Top Iranian military officials vowed to defy the nation’s Islamic rulers if ordered to use force against protesters in the wake of last year’s disputed election, according to documents obtained by the Washington Examiner.
The Iranian military officials signed a document protesting force that was used by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard during the June re-election of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The petition, written in December, was titled, “Declaration of Support of the Iranian Army Leadership and Personnel in Support of the People.”
The document suggests deep internal divisions in Tehran over the sometimes brutal suppression of Iranians who claimed that the election was tainted by corruption.
Iranian courts announced last month that six people would be put to death for their participation in the protests, upholding charges that they were waging war against God by demonstrating during religious holidays.
The internal document warns, “the army views itself as the protector of the nation and has never yielded to politicians’ demands. The army personnel honors their commitment to refrain from meddling in politics, but cannot stay silent in the face of aggression and blatant assault against their compatriots either.”
It goes on to say, “we strongly warn those in the Revolutionary Guards who have participated in the pillage and rape of the Iranian nation — and by doing so have betrayed the blood of martyrs of the armed forces — that if they do not change their behavior, the army’s reaction will be heavy-handed and severe.”
A spokesman for the U.S. State Department said, “We don’t have information regarding the document,” and declined further comment.
Iranian officials in Washington and New York did not respond to requests for comment.
The Obama administration is attempting to get worldwide support for stronger sanctions against Iran in an effort to dissuade the nation from pursuing a nuclear weapons program. Tehran says it is pursuing nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
A U.S. official with knowledge of the Iranian military said that the reaction of members within the Iranian military was expected. The official spoke on condition that they not be named because of the sensitive nature of their work.
“The IRGC [Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps] is a more ideologically based and hard-line organization than the Iranian armed forces,” the U.S. official said. “It stands to reason that there might be some dissatisfaction within the regular Iranian military ranks about the IRGC’s harsh crackdown following last year’s election.”
The document was signed in the name of members of numerous military branches. In order to protect their identities, the document contains the units of which the protesting members belong and not the individual names. It is signed in the name of “members of the Iranian Central Command.”
An Iranian military official who confirmed the authenticity of the document said that “a military intervention from outside and from foreign country is not acceptable” but that they are looking for support from “Iranian patriots.”
A retired senior U.S. commander with knowledge of Iranian military operations, said, “It’s an indication of a serious risk within the Iranian military when one force puts another force on notice and that it will retaliate if citizens are abused.”
He added, “The Iranian government’s hard line on it’s own people is already turning against them. The document is an example of how angry some members of the military are at the actions the government has taken against its own.”
