Today's MEK

Tell me about it.  I remember them from the old days as a Marxist group who fought against Iran on Iraq's side in the IR/IZ War.  Tell me the new stuff.  pl

Comments

[DanM]

Fairly cultish in their ongoing behavior (a major recent concession from the Camp Ashraf "leadership" was allowing the Red Cross to interview people there seeking resettlement without their MKO minders present), completely non-transparent and unaccountable in their financial dealings. Maryam Rajavi appears out of her tree. During the time at Camp Ashraf (this is old news) she and her husband declared the marriages of adherents dissolved, collected wedding rings and so forth. They remain reviled in Iran as traitors. As much as Iraqis think of 'em, hate them too, since they fought for Saddam and it has long been alleged that they were used as footsoldiers in the Anfal (Kurdistan) campaign, but i don't know if that's proven.

In the US a lot of ex-royalist types with money are said to be, somehow, in their orbit, as an explanation for where there money comes from. I've never known what to make of that.

As a practical matter, it seems they have no "terror" or assault capacity in the West anymore. In 2003, when Maryam Rajavi and over 100 followers were briefly arrested (on allegations that she was planning attacks on the Iranian and perhaps other embassies) in a French raid on their compound outside Paris, a few of her adherents self-immolated in protest. The French found millions of euros in cash when they raided her home at the time. So fervor, and money, appear to remain with her. But she's invested too much time and money in becoming Chalabi 2.0 to start blowing up stuff in Europe.

This group could be safely ignored... if not for the obsessions of regime-change proponents, who think they're somehow powerful, influential, or widely supported in Iran. Camp Ashraf is a sad story -- hopefully those people will get resettled somewhere and the counseling they need. But Iraq's frustration with this armed, semi-autonomous compound that led to the raid a few years ago was perfectly understandable (much like paid-MKO lover Freeh's raid on Ruby Ridge was understandable).

It seems clear that the MKO is no longer a "terrorist threat" to Americans, but delisting them now would do a bit of harm to the Iranian Greens, and a bit of harm to our own discourse on Iran (given the large number of influential fantasists who see the MKO as the answer to the "Iran problem.")

[The beaver]

Colonel

The latest one from a non-US medium:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14533756

Among those who have spoken out in favour of the MEK include former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, former UN ambassador John Bolton and former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge.

Everyone is free to debate whether MEK should or should not come off the list, but as we speak they are still on the terrorist list

Gen James Jones, President Obama's first National Security Adviser and former New York Mayor Rudy Guliani have also called for the MEK to be de-listed.

Howard Dean, a former Democratic presidential hopeful, has gone further, calling on the US government to recognise Maryam Rajavi, the leader of the group, as the legitimate president of Iran.

Note: will post more later on

[Larry Kart]

Here's their website:

http://ncr-iran.org/en/ncri-statements

and a link to a recent Louis Freeh statement there on their behalf:

http://ncr-iran.org/en/news/iran-resistance/11251-louis-freech-honestly-and-irrefutably-pmoimek-is-not-a-terrorist-organization-there-is-no-evidence-of-this-and-in-1997-when-it-was-put-on-the-list-it-was-put-on-the-list-for-political-purposes

How to read these tea leaves, I don't know, but given who all is backing the MEK right now (Freeh, Bolton, Guliani, Mukasey, etc.), I would bet that the MEK is now the tail of a dog (or at least so that dog believes).

[J]

Colonel,

My bad, I thought that State had gone the bonehead route and delisted MEK, according to the latest State still has some sanity about them and lists MEK for what it is -- a terrorist org. State's listing is dated Sept. 15th.
See:
http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/other/des/123085.htm

Now if I may call your attention to State's findings regarding those who support terrorist orgs like the MEK:

--Legal Ramifications of Designation

It is unlawful for a person in the United States or subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to knowingly provide "material support or resources" to a designated FTO. (The term "material support or resources" is defined in 18 U.S.C. § 2339A(b)(1) as " any property, tangible or intangible, or service, including currency or monetary instruments or financial securities, financial services, lodging, training, expert advice or assistance, safehouses, false documentation or identification, communications equipment, facilities, weapons, lethal substances, explosives, personnel (1 or more individuals who maybe or include oneself), and transportation, except medicine or religious materials.” 18 U.S.C. § 2339A(b)(2) provides that for these purposes “the term ‘training’ means instruction or teaching designed to impart a specific skill, as opposed to general knowledge.” 18 U.S.C. § 2339A(b)(3) further provides that for these purposes the term ‘expert advice or assistance’ means advice or assistance derived from scientific, technical or other specialized knowledge.’’
Representatives and members of a designated FTO, if they are aliens, are inadmissible to and, in certain circumstances, removable from the United States (see 8 U.S.C. §§ 1182 (a)(3)(B)(i)(IV)-(V), 1227 (a)(1)(A)).
Any U.S. financial institution that becomes aware that it has possession of or control over funds in which a designated FTO or its agent has an interest must retain possession of or control over the funds and report the funds to the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. --

Now the 64 dollar question -- were not those who supported the MEK on Capitol Hill (Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, former AG Mukasey, Fran Townsend, Ridge, Giuliani, all breaking the law with their overt support for the MEK? Were not their actions nothing short of 'providing material support' for terrorists, in this specific case the terrorist MEK?

What makes them think they are above our U.S. laws and can get away with supporting designated terrorists? Oh I know, it's because they are 'politicians'.

[The beaver]

You can start reading from the bottom to save time

http://www.historycommons.org/timeline.jsp?printerfriendly=true&timeline=us_plans_to_use_military_force_against_iran&iran_specific_cases_and_issues=

plus look at the list of those funding MEK:
http://www.niacouncil.org/site/PageServer?pagename=mek_affiliate_groups

and I wonder why the FBI TFOS does not go after those who are funding or financing those bogus groups:
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/terrorism/terrorism_financing

[toto]

Sir,

Are you thinking of a link between MEK and the current slapstick in DC?

[The beaver]

J

Secretary Clinton is/was supposed to announce the MEK designation in fall of 2011. What if someone somewhere (well Sec State office has a lot of anti-Iran afficiendos amongs its USGs and ASGs) knows that Clinton will maintain the status quo, even after the big pow wow of the pro-MEK politicians with the MEK community in Paris last summer ( yeah I saw Rudy's in Paris -on TV- whilst I was there, giving his opinions about the Sofitel affair), and decided to put a veil over the eyes of Cliton, Obama and DOJ with the help of DEA and FBI?

[J]

All,

Speak of the 'terrorist' MEK and 'those Americans who support them', it appears that timing is everything, as Israel-firster/doesn't know which party he belongs to/loves waterboarding/loves to throw other people's children under various and sundry war buses Sen. Lieberman and Sen. Brown/Rep. Dent and Rep. Altmire just introduced legislation in the Congress that Terror backers should lose U.S. citizenship.

Wouldn't it be a hoot if this particular legislation if passed was used against MEK supporters like Townsend/Bolton/Guiliani/Freeh/Ridge/Mukasey/etc.. Since these politicos think they are above our U.S. laws, it would be a hoot to see their keesters caught up in the ringers of law for a change (if this particular piece of legislation is passed).
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iTlqdnMHtY3e-py5a-QUJFFstAGg?docId=CNG.1190a3922bd18461a0484301677069d5.371

[Jane]

MEK sends propagandists to some political sites to argue their case vociferously. They tend to cite their conclusions as though their conclusions were pieces of evidence.

[Mark Pyruz]

Colonel:

Here is a NIAC site devoted to MEK:

http://www.niacouncil.org/site/PageServer?pagename=mek_terror

Also, did you happen upon Gareth Porter's analysis of the alleged Iran terror plot? Worth the read:

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=105458

[Babak Makkinejad]

DanM:

The Iranian leaders could be hoping for the MEK de-listing by US; it will be a huge propaganda win.

[Mac]

Many, if not most Amerian-Iranians I know do not support the Iranian govt but those same people, in my experience, loathe the MEK...that is, if they have ever heard of them in the first instance. An entire first generation of American Iranians has grown up here and have very limited knowledge of the events in Iran from the late 70s through the war. I'm trying to think what the MEK's equivalent would be in American history, but i'm not sure there is one. There doesnt seem to be a good match. Any ideas?

[dpush]

http://agonist.org/story/2005/4/14/173853/410

[Charles I]

beaver, The FBI are diligently going after funders of all types. Read mbrenner's last post under The Mexican Quds Dog and his Tail. And it would seem that every time one of these plots is rolled upo, there is an informant or agent in the middle of it, presumably well paid. One could hardly expect the FBI to investigate that, or themselves, could one?

[Harper]

Well, the NYTimes found the Iranian claims that the so-called top Al Quds commander linked to the used car salesman/Mexican dope hit squad plot is actually with MEK credible enough to publish yesterday. NYT story was based on alleged Interpol evidence, tracking the Iranian around the world.

Whatever the final outcome of the Al Quds vs. MEK piece of this sordid tale, it is clear that the incident is being used by the Obama Administration to ramp up the rhetoric against Iran, with some nasty intent. Russian government has already accused Obama of cutting a deal with Netanyahu (a mutual salvation pact, since both are losing public support at breakneck speed) to target Iran, ala Libya and Syria. Whether it goes that far or not, the fact that both President Obama and AG Holder jumped out publicly at the outset of this saga makes it clear that there is an escalation against Iran. I understand that there are other ops underway on the ground, involving MEK, Jundalah and other "insurgent" groups backed by Mossad, CIA and British Intelligence. WAPO did report that the Iran nuclear program has run up against significant problems, including continuing impact of stuxnet virus, poor production quality of the new generation of centrifuges, and aging of some of the equipment at Natanz.