The Reality of Iran's Quds Force In America's Backyard

The plot by the Iranians to take out the Saudi ambassador on American soil has certainly opened up the eyes of many in America as to just how our porous border to the south is making such terror in our country possible. Throw into the mix a relationship that has been formed by the islamic terrorists overseas with Mexican and South American drug cartels and hopefully, everyone in America is now paying attention.

This article from Family Security Matters showcases some key information in regards to the Iranian Quds Force and just how they operate and just how they have infiltrated big time into the western hemisphere.

At what point in time is our border with Mexico going to be treated as what it was meant to be...a line of defense and ownership and not a gateway to promised riches?

Quds Force in Our Own Backyard


As new information about the alleged Iranian plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in the U.S. continues to surface, keep in mind many of the seemingly unrelated particulars many counterterrorism analysts and experts have pointed to for years – and politicians have far too-often dismissed as unimportant fear-mongering – regarding the Iranian-Hizballah threat in the Western Hemisphere, particularly as regards the threat of the Iranian Quds Force (tasked with directing this latest plot) and Hizballah terrorists operating in central and South America.

Politics aside, let’s examine the facts and connect a few of the dots.

FIRST, what is the Quds Force?

The Quds (Jerusalem) Force is the special-operations arm of Iran’s Pasdaran or what we generally refer to as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Remember, Iran essentially has two sets of armed forces: They have the state armed forces – which includes army, navy, and air forces – and they have the Islamic armed forces under absolute control of the mullahs, which is the IRGC.

Like the regular state armed forces, the IRGC maintains ground, naval and air units. But it also is responsible for the strategic missile forces. The IRGC commands the Basij militia, an all-volunteer paramilitary force fiercely loyal to the revolution. And the IRGC maintains the Quds Force, which is responsible for the IRGC's foreign activities.

The Quds Force was directly involved in deadly attacks against U.S. soldiers in Iraq (during the height of the war), even Afghanistan. They have threatened our ships in the Persian Gulf; and they are directly
responsible for organizing, training, equipping, funding, and providing operational-support to Lebanon-based Hizballah.

SECOND, we know that Quds Force and Hizballah operators, supporters, and sympathizers have received direct support from – and they have enjoyed incredible freedom-of-movement within – the Mexican drug cartels and from within some of the most notorious gangs operating in both central and North America like Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13).

According to Businessweek, “The plotters, one of whom is in U.S. custody, also targeted Israel’s embassy in Washington, as well as the embassies ofIsrael and Saudi Arabia in Argentina, according to a federal law enforcement official familiar with the matter.”

Argentina is key.

Recall that my colleagues and I have discussed at length the tri-border area of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay that has – according to a 2009 study by the Rand Institute – “emerged as the most important financing center for Islamic terrorism outside of the Middle East.”

These facts – as well as this latest plot – speak to the threat we are facing south of the border. And they demonstrate just how important an understanding of these threats in the Western Hemisphere really is.

Government Agency Proves That Radioactive Materials For "Dirty" Bombs Are Easily Brought In Through Both Canadian and Mexican Borders

Think about it, we've had a HUGE uproar over the past month regarding what the American public has to go through just in order to board a plane and travel to Grandma's house for Thanksgiving or for Christmas, and at the same time, a federal watchdog agency proved the ease with which they could cross our northern and southern borders with illegal radioactive materials which could be used to make a "dirty" bomb.

I'm sure that makes us all feel all safe and secure, right?

I have this vision of 400 people lined up inside of an airport in Pittsburgh going through the body scan machines and the pat downs as a guy pulls up curbside outside the terminal and detonates a dirty bomb in his van.

From the article at Family Security Matters:

Using counterfeit documents and posing as employees of a company with a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license, FSI investigators successfully crossed the U.S. northern and southern borders with the type of radioactive materials that could be used to make a dirty bomb.

The Government Accountability Office's Forensic Audits and Special Investigations team (FSI), which was created in 2005 as an interdisciplinary team consisting of investigators, auditors, and analysts, conducts covert tests at the request of the Congress to identify vulnerabilities and internal control weaknesses at executive branch agencies.

These vulnerabilities and internal control weaknesses include those that could compromise homeland security, affect public safety, or have a financial impact on taxpayer's dollars.

FSI conducts covert tests as "red team" operations, meaning that FSI does not notify agencies in advance about the testing. Recently, concerns have arisen as to whether top management at the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) were negatively impacting the results of red team operations by leaking information to security screeners at the nation's airports in advance of covert testing operations.

These operations provided the Congress with irrefutable evidence about the actual ability of federal agencies under "live" conditions to deal with security threats and to protect government assets from fraudsters.


* Using counterfeit documents and posing as employees of a company with a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license, FSI investigators successfully crossed the U.S. northern and southern borders with the type of radioactive materials that could be used to make a dirty bomb.

* Posing as private citizens, FSI investigators purchased sensitive military equipment -- including ceramic body armor inserts, guided missile radar test sets, and microcircuits used in F-14 fighter aircraft -- on the Internet from the Department of Defense's liquidation sales contractor.

Bottom line of all of this is that it points to the complete cluelessness of the Department of Homeland Security since Janet Napolitano took over - the sheer incompetence of this woman has been demonstrated time and time again yet I hear crickets when it comes to her firing or resignation.

I've become convinced that the only thing that will wake up Congress and the American people to the threats we are under is ANOTHER 9/11 - I'm not fear mongering, I'm being realistic. The gaps are there for the enemy to come in, the glitches in oversight are there for that enemy to plot an effective attack and the complacency of all involved is there to see that the attack is successful.

I ask you to go back to the Presidential election of 2008 - look back at the number of Americans who placed "National security" at the top of their list of priorities and you'll understand why we are ripe for attack. The American people fell for the marketing campaign of a rookie politician and in the same act of pulling that voting lever, they handed the keys to the kingdom to the jihadis.

Covert operations: Red Teams Test Security Vulnerabilities in U.S.


Using counterfeit documents and posing as employees of a company with a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license, FSI investigators successfully crossed the U.S. northern and southern borders with the type of radioactive materials that could be used to make a dirty bomb.

The Government Accountability Office's Forensic Audits and Special Investigations team (FSI), which was created in 2005 as an interdisciplinary team consisting of investigators, auditors, and analysts, conducts covert tests at the request of the Congress to identify vulnerabilities and internal control weaknesses at executive branch agencies.

These vulnerabilities and internal control weaknesses include those that could compromise homeland security, affect public safety, or have a financial impact on taxpayer's dollars.

FSI conducts covert tests as "red team" operations, meaning that FSI does not notify agencies in advance about the testing. Recently, concerns have arisen as to whether top management at the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) were negatively impacting the results of red team operations by leaking information to security screeners at the nation's airports in advance of covert testing operations.

Consequently, GAO was asked by the U.S. Congress to briefly explain FSI's processes and procedures concerning covert testing and as well as provide examples of covert activities performed

FSI has strict internal procedures related to the planning, execution, and reporting of covert activities. First, FSI and senior GAO management decide on a case-by-case basis whether engagements requiring covert tests are within the scope of GAO's authority.

Next, FSI identifies the aspects of the security system or the government program that are particularly vulnerable to terrorist threats or fraudulent activities and relies on the experience of its investigators to develop a written investigative plan. This plan typically includes the creation of fictitious identities and counterfeit documentation.

All counterfeit documents that FSI uses are manufactured using hardware, software, and materials that are available to the general public -- this allows FSI to demonstrate that any security vulnerabilities it finds could be exploited by a criminal or terrorist with moderate means and resources and would not require sophisticated insider knowledge.

FSI's investigators are the only GAO staff allowed to participate in the execution phase of testing, although audit and analyst staff are often involved in planning and operational support. Importantly, if investigators discover vulnerabilities that pose a significant and immediate threat to public safety, FSI immediately will discontinue its investigation and alert the appropriate government law enforcement agency.

Once the operation is complete, FSI conducts a "corrective action briefing" with officials at the tested entity to report that they have been the subject of a covert operation, share the results of the testing and, if necessary, suggest potential remedies for any identified control weaknesses or security vulnerabilities.

These operations provided the Congress with irrefutable evidence about the actual ability of federal agencies under "live" conditions to deal with security threats and to protect government assets from fraudsters.


* Using counterfeit documents and posing as employees of a company with a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license, FSI investigators successfully crossed the U.S. northern and southern borders with the type of radioactive materials that could be used to make a dirty bomb.



* Posing as private citizens, FSI investigators purchased sensitive military equipment -- including ceramic body armor inserts, guided missile radar test sets, and microcircuits used in F-14 fighter aircraft -- on the Internet from the Department of Defense's liquidation sales contractor.



* Using bogus driver's licenses, FSI investigators successfully gained entry to all 24 Department of Transportation regulated urine collection sites that FSI tested, which are responsible for providing drug testing of commercial truck drivers in safety sensitive transportation positions.



* Using false documents and an erroneous IRS taxpayer identification number, FSI pretended to be a charity and successfully applied to three of the Combined Financial Campaign's local 2006 campaigns.