Financing terror

Abstract

This information bulletin deals with an analysis of the support of and direct involvement in terror on the part of Iran, one of the three members of the Axis of Evil. Since its inception, the Islamic regime in Iran has been notable for the intensive use it makes of the weapon of terror as a tool for achieving objectives in its foreign policy and advancing Iran’s ideological aspirations. These objectives and aspirations are directed against opposition from within and opposition abroad, and also against the United States, the West, the State of Israel, and the Jewish people. The frequent use of the weapon of terror has its ideological and strategic roots in the Islamic doctrine of the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and was later also manifested in the national security philosophy of the Iranian Revolutionary Islamic regime.

From the Israeli viewpoint, the Islamic regime in Iran is an existential threat, for it is a regime that embodies an uncompromising ideology that publicly calls for the annihilation of the State of Israel and the achievement of nuclear and unconventional weapons capability. In the immediate term, Iran grants massive aid in funds, means, and training to Shiite terror organizations (of which the most notable are Hezbollah in Lebanon, the leading Iranian- supported organization) and Palestinian terror organizations (the most notable of which are the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hamas, and also factions of the Fatah).

In Lebanon, the Iranian regime has developed unique methods of terror (suicide missions, explosive charges, guerilla warfare, and the taking of civilian hostages) and is energetically acting to export “the Lebanese model”, which brought about the withdrawal of the IDF from Lebanon, to the Palestinian territories. Iran unceasingly encourages and contributes to the continuation of Palestinian terror attacks; it provides financial aid and weaponry to both the Islamic and secular terror organizations; it promotes efforts towards the “strengthening” of the Palestinian Authority (as exemplified by the Karine-A affair) by injecting multipliers of force into the arena (anti-tank rockets, standard explosives) and opposes any negotiations or agreements with Israel. In the US State Department report of 2001, the words “Iran remained the most active state sponsor of terrorism” were not written idly. As a consequence of this role played by Iran and following the events of 9/11, President Bush named Iran as one of the three members of the Axis of Evil.

This combination of Islamic-Shiite extremism, the striving (in an advanced stage) toward the attainment of nuclear capability, and the absence of inhibition in using the weapon of terror embodies dangers to the United States, the pro-Western Arab regimes, and the entire international community. Use of the weapon of terror has already cost numerous victims: hundreds of dead and wounded for the US, France, and other Western countries; attaining nuclear capability will enable Iran to act with greater boldness and be prepared to take more substantial risks in confronting Israel, the United States, and the West, including use of the weapon of terror against American and Israeli interests in the Middle East and throughout the world.

Iran endeavors not to reveal its involvement in terror in public, both out of fear of an American response as well as its desire to avoid diplomatic imbroglios. This caution, which existed prior to the events of 9/11, has increased in the wake of those events and peaked with the inclusion of Iran in the Axis of Evil. Consequently, Iran has adopted the “dual role” policy: on the one hand, it aids terror organizations (including al-Qaida); on the other hand, its official spokespeople deny this. However, investigations conducted by the German intelligence service into the 1992 Mykonos affair and the Argentinian intelligence service (2003) into the 1994 blowing up of the Jewish community building in Buenos Aires, unmasked the Iranian dual role and proved the involvement of the upper echelons of the Iranian regime in terror.

Furthermore, documents seized by the IDF in the Palestinian territories and the interrogation of Palestinian detainees belonging to Iranian-sponsored Palestinian terror organizations by the Israeli General Security Service add an additional dimension to the ability of Israel and the international community to expose and condemn the role played by Iran *- a state sponsoring Palestinian, Shiite, and international terror that makes use of the weapon of terror for advancing its national interests.

The Iranian dual role and use of doublespeak also characterize Iranian conduct against the United States and Great Britain during the war against Iraq. On the one hand, the Iranians are striving to achieve influence in Iraq on “the day after”, and reduce American influence as much as possible; to this end they are meddling in the Iraqi turmoil (inter alia by activating Shiite opposition). On the other hand, they fear being targeted as the “next in line” in the American war on terror. Consequently, their conduct (and the conduct of Hezbollah under their patronage) has so far been characterized by extreme caution with the aim of extracting concessions from the United States and Great Britain that will be of assistance to them in the future (compared with the defiant policies of Syria, Iran’s ally, toward the US). All of this is taking place without any real change in the ideology and strategy of the Iranian regime and its determination to continue using the weapon of terror.

Against this backdrop, at the end of the conquest of Iraq by the coalition partners, it should be taken into account that Iran might direct the weapon of terror and subversion against the US and British forces with the aim of forcing them to withdraw from Iraq. The first indication of this can be seen in the words (spoken in Arabic) of the Iranian leader Ali Khamenei in his Friday April 11 sermon, in which he stated that although Iran did not identify with either side in the war, it would not remain neutral in the face of the American “occupation” of Iraq. According to Khamenei, Iran grants “political and moral support to any nation under attack”. [al-Jazeera and al-Arabiyya TV, April 11, 2003].

This document is based upon varied sources including seized documents, interrogations of Palestinian detainees, and information accumulated in the Israeli intelligence community. The document constitutes a continuation and expansion of two information bulletins (March 2003) dealing with an analysis of Hezbollah as a worldwide Lebanese-Shiite terror organization operating under Iranian sponsorship and with Syrian support.