Republicans And Democrats Call On Canada To Designate IRGC
In a bipartisan move, a group of US congresspeople have urged Washington ally Canada to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
“The IRGC means what it says, and neither engagement nor concessions will change this underlying reality,” wrote the group of 14 House legislators in a letter sent Wednesday to the Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau.
Representatives Claudia Tenney (R-NY) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) co-authored the letter, which was co-signed by eight Republican members and four Democrats.
“The October 7, 2023, terrorist massacre by Hamas killed Israeli, American, and Canadian citizens, and it was made possible by Iran and the IRGC, which have supported Canadian-designated Palestinian terror groups such as Hamas with arms, training, and hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for years,” the letter said.
Pointing out comments made by the spokesman for Iran's Armed Forces Abolfazl Shekarchi declaring Hamas' recent offensive against Israel the "greatest success" of the Islamic world, the letter continued: "By officially designating the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization, Canada can join the United States in once again contributing to the global fight against terrorism, demonstrating a strong commitment to ensuring peace and stability."
The Trump Administration added the IRGC to the list of “Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO)” in 2019 and current President Joe Biden determined in May that the group should remain on the terrorist blacklist.
While in June the Canadian Senate passed a non-binding resolution calling for Canada to designate the Iranian military and intelligence entity, no formal action has yet been taken.
Canada is rejecting calls to proscribe the IRGC, despite the presence of hundreds or even thousands of regime-connected officials on its soil. Among the reasons given to date for not banning the IRGC is that some Iranians are required to serve in the organization, as part of their mandatory military service
According to a lengthy report published by Canadian news outlet Global News in November, Iranian dissidents are still under threat in Canada as a result of the presence of regime insiders.
In response to the report in November, the Canadian opposition leader called for immediate action against the Iranian regime. Pierre Poilievre described the vast scope of the problem as "shocking" and the number of agents mentioned in the report as "staggering".
A number of measures, however, are being taken, including efforts to deport individuals linked to the IRGC. Canada's Minister of National Defense, Bill Blair, stated on Tuesday that in spite of background checks for people entering Canada, it is "entirely appropriate" to remove individuals if new information becomes available.
Last week, Canadian officials informed Iran International that 10 individuals affiliated with the Islamic Republic have been found "inadmissible" and must leave the country.
Also, as reported by Global News on Tuesday, an alleged senior Iranian official found living in Canada is undergoing deportation proceedings.
Despite these steps, critics contend that if the IRGC were listed as a terrorist organization, members who hold Canadian citizenship would be held liable for crimes committed abroad and would be subjected to harsher punishments.
