U.S. to Designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard as Terrorists

[jefferson_dem]

Source: WaPo

U.S. to Designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard as Terrorists
By Robin Wright
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 14, 2007; 9:14 PM

The United States has decided to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, the country's 125,000-strong military branch, as a "specially designated global terrorist," according to U.S. officials, a move that allows Washington to target the group's business operations and finances.

The Bush administration has chosen to move against the Revolutionary Guard Corps because of what U.S. officials describe as the group's growing involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as its support for extremists throughout the Middle East, the sources said. The decision follows congressional pressure on the administration to toughen its stance against Tehran as well as U.S. frustration with the ineffectiveness of U.N. resolutions against Iran's nuclear program, officials said.

The designation of the Revolutionary Guards will be made under Executive Order 13224, which President Bush signed two weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to obstruct terrorist funding. It identifies individuals, businesses, charities and many extremist groups engaged in terrorist activities. The Revolutionary Guards would be the first national military branch included on the list, U.S. officials said -- a highly unusual move because it is part of a government, rather than a typical non-state terrorist organization.

The order allows the United States to block the assets of terrorists and to disrupt operations by foreign businesses that "provide support, services or assistance to, or otherwise associate with, terrorists."

<SNIP>

The administration's move could hurt diplomatic efforts, some analysts said. "It would greatly complicate our efforts to solve the nuclear issue," said Joseph Cirincione, a nuclear proliferation expert at the Center for American Progress. "It would tie an end to Iran's nuclear program to an end to its support of allies in Hezbollah and Hamas. The only way you could get a nuclear deal is as part of a grand bargain, which at this point is completely out of reach."

<SNIP>

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR2007081401662_pf.html

[Xipe Totec]

1. What about the Republican Guard, are they terrorists as well?

and I'm not talking about Saddam's elite.


I'm talking about Bush's cabinet.

[Demeter]

2. Why, Don't They Never Leave Iran?

Hard to be a stay-at-home terrorist....

[Speck Tater]

3. Yup. Bush's brain, however defective it was, is completely GONE now. nt

[saigon68]

37. "BRING EM ON" shouted the AWOL CHIMPANZEE

man into chimp



and back again

[MadMaddie]

4. So this is how they are going to justify attacking Iran...

seriously...designating the military of a country a terrorist.

This alone should get these bastards Impeached. They are not only messing with Iran they are indirectly messing with Russia and China.

[TankLV]

48. They certainly are trying, aren't they...

Now imagine what could have been accomplished if all this creativity and ingenuity were focused on actually HELPING people instead of ways to enrich themselves, get away with crimes of all sorts, and wage wars without the consent of the governed...

Got to admit - these CRIMINALS are among the most creative and resourceful persons on this planet ever - even if it is for all the WRONG reasons...

[scarletwoman]

5. How the hell can you call the state-sanctioned armed forces of a sovereign nation "terrorists"?

This is GARBAGE! This is INSANE! Is the whole world going to keep letting bush get away with this crap????

"The Revolutionary Guards would be the first national military branch included on the list, U.S. officials said -- a highly unusual move because it is part of a government, rather than a typical non-state terrorist organization."

Well, DUH!

:banghead:
sw

[Kip Humphrey]

8. With the powers Congress vested in Bush, he can invade Iran for harboring terorists without

congressional consent.

August recesses...

LOCK & LOAD!

[MsMagnificent]

69. Exactamundo!

[Kagemusha]

10. Well they've considered Iran a state sponsor of terror for many years.

And the vehicle for that sponsorship would logically be the Revolutionary Guards.

Having said that, this sure is a strange step... and you would think it is redundant, given the sanctions on Iran itself. But I'm sure it makes Cheney smile.

[The Backlash Cometh]

22. Sounds like Rove's final trump card. The Bush Administration would

have to labor through far too many diplomatic procedures IF Iran is viewed as a sovereign nation, but you lawyer the language and redefine, even a small group within Iran as terrorists, and suddenly all the autonomy of the Patriot Act and every power-grab legislation that followed, applies.

That means, that they can go in and bomb the entire country, looking for just one small group within, and all without any further congressional approval.

And you know the White House is bat shit crazy enough to do it.

[Igel]

63. It's been done before.

There's the entire business of calling the Israeli IDF the "IOF" and calling what they do state terrorism.

Actually, it's been claimed that the US military's into state terrorism. It's just moving upwards. Think of it as capillary action.

[scarletwoman]

65. The U.S. military absolutely DOES implement state terrorism. What do you call "shock & awe" but

state terrorism?

Really! Explain to me the difference between dropping bombs on civilians from aircraft and exploding bombs in a truck. What the hell is the difference?!?! Are the dead any better off because they were killed by the U.S. military as opposed to being killed by Arab nihilists? Are they less "terrorized"?

Iran isn't bombing anyone, Iran isn't occupying another country, Iran's military isn't threatening to invade or attack anyone. Whose military IS either doing or threatening to do all these things? It ISN'T Iran!

Be honest.

sw

[billyoc]

6. Convenient, now they can say terrorists destroyed the U.S. Navy

ships after they bomb Iran, because the Revolutionary Guards control the Iranian missile defenses.
And Americans will swallow it hook, line and sinker.

[partylessinOhio]

7. Nancy, are you going to let * get away with this? I guess you are.

We need to impeach the triangle - *, Darth and Madame Squeaker.

[bamacrat]

9. Our military has acted more as terrorists than the Revolutionary Guard.

[UnyieldingHierophant]

14. Nice

:+

[ThomCat]

58. It's true.

It's our military that has killed an estimated 1 million people, decimated the public infrastructure, rounded up entire groups of people off the street at random, tortured and raped unknown numbers of people, and force them at gunpoint to sell off the rights to their nation's natural resources to our corporations.

If what we are doing there isn't terrorist activity on a massive scale then I don't know what would be.

[INDIA]

67. DU Supports the Troops! n/t

[Zhade]

75. But not the mission. Or the killing. Or the torture. Or...

NT!

[UKProPeace]

46. very true...

...I've wrote elsewhere, I don't recall the Iranianian Revolutionary Guards recently illegally, and unjustifiably invading another nation recently, then carrying out terrorist atrocities on a seemingly daily basis such as raping, torturing, and murdering the locals.

[tkmorris]

11. This is a declaration of war

They are stating that the uniformed armed forces of a sovereign nation are terrorists, an entity we have already declared we are at war with. What possible benefit is gained from this? Aside from being just plain wrong, it is profoundly stupid as well.

Oh and I love this comment. "The administration's move could hurt diplomatic efforts, some analysts said". Umm, yeah. Ya think?

[BluePatriot]

52. Agreed

what a creative/devious way to get around Congress. I am equally stunned at its legal brilliance and horrific ramifications.

[Purveyor]

12. And our AIPAC 'bought and paid for' congress will applaud like the trained 'seals' they are

over this development.

[sabra]

13. Remember last week a report came out about how Cheney is pushing

for attacks against Iran's Quds forces...

[livingonearth]

15. Soon they'll be calling them Al quaeda

maybe they can link Iran to 9/11 that way.

[intaglio]

16. This part of the article scares me

The decision follows congressional pressure on the administration to toughen its stance against Tehran

What "congressional pressure"??????? Which congressmen or women are putting on pressure?

Leiberman?

Hassert?

Cheney?

[HuffleClaw]

17. using that sort of 'logic' the same could be said for the USMC

what a crock.

[BushOut06]

18. Watch out - you're not allowed to say anything bad about our glorious boys!

I just got alerted and had a post deleted for basically saying the same exact thing.

I forgot that our troops in Iraq are acting in an exemplary fashion. What fucking abuses? What torture?

[The Stranger]

35. Alerted for exposing abuses by U.S. troops?

That is the whole reason for something like Democratic Underground.

[BushOut06]

41. I said that the US military could be considered a terrorist organization

That is, "if" you are going to use that kind of logic to define what a terrorist organization is. If bonafide military segments of sovereign nations can now be classified as a terrorist group, then why couldn't the US military? Our abuses in Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantanamo, etc are well documented.

I don't actually believe that the US military is a terrorist group - I'm just saying the same logic could be applied.

[Bigjoe7734]

19. This is how...

This is how you get past Congress having to declare war. There is no way to stop this now. The bombs will already be falling by the time anyone can get close to talking about removing "Pinky and the Brain" from their offices.

[Vidar]

20. How about adding Blackwater & the CIA to the global terrorist list as well.

[TheLastMohican]

68. I second that

CIA was actively helping Afgan rebels (aka insurgents, aka "terrorists", aka "islamics") with money and weapons. Don't forget the Iran-Contras affair.

So CIA is a terrorist organisation fair and square if we use the same reasoning.

[Stinky The Clown]

21. Meanwhile, Iran declares Bush 'Batshit Crazy'; puts US on Iranian Do Not Call List.

[BluePatriot]

53. *snerk*

Good one :)

[Pachamama]

23. So when do other Nations start declaring the US Military & CIA to be terrorist organizations?

:eyes:

I mean this seriously....because it would be using similar arguments and logic as the US seems to use in why the Iran Revolutionary Guard needs to be delared a terrorist organization.

I am not a lawyer, but I find it fascinating the whole "War on Terror" argument and declaring for example non-nation groups as being a target of a war and now to actually take a division of a nation's military and declaring it to be a terrorist organization. Ofcourse, the hypocrisy is neverending here...How many "terrorist organizations" has the United States supported and funded? Seriously. How much funding has been and still is being funneled to guerrilla groups in Latin America to destabilize a gov't and elsewhere throughout the world from the US?

The world looks at us and sees us as Hypocritical and Deceptive....

Bush can do it under another of his many "Executive orders", but it doesn't make it so....

[Canuckistanian]

29. There's far, far more evidence for that

Both rogue elements AND systematic actions could be used to prove that point easily in a court of law by these standards.

[closeupready]

38. This is sort of why I had a big problem with Obama's statements re: Pakistan.

He basically said a similar thing.

[NashVegas]

24. Folks, I Think This May Be Why Karl Rove Is Leaving

This is Dick's ultimate win over Karl.

[Jawja]

25. Now that's a scary thought

and an angle that troubles me.

[roamer65]

62. I thought the same thing at lunch.

I bet KKKarl doesn't want any part of an attack on Iran. He knows the damage to the Rethug party will be irreparable. Cheney just may have a free hand now.

[HuffleClaw]

64. meep

it sure could be. with cheney holding all the strings we are screwed.

[iamahaingttta]

26. I think history will show US to be...

...the stupidest nation ever.

We had it ALL, and it wasn't enough.
Our greed and our hubris took over (along with the Bush crime family) and we started stepping in piles of shit all over the planet until we were covered with shit and we couldn't even move 'cause we were up to our eyeballs in shit and then we got shit all over everyone else on the planet and then they finally reacted and brought out the knives that we sold them and they killed us.

Anyway, it certainly seems like that's where we are heading. And we fucking deserve it.

[llmart]

28. Amen.

[Vinca]

27. And to think some wonder how much damage Shrub can do in his

remaining months. This is very, very frightening and we've got 160,000 hostages (best case scenario) easily available to them right next door.

[BattyDem]

30. How can their military be a terrorist group?!?

:wtf:

If we follow that logic, EVERY country with a military is a terrorist nation! You can't disrupt the assets and operations of another country's military simply because you don't like them!

I fully expect our Congress to roll over and play dead on this (as usual), but that doesn't mean the rest of the world will. Bush* won't be happy until he starts WWIII and as far as every other country is concerned, we're Germany! :scared:

[harun]

42. The only chance they have in the 2008 elections is provoking

Iran in to confrontation. On a strategic level Iran has done very well with what is going on in Iraq. The temptation for them has to be to just flood the place with weapons and make it a nightmare for the U.S. However they absolutely have not done this. If they were doing this the proof would be obvious and the proof would have been presented at the U.N. and to the American people so Cheney could get his Iran war.

Iran has resisted this and Iraq is still a big embarrassment for the administration. I don't think Iran will be provoked but the admin may just fake it and start the war anyway.

[knight_of_the_star]

49. I think they are

But if the Iranian government is moving weapons into Iraq they are either 1.) turning a blind eye on organized crime groups working through Iran to move weapons into Iraq or 2.) being VERY careful not to give out anything that is traceable to them or in huge quantities, just enough to give the US more trouble. We did the same thing in Afghanistan when the Soviets invaded, it would not surprise me if they were doing it on the sly, but if they are its going to be nearly impossible to prove as the likely weapons that would be shipped in such a situation would be ones that you could get anywhere on the global arms market.

[ButterflyBlood]

72. Because it's not really their military

It's a state-sanctioned paramilitary group, separate from the actual Iranian Army.

[rateyes]

31. The administration is picking a fight...

and, if Congress doesn't stop this, and allows Bush & Cheney to bomb Iran, then to hell with the administration and Congress.

[LiberalEsto]

They really want a Rapture

These people are batshit f*cking crazy.
Everything they have done, since the B*sh Occupation began, has been anti-life, pro-death, pro-war, pro-poverty, pro-destruction, pro-armageddon.

They want to ignore climate change, at the world's peril.
They want to ban stem cell research.
They want to destroy the middle class.
They want to take away our jobs
They want us to cringe 24/7 in fear of terrorists
They want to make wars with Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and now Iran.
They would simply love to go to war with Venezuela, Cuba, Syria and other countries, except that we don't seem to have the personnel.
They don't give a damn if US soldiers get killed due to faulty or missing or inadequate body armor or vehicle armor.
They leave the wounded, traumatized veterans to rot with cheap care and endless paperwork.
They want to let China poison us with tainted food, toys and other products because they've gutted our framework of consumer protection and food safety laws.
They want to outlaw abortions so women will die from unsanitary back-room procedures. They want to stop abortions by murdering physicians and bombing clinics.
They want to imprison us for long periods of time in their new corporate prisons, for minor crimes.
They want to destroy the public education system and make college unaffordable for everyone except the rich.
Oh, I could go on and on, and so can all of you.

One can only conclude that these bastards actually believe in a Rapture and are racing to bring it on, the faster the better.

And that the very rich have somehow figured out a way to take their obscene wealth with them.

[iamahaingttta]

33. I don't believe they want the rapture...

...but I do believe that the world is overpopulated.
And they know it.
And their policy is to kill off as many people on the planet as they can.
They want the whole place to themselves, and so their policy is kill, kill, kill and the Dems are complicit because they understand all this. The Dems are letting Bush get away with it, so they don't have to be the ones with blood on their hands. At least not overtly.

Look, history is the study of the patterns of human growth and destruction. This is all nothing new. We've been doing this for thousands of years. It's just our generation's turn to experience it all, and it's (rightly) freaking us out. It's also on a scale that before now was unimaginable. Global in size and with consequences that could easily get out of hand.

But this is the job George was installed to do. Be the scapegoat for killing off half of humanity, so that the other half can take their stuff. No rapture necessary. That rapture stuff and all that other religious gobbledy-gook is just for the suckers...

[MsMagnificent]

70. The Repukes do indeed view their Fundie constituency as 'suckers'

...their policy is to kill off as many people on the planet as they can...

Starting with the non-white poor people.
It doesn't matter whether said objects of their attention are denizens of Iraq, Iran, Palestine, Darfur, or New Orleans.
Poor and brown is poor and brown, not to be tolerated!

And those that still cling to life, the ones they miss? Heck, it's simple: just don't let them back! They deliberately watch as attrition kills these straggling survivors off; dying in their tents or camps, dying through lack of water (potable or not), expediting the matter by fixing it so their victims get no medical care, helping it along with trailers imbued with toxic, deadly fumes; and letting crumbling bridges and infrastructure help this their mission.
And if some middle class Caucasians buy that heavenly farm with this last mentioned tactic? Oh well, so what? They're next anyhow, and even if they weren't it's merely collateral damage -- you know that doesn't bug them! On the plus side it leaves more room in the Halliburton camps for others! Praise the Board (of Directors)!
Heck, there's nothing wrong with getting a head start! While all their other 'plans' seem to fail, in this they're incredibly efficient.
What a coincidence.

And we Democrats keep letting them get away with more and more and more.
This latest Congress is as efficacious in controlling those psychopaths in power as the previous, Republican controlled ones were,
toothless, consequence-free hearings notwithstanding.


I'm aghast. There is something terribly, terribly wrong when many in our own party are enabling this type of callous, criminal behavior.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[BlueJac]

34. What about BlackWater......

Bush's private Republican guard? What about the Saudi Arabian's that are fueling the insurgency? What has this country become, Nazi America. I am soooo mad at our lack of real leadership, we are the DESTROYERS NOW! That is all we can do, destroy countries and infrastucture. Looks like we are trying to make all evil countries look like US!

[The Stranger]

36. The "War on Terror" is a massive, ubiquitous fraud.

We need to do away with it, its racist and bigoted assumptions, and obliteration of individual rights, and return to prosecuting individuals who are accused of committing crimes.

[saigon68]

39. Halliburton, the NEOCONS and Right Wing Hate Religion

Need the "Mothers Milk" of Racism, Sexism and Murder to continue their dominance

[merh]

40. But Iran is working with Iraq

Nuri Maliki: Iran, Iraq Deeply Eager to Expand Ties

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki underlined eagerness of Tehran and Baghdad to further expand ties, saying that his visit to Tehran was aimed at implementation of the agreements already held by the two sides.

Speaking to reporters during a joint press conference with Iranian first Vice-President Parviz Davoudi here in Tehran on Thursday, Nuri al-Maliki said that that his trip to Iran was a result of the two countries' enthusiasm for further expansion of ties.

"And due o the same reason, these visits could be much fruitful," he continued.

The Iraqi premier further pointed to the two countries' ample commonalities, and said, "Considering that both countries are facing common challenges, they should make joint efforts to materialize their cause and ideals, common goals and joint interests."

"Not only this trip, but also other visits were aimed at a settlement of issues," he said, adding, "One of the crucial issues for the two countries was security challenges. Both countries are striving to reach a conclusion about security challenges; there are, of course, other countries which share our views about confrontation with these challenges in the region."

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8605180210

15:24 | 2007-08-10
Iran, Iraq to Sign Pipeline Deal

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iran and Iraq will sign a deal in the next few days to build a pipeline that would transfer crude from southern Iraqi oilfields to refineries in Iran, a senior Iranian official said yesterday.

Iraq announced in May it had agreed to begin discussions with Iran over the pipeline that will carry 200,000 barrels of Iraqi crude to Iran per day.

-snip-

He said Iraqi oil minister Hussain Al Shahristani would visit Tehran "in coming days." Davoudi was speaking after talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki who visited Tehran on Wednesday and Thursday.

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8605190104

Or maybe that's why the Oil Minister was kidnapped, because he was working with Tehran. :scared:

Iraq's deputy oil minister, four others kidnapped from government compound

BAGHDAD: More than 50 gunmen dressed in Iraqi security forces uniforms and using 17 official vehicles broke into an Oil Ministry compound in eastern Baghdad Tuesday and abducted a senior deputy of the oil minister, and four other officials, a ministry spokesman and police said.

-snip-

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/14/africa/ME-GEN-Iraq-Kidnapping.php

[laststeamtrain]

43. Iranian Revolutionary Guards To Be Labeled As Terrorists

Source: All Headline News

Iranian Revolutionary Guards To Be Labeled As Terrorists

August 15, 2007 10:58 a.m. EST

Derek Kreindler - AHN Writer

Washington D.C. (AHN) - The Bush administration is set to label Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization, allowing the government to go after the groups financial assets and operations. If the move goes through as expected, it would be the first time another country's armed forces have been given the designation.

The Revolutionary Guards are suspected to have a large business network, with a large number of companies involved in transactions with the unit and its personnel. The "terrorist" designation will allow the United States to take action against those who "provide support, services or assistance to, or otherwise associate with, terrorists."

"They are heavily involved in everything from pharmaceuticals to telecommunications and pipelines, even the new Imam Khomeini Airport and a great deal of smuggling," said Ray Takeyh of the Council on Foreign Relations. "Many of the front companies engaged in procuring nuclear technology are owned and run by the Revolutionary Guards. They're developing along the lines of the Chinese military which is involved in many business enterprises. It's a huge business conglomeration."

The move comes as Washington attempts to toughen its stance on Iran. Sources say that the move could be dropped if tougher sanctions are passed by the UN Security Council. The Guards are one of 42 groups slated to be designated as terrorists, among those include al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Read more: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7008206778

[UKProPeace]

44. Yes, some strange things are happening lately....

They've been labelled as terrorists, and now some Al Qaeda are being welcomed with open arms in Iraq. What a tangled web.

[killbotfactory]

45. Oh good, this administration hadn't done anything batshit crazy for a while

I was getting worried.

[ohio2007]

47. guess it's time to list the "Iran invasion" news stories soon

cry wolf again

[knight_of_the_star]

50. Our only hope now is the people who will actually throw the switch

And if they get the orders to start a war with Iran that they will refuse to obey.

[redqueen]

51. Un-frickin-believable...

There really is nothing this cabal won't do to get what they want.

[BluePatriot]

54. A super-giant K&R

What hath BushCo wrought...kiss any vague semblance of congressional oversight goodbye...man, I should have saw this coming. That's pretty creative. I mean, not in the good way, but wow, that's smart in an intelligent evil overlord way. This has Cheney all over it.

We have all discussed how BushCo could perhaps declare left wing groups as terrorists to their advantage, but it never occurred to me that they would try it on another nation's army to essentially wage unchecked war. Amazing.

[bamacrat]

55. Is this just posturing before an invasion.

Look they're trrrrrsts, bring em on.

:mad: :puke: :crazy: :wtf: :nuke:

[Megahurtz]

56. Oh Please......

:eyes: and what the fuck is Blackwater, a Legion of Angels??? :sarcasm:

When is this insanity going to stop, or is it ever???

[NoodleyAppendage]

57. Now the Chimperior has LEGAL STANDING TO INVADE IRANIAN TERRITORY.

This was done to pull any covert or overt operations into Iranian territory under the umbrella of the Iraqi War Resolution. Let's thank, once again, all of the current DEM CANDIDATES President for their STUPID VOTE...that means you Hillary. I hope you enjoy inheriting Armaggedon.

J

[Pachamama]

66. Bingo! Your absolutely right...the good ole Iraq War Resolution (along with other authority given

to Bush in the arsenal to fight the "War on Terror") allows him now to legally defend why they can invade Iranian territory without a declaration of war from Congress....

Ugh...I feel sick...its all unfolding in front of us, isn't it?

[ThomCat]

59. If you declare that the military of a sovereign nation is your enemy

aren't you declaring war?

And if you move to freeze all assets of that sovereign nation's military, aren't you committing acts of war?

And doesn't our constitution require that only Congress can declare war?
x(

[B3Nut]

76. Oh, you and your danged logic...

we're not allowed to make sense in this country, didn't you get the memo? :sarcasm:

You're so spot-on it's terrifying. They either know this and are purely evil, or they're blindingly stupid beyond all measure. It would be egregious understatement to say that we are in a rather precarious position...

Todd in Cheesecurdistan

[CGowen]

60. so few recs? n/t

[potone]

61. This is why we need to impeach Bush and Cheney!

Before they start another illegal war. I am tired of Democrats saying that impeachment proceedings will bring all other work in Congress to a halt. What could be more important than stopping these sociopaths????:banghead:

[Karenina]

71. Da *dauphin deignt ta dismisinform da Dummen

says me

[ButterflyBlood]

73. This is a dumb move, but people need to realize the Revolutionary Guard is NOT the military of Iran

It's a complete separate organization from the Iranian Army, Navy and Air Force. Much like the SS or NKVD, they were not the same, the Revolutionary Guard is basically a paramilitary organization of those who run Iran while the actual military is the true military of the country.

That said, it's a dumb move, because the Revolutionary Guard is hardly the only such group in the world, and plenty of other such organizations in other countries engage in similar activities too.

[TheLastMohican]

74. What are you talking about?

SS was a large organisation and part of the military, it had a Waffen SS part - crack formations both tank and motorised infantry.

Same goes for NKVD - some ran GULAGS, some were military divisions defending Stalingrad, for example.

The Revolutionary Guard of Iran is also integrated into Iranian military, there are some installations which are guarded and run exclusively by Revolutionary Guard.
So making an exclusion for them is dumb, dumb.

If we take the logic of current administration, then the USMC or NAVY SEALS can be also singled out by a particular enemy as "terrorists". Very stupid move by BUSHco.

[ButterflyBlood]

77. All of the examples were parallel but separate organizations

Note after Nuremberg, most SS officers tried, while officers of the traditional German military were left alone.

The main purpose of the Revolutionary Guard is to keep he traditional military in line, to "protect the revolution", essentially act as a check toward any possible military coup.