceremony, many military and security officials in Tehran have started talking openly about the need to cross the border and target Baluch insurgents on Pakistani soil. The suicide attacks on Iranian targets has worn Tehran's patience thin. Iran usually blames such attacks on Israel, the United States, and other Western countries such as the United Kingdom. But after recent attacks in Zahedan and other locations in Sistan and Baluchistan, Iran has increasingly blamed Pakistan.
General Mohammad Najjar, interior minister in the administration of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander, said immediately after the Chabahar bombing, "Terrorists come from the other side of the border, where they receive equipment, training, and help to carry out such attacks."
By the "other side of the border," Najjar meant Pakistan. Over the past year, Iranian officials have become more severe in their warnings and are now placing responsibility on Islamabad to an unprecedented degree. Although Pakistan appears to have tipped off its neighbor in February 2010 about the presence of then Jundallah leader Abdolmalek Rigi on a passenger plane, leading to his arrest and swift execution, relations between the two countries over attacks on the Iranian side of the border have since deteriorated substantially.
Iran now publicly accuses Inter-Services Intelligence, Pakistan's lead intelligence agency, for helping Jundallah carry out its attacks. Islamabad denies the charges and has announced its readiness to cooperate with Tehran to investigate the mass killing in Chabahar.
It's not yet clear how serious Tehran is about turning its threats to carry out retaliatory strikes from within Pakistan into action. There have been reports that Iranian border police have crossed the international line in pursuit of insurgents and been confronted by their Pakistani counterparts. Tehran is not talking of hot pursuits this time, however. Its generals are urging politicians to authorize "preemptive strikes," like those employed by the United States and Israel.
Iran has already been taking such military action against organizations like Pejak, a Kurdish separatist group that uses Iraqi Kurdistan as its base. It is not unusual for Iranian forces to shell targets well inside Iraqi territory and, on occasion, to make ground incursions. Turkey has been doing likewise in northern Iraq for a long time. It seems that Iran wants to apply a version of its strategy in Iraq to resolve the security problem involving its eastern neighbor, as well.
Major General Hassan Firouzabadi, head of the Armed Forces General Command Headquarters, called on Pakistan to be more active against insurgents. Criticizing Islamabad for it lack of aggression, he warned, "If the current inaction by Pakistan continues, we will have to review our policies."
General Rashid, Firouzabadi's deputy, has explicitly called for entering Pakistani territory for preemptive strikes -- "the only answer to this problem," as far as he is concerned. He announced that the Revolutionary Guard land force has the capability to carry out such missions.
In the words of Kazem Jalali, spokesman for the Majles's Foreign Policy and National Security Committee, "Pakistanis should be warned to act and destroy terrorists' bases on their side, otherwise Iran has the right to defend its citizens." Referring to the trips Iranian officials have made to Pakistan after each attack to urge Islamabad into action, he added that "shuttle diplomacy" has proved ineffective in addressing the situation.
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