Motahari: Overlapping Intelligence Agencies Cannot Continue

Ali Motahari, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, criticized the expanding scope of the activities of the IRGC's Intelligence Organization, stating that "overlapping intelligence agencies" cannot continue. On Wednesday, August 25, during the second day of reviewing the qualifications of the proposed ministers by Hassan Rouhani, he spoke against Mahmoud Alavi, the proposed Minister of Intelligence. Motahari emphasized that his opposition to Alavi stems from a "structural flaw" in the security agencies' operations, saying, "We must choose a minister who does not allow other agencies and organizations to interfere in the work of the Ministry of Intelligence." He explicitly pointed out the expanding activities of the IRGC in security matters, criticizing the organization's involvement in issues such as media, journalists, and student activities. The IRGC's Intelligence Protection Organization became known for its "parallel intelligence" during its confrontations with political and cultural activists during Mohammad Khatami's presidency. In response to Motahari's criticism, Mahmoud Alavi stated, "He spoke as if someone has encroached upon our legal powers; however, this is not the case." Alavi emphasized that "the powers of agencies are either delegated through Parliament or through the Leader" and added, "We comply with and respect the powers delegated by the Leader, and we do not react in the slightest to any reduction of our powers from this path. If the Leader transfers all our powers to another institution, we will bow respectfully." Ali Yunusi, the Minister of Intelligence in Khatami's government, had previously stated that the Ministry of Intelligence had not yet been "captured" by Rouhani's government. However, Rouhani, while defending his proposed Minister of Intelligence in front of Parliament, had asked him to carry out the task of coordinating security agencies "with full power". He emphasized that other security institutions must also coordinate with the Ministry of Intelligence. The Minister of Intelligence in Rouhani's government has had conflicts with the judiciary and the IRGC's intelligence organization, particularly after the arrest of several managers of Telegram channels in March 2017. Besides the actions of the IRGC's Intelligence Organization, the pressures from the Ministry of Intelligence on civil and political activists in recent years have drawn protests from some civil activists. Meanwhile, Rouhani mentioned in a parliamentary session that he was not fully satisfied with the behavior of agents towards detainees, stating, "I still do not have complete satisfaction with the behavior of agents with detainees... In this period, Mr. Alavi must resolve these issues." The head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Parliament announced that a "special headquarters to combat infiltration" has been established within the Ministry of Intelligence. Alaa al-Din Boroujerdi also stated that the "enemy" had managed to identify and infiltrate individuals in some sensitive organizations through travels and seminars, which the Ministry of Intelligence was able to discover in time, protecting many of these individuals, numbering in the hundreds. The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic has repeatedly warned about what he describes as America's attempts to "infiltrate" decision-making centers following the Vienna nuclear agreement. The sessions to review the qualifications of 17 proposed ministers for the twelfth cabinet of the Islamic Republic of Iran began on the morning of Tuesday, August 24, and will continue for several days. So far, opponents and supporters of the proposed ministers of education, communications and information technology, intelligence, and foreign affairs have spoken, and these ministers have defended themselves.