IRGC: AN ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL POWERHOUSE (C-NE6-00566)

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 04 IRAN RPO DUBAI 000015 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA/IR; LONDON FOR GAYLE; PARIS FOR WALLER; BERLIN FOR PAETZOLD; BAKU FOR HAUGEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/30/2016 TAGS: PGOV PTER ECON EPAT MCAP IR SUBJECT: IRGC: AN ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL POWERHOUSE (C-NE6-00566) RPO DUBAI 00000015 001.6 OF 004 CLASSIFIED BY: JILLIAN BURNS, DIRECTOR, IRAN REGIONAL PRESENCE OFFICE - DUBAI, DEPARTMENT OF STATE. REASON: 1.4 (D) 1.(S) SUMMARY. EXPERTS AND OBSERVERS AGREE THAT WITH THE ELECTION OF FORMER IRGC OFFICER MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD TO THE PRESIDENCY IN 2005, THE POLITICAL INFLUENCE OF THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS (IRGC) IS ON THE UPSURGE. IT HAS ALSO AMASSED ECONOMIC POWER, PARTICULARLY SINCE AHMADINEJADS ELECTION. UNLEASHED AFTER YEARS OF CURBS ON ITS OVERT ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES UNDER PRESIDENT KHATAMI, IT BEGAN WINNING LARGER CONTRACTS, WHILE CIRCUMVENTING GOVERNMENT TENDERING PROCEDURES. THE KHATAM AL-ANBIYA RECONSTRUCTION ORGANIZATION (A COMMERCIAL ORGANIZATION CONTROLLED BY THE IRGC AND HEADED BY IRGC GENERAL ABDOLREZA ABED) IS REPORTEDLY THE LARGEST BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC TRUST IN THE COUNTRY. IT RECENTLY SIGNED A DEAL WORTH $7 BILLION WITH IRAN'S MINISTRY OF OIL. ACCORDING TO GENERAL ABED, 30 PERCENT OF IRGC FORCES ARE CURRENTLY DEVOTED TO SUPPORTING ECONOMIC AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS. THE VAST SUMS OF MONEY GAINED FROM SUCH PROJECTS REPORTEDLY NOT ONLY LINE THE POCKETS OF PAST AND PRESENT IRGC MEMBERS, BUT STREAMLINE THE ACQUISITION OF WEAPONS SYSTEMS AND POSSIBLY FUND OF TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS. NONETHELESS, A PROMINENT IRANIAN ECONOMIC ANALYST INFERRED THAT BONYADS WERE A MORE LIKELY SOURCE OF TERRORIST FUNDING, DRAWING ON MASSIVE RELIGIOUS TAXES. END SUMMARY. ASSUMING GREATER POLITICAL POWER -------------- 2.(S) IN JUNE 2004, THE ECONOMIST REPORTED THAT THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS (IRGC) OR "SEPAH-YE PASDARAN-E ENQELAB-E ISLAMI" MAY BE "QUIETLY TAKING CONTROL," WITH THE CONSERVATIVES' BLESSING IN THE FACE OF WANING CLERICAL PRESTIGE. THE ECONOMIST NOTED THAT THE IRGC SUCCESSFULLY HELPED AHMADINEJAD BECOME MAYOR OF TEHRAN IN 2003 AND SOME 90 FORMER IRGC MEMBERS GET ELECTED INTO THE 2004 7TH PARLIAMENT OUT OF A TOTAL OF 290 MEMBERS. OTHER INDICATIONS OF IRGC INFLUENCE RECEIVED INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ATTENTION AS WELL. THE TIMES 2004 ARTICLE ASSERTED THAT THE IRGC HELD THE KEY TO THE NUCLEAR DISPUTE AS IT CONTROLS THE IRIG'S STRATEGIC TECHNOLOGIES, INCLUDING THE SHAHAB MISSILE PROGRAM AND VITAL PARTS OF THE NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY EFFORT. THE ARTICLE ALSO NOTED THAT THE IRGC GREATLY INFLUENCED THE LAW ENFORCEMENT FORCES (LEF) AND NOTED CONTROL OF T NATIONAL TV AND RADIO BY FORMER IRGC MEMBER ALI LARIJANI. THE TIMES ARTICLE CLAIMED THAT THE IRGC DOMINATED THE MINISTRIES OF DEFENSE AND INTELLIGENCE AS WELL. (COMMENT: THIS MAY HAVE BEEN THE CASE WELL INTO THE LATE NINETIES UNTIL FORMER PRESIDENT KHATAMI'S REFORMISTS WERE ABLE TO WREST CONTROL OF THE MINISTRY OF INTELLIGENCE AWAY FROM THE HARDLINERS. END COMMENT.) SINCE HIS ELECTION, AHMADINEJAD HAS BROUGHT BACK MANY OF THE SAME IRGC VETS THAT KHATAMI WORKED SO HARD AT GETTING RID OF FROM THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION, AS WELL AS NAMING NUMEROUS OTHER RETIRED IRGC MEMBERS TO GOVERNMENT OFFICE. GAINING ECONOMIC CLOUT -------------- 3.(S) THE IRGC HAS BEEN AMASSING ECONOMIC POWER SINCE THE CONCLUSION OF THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR. THIS TREND GREATLY ACCELERATED DURING THE 1990S, WHEN THE IRGC PROFITED FROM BRIBES FROM THE LUCRATIVE IRAQI OIL SMUGGLING TRADE DURING THE OIL-FOR-FOOD PERIOD. ACCORDING TO NUMEROUS CONTACTS, THE IRGC COMMAND GREW TO RESENT THE LUXURIOUS LIFESTYLES AND ENDEMIC CORRUPTION OF THE POST-REVOLUTIONARY CLERICAL CLASS DURING THESE YEARS, AS EMBODIED BY FORMER PRESIDENT HASHEMI RAFSANJANI. THE IRGC REPORTEDLY FELT THEIR SACRIFICES WERE BEING SQUANDERED BY OTHERS AND MOVED TO CAPTURE A GREATER SLICE OF IRAN'S WEALTH AND POWER. 4.(U) THE FIRST MAJOR PUBLIC INDICATION OF IRGC ASSERTIVENESS IN THE COUNTRY'S ECONOMY CAME WHEN IT SUCCESSFULLY CLOSED DOWN THE NEWLY-BUILT IMAM KHOMEINI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN MAY 2004, AFTER CITING "SECURITY CONCERNS" WITH THE FOREIGN OPERATOR, TURKISH FIRM TAV. THE REAL REASON WAS SUPPOSEDLY RELATED INSTEAD TO CONTRACT ISSUES. THE 2004 ECONOMIST ARTICLE MENTIONED FAILED ATTEMPTS BY THE PREVIOUS REFORMIST PARLIAMENT TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGED MISUSE OF IRGC JETTIES TO SMUGGLE IN EMBARGOED GOODS. IN THE ARTICLE, TRADE ANALYST KHOSRO NASIRZADEH ESTIMATED THAT SOME 72 JETTIES WERE OPERATING ILLEGALLY, BRINGING IN $9.5 BILLION ANNUALLY. THE NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE, WRITTEN BY VALI NASR AND ALI GHEISSARI, CLAIMED THAT THE IRGC HAD A MONOPOLY OVER BLACK MARKET TRADE IN EMBARGOED GOODS, INCLUDING CONSUMER ELECTRONICS, WESTERN CLOTHING, AND CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS. PARIS INTELLIGENCE ONLINE CLAIMED JULY 7, 2006 THAT THE IRGC IS GIVEN AN ANNUAL QUOTA OF RPO DUBAI 00000015 002.3 OF 004 OIL PRODUCTS TO SMUGGLE INTO NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES (IRAQ, TURKEY, PAKISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN),NETTING ANOTHER $1 BILLION PER YEAR. NASR AND GHEISSARI ASSERTED THAT THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS REVENUE REMOVED BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS OVER ITS SPENDING ON WEAPONS AND AID TO FOREIGN TERRORIST GROUPS. KHATAM AL ANBIYA RECONSTRUCTION ORGANIZATION - IRGC'S MAIN ECONOMIC ENTITY -------------- -------------- -------------- 5.(U) ON JUNE 26, 2006 SHARQ (NOTE: REFORMIST IRANIAN PAPER CLOSED IN OCTOBER 2006. ENDNOTE) INTERVIEWED IRGC BRIGADIER GENERAL ABDOLREZA ABED, THE ACTING COMMANDER OF THE IRGC'S KHATAM AL ANBIYA RECONSTRUCTION ORGANIZATION. THIS ENTITY WAS ESTABLISHED AFTER THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR TO ADVANCE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE COUNTRY AND ECONOMIC EFFORTS. ABED, AS QUOTED BY SHARQ, CITED ARTICLE 47 OF THE CONSTITUTION STIPULATING THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS REQUIRED TO EMPLOY ARMED FORCES IN RECONSTRUCTION AND CONSTRUCTION EFFORTS DURING TIMES OF PEACE. HE CLAIMED THAT 30 PERCENT OF IRGC FORCES ARE CURRENTLY EMPLOYED IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES. HE FURTHER ASSERTED THAT EVEN IN THE CASE OF WAR, THE IRGC'S ECONOMIC ARM COULD CONTINUE TO MEET ITS DEADLINES AND ENGAGE IN CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. 6.(S) ABED STATED THAT SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 1989, THE KHATAM AL ANBIYA RECONSTRUCTION ORGANIZATION HAS COMPLETED 1,220 SMALL PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS WORTH A TOTAL OF $2.7 TO $3.2 MILLION. AT THE TIME OF THE JUNE 2006 INTERVIEW, HE SAID THE IRGC WAS INVOLVED IN 247 PROJECTS WORTH AROUND $2 BILLION AND WAS ABOUT TO SIGN SEVERAL LUCRATIVE DEALS IN THE ENERGY SECTOR. WHEN ASKED WHY THE IRGC WAS STARTING TO MOVE AWAY FROM MORE TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION AND INDUSTRIAL PROJECTS - AND MOVE TOWARD THE ENERGY SECTOR - ABED SAID, "OUR STRATEGY IS TO SERVE. WE MUST STEP IN WHEREVER THERE IS A MONOPOLY." HOWEVER, AN IRANIAN ECONOMIC ANALYST TOLD ECONOFF THAT INSTEAD, PRESIDENT KHATAMI HAD THWARTED IRGC ATTEMPTS TO ENTER THE OIL AND GAS SECTOR, A PROHIBITION THEN LIFTED BY HIS SUCCESSOR. AND RATHER THAN PROMOTING COMPETITION, THE CONTACT SAID, THE IRGC IS ABLE TO UNDERBID COMPETITORS BECAUSE OF THE COMPARATIVELY LOWER WAGES IT PAYS ITS SOLDIER-EMPLOYEES. THE ANALYST ALSO NOTED THAT THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST OF DRAFTEES ARE OFTEN FUNNELED INTO IRGC'S ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES. AN IRANIAN CONSTRUCTION SECTOR CONTACT EXPRESSED THE BUSINESS COMMUNITIES GROWING FRUSTRATION TO IRPOFF WITH THE IRGC'S INSIDER ACCESS TO LUCRATIVE GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS IN MANY FIELDS AND ACCUSED THE IRGC OF UNFAVORABLE PERFORMANCE ON LARGE CONTRACTS. IN A CLAIM THAT CANNOT BE VERIFIED, ANOTHER IRANIAN BUSINESSMAN MAINTAINED THAT THE IRGC SKIMS 10 PERCENT OFF OF ALL FOREIGN CONTRACTS. 7.(U) A JULY 4, 2006 ROOZ ONLINE ARTICLE CALLED THE KHATAM AL ANBIYA RECONSTRUCTION ORGANIZATION THE LARGEST BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC TRUST IN IRAN. AS REPORTED BY ROOZ, IT SIGNED A $7 BILLION AGREEMENT WITH THE MINISTRY OF OIL, AND IT PURCHASED SHARES OF ORIENTAL OIL KISH (ONE OF IRAN'S LARGEST PRIVATE OIL COMPANIES). PARIS INTELLIGENCE ONLINE REPORTED JULY 7, 2006 THAT THE IRGC SIGNED THREE ADDITIONAL CONTRACTS: $2.09 BILLION TO DEVELOP THE 15TH AND 16TH PHASES OF SOUTH PARS GAS FIELD, $2 BILLION TO BUILD A SUBWAY IN TEHRAN, AND $1.3 BILLION TO CONSTRUCT A 900 KM PIPELINE BETWEEN PARS JONUBI AND THE CITY OF IRANSHAHR. 8.(U) ACCORDING TO THE JUNE SHARQ INTERVIEW, THE PIPELINE PROJECT WAS AWARDED VIA A NO-BID CONTRACT. WHEN SHARQ QUESTIONED GENERAL ABED AS TO WHY THE DEAL DID NOT GO TO TENDER, ABED REPLIED "THEY HAVE SEEN OUR WORK. WE MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING FOR THEM TO BE WILLING TO AWARD US THE CONTRACT WITHOUT BIDDING." VARIOUS NEWS SOURCES ALSO REPORTED THAT THE SOUTH PARS PROJECT AND SUBWAY CONSTRUCTION WERE HANDED OVER TO THE IRGC WITHOUT A TENDERING PROCESS - A MOVE THAT EVEN ANGERED THE REGULAR ARMY. REACTING TO THESE NO-TENDER CONTRACTS, ARMY COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF SALEHI REPORTEDLY COMPLAINED THAT WHILE THE IRGC HAS "ECONOMIC PRIVILEGES," THE REGULAR ARMY IS FACING DWINDLING BUDGETS AND OBSOLETE ARMAMENTS, ACCORDING TO THE JULY 7 PARIS INTELLIGENCE ONLINE ARTICLE. OTHER OPPORTUNITIES -------------- 9.(S) IRANIAN BUSINESS CONTACTS REPORT THAT AHMADINEJAD'S PROGRAM OF TRANSFERRING GREATER POWER TO PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS IS ANOTHER VEHICLE FOR EXPANDING IRGC ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL POWER. (NOTE. DESPITE STRONG CRITICISM, AHMADINEJAD RECENTLY TRANSFERRED CONTROL OF THE PREVIOUSLY CENTRALIZED MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING ORGANIZATION BUDGET TO THE PROVINCES. ENDNOTE.) FOR RPO DUBAI 00000015 003.3 OF 004 EXAMPLE, THE GOVERNOR OF ISFAHAN PROVINCE WAS REPORTEDLY ORDERED RECENTLY TO IMMEDIATELY DIVERT CONSIDERABLE PUBLIC FUNDS TO "DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS," ACCORDING TO A SOURCE WHO HAD RECENTLY VISITED IRAN. CLAIMING AS HIS CONTACT A HIGH LEVEL OFFICIAL IN THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, HE SAID THE GOVERNOR WAS ANGRY AT BEING ORDERED TO PRODUCE MONEY OUT OF HIS OWN COFFERS FOR THESE PROJECTS, WHICH WERE BEING IMPLEMENTED WITHOUT PROPER PLANNING. THE IRGC WAS REPORTEDLY SET TO RECEIVE SOME OF THESE PROJECT CONTRACTS. 10.(U) ROOZ ONLINE CLAIMED ON JULY 11, 2006 THAT IRGC COMMANDERS REQUESTED THAT COMPANIES UP FOR PRIVATIZATION UNDER THE NEW PRIVATIZATION LAW BE DIRECTED TOWARDS IRGC MEMBERS AND THEIR RELATIVES. SOME OF THE COMPANIES CITED AS TARGETS INCLUDE: MOBARAKE STEEL PLANT IN ISFAHAN, IRAN KHODRO CAR MANUFACTURING PLANT, SAIPA CAR MANUFACTURING, KHUZESTAN STEEL CORP, TEJARAT BANK, MELLAT BANK, SADERAT BANK, REFAH BANK, ALL SHIPPING COMPANIES, HOMA AIRLINES, ASSEMAN AIRLINES, ASIA INSURANCE COMPANY, DANA INSURANCE COMPANY AND ALBORZ INSURANCE COMPANY. FURTHERMORE, ROOZ ALLEGED THAT THE MINISTRY OF POWER "UNLAWFULLY" GRANTED ALL ITS POWER AND WATER DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS TO THE IRGC WITHOUT FOLLOWING WRITTEN PROCEDURES FOR SUCH TRANSFERS. (NOTE: ROOZ CLAIMS THAT AHMADINEJAD'S MINISTER OF POWER IS A FORMER IRGC MEMBER AND CONTRACTOR FOR THE KARKHEH DAM. HE HAS ALSO SERVED AS THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF AN ELECTRICITY DEVELOPING COMPANY AND AS CHAIRMAN OF IRGC OWNED MALEK-E ASHTAR UNIVERSITY. ENDNOTE) USE OR LOSE -------------- 11.(U) IN THE JUNE INTERVIEW WITH SHARQ, GENERAL ABED ADMITTED THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE $2 BILLION FUNDING FOR THE SOUTH PARS PROJECT WOULD COME FROM THE FOREIGN CURRENCY RESERVE ACCOUNT. THE FOREIGN CURRENCY RESERVE WAS ORIGINALLY ESTABLISHED WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT 50 PERCENT WOULD REMAIN AS RESERVES AND 50 PERCENT WOULD BE LOANED TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR. THE SHARQ REPORTER QUESTIONED HOW THE IRGC OBTAINED FUNDS EARMARKED FOR PRIVATE INVESTORS. ABED REPLIED SIMPLY, "THE FUNDS EXIST TODAY, THEY MIGHT NOT TOMORROW." ECONOMIST BAHMAN ARMAN WARNED IN AN AFTABNEWS ARTICLE NOVEMBER 21, 2006 THAT IRAN'S CURRENT INFLATION WOES ARE A DIRECT RESULT OF GOVERNMENT WITHDRAWALS FROM THE FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVE FUND TO MEET THE COSTS OF ITS CURRENT EXPENDITURES. 12.(U) IN AUGUST 2006, THE IRGC PLAYED A ROLE IN A HOSTILE SEIZURE OF A ROMANIAN OIL RIG WORKING OFF THE COAST OF IRAN. THE RIG WAS OWNED BY A ROMANIAN, SUPPOSEDLY RENTED BY A FORMER IRGC MEMBER AND DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS OWNER OF ORIENTAL OIL COMPANY, LEASED TO THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT, WITH THE DEAL FINANCED BY BANK SADERAT AND CREDIT SUISSE. WHEN THE ROMANIAN OWNER ATTEMPTED TO RECLAIM HIS RIG AFTER A DEFAULT ON THE PAYMENT, IRANIAN MILITARY VESSELS, ALLEGEDLY CONTAINING IRGC MEMBERS, PULLED ALONGSIDE IT, JUMPED ON, AND TOOK CONTROL. NOW TANGLED IN LEGAL BATTLES, IT IS UNCLEAR WHAT THE FATE OF THE RIG WILL BE. AN OCTOBER 14, 2006 WALL STREET JOURNAL ON IRGC INVOLVEMENT IN THE IRANIAN ECONOMY CONCLUDED THAT A "FEARED FORCE ROILS BUSINESS IN IRAN." IT CLAIMED THAT THE BANK DEFAULT MAY HAVE BEEN CONNECTED TO USG EFFORTS TO PRESS INTERNATIONAL BANKS TO STOP DOING BUSINESS WITH SADERAT. 13.(S) COMMENT. OUR OVERALL LACK OF ACCESS TO PEOPLE WITH DIRECT KNOWLEDGE OF IRGC ECONOMIC ACTIVITY MEANS IT IS DIFFICULT TO FIND RELIABLE INFORMATION, SUCH AS WHAT PERCENTAGE OF IRGC PROFITS GOES INTO INDIVIDUAL POCKETS, WHAT PERCENTAGE IS SPENT SUPPORTING WEAPONS ACQUISITIONS, AND WHAT PERCENTAGE GOES TOWARD SUPPORT FOR TERRORISM. A LONG-TIME CONTACT, AN ECONOMIC ANALYST, INFERRED THE DEEP, MURKY POCKETS OF BONYADS ARE A MORE LIKELY SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR TERRORISM THAN THE IRGC. HE SAID THE KHATAM AL-ANBIYA BEARS SOME SIMILARITY TO THE US ARMY CORP OF ENGINEERS. HE MAINTAINED THAT IT WAS A NATURAL EXTENSION IN PEACETIME TO USE THE TECHNICAL EXPERTISE ACCRUED DURING WARTIME FOR THE COUNTRY'S RECONSTRUCTION. FURTHERMORE, DESPITE ITS IRGC TIES, IT IS A COMMERCIAL ORGANIZATION AND THEREFORE IS AUDITED. SOME OF ITS INCOME IS REINVESTED, SOME OF IT LINES POCKETS, AND A SMALL PORTION MAY BE USED FOR NEFARIOUS PURPOSES. THE ECONOMIST IMPLIED, HOWEVER, THAT THE RELIGIOUS TAX REVENUES GOING TO BONYADS IS "MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT THAN MOST PEOPLE REALIZE." 14.(S) COMMENT CON'T: A FEW OF OUR CONTACTS HAVE REFERRED TO THE IRGCS GROWING POWER OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, WHICH THEY VIEW AS INSTRUMENTAL IN DELIVERING THE PRESIDENTIAL VICTORY TO AHMADINEJAD, AS A "CREEPING MILITARY COUP," AIMED AT TAKING POWER OUT OF THE HANDS OF THE CLERICS. THE SPECIFIC IMPACT OF RPO DUBAI 00000015 004.3 OF 004 THIS POWER SHIFT ON US INTERESTS REMAINS UNCLEAR. WE WOULD NOTE THAT THE WORLDVIEW OF TODAYS SENIOR IRGC OFFICIALS WAS FORGED IN THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR, WHICH ENGENDERED STRONG RESENTMENT TOWARDS THE US AND THE ARAB WORLD FOR THE ASSISTANCE GIVEN IRAQIS AGAINST THEM. FURTHERMORE, ONE CONTACT MAINTAINED THAT AHMADINEJAD AND THE SUPREME LEADER DRAW THEIR POWER FROM THE 500,000 WAR VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES AND THEREFORE GEAR THEIR POLICIES TO SATISFY THEM. BURNS