Is Iran the 'Leading State Sponsor of Terrorism?' (w/ John Kiriakou) | The Chris Hedges Report

U.S. Pressure to Designate Iranian and Lebanese Groups as Terrorist Organizations [0:10]

• A State Department cable has instructed U.S. diplomats to pressure allies to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard and Lebanon's Hezbollah as terrorist organizations.
• The objective is to brand Iran as the world's leading sponsor of state terrorism due to its support for various militant groups.
• The video questions the consistency of this approach, asking if Iran's actions are different from what the U.S. has done for decades.

The campaign is part of the effort to brand Iran as the world's leading sponsor of state terrorism because of its support for Shiite militias in Iraq, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as Hamas in occupied Palestine.

Origins of Designated Groups and the Definition of Terrorism [1:00]

• Hamas was not initially formed as a terrorist group but as part of the Palestinian struggle for liberation.
• Hezbollah emerged as an opposition force against Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon.
• The Houthis in Yemen rose up against a repressive regime.
• While these groups have committed acts of violence, they are argued to be fighting for liberation and against occupation.
• The generally agreed-upon definition of terrorism is the act of carrying out violence against civilians for political purposes.

Terrorism supporting national liberation organizations is not an act of terrorism. It's just not. Whether we disagree with that or not is a separate issue, but it's just not an act of terrorism.

Historical U.S. Support for Groups Employing Terrorist Tactics [2:04]

• The CIA has a history of funding and arming groups that used terrorism as a tactic.
• Examples include anti-Castro Cuban organizations responsible for a 1976 airliner bombing that killed 73 passengers.
• The CIA helped form and fund death squads in countries like Chile, Argentina, and El Salvador.
• During the Iraq War, the U.S. armed and trained Shiite militias.
• Right-wing terrorist organizations in Italy and the Contra rebels in Nicaragua received U.S. backing.
• The U.S. provided military aid to Syrian militias, including groups that later became ISIS.

The CIA helped form and fund death squads in Chile, Argentina, El Salvador, Guatemala, and later during the war in Iraq armed and trained murderous Shiite militias.

Critiques of Terrorism Designation and Double Standards [4:33]

• Former CIA officer John Kuryaku suggests that most countries, including the U.S. and its allies, engage in actions that could be considered terrorism.
• The definition of terrorism is deemed manipulated and used as a "cudgel" against countries with disagreeable policies, rendering the designation meaningless.
• Saudi Arabia is presented as an example of a close U.S. ally whose actions, particularly in Yemen, are devastating.
• Israel is cited for carrying out assassinations globally, and India is mentioned for assassinations and terrorist attacks.

So really the complaint that I have with this designation, this terrorism designation is that because we've manipulated the definition so many times over the years and we've used that designation as a cudgel against countries that we don't like or whose policies we disagree with.

Israel's Tactics and the Concept of "Cutouts" [8:37]

• Israel is described as an extreme example, carrying out assassinations of Iranian officials and scientists abroad.
• "Cutouts" are used by Israeli intelligence, meaning individuals recruited to carry out actions, providing plausible deniability for the initiator.
• This can involve recruiting refugees or local nationals for operations, sometimes for small sums of money.

A cutout is a person recruited to carry out an action that gives the initiator of the action plausible deniability.

The Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) Controversy [10:21]

• The MEK, an anti-Iranian resistance group, was on the U.S. terrorist list for decades.
• The group, described as more of a cult, was founded in the 1960s and carried out terrorist attacks, including against Americans in Iran.
• In 2009, under the Obama administration, the U.S. lifted the terrorism designation from the MEK, leading to extensive lobbying efforts by the group in Washington.
• High-profile lobbyists like Rudy Giuliani and Howard Dean were hired, and millions were spent to influence U.S. policy.

And so now we have this terrorist, this murderer, this cult leader Miriam Rajavei arriving in Washington and being treated as a conquering hero. Why? Because she hates the ayatollas and our government hates the ayaties.

Israeli Strategy of Creating Failed States and Fueling Terrorism [13:50]

• Israel is accused of providing fabricated intelligence to the U.S., such as the assertion of Iranian terrorist sleeper cells in the U.S.
• It is claimed that Israel's objective in Iran is to create a failed state, fragmenting the country.
• This strategy is linked to the destruction of Iraq and the ongoing chaos in Syria.
• The idea is that if surrounding countries are mired in chaos, they pose less of a threat to Israel.
• Failed states are identified as environments that truly spawn terrorist groups.

The Israeli goal is really to do what they uh to create a failed state to destroy. They destroyed Iraq. Well, of course, we were urged by the Israelis to start the Iraq war.

U.S.-Iran Cooperation and the Heroin Trade in Afghanistan [19:31]

• Iran has been an ally to the U.S. at pivotal moments, including working together against the Taliban and supporting Shia groups in Iraq.
• The U.S. has missed opportunities for cooperation with Iran on counterterrorism, counter-proliferation, and counter-narcotics.
• A former investigator for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee learned that poppy farmers in Afghanistan were allowed to grow heroin in exchange for information on Arabs in 2001.
• This heroin largely goes to Iran and Russia, which some believe is a tactic to weaken their societies.
• The ongoing fentanyl crisis in the U.S. is linked to China, with a similar rationale of weakening American society.

Well, here we are all these years later and we cannot get a handle on our fentanyl problem. The fentanyl that we deal with is made in China. And why won't the Chinese work with us to stop it? because they want us to be addicted to fentinyl.

The Impact of Targeted Assassinations and Accusations of Anti-Semitism [24:32]

• Targeted assassinations, particularly by Israel against Hamas leaders, are seen as strengthening hardliners and fanatics by conveying that negotiation is futile.
• This approach can lead to a hardening of positions and makes political isolation easier.
• The accusation of anti-Semitism is frequently used to silence dissent and criticism of Israel, a tactic that is becoming less effective.

Um, and you go from I knew Dr. Abdul Aziz Rantis, one of the co-founders of Hamas, and then after he was assassinated in 2004, along with Shik Yasin, the other co-founder, I knew his successor, Nisa Rayan, you end up with a Yaya Sinoir that that and this is uh just true inevitably that all of these targeted assassination campaigns and maybe that's what they want.

Iranian Intelligence Capabilities and Pakistan's Role [27:05]

• Iranian intelligence is considered one of the less effective services, with limited training and equipment from external sources.
• Pakistan's intelligence service (ISI) is described as having two parallel aspects: one professional and trained, and another that forms and finances groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and groups supporting attacks in Mumbai.
• Despite creating the Taliban, Pakistan later worked against them, a move facilitated by billions of dollars and weapons from the U.S. and Saudis.

Um, one of the most memorable tours that I ever had in the CIA was in Pakistan. I loved every minute that I was in Pakistan and I enjoyed working with the Pakistani intelligence service and the Pakistani military. That is not to say that they don't actively support a myriad of terrorist groups. They do.

The Evolution of CIA Operations Post-9/11 [31:12]

• After 9/11, the U.S. intelligence community, including the CIA, significantly increased assassinations and torture.
• Executive Order 12333, which banned assassinations by the CIA, was amended by Ronald Reagan to allow targeted killings of individuals posing a clear and present danger.
• It was further amended after 9/11 to permit the CIA to assassinate opponents at its discretion, leading to the creation of formal offices dedicated to killing individuals worldwide.

Skyrocket it did to the point where the agency set up teams, formal offices, you know, with an administrative structure even, you know, a a career panel, a promotion panel where your job was to fly around the world and kill people.

Potential for Iranian Retaliation and "Blowback" [34:21]

• Given past assassinations by Israel and the U.S. (including Soleimani), Iranian retaliation is anticipated.
• The concept of a "walk-in" to U.S. embassies for intelligence is discussed, with a significant percentage being individuals with mental health issues or those attempting to gather intelligence for hostile nations (intelligence probes).
• The genocide in Gaza is expected to spawn terrorism, and a similar response is anticipated from Iran.
• Iran has a diverse population of Shia Muslims in neighboring countries, offering a broad base for recruitment beyond Iranian citizens. This phenomenon is termed "blowback."

I do. I do. If I were Iranian, if I were an Iranian leader or an Iranian intelligence officer, I would be plotting my revenge starting right now.