Statements of His Eminence at the Sixth Command and Staff Course of Imam Hossein University

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

God, the Wise, said in His Book: 'Have you not seen how God sets forth a parable? A good word is like a good tree, whose root is firm and whose branches are in heaven, yielding its fruit at all times by the permission of its Lord.'

We are grateful to God that we see the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as the complete embodiment of this blessed verse; as we have repeatedly observed and experienced this truth regarding the Guard Corps over the past ten years, especially during the difficult years of the imposed war.

First, I congratulate the dear brothers who have graduated from the recent courses of the Command and Staff College of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. I also extend my congratulations to the teachers, planners, and managers who organized and conducted these courses, as well as to the entire Guard Corps and its competent and committed commanders, for the ever-increasing progress of the Guard Corps, which is truly a blessing for the nation and the revolution.

What I want to address today, first and foremost, is the truth that defense is part of the identity of a living nation. Any nation that cannot defend itself is not alive. Any nation that does not think about its defense and does not prepare itself is, in fact, not alive. Any nation that does not understand the importance of defense is, in a sense, not alive. We cannot have eyes and analytical power, see the deep, hostile conspiracy of global arrogance against Islam, the revolution, and the Islamic system, and yet not think about defense. May God never bring the day when this nation and its chosen ones become heedless of the malicious and hostile aggression of global arrogance, led by America.

The revolution, due to its identity, its Islamic nature, and its refusal to submit to the oppression of the world's arrogant oppressors, has been and will continue to be the target of the hatred and hostility of the world's arrogant and tyrants. What will never end is the hatred and hostility of arrogance towards us. They may one day feel it is futile and stop their attacks and aggression. They may one day be compelled by the power of the Islamic Republic system to express friendship and cooperation; but it is impossible for the enmity of the leaders of global arrogance and the devilish misguiders of humanity towards the revolution to ever disappear.

As long as this enmity exists, there is a threat. As long as there is a threat, the thought and readiness for defense must exist. One of the insidious propaganda methods of our enemies is that whenever we speak of defending the revolution, the system, and our country and nation, the propaganda horns start blaring that these people are warmongers! You are the warmongers who have filled the world with wars among humans. You are the warmongers who, for your own interests, have kept nations captive in the flames of imposed wars for many years; as you have done.

We are not warmongers; we are thinking of defense. We are alive and alert. We will not neglect the great and valuable asset we have — namely, our revolution, Islam, and our system — and we will defend it. This is not warmongering. This is our approach. All the people, especially the armed forces, must know that readiness and alertness for defense are never-ending, and within this great assembly of the nation and the soldiers and defenders of the revolution, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps holds a special place.

The Guard Corps has the honor of being born of the revolution. We do not disrespect any of the existing armed forces in the Islamic Republic system. They are all valuable. Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran's army is a respectable, clean, and popular army. Our law enforcement forces, compared to their counterparts in the world, each have an exceptional status in their own right; but the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has the characteristic of having grown from within the womb of the revolution. Others became revolutionary; but the Guard Corps was created revolutionary. This is a great distinction. You, brothers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, are the most deserving to appreciate this distinction and to guard it.

There are a few essential and sensitive points that I must briefly mention:

First, the rumor and claim of the dissolution of one of the two organizations, the army and the Guard Corps, in favor of the other, has ended. It was never correct from the beginning. Our dear Imam repeatedly emphasized that both the Guard Corps and the army exist and must exist and be strengthened. Some people were whispering in corners; but we firmly stated and acted, and God willing, we will continue this path that both organizations must remain strong. Today, I am pleased to see that we can maintain these two organizations for two missions, in service of the system and Islamic values.

We have repeatedly said, and God willing, we will implement this statement precisely in practice, programs, and regulations, that the main mission of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is armed defense of the revolution and the Islamic Republic system. This is the main mission of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps; just as the main mission of the Islamic Republic's army is to defend the country's borders. Of course, when there is a severe attack on the borders — like during the eight-year war — the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps will rush to the borders with all its equipment and fulfill its duty of protecting the revolution and the system at the borders.

In my view, there are three major missions for the Guard Corps that they must pay attention to:

First, armed defense of the revolution and the Islamic system, which is the core mission of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Second, organizing and training the twenty-million-strong army. This army, which our dear Imam first mentioned in the early months of the revolution, must come into existence. The words of our great and late Imam should not be lost like waves in the air and gradually fade away. On the contrary, these words should become closer to action day by day. They should not fade away day by day; rather, they should become more prominent and take shape and form.

We truly need a people's army composed of twenty million people in this country, which we do not have today. Of course, many people rushed to the war front and fought and sacrificed, and some of the Basijis reached high command positions in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and are themselves great commanders and are still in the Guard Corps today; but we need what Imam (may his soul be sanctified) said: an army composed of twenty million people; an army that, when called upon, can be stationed in their centers and units within a few hours; an army that knows its commander and unit, even knows its point of deployment, and knows where its equipment is and takes it and has the necessary training. We must have such an army. Which institution will create this army? The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. This will constitute at least half of the Guard Corps' mission. This is a task that the Guard Corps must do and is suitable for the Guard Corps and no other.

The third mission is what the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps today refers to as the Quds Force or the Quds Corps, and our great Imam placed the formation of popular Hezbollah cells around the world as one of his aspirations and one of the future tasks of the Islamic revolution on a global scale. Undoubtedly, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps will have a mission in this regard.

We do not say we will invade somewhere and interfere in others' affairs; but we say that the experienced revolutionary regular military force in the first country that emerged with the Islamic revolution is certainly not without responsibility towards the armed Hezbollah cells around the world. The nature of this responsibility must be clarified according to the circumstances and requirements.

If the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps wants to properly carry out these three missions, it first needs to organize itself as strongly and firmly as possible. This is a heavy burden that can only be borne by a strong organization and a strong organizational structure and nothing else. The organization of the Guard Corps must be as strong as possible. I do not believe in uncontrolled and quantitative expansion. I believe in high qualitative capability. What will save the country and preserve the revolution in an armed manner and provide support and hope for the officials and the nation is a well-organized, powerful, and strong organization, not a widespread organization that, despite its expansion, lacks sufficient strength and necessary capability.

Of course, this expansion will take place when necessary. I told the responsible brothers in the Guard Corps that when necessary, the Guard Corps must be able to triple itself. That is, if we have, for example, fifteen Guard divisions today, it must have the flexibility and organizational capability to, at the necessary time, turn each Guard company into a battalion. In other words, fifteen divisions should simultaneously turn into forty-five divisions. The Guard Corps must have this flexibility and conversion capability and be filled with Basij forces to be able to perform its task. This is for exceptional and mobilization days; but in normal times, the same strong — but not too widespread — structure with very strong organization and necessary flexibility is required.

Secondly, it must pay attention to training. The training you provide at the Command and Staff College and also at other colleges besides this college — such as the Officer College and similar places — is a good means that must, God willing, be incorporated into the arrangements and regulations of the Guard Corps and familiarize the Guard brothers from the beginning of their entry with the appropriate form and combat of the Guard. Of course, alongside these trainings, religious and faith education is the most important.

I should also mention here that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps will have these virtues and merits that we mentioned and many that we did not mention, provided it possesses the religion and piety and faith expected of it. That is, the children of the Guard and the Guard brothers should be the embodiment of faith and piety. For this purpose, the representation of the Guardian Jurist in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is the central and main point. From the beginning, in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — even before the Guard law was drafted — we had a high and prominent position for the representative of the Imam. This is because the Guard must maintain a spiritual connection with the point and center of leadership and guardianship and constantly infuse the lesson of faith and piety throughout this great and effective body.

Political, ideological discussions and lessons and doctrinal teachings, all related to this spiritual and religious center, and the brothers working in this section and considered representatives of the leadership have a high status and significant share in the proper administration of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps system. Of course, military and technical training in its place and religious, doctrinal, and political training in its place, each must exist completely.

Thirdly, it must pay attention to order and discipline. Today, thanks be to God, I see signs of order here. Order and discipline are not tyrannical and ceremonial things; some should not be mistaken. The fact that you see in all the armies of the world, even from very ancient and historical days, military forces have been accustomed to order and specific rituals, is for a reason. All the people of the world throughout the ages did not agree on a false and futile matter that we should think if military formations or orderly ranks or military salutes or uniform forms or military etiquette and discipline are performed and observed, they are tyrannical and wrong things; because in the army of the tyrannical era, such things existed! No, the army of the tyrannical era was not bad in this regard; it was bad in other respects.

Order is a good thing and exists in all the armies of the world, and no army will have the necessary efficiency without precise and meticulous order and discipline. The one who has power in a limited movement and precisely observes the commander's order will also have the ability in difficult fields to precisely observe the commander's order and not act on personal judgment and opinion.

The form and appearance of the uniform and the orderly movements and military etiquette in the Guard must be strengthened day by day. Of course, the Guard is a revolutionary organization, and there is no insistence on copying these etiquettes from the usual armies of the world or even from the Islamic Republic of Iran's army — which is also a revolutionary army. It can create its own etiquettes; but in any case, etiquettes are necessary. What we insist on is the existence of etiquettes and traditions and disciplined customs. If you use the experiences of others, there is no problem, and if you can create them yourself — provided it is something mature and good — there is no problem with that either. Therefore, order and hierarchy and observing command and unity and capability and command authority are one of the necessary tasks that must be done.

Fourthly, attention to equipment is necessary. Without equipment, the work will be difficult and the casualties will be high. We are determined, God willing, to provide the most modern and best structures and equipment to the extent that the country's capabilities allow, for the armed forces — each according to their needs — including for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. They must be provided, these are necessary. If we have these, God willing, we will have a strong and powerful Guard Corps — as our dear Imam wanted.

Once again, I reiterate a point that has been repeatedly issued from the tongue of our great Imam, and that is that the armed forces should not interfere in political factions. The meaning of this statement is not that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps should not understand politics. No, politics must be understood by all the people — even the military forces. What is necessary is political analytical power. What is prohibited is involvement in factions and political activities. Separate these from each other.

All of you need a correct military and political understanding and an understanding of the prevailing world policies. Without it, the motivation for defense in a person will weaken. But all of you also have an urgent need to avoid factions and activities and political disputes and controversies — which are destructive to the armed forces and our dear Imam repeatedly emphasized.

I will add another point, and that is that we cannot tell the young, energetic, faithful, revolutionary brothers of the Guard to be religious and pious and cautious; but at the same time, when we have this expectation from them, we do not provide them with enough teachers and trainers and clergy. This is not possible. This is an unbearable obligation and excessive expectation. This is where the duty of the respected clergy and the great scholars and the learned towards this revolutionary organization and all the armed forces — especially the Guard — becomes very urgent.

I request all the seminaries and young, alert, aware, and revolutionary scholars to respond positively to the invitation of the representation of the Guardian Jurist in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and to carry out this great task — as far as it is not an unbearable obligation and insistence for the Guard brothers. The Guard is very valuable to us. Today, the Guard is a valuable asset for our revolution. This valuable asset must be preserved, and its comprehensive preservation will only be achieved if we address both its material and spiritual and intellectual aspects. This issue is very important.

I hope, God willing, that you dear ones and brothers will become more steadfast in the line of defense of the revolution day by day. Those who thought and think that because the war is over, the defense is also over, should not be mistaken. The war has not yet turned into peace. You see how much the other side is making excuses. If it were not for the arrogance and ignorant ambition of the Iraqi leaders, this war would have turned into peace today, and perhaps this war would never have occurred; but they are arrogant and ignorant and unreliable and vulnerable to the temptations of arrogance.

We do not intend to wage war and do not welcome war; but we consider it obligatory and necessary that when ignorance and temptations are threatening, we maintain our readiness one hundred percent and completely, and this obliges us never to forget the armed forces — the army and the Guard and especially the great organization of the Basij.

I hope God grants you and us success. Once again, I congratulate all of you. I hope the blessed and sacred spirit of our great Imam is pleased with all of you and that you become closer to his ideals day by day. I entrust you to God.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings