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U.S. may blacklist Iran Guards

Washington: The Bush administration is preparing to ramp up its confrontation with Iran by declaring part or all of the country’s Revolutionary Guard a “global terrorist” organisation and targeting its extensive financial interests.

The move is extremely provocative, given that the 125,000-strong Revolutionary Guard Corps is an integral part of the state rather than a group outside the law. It has its own navy, air force and ground troops, as well as specialist wings.

The Bush administration is trying to force Iran to abandon what the U.S. claims is its ambition to build a nuclear bomb and to end support for Hezbollah, Hamas and other groups in West Asia. The latest plan is the first concrete illustration of a shift in balance from the “doves” in the Bush administration - Condoleezza Rice, the Secretary of State, and Robert Gates, the Defence Secretary - to the “hawks” around Dick Cheney, the Vice-President, who has expressed frustration over the lack of progress by diplomats and supports eventual military action.

The labelling of the Revolutionary Guard is a concession by Ms Rice and Mr Gates to Mr Cheney. The plan is at an advanced stage and the Bush administration has informed the British Government of its intentions. The White House, the State Department and Treasury officials refused to comment publicly. — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2007

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