The rise of the Pasdaran : assessing the domestic roles of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps

iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (irgc) Has Evolved Well Beyond Its Origins As An Ideological Guard For The Regime. Today, In Addition To Wielding Military Force, Its Influence Extends Into Virtually Every Corner Of Iranian Political Life And Society. Wehrey Et Al. Assess The Irgc Less As A Traditional Military Entity And More As A Domestic Actor, Emphasizing The Variety Of Roles It Plays In Iran1s Economy And Political Culture. Both high import payments for petroleum motor fuels and concerns regarding emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) are motivating interest in possible fuel substitutes. Petroleum products derived from conventional crude oil constitute more than 50 percent of end-use energy deliveries in the United States and more than 95 percent of all energy used in the U.S. transportation sector. Almost 60 percent of liquid fuels are imported. Emissions from the consumption of petroleum account for 44 percent of the nation?s CO2 emissions, with approximately 33 percent of national CO2 emissions resulting from transportation-fuel use. In this report, RAND researchers assess the potential future production levels, production costs, greenhouse gases, and other environmental implications of synthetic crude oil extracted from oil sands and fuels produced via coal liquefaction relative to conventional petroleum-based transportation fuels. The findings indicate the potential cost-competitiveness of these alternative fuels and the potential trade-offs that their deployment requires between economic and environmental considerations. Examines the broad-ranging domestic roles of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, assessing its influence over Iran's political culture, economy, and society and its ability to shape the political future of the Islamic Republic of Iran.--Publisher description