The significance of the Quds force terror designation

Ralph Peters:

THE media missed a big one yesterday.

They ran with the story that the Bush administration will soon designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps - a major troublemaker in Iraq - as a terrorist organization. But they didn't look past the public-consumption explanation that the move lets our government go after the Revolutionary Guards' finances and the international companies that cut deals with Tehran's thugs.

The real reason for the move is to set up a legal basis for airstrikes or special operations raids on the Guard's bases in Iran.

Our policy is that we reserve the right to whack terrorists anywhere in the world. Now we have newly designated terrorists. And we know exactly where they are.

...

I think he has a point. It was probably because of the focus of the spin of the leaker who telegraphed the designation prematurely. We know where the training bases are for the secret cell militias that are infiltrating into Iraq. We probably also know where the manufacturing facilities are for the EFPs they are using to kill our troops. I hope they are all high on the target list.

The Washington Times does have a long list of Revolutionary Guards extensive investments and business ties, with its multibillion-dollar commercial empire ranging from oil fields to honeybee farms. It also has an editorial on the serial killers of Americans within the Quds force ranks.