A Commander of the IRGC: Formation of a Shiite Liberation Army Led by Soleimani

Mohammad Ali Falaki, a commander of the IRGC in Syria, referred to the formation of a "Shiite Liberation Army" led by Qassem Soleimani and praised the role of Afghan forces under the IRGC's command in the Syrian civil war. This IRGC commander criticized the perception of Afghan residents in Iran as "street workers or criminals" over the past 30 years, stating, "Let’s not think that we Iranians are fighting in Syria. It is these Afghan men who are creating epic tales there under our command." According to a report on Thursday, August 18, from Mashregh News, Falaki, who was a commander in the 10th Brigade of the 'Seyyed al-Shuhada' division during the Iran-Iraq war, added that the Islamic Republic has failed to utilize the "potential" of Afghan residents in Iran over the past 30 years. He said, "It is very bad that we have ignored Afghan Shiites for 30 years and have only seen them as street workers or criminals. This generation has come and shone in Syria with their epic, sacrifice, bravery, and courage under the command of Iranian forces." The retired IRGC commander further stated, "The negative perception we have had of Afghan brothers and families over the years has prevented us from effectively utilizing this very powerful potential we have in our country." He noted that the inability to establish a close relationship with Afghan brothers in Iran has also caused problems in Syria, where they cannot communicate effectively. He also rejected the notion of high mission payments to the "Defenders of the Shrine," saying, "Honestly, people who come from Iran to Syria are given $100 a month as a bonus." Falaki mentioned that the Afghan government has imposed a prison sentence of 17 to 18 years for Afghans who come to fight in Syria. His statements come after multiple reports indicated that some Afghan residents in Iran have agreed to participate in the war in Syria in favor of Bashar al-Assad in exchange for money and residency permits in Iran. Although these reports have never been confirmed by official Iranian authorities, numerous news and images of Afghan casualties in Syria in Iranian media clearly demonstrate the extent of their deployment to conflict areas in that country. Mohammad Ali Falaki identified one of the "weaknesses" of the Islamic Republic regarding Shiites as spending resources on Shiites in Lebanon, Yemen, and Bahrain while ignoring Afghan Shiites residing in Iran. He attributed part of Iran's "weaknesses in Syria" to this neglect of Afghans, adding, "We have found Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon, while here, among all these active and revolutionary clerics, we have not recognized a single leader present in the battlefield and have not organized this vast number of forces [the Afghans]." According to Falaki, Afghans sent by the Islamic Republic under the title "Fatemiyoun Brigade" to Syria, under the command of Qassem Soleimani, "prevented the fall of Zainabiyah and Damascus and the airport... They were the first to go and were the vanguard. Let’s not think that we Iranians are fighting in Syria. It is these Afghan men who are creating epic tales there under our command." He mentioned the presence of the Zainabiyoun Brigade composed of Pakistanis, the Haidariyun Brigade composed of Iraqis, and the Hezbollah Brigade including forces from Hezbollah Lebanon and Syria in the conflict areas of Syria, discussing the significant activities of the Fatemiyoun Brigade, which is led by the IRGC. This IRGC commander added, "In these brigades, we have commanders from both the IRGC and their own forces at both the front lines and the headquarters. These brigades fight together with one uniform, one flag, and one organization on one front." In another part of this interview, he referred to the formation of a "Shiite Liberation Army" under the command of Qassem Soleimani, which is currently fighting on three fronts: Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. He stated, "Not all of this army is supposed to be made up of Iranian forces. In every region where it is felt that this army is needed, the necessary forces will be organized from the local population of that area." This IRGC commander present in Syria did not consider the presence of Iranian forces as "acting" in Syria and added, "We are looking for young people who can provide training and organization and management to go to Syria and let the local forces of those areas take action." He described the goal of forming the initial core of the Liberation Army as follows: "With the aim that, God willing, in 23 years, we will have nothing left by the name of Israel. Right now, these brigades are next to the border of Israel. The foundation of this struggle has been laid by these Fatemiyoun brothers." These remarks from this IRGC official come at a time when Iranian officials have consistently denied any ground presence in the Syrian conflict, claiming that they are only present in an advisory capacity at the request of Bashar al-Assad.