While the Iranian regime has until January to implement its commitments to the international anti-money laundering organization, the government of Hassan Rouhani presented to the parliament the bill on accession of the regime to the international convention against financing terrorism.
The presentation of this plan, which will put the government under more international control, has become a new issue in the internal conflicts of the Iranian regime, such that Khamenei’s faction described the plan as a bigger earthquake which ultimately results in the sanctions of the commander of the terrorist Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani, by government bodies.
A state-run media affiliated to Rouhani wrote that rival sites have been using the government bill to join the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism (ICSFT) as a source to attack Rouhani’s government and describing it as an earthquake, while joining the ICSFT is a requirement and compulsory. (Rouydad 24- November 26, 2017).
On the other hand, Khamenei’s affiliated media wrote: “Acceptance of the treaty due to the consequences it has for the Islamic Republic is in fact the same as going forward in the path of the FATF (Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering)… This broad definition, on the one hand, and the recognition of Lebanon’s Hezbollah as a terrorist group by the Arab League, the United States and other western countries, on the other hand, will lead to the accusation that the regime is violating this treaty due to its presence and cooperation in the axis of resistance (i.e. supporters of the regime)!” (Raja-News, November 25, 2017).
The media added: “Indeed, by accepting this convention, the government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will bring security consequences to the regime and help the enemies of the Islamic Republic to punish the regime for helping Hezbollah and other existing groups! …(And) can easily accuse system (regime) of refraining from taking appropriate measures to confront and confiscate the property used by what they call illegal military groups and refraining from prosecution and extradition of these criminal groups!” (Raja-News, November 25, 2017).
The state-run Kayhan newspaper affiliated to Khamenei described the plan as “Pulling the rug from under the feet (of the groups controlled by the regime)” and “Laying secret track by FATF” and wrote: “FATF issued a statement at the end of its recent summit… The tune of the statement is completely negative and contains an implicit threat (against the regime). The statement warned the system (regime) that little time has been left to implement the action plan. The deadline for implementing the action plan is January 2018, less than three months.”
“The government’s behavior in the face of the recent FATF statement can be assessed as follows:
One: It is clear that the harsh tone of the FATF statement has been taken seriously by the government officials…
Second: Government officials seem to be worried about returning to FATF blacklist…
Third: The fear and lack of time resulting in the speed of the operation … increases the possibility of error…. Regrettably, most parliamentarians do not have the least familiarity with high-risk and thousand layers financial systems of the enemy, and usually the bills in this area are passed without the necessary knowledge and by political and factional views!”
“In the Americans view, the IRGC, Qassem Soleimani, Hassan Nasrallah, Lebanese Hezbollah, Iraqi Hashed al-Sha’bi, Yemen’s Houthis and (each and every similar individual and group) are terrorists and they announce this claim in their resolutions, declarations, congressional resolutions and in other forms openly and explicitly. Surrendering the system (regime) to the will of the Americans is not different than treason,” Kayhan added.
The United States insists that we turn all of the global sanctions into an immediate and rapid process (for example, a government term) into domestic sanctions and push ourselves to self-sanction! This trend will tomorrow make us sanction Soleimani in Iran, not in America! Be alert,” (state-run Kayhan daily, November 26, 2017).
Source » ncr-iran