Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

October 11, 2008 5:40:33 AM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

'People's Army' Dominates Iran's Economy

Posted Aug 26, 07 11:35 AM CDT in World 

(Newser) – Iran's Revolutionary Guard, which the White House is on the cusp of labeling a terrorist organization, is an economic and political behemoth. The well-connected force has ties to more than 100 companies, dominates the construction industry, is in charge of developing Teheran's subway system, and even runs hospitals. The LA Times takes a look.

The "people's army" is so rich that it can operate beyond political oversight, sparking fears that corruption is spreading through the ranks.The Guard was set up to keep the regular military in check, but its tentacles extend throughout the government, and the US is concerned that it's funding clandestine activities at home and abroad.

Source Los Angeles Times

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Bush Made Pact With This Man: Arab Sources

    Oct 7, 08 2:31 PM CDT
    Bush Made Pact With This Man: Arab Sources Secret cooperation between Iran and the Bush administration may be behind the success of the Iraq surge, which has played heavily in "John McCain’s rise from the ashes," writes Salameh Nematt in the Daily Beast. Arab intelligence sources say such a “Grand Bargain” has been reached and is the reason for the Iranian restraint in Iraq that, along with the Anbar Awakening and Gen. Petraeus’ counterinsurgency tactics, has helped stabilize Iraq.
    More »

  • Iran Hangs 29 Convicts, Calls Deaths Crime Deterrent

    Jul 27, 08 11:00 AM CDT
    Iran Hangs 29 Convicts, Calls Deaths Crime Deterrent Amid charges of excessive use, Iran hanged 29 convicts this morning in Tehran. The Iranian Supreme Court approved the death sentences, variously on charges of murder, rape, armed robbery, or drug trafficking, the BBC reports. Last year, the country carried out 317 executions, second only to China. Tehran, however, insists the death penalty is an effective deterrent, judiciously used after a lengthy legal process. More »

  • In Break With Policy, US to Join Iran Nuke Talks

    Jul 16, 08 12:17 AM CDT
    In Break With Policy, US to Join Iran Nuke Talks In a break with long-standing policy, a top US envoy will join European Union talks with Iran concerning its nuclear program, reports the Washington Post. Undersecretary of State William Burns will join the EU's foreign policy chief and Iran's nuclear negotiator in Geneva this weekend. Burns will hold out the possibility of direct talks with the US if Iran ceases enriching uranium. More »

  • Bush, Sarkozy Warn Iran Over Spurned Nuke Offer

    Jun 14, 08 8:09 PM CDT
    Bush, Sarkozy Warn Iran Over Spurned Nuke Offer Iran said no to an incentive offer today to stop making uranium, sparking a warning from President Bush and Nicolas Sarkozy not to build nuclear weapons, the AP reports. "Our allies understand that a nuclear-armed Iran is incredibly destabilizing," Bush said. Even before an EU official delivered the six-nation offer of economic, educational, and other rewards, Tehran had rejected it. More »

  • Preconditions or Not, Iran Doesn't Want to Talk to Us

    May 28, 08 2:42 PM CDT
    Preconditions or Not, Iran Doesn't Want to Talk to Us Barack Obama can berate President Bush for refusing to "sit down with" Iran, and John McCain can beat up Obama for proposing to do just that, but the fact is that every administration in the past 30 years has tried talking to Iran—without preconditions—and been rejected. Including Condoleezza Rice, who worked in the White House at the time and has written a book about Iran, writes Amer Taheri in the Wall Street Journal. More »

elements accused of developing nuclear weapons and fomenting violence in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East.(AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)   (Associated Press)
Iranian Revolutionary Guards take part in a parade in Tehran, in this Friday Sept. 25, 1998 file photo, to mark the 18th anniversary of the outbreak of the war with Iraq. The U.S. move to blacklist Iran's...   (Associated Press)
Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards tests missiles during maneuvers in a central desert area of Iran, in this Thursday, Nov. 2, 2006 file photo. The U.S. move to blacklist Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps...   (Associated Press)
A security man stands next to an anti-aircraft gun while an Iranian elite Revolutionary Guard solider stands in the foreground at Iran's nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz, 300 kms 186 (miles) south...   (Associated Press)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 1)

Tags

Iran  • terrorist  • corruption  • Tehran  • Revolutionary Guards


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other World Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »