Qassem Suleimani
Encyclopedia
Major General haj Qassem Suleimani (Persian
: حاج قاسم سلیمانی, born March 11, 1957) is the commander of the Quds Force, a division of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which conducts special operations outside Iran. He is listed by the United States
as a terrorist, which forbids U.S. citizens from doing business with him. The list, published in the EU's Official Journal on June 24, 2011, also includes a Syrian property firm, an investment fund and two other enterprises accused of funding Assad's government. The list also includes Mohammad Ali Jafari
and Hossein Taeb
.
During the 1990s he was an IRGC commander in south-eastern Iran, in the city of Kerman. Through this region along the borders of Afghanistan ran drug trafficking to Turkey and onto Europe. But Soleimani's military experience helped him develop a successful strategy against drug trafficking.
In 2000 he was appointed commander of the IRGC Special Forces - the Quds Force ("Jerusalem Brigade"). He was considered one of the possible successors to the post of commander of the IRGC, when General Yahya Rahim Safavi left this post in 2007.
In 2008 he led a group of Iranian investigators looking into the death of Imad Mughniyah.
. Suleimani helped arrange a ceasefire between the Iraqi Army and Mahdi Army in March 2008.
In 2009, a leaked report stated that General Suleimani met Christopher R. Hill
and General Raymond T. Odierno
(America’s two most senior officials in Baghdad at the time) in the office of Iraq’s president, Jalal Talabani
(who has known General Suleimani for decades). Mr. Hill and General Odierno denied the occurrence of the meeting.
On June 24, 2011 The EU's official journal said the three Iranian Revolutionary Guard members now subject to sanctions had been "providing equipment and support to help the Syrian regime suppress protests in Syria". The Iranians added to the EU sanctions list were two Revolutionary Guard commanders, Soleimani and Brig Cmdr Mohammad Ali Jafari, and the Guard's deputy commander for intelligence, Hossein Taeb.
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
: حاج قاسم سلیمانی, born March 11, 1957) is the commander of the Quds Force, a division of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which conducts special operations outside Iran. He is listed by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as a terrorist, which forbids U.S. citizens from doing business with him. The list, published in the EU's Official Journal on June 24, 2011, also includes a Syrian property firm, an investment fund and two other enterprises accused of funding Assad's government. The list also includes Mohammad Ali Jafari
Mohammad Ali Jafari
General Mohammad Ali Jafari is the commander of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution of Iran. He was appointed by the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, on September 1, 2007, to succeed Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi....
and Hossein Taeb
Hossein Taeb
Hossein Taeb is the head of the intelligence bureau of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and a Hojjatoleslam Shia Muslim cleric. Prior to becoming head of the IRGC intelligence bureau in October 2009 he was commander of the Basij militia...
.
Early life
Little is known about his early life. It is believed that he was born 11 March 1957 in the city of Qom.Iran-Iraq War
On September 22, 1980 when Saddam Hussein invaded Iran , Qassem Soleimani was a lieutenant in the ranks of the IRGC. However, with the outbreak of hostilities, he became famous, thanks largely to daring reconnaissance operations behind enemy lines. Due to this, he quickly rose in rank and at age 30 was given command of the 41st Tharallah Division.Service
In 1999 after the suppression of student unrest in Tehran, he was one of 24 IRGC officers who wrote a letter to President Mohammad Khatami expressing their concern that the suppression of free speech had involved the army.During the 1990s he was an IRGC commander in south-eastern Iran, in the city of Kerman. Through this region along the borders of Afghanistan ran drug trafficking to Turkey and onto Europe. But Soleimani's military experience helped him develop a successful strategy against drug trafficking.
In 2000 he was appointed commander of the IRGC Special Forces - the Quds Force ("Jerusalem Brigade"). He was considered one of the possible successors to the post of commander of the IRGC, when General Yahya Rahim Safavi left this post in 2007.
In 2008 he led a group of Iranian investigators looking into the death of Imad Mughniyah.
Sanctions
In March 2007, he was included on a list of Iranian individuals targeted with sanctions in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1747United Nations Security Council Resolution 1747
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1747 was a United Nations Security Council resolution that tightened the sanctions imposed on Iran in connection with the Iranian nuclear program...
. Suleimani helped arrange a ceasefire between the Iraqi Army and Mahdi Army in March 2008.
In 2009, a leaked report stated that General Suleimani met Christopher R. Hill
Christopher R. Hill
Christopher Robert Hill is an American diplomat who served as the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq.On July 1, 2010, Hill was chosen to be the dean of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver...
and General Raymond T. Odierno
Raymond T. Odierno
Raymond T. Odierno is a United States Army general and the 38th and current Chief of Staff of the Army. Odierno most recently commanded United States Joint Forces Command from October 2010 until its disestablishment in August 2011. He served as Commanding General, United States Forces – Iraq and...
(America’s two most senior officials in Baghdad at the time) in the office of Iraq’s president, Jalal Talabani
Jalal Talabani
Jalal Talabani is the sixth and current President of Iraq, a leading Kurdish politician. He is the first non-Arab president of Iraq, although Abdul Kareem Qasim was half Kurdish....
(who has known General Suleimani for decades). Mr. Hill and General Odierno denied the occurrence of the meeting.
On June 24, 2011 The EU's official journal said the three Iranian Revolutionary Guard members now subject to sanctions had been "providing equipment and support to help the Syrian regime suppress protests in Syria". The Iranians added to the EU sanctions list were two Revolutionary Guard commanders, Soleimani and Brig Cmdr Mohammad Ali Jafari, and the Guard's deputy commander for intelligence, Hossein Taeb.
External links
- Martin Chulov, Qassem Suleimani: the Iranian general 'secretly running' Iraq, The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, 28 July 2011 - Multi-part series
- Ali Alfoneh, Brigadier General Qassem Suleimani: A Biography, American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, January 2011
- Ali Alfoneh, Iran's Secret Network, American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, March 2011
- Ali Alfoneh, Iran's Most Dangerous General, American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, July 2011