The Iran Primer

Q:  (Inaudible) Mr. Secretary, on Syria, we've got word now that many of the 48 Iranian men who were captured earlier this month by the Free Syrian Army in Damascus are, in fact, IRGC members.  What information do you have about this?  How -- what were they doing there?  How deep does Iranian involvement run in this conflict? 

 

SEC. PANETTA:  Well, you know, without having specific information that -- of the individuals involved in -- in this particular situation, it is obvious to both General Dempsey and I that Iran is playing a larger role in Syria in many ways, not only in terms of the IRGC [Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps], but in terms of assistance, training.  There's now an indication that they're trying to develop -- or trying to train a militia within Syria to be able to fight on behalf of the regime.

 

So we are seeing a growing presence by Iran, and that is of deep concern to us, that that's taking place.  And, you know, we -- we do not think that -- that Iran ought to be playing that role at this moment in time, that it's dangerous, that it's adding to the killing that's going on in Syria, and that it tries to bolster a regime that we think ultimately is going to come down.

 

But all it's going to wind up doing, frankly, is to prolong the misery of the Syrian people.  So I guess our hope is that -- is that Iran thinks better about how much they do want to get involved.  But in any event, we've got to make sure that Iran does not exercise that kind of influence in Syria and try to determine the future of the Syrians, Syrian people.  The Syrian people ought to determine their future, not Iran. 

 

Q:  To follow up on that, sir, the militia you mentioned, are these Iranian fighters you're talking about?  Have the Iranians picked up arms, to your knowledge, or are they training Syrians? 

 

SEC. PANETTA:  I think from what we're seeing, a lot of it is training and a lot of it is assistance, as to -- they are training this militia, but I believe that that militia is made up of the Syrians. 

 

GEN. DEMPSEY:  It's made up of Syrian, generally Shia, some Alawite, and it's out -- it's in the open press, Jaish al-Sha'abi, which is translated Army of the People, similar to what they did in Iraq with Jaish al-Mahdi.