LONDON Ñ Iran has established what could be the first
training center for Islamic suicide attackers.
Iranian sources and media asserted that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard
Corps has
established a center to train suicide attackers throughout the world. The
sources identified the center as the World Islamic Martyrs and Fighters
Staff Headquarters.
The facility was said to have been established by the IRGC's
intelligence service, responsible for the sponsorship and support of Islamic
insurgency groups linked to Teheran. The groups have included Hamas,
Hizbullah, Islamic
Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command.
The existence of the center was first reported on May 26 by the
state-operated Iranian
Student News Agency, Middle East Newsline reported. On Friday, a similar version was published by the
London-based daily A-Sharq Al Awsat in an article by Iranian analyst Ali
Nouri Zadeh.
"This information is credible and its publication was approved by
leading elements of the regime who want to send a message to the United
States and its allies in the Middle East that Teheran would be ready to
respond to
any attack," an Iranian source said.
The head of the center was identified only by his initials "F.R." The
sources
said the center has already begun registering volunteers for Islamic
suicide missions in such locations as Iraq, Israel and Lebanon.
The training center has already produced a promotional video in which an
IRGC intelligence officer detailed Iranian strategy to dominate Arab and
Islamic countries through the support of insurgency groups. A-Sharq
Al Awsat, which said it has received the video, reported that the officer
also discussed the
importance of Iranian control over Iraq, which he said contains 11
percent of world oil reserves.
A Western intelligence source said Iran has sought to establish a
training center for suicide attackers. But the source could not determine
whether the center was already operating.
A-Sharq Al Awsat quoted the officer, identified as as H.A., as urging
suicide or missile strikes against the West. The officer said the United
States and its Western allies have 29 sensitive facilities that have been
targeted.
"We are monitoring these locations and know how to strike them," the
officer said on the video.
