Iran replaces Revolutionary Guards chief
TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran has unexpectedly replaced the head of its Revolutionary Guards force, promoting an experienced war veteran to the top of the elite institution at a time of mounting tensions with the United States.
General Mohammad Ali Jaafari, a commander from the 1980-1988 war with Iraq and an expert in strategic warfare, was appointed head of the Guards in a decree issued by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The former Guards head General Yahya Rahim Safavi was appointed a special military advisor to Khamenei in a move described by analysts as a well-earned promotion to an influential political position.
The decree gave no reason for the change, which had not been anticipated and came two weeks after US officials said President George W. Bush was considering blacklisting the force as a terror group to block its assets.
But Iranian officials insisted that the change was merely a routine switch that required no special explanation given that Safavi had served for 10 years as head of the Guards.
"It is normal that the (appointment) decrees by the supreme leader are not for more than 10 years. These changes are natural ones," Savafi told state television.
Iranian analysts agreed that a change at the Guards was due but also noted that Jaafari's battlefield experience and acknowledged expertise in strategic warfare would be major assets in the job.
"Mr Safavi did not resign. The change is a routine one as happens when the time comes and has not been triggered by Iran's situation in the world," said prominent analyst Amir Mohebian.
"It was becoming necessary to strengthen the Guards' strategic management. He (Jaafari) was chosen because of his background."
Jaafari is a Guards insider who was a commander of the force during the 1980-1988 war against Iraq and has since 2005 worked as head of the Guards' Strategic Centre. He has also commanded its ground forces.
Political analyst Mohammad Sadegh al-Hosseini said that the switch took into account the respective skills of the two generals.
"The time had come for Safavi to become a political figure and be promoted to such a position. It was also the time for someone like Jaafari who has hands-on experience with all different branches of the Guards.
"Jaafari's appointment shows he is the better person to handle any possibility of an armed threat. This change was a necessity with regards to potential future confrontations with the United States," Hosseini said.
The Guards is a force fiercely committed to defending the ideals of Iran's revolutionary founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and whose influence has now extended beyond the military into politics and the economy.
The United States accuses the Revolutionary Guards of playing a major part in the bloodshed in neighbouring Iraq, a charge vehemently denied by Iran.
Washington claims the Guards ship sophisticated roadside bombs into Iraq for attacks on US troops and says its covert operations section, the Quds Force, trains Shiite militias there.
Bush has never ruled out military action against Tehran and Guards generals have always warned that while Iran would never make the first attack it would launch a crushing response to any aggression against its territory.
In recent years, the Guards' influence has started to permeate all areas of Iranian society, with its engineering arm picking up massive contracts and former cadres moving into crucial political positions.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad fought for the Revolutionary Guards during the 1980-1988 war with Iraq, and after taking office in 2005 gave five former Guards members cabinet posts.
Controlled directly by Khamenei, the force is now believed to number at least 100,000 people. Its ground, sea and air wings operate in parallel with the regular armed forces.
