Mohsen Rezaee

Mohsen Rezaee
Born	September 9, 1954 (1954-09-09) (age 57) Masjed Soleyman, Kouzestan, Iran
Allegiance	IRGC
Years of service	1981 - 1997
Rank	Major General
Unit	Infantry
Commands held	IRGC Chief Commander
Battles/wars	Iran–Iraq War
Other work	Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council of the IRI

Mohsen Rezaee Mirgha'ed, also spelled Rezai and Rezaie (Persian: محسن رضایی میرقائد), born Sabzevar Rezaee Mirgha'ed^{[citation needed]} (born 9 September 1954, Masjed Soleyman, Khuzestan), is an Iranian politician, economist and former military commander, currently the Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Before that, Rezaee was the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Chief Commander for 16 years.

He ran as a conservative presidential candidate in the 2009 Iranian elections,^[1] placing third with 1.7 percent of the vote behind winner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and reformist runner-up Mir-Hossein Mousavi.^[2]

Education

While studying mechanical engineering at Iran University of Science and Technology before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Rezaee switched to economics after the Iran–Iraq War, studying at Tehran University, where he continued until 2001, when he received his Ph.D. in 2001.

He co-founded Imam Hossein University and currently teaches there.

IRGC career

Rezaee became Chief Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in 1981, when he was only 27 years old, and remained in the post until 1997, when he left the military forces for the Expediency Discernment Council, where he became the Secretary and the Chair of the Commission for Macroeconomics and Commerce.

Alleged involvement in 1994 AMIA bombing

In November 2006, Argentine Judge Rodolfo Canicoba Corral issued international arrest warrants for Rezaee, six other Iranians and one Lebanese in connection with the July 18, 1994, a suicide bombing of the Jewish cultural center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which resulted in the death of 85 people and serious injuries to 151.^[3] The attack on the Jewish cultural center came two years after the 1992 terrorist bombing of the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires. In 1998, Rezaee's son, Ahmad Rezaee, defected to the United States, where he told officials that the attack on the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires was planned in Tehran. The son told U.S. authorities that he had accompanied his father to Lebanon to witness the training.^[3] Ahmad Rezaei returned to Iran after a short time and declared that his statements about his father's involvement in the bombing was baseless.^[4] Mohsen Rezaei is currently on the official Wanted list of Interpol, for allegations of "crimes against life and health, hooliganism, vandalism and damage" related to the 1994 AMIA bombing case.^[5][6]

Rezaee has always rejected the allegations. "These charges were a sheer lie" he told the Los Angeles Times in June 2009.^[7]

Presidential campaigns

Rezaee was a candidate of the Iranian presidential election of 2005, but withdrew on June 15, 2005, only two days before the election. Rezaee mentioned he is withdrawing from the race for "the integration of the votes of the nation" and "their effectiveness". He did not endorse any candidate.^[8]

On April 23, 2009, he announced that he has entered the 2009 Iranian presidential election race, after trying to find another conservative to run against President Ahmadinejad.^[1]

Media influence

Rezaee is closely associated with the news website http://www.tabnak.ir.^[9][10]

Views

Iranian opposition

Rezaei stated that the ongoing trials of so called 'prisoners' was an unjust act. On August 2, 2009 Rezaee issued a letter on behalf of the Expediency Council of which he is the secretary, condemning the regime.^[11]

Israel and Jews

In the run-up to the 2009 Iranian elections, Rezaee criticized opposing candidate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's public comments questioning the Holocaust as "not useful" for Iran's international standing.^[12]

In 1991, however, Razaee stated, "The day will come when, like Salman Rushdie, the Jews will not find a place to live anywhere in the world."^[13]

Personal life

His father's name was Najaf. Rezaee has five children, two sons and three daughters. One of his sons, Ahmad Rezaee, has migrated to the United States, has spoken against the policies of the Iranian Islamic government, and accused his father and others of supporting terrorist acts. He was returned to Iran in 2008 but was migrated to the United Arab Emirates in 2011. On 11 November 2011, the body of Ahmad was found on a hotel in Dubai. It was reported that he is killed by a hotel servant but Police of Dubai says that he was died after expenditured a lot of Antidepressants. ^[14] His brother, Omidvar is a member of the Parliament of Iran since 2008.

See also

• Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps
• Ali Khamenei
• Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
• Rahim Safavi

References & notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Nazila Fathi (23 April 2009). "Ex-Leader of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Seeks Presidency". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/23/world/middleeast/23iran.html. Retrieved 29 August 2010. 
2. ^ "Ahmadinejad wins Iran presidential election". BBC News. 13 June 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8098305.stm. Retrieved 13 June 2009. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Stephens, Brett, "Iran's al Qaeda", Stephens' "Global View" column, editorial pages, The Wall Street Journal, October 16, 2007; Page A20
4. ^ Mohsen Rezaei, A closer look
5. ^ Wanted profile on Interpol website
6. ^ Interpol press release
7. ^ Daragahi, Borzou (8 June 2009). Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iran-rezai-qa8-2009jun08,0,1562692.story. 
8. ^ Iranian Student News Agency
9. ^ "Iran Leans on Shiite Leader Muqtada Sadr". Newsmax.com. 2009-04-15. http://www.newsmax.com/timmerman/shiite_Muqtada_Sadr/2008/04/15/88245.html. Retrieved 2009-06-03. ^{[dead link]}
10. ^ "Iran: Did Ahmadinejad use Saberi in attempt to score diplomatic coup?". eurasianet. 2009-05-19. http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insightb/articles/eav051909c.shtml. Retrieved 2009-06-03. 
11. ^ ilna.ir (dead link)
12. ^ "Ahmadinejad's Challenger Seeks Path for Ties With U.S.". Fox News. Associated Press. 27 May 2009. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,522187,00.html. 
13. ^ Mohaddessin, Mohammad (2001). Islamic Fundamentalism: The New Global Threat. p. 125. ISBN 9788126114207. http://books.google.com/books?id=0jgjkrKWj3cC&lpg=PA125&dq=The%20day%20will%20come%20when%2C%20like%20Salman%20Rushdie%2C%20the%20Jews%20will%20not%20find%20a%20place%20to%20live%20anywhere%20in%20the%20world.&pg=PA125. 
14. ^ Ahmad Rezaee, son of the Mohsen Rezaee was killed in Dubai

Iran Human Rights Documentation Center. "Violent Aftermath: The 2009 Election and Suppression of Dissent in Iran". Feb. 2010, New Haven, CT. p. 5 http://www.iranhrdc.org/httpdocs/English/pdfs/Reports/Violent%20Aftermath.pdf

External links

• Rezaee Official Website (in Persian)
• Tabnak news website closely associated with Rezaee (in Persian)
• ISNA interview with Sara Rezaee, Rezaee's daughter
• Mohsen Rezai: America Destroyed All Our Enemies in the Region
• U.S. Is Using "Porcupine Strategy" against Iran. The U.S. Decision to Confront Iran Has Already Been Made

Military offices
Preceded by Mostafa Chamran	Chief commander of the IRGC 1981- 1997	Succeeded by Yahya Rahim Safavi

Persondata
Name	Rezaee, Mohsen
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	9 September 1954
Place of birth	Masjed Soleyman, Kouzestan, Iran
Date of death
Place of death