AT THE CENTRE of Iran’s establishment sits a shadowy organisation responsible for defending the ideals of the revolution. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is a paramilitary force rolled into an intelligence agency wrapped in a giant business conglomerate with security-related interests. It is directly controlled by the country’s supreme leader, Mr Khamenei, who is chosen by regime insiders for life and outranks the elected president.Many guard commanders eventually end up in senior government posts, but they exert political influence long before then. Their baseej militia, made up of tens of thousands of youth volunteers, helps to keep domestic order. Baton-wielding militiamen dispersed protesters in 2009. In social clubs across the country they are moulded into conservative storm troopers. Their national snooping hotline is advertised on billboards: call 114.The guards are dedicated to a strong Iran, both at home and abroad. The means by which they pursue their goals are often unconventional, including the funding of terror groups and the exploitation of sectarian tensions, all in the name of revolutionary change for the...
from The Economist: Special report http://ift.tt/1zNeOqf
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