Najaf Headquarters Human Resources

Narration of Bahman Kargar

Mahya Hafezi
Translated by Mandana Karimi

2025-6-30

Gen. Bahman Kargar, one of the personnel officials of Region 7 (West of the country), personnel official of Najaf Headquarters and deputy of human resources and education of the Sarallah First Corps has narrated his memories in the book Human Resources of the Najaf Headquarters. This book contains twenty-one interviews that cover his birth to his responsibilities in Sarallah First Corps and post-war activities. The interviews and compilation of the book were carried out by the efforts of Yahya Niazi.

The cover design is similar to other oral history books of the Sacred Defense Documents and Research Center, but with a variety of colors. The image of the narrator during the Holy Defense period forms the main element of the cover design. The book begins with the publisher’s foreword and the editor’s introduction, and its text has been compiled by maintaining the structure of Q&A between the interviewer and the narrator.

The first interview is dedicated to introducing the oral history methodology at the Sacred Defense Documents and Research Center. The narrator then talks about his religious and middle-class family in Ivanki, his education in Tehran, and the first sparks of his inclination towards religious and revolutionary activities. In the second interview, he narrates the events leading up to the victory of the Islamic Revolution, from cultural and religious meetings to the September 8th incident and the Shah’s departure from the country.

The third interview is dedicated to the days of Imam Khomeini’s arrival and the victory of the revolution. The narrator recounts the mood of the people, the overthrow of the military government, and the seizure of key centers by revolutionary forces. In the fourth interview, he discusses the post-revolutionary atmosphere and the competition between different groups to attract young people. He explains how he joined the Revolutionary Guards, talks about his training courses, initial responsibilities, and the role of the Guards in confronting the Hypocrites (MKO guerrillas).

In the fifth interview, the narrator talks about his mission as an ideological-military instructor in mosques and offices, public education, recruiting for the IRGC, responding to intellectual doubts, and the first clashes with members of the People's Mojahedin Organization (MKO); this section ends with the story of his marriage in late 1979. In the sixth interview, he talks about his entry into the personnel unit of the IRGC's central headquarters, reviewing the qualifications of applicants for membership in the IRGC based on knowledge of the groups, and his participation in the commission to purge forces incompatible with the ideals of the revolution.

The seventh interview begins with a bittersweet account of the narrator's beginning of their life together on the eve of the imposed war; then it discusses the narrator's first presence on the Susangerd front, his acquaintance with Hassan Bagheri (martyr), and his activity as a reconnaissance force under the command of Mehdi Zein al-Din (martyr). This section also recounts the intelligence missions and supportive role of his wife. In the eighth interview, Gen. Kargar talks about his departure to the western fronts of the country, his activities in the personnel and logistics unit, and his responsibilities as the deputy of the IRGC General Cooperation and the Western Cooperation; he also refers to the challenges of manpower in the IRGC Region 7 and the methods of recruiting and employing Kurdish Muslim Peshmerga to provide manpower in that region.

The ninth interview is dedicated to the narrator’s presence in Operation Fath al-Mubin and his role as the deputy of the Western Cooperation. He then refers to the process of forming combat brigades in the western region under the leadership of Mohammad Boroujerdi (martyr), the establishment of the Hamzah Sayyid al-Shuhada (AS) headquarters, and field missions in border and mountainous areas; missions that sometimes went to the brink of captivity and are accompanied by memories of the martyrdom of comrades.

The tenth interview examines the differences between the western and southern fronts of the country in the early years of the Sacred Defense. Referring to the deprived situation of the western provinces, the narrator highlights the role of the IRGC and the Jihad of Construction in eliminating deprivation. He also refers to the challenge of the shortage of manpower in the west and the difference in the structure of the units on the two fronts by reciting the memories of the Beitolmoghaddas operation. The eleventh conversation is dedicated to the “Moslem ebn-e Aqeel” operation on the western front; a successful operation with the participation of the southern units. Then, the martyrdom of Ayatollah Ataullah Ashrafi Isfahani and its consequences in the region, the developments in the IRGC Region 7, the arrival of Davud Karimi as the new commander, and the formation of the 32nd Ansar al-Hussein (AS) Brigade are discussed.

In the twelfth conversation, the issue of recruiting enlisted Pasdars of IRGC personnel is raised. While referring to the opposition, the narrator speaks of the necessity of this decision to compensate for the shortage of manpower. He also describes the critical conditions of the IRGC after the martyrdom of prominent commanders such as Hassan Bagheri and Mohammad Boroujerdi by reviewing unsuccessful operations such as the Preliminary Wal-Fajr. In the thirteenth interview, the rise of the IRGC Region 7 and the key role of the Islamic Revolutionary Committees in the operations of Wal-Fajr 2, 3, and 4 are examined. The narrator also discusses personnel measures to organize the Basij forces, referring to the powerful command of Abbas Mohtaj.

The fourteenth interview is dedicated to the “Labaik (Here I am) oh Khomeini!” plan; a plan to consolidate the records and expertise of the volunteer Basij forces, which played an important role in the success of operations such as Tahrir al-Quds and Wal-Fajr 5. It also addresses the challenge of providing forces after the Kheibar operation. In the fifteenth interview, the narrator raises his opposition to the plan for large IRGC regions and its consequences, including the formation of Najaf Region 2. Then, reviewing the Ashura operations and the injuries in Meimak, he speaks of the successful implementation of the “Two Fifths” plan to strengthen combat units. This chapter ends with his return to the General Staff in Tehran.

The sixteenth interview covers the difficulties of working at the central headquarters and his presence in the Badr operation. The issue of maintaining the motivation and mental readiness of the fighters is also examined in this interview. The seventeenth interview describes the narrator's actions in the personnel department of the central headquarters, the establishment of the IRGC recruit center, and research in the field of Islamic management. His role in the Wal-Fajr 8 operation and his return to the Najaf base are also mentioned.

In the eighteenth interview, the return to the Najaf headquarters and the structural challenges in personnel matters are discussed. Then, the Karbala 1^st Operation and the headquarters' efforts to retake Mehran, evacuate the martyrs, and provide manpower are mentioned. In the nineteenth interview, Gen. Kargar discusses the Karbala 4 and 5 Operations. He talks about his role in preparing the operation, dispatching the Basij, taking statistics from the cooperatives and convalescent homes, and the reasons for the failure of the Karbala 4 Operation. Then, he refers to the commanders' rapid move towards implementing the Karbala 5 Operation to compensate for this failure.

In the twentieth interview, he refers to the operations of 1987 such as Karbala 10, Nasr 4, Wal-Fajr 10, and Beitolmoqadas, and speaks of his responsibilities in assisting the manpower of the 1^st Corps of the Sarallah and his participation in the formation of the Al-Zahra (PBUH) Division. In the twenty-first interview, the narrator describes the final years of the war as a period of attrition, reduced popular participation, and increased enemy power, which ultimately led to the adoption of Resolution 598. He also mentions the enemy’s renewed attacks after the resolution and his post-war responsibilities, including heading the Foundation for the Preservation of Monuments and the Propagation of Sacred Defense Values.

The images, documents, and index conclude the book. There are also various photos with captions in the text. The annotations of the book and the footnotes are acceptable.

The first edition of the book Nirooye Ensani Qarargah Najaf (The Human Force of the Najaf Base) was published in 456 pages and 500 copies, in Waziri format, and priced at 280,000 Tomans in 1403 by the Sacred Defense Documents and Research Center.