In this light, the breaking news of the alleged assassination plans of the Ambassador to the United States of Saudi Arabia, Adel al-Jubeir, by men connected to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard should be viewed as a sign of an increasingly dangerous rivalry developing in the Middle East.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Tuesday that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was charging two men in the assassination plot: Mansor Arbabsiar, who holds dual Iranian and American citizenship; and Ali Gholam Shakuri, an Iranian citizen believed to be part of the Quds Force – a branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard accused of infiltrating Iraq to support anti-American insurgents and create chaos.
According to an announcement by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, along with FBI Director Robert Mueller, Assistant Attorney General for National Security Lisa Monaco, and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara, the plot was disrupted by the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). A former member of Mexico’s violent Zetas drug cartel turned FBI informant - in exchange for having drug trafficking charges against him dropped - met with Manssor Arbabsiar multiple times over several months in both Mexico and the U.S. and, in return for up to $1.5 million, plotted to carry out the assassination of the Saudi Ambassador.
The Amended Complaint against the two men lays out the evidence gathered by the informant, including quotes from Mr. Arbabsiar taken from an audio recording the informant secretly made during their meeting. Mr. Arbabsiar claimed he had been hired by his cousin, who “was a big general in [the Iranian] army” but “work[s] in outside, in other countries for the Iranian government” without wearing a uniform, prompting officials to believe the Quds Force was behind the plot. Mr. Arbabsiar’s cousin also hired Ali Gholam Shakuri, a “colonel” in the Iranian army and Mr. Arbabsiar’s self-confessed partner – “my guy over there… he’s already in Washington.” They had determined that the Ambassador went out to eat in Washington restaurants several times per week, and that the attack should be carried out while he was in such a public place.
When the informant stated that there would be collateral damage, including U.S. Senators and possibly up to 150 civilians, Mr. Arbabsiar stated his cousin wanted the Ambassador killed “by himself” if possible, but “sometime, you know, you have no choice. […] This is politics, ok… it’s not like, eh, personal… They want that guy [the Ambassador] done, if the hundred go with him, f**k ‘em.”
Mr. Arbabsiar was arrested on September 29, 2011, and confessed to the allegations. Mr. Shakuri has not been apprehended.
This situation brings the tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran to a new level. Already, the two countries have been vying for power throughout the Middle East. While the acting out of the competition before was considered to be occurring through proxies, especially the power struggle in Bahrain’s and Syria’s summer of protests, this is a new, direct attack on the other power.
The plot is also believed to be a statement by the Iranian government about the role of the United States in the Middle East. The U.S. is the largest supporter of the Saudi monarchy, and although Ambassador Adel al-Jubeir is not of the royal family, he is widely considered to be the closest national security adviser and confidante to King Abdullah. As the United States’ role in the Middle East is perceived to be shrinking and the Arab Spring can be interpreted as a repudiation of U.S. supported leaders and regional policies, Iran is seeing an opportunity for to step into a power vacuum as a regional force and alternate ideology.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated that the government was examining new venues for sanctions. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has denied his government had any role to play in the plot, and accused the United States of fabricating the plot and the charges.
Update, 9 pm EST: Experts such as Reza Aslan are pointing out that the claim that Mr. Arbabsiar has a cousin the Iranian military is not such an outlandish claim, and that most Iranians have such a cousin. The sloppy nature of the plot seems to suggest that the otherwise highly professional Quds Force may not have been behind such a plot.
Update, 11 pm EST: A war of words has opened up between the United States and Iran. Iran has gone on the diplomatic defense, and the Iranian delegation to the United Nations has sent a response to UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. It is republished in full, following:
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
No. 1110 11 October 2011
Excellency,
I am writing to you to express our outrage regarding the allegations leveled by the United States officials against the Islamic Republic of Iran on the involvement of my country in an assassination plot targeting a foreign diplomat in Washington.
The Islamic Republic of Iran strongly and categorically rejects these fabricated and baseless allegations, based on the suspicious claims by an individual. Any country could accuse other countries through fabrication of such stories. However, this would set dangerous precedents in the relations among States.
Iran has always condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Iran has been a victim of terrorism, a clear recent example of which is the assassination of a number of Iranian nuclear scientists in the past two years carried out by the Zionist regime and supported by the United States.
The Iranian nation seeks a world free from terrorism and considers the current US warmongering and propaganda machine against Iran as a threat not just against itself but to the peace and stability in the Persian Gulf region. The Islamic Republic of Iran warns against the implications of this horrible scenario and submits that the continuation of such divide-and-rule policies could have detrimental effects on peace and security.
The US allegation is, obviously, a politically-motivated move and a showcase of its long-standing animosity towards the Iranian nation. The Islamic Republic of Iran categorically and in the strongest terms condemns this shameful allegation by the United States authorities and deplores it as a well-thought evil plot in line with their anti-Iranian policy to divert attention from the current economic and social problems at home and the popular revolutions and protests against United States long supported dictatorial regimes abroad.
The Islamic Republic of Iran underlines its determination to maintain its friendly relations with all regional countries, particularly with its Muslim neighbors, and invites all to be vigilant against the vicious campaigns targeting stability and peace and friendly relations among States in our region.
As the Secretary-General of the United Nations you have an important responsibility in enlightening the international public opinion about the dangerous consequences of warmongering policies of the United States Government on international peace and security.
I am sending identical letters to the President of the Security Council and the President of the General Assembly. It would be appreciated if this letter could be circulated as a document of the General Assembly under the agenda item 83 and of the Security Council.
Please accept, Excellency, the assurance of my highest consideration.
Mohammad Khazaee
Ambassador
Permanent Representative
H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon
Secretary General
United Nations, New York
cc: H.E. Mrs Ogawu
President of the Security Council
United Nations
cc: H.E. Mr. Nasser
President of the General Assembly
United Nations, New York
a global affairs media network
Iranian-Saudi Balance of Power Threatened by Plot
October 11, 2011
In this light, the breaking news of the alleged assassination plans of the Ambassador to the United States of Saudi Arabia, Adel al-Jubeir, by men connected to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard should be viewed as a sign of an increasingly dangerous rivalry developing in the Middle East.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Tuesday that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was charging two men in the assassination plot: Mansor Arbabsiar, who holds dual Iranian and American citizenship; and Ali Gholam Shakuri, an Iranian citizen believed to be part of the Quds Force – a branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard accused of infiltrating Iraq to support anti-American insurgents and create chaos.
According to an announcement by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, along with FBI Director Robert Mueller, Assistant Attorney General for National Security Lisa Monaco, and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara, the plot was disrupted by the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). A former member of Mexico’s violent Zetas drug cartel turned FBI informant - in exchange for having drug trafficking charges against him dropped - met with Manssor Arbabsiar multiple times over several months in both Mexico and the U.S. and, in return for up to $1.5 million, plotted to carry out the assassination of the Saudi Ambassador.
The Amended Complaint against the two men lays out the evidence gathered by the informant, including quotes from Mr. Arbabsiar taken from an audio recording the informant secretly made during their meeting. Mr. Arbabsiar claimed he had been hired by his cousin, who “was a big general in [the Iranian] army” but “work[s] in outside, in other countries for the Iranian government” without wearing a uniform, prompting officials to believe the Quds Force was behind the plot. Mr. Arbabsiar’s cousin also hired Ali Gholam Shakuri, a “colonel” in the Iranian army and Mr. Arbabsiar’s self-confessed partner – “my guy over there… he’s already in Washington.” They had determined that the Ambassador went out to eat in Washington restaurants several times per week, and that the attack should be carried out while he was in such a public place.
When the informant stated that there would be collateral damage, including U.S. Senators and possibly up to 150 civilians, Mr. Arbabsiar stated his cousin wanted the Ambassador killed “by himself” if possible, but “sometime, you know, you have no choice. […] This is politics, ok… it’s not like, eh, personal… They want that guy [the Ambassador] done, if the hundred go with him, f**k ‘em.”
Mr. Arbabsiar was arrested on September 29, 2011, and confessed to the allegations. Mr. Shakuri has not been apprehended.
This situation brings the tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran to a new level. Already, the two countries have been vying for power throughout the Middle East. While the acting out of the competition before was considered to be occurring through proxies, especially the power struggle in Bahrain’s and Syria’s summer of protests, this is a new, direct attack on the other power.
The plot is also believed to be a statement by the Iranian government about the role of the United States in the Middle East. The U.S. is the largest supporter of the Saudi monarchy, and although Ambassador Adel al-Jubeir is not of the royal family, he is widely considered to be the closest national security adviser and confidante to King Abdullah. As the United States’ role in the Middle East is perceived to be shrinking and the Arab Spring can be interpreted as a repudiation of U.S. supported leaders and regional policies, Iran is seeing an opportunity for to step into a power vacuum as a regional force and alternate ideology.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated that the government was examining new venues for sanctions. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has denied his government had any role to play in the plot, and accused the United States of fabricating the plot and the charges.
Update, 9 pm EST: Experts such as Reza Aslan are pointing out that the claim that Mr. Arbabsiar has a cousin the Iranian military is not such an outlandish claim, and that most Iranians have such a cousin. The sloppy nature of the plot seems to suggest that the otherwise highly professional Quds Force may not have been behind such a plot.
Update, 11 pm EST: A war of words has opened up between the United States and Iran. Iran has gone on the diplomatic defense, and the Iranian delegation to the United Nations has sent a response to UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. It is republished in full, following:
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
No. 1110 11 October 2011
Excellency,
I am writing to you to express our outrage regarding the allegations leveled by the United States officials against the Islamic Republic of Iran on the involvement of my country in an assassination plot targeting a foreign diplomat in Washington.
The Islamic Republic of Iran strongly and categorically rejects these fabricated and baseless allegations, based on the suspicious claims by an individual. Any country could accuse other countries through fabrication of such stories. However, this would set dangerous precedents in the relations among States.
Iran has always condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Iran has been a victim of terrorism, a clear recent example of which is the assassination of a number of Iranian nuclear scientists in the past two years carried out by the Zionist regime and supported by the United States.
The Iranian nation seeks a world free from terrorism and considers the current US warmongering and propaganda machine against Iran as a threat not just against itself but to the peace and stability in the Persian Gulf region. The Islamic Republic of Iran warns against the implications of this horrible scenario and submits that the continuation of such divide-and-rule policies could have detrimental effects on peace and security.
The US allegation is, obviously, a politically-motivated move and a showcase of its long-standing animosity towards the Iranian nation. The Islamic Republic of Iran categorically and in the strongest terms condemns this shameful allegation by the United States authorities and deplores it as a well-thought evil plot in line with their anti-Iranian policy to divert attention from the current economic and social problems at home and the popular revolutions and protests against United States long supported dictatorial regimes abroad.
The Islamic Republic of Iran underlines its determination to maintain its friendly relations with all regional countries, particularly with its Muslim neighbors, and invites all to be vigilant against the vicious campaigns targeting stability and peace and friendly relations among States in our region.
As the Secretary-General of the United Nations you have an important responsibility in enlightening the international public opinion about the dangerous consequences of warmongering policies of the United States Government on international peace and security.
I am sending identical letters to the President of the Security Council and the President of the General Assembly. It would be appreciated if this letter could be circulated as a document of the General Assembly under the agenda item 83 and of the Security Council.
Please accept, Excellency, the assurance of my highest consideration.
Mohammad Khazaee
Ambassador
Permanent Representative
H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon
Secretary General
United Nations, New York
cc: H.E. Mrs Ogawu
President of the Security Council
United Nations
cc: H.E. Mr. Nasser
President of the General Assembly
United Nations, New York
