Friday
Jun262009
To Combat Mullahs, U.S. Rep. Advocates Leniency Toward Iranian Group Deemed Terrorist Org.
Friday, June 26, 2009 at 4:49PM
By Celia Canon-Talk Radio News Service
Rep. Bob Filner (D-Calif.) addressed the human rights implications of the Iranian government’s treatment of demonstrators, stating that although military engagement was not an option, the U.S. should no longer treat the People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK), currently recognized as a terrorist organization by the U.S., as an extremist group. As a result, the MEK would be able to work against the Iranian government with greater ease.
“[The U.S.] has put the MEK on the terrorist list here, which means that we can not support them and we hold up any kind of financial transactions that they might want to do,” Filner said during a press conference with Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) Friday. Filner went on to describe the MEK as “a democratic, non-nuclear, secular group fighting for freedom and people in Iran.”
In January of this year the European Union ceased to consider the MEK a terrorist organization.
“Sometimes we have invaded countries, but that is not an option today,” added Filner. “We should not stand in their way of trying to get rid of the Iranian regime, so let’s educate the American people about the United States can...do.”
Rohrabacher suggested another avenue through which the U.S. can act, noting that “If the mullahs [Islamic clerics] keep killing their own people to maintain power, the least we can do in the West is track down where they put their loot and freeze those bank accounts.”
Rohrabacher criticized President Barack Obama’s soft diplomacy towards Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, deploring that “one stand that should be made is to be very clear in aggressive words rather than the apologetic tone that we have heard from this administration.”
Rep. Bob Filner (D-Calif.) addressed the human rights implications of the Iranian government’s treatment of demonstrators, stating that although military engagement was not an option, the U.S. should no longer treat the People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK), currently recognized as a terrorist organization by the U.S., as an extremist group. As a result, the MEK would be able to work against the Iranian government with greater ease.
“[The U.S.] has put the MEK on the terrorist list here, which means that we can not support them and we hold up any kind of financial transactions that they might want to do,” Filner said during a press conference with Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) Friday. Filner went on to describe the MEK as “a democratic, non-nuclear, secular group fighting for freedom and people in Iran.”
In January of this year the European Union ceased to consider the MEK a terrorist organization.
“Sometimes we have invaded countries, but that is not an option today,” added Filner. “We should not stand in their way of trying to get rid of the Iranian regime, so let’s educate the American people about the United States can...do.”
Rohrabacher suggested another avenue through which the U.S. can act, noting that “If the mullahs [Islamic clerics] keep killing their own people to maintain power, the least we can do in the West is track down where they put their loot and freeze those bank accounts.”
Rohrabacher criticized President Barack Obama’s soft diplomacy towards Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, deploring that “one stand that should be made is to be very clear in aggressive words rather than the apologetic tone that we have heard from this administration.”
Reader Comments (4)
The MEK has struggled for freedom and democracy in Iran since before the mullahs ever opposed the Shah. They participated in the 1979 revolution. Were supported extensively by Iranian youth and democrats during the early years after the new regime came to power, and then brutally suppressed with over 120,000 martyrs in the years after. Their contention that Iranian society is a volcano waiting to erupt has come true. Six years ago Maryam Rajavi, the charismatic leader of the NCRI, opposedd external war, or appeasement of the Iranian regime as illegitimate and called for support of democratic change by the Iranian people. If such change were to facilitated rather than hampered by Western governments, then the MEK must be removed from the US FTO list where it landed as a goodwill gesture to the mullahs in 1998. The MEK's case was taked to court in UK and EU and both have removed the MEK from their terror lists as it was found to be unsubstantiated.
It is in the US interest to side with the people of Iran and all political opposition groups that seek annulment of the current sham elections and support elections with international observers. The MEK supports this. No political group that supports free and fair elections can be called terrorist.
Thank God Finally some people with the correct insight.
From here on it is really touch and go ,but the final turning will be
swift like for example when no one expects anything to happen it will turn in 48hrs. I
think it may happen within a two month window if it does not, we might
be looking at a long civil war. Believe it or not the straw that will
break the camel's back can happen with a guarantee of no civil war if
U.S. follows the lead of EU and take off the handcuffs off of the main
Iranian resistance. Everyone I have talked to inside Iran or outside
has mentioned that people are waiting for that moment and then they
will all be sure that Islamic Fundamentalism is history and so goes
the war on terror with it.
It is a tragic event that the Clinton administration thinking there is
a moderate wing they can work with caved in to the request of the
Fundamentalist and put the main resistance on the terror list.
Appeasement will never work with bullies specially bullies who have
billions of dollars of oil revenue and an ocean of illiterate people
who they can recruit to blow themselves up.
A good example was the Iran-Iraq war and the Iranian Regime used to
hang a plastic key off the neck of 8 to 10 year old kids and told them
it was the key to "HEAVEN'S DOOR", then they marched those kids to
clean up Iraqi mine fields.
The taking of the main Iranian Resistance off of the E.U.'s Terror list has put them
a step ahead of us as far as relations with a future Democratic
Iranian government I hope we make our move before we get caught in
another scenario of 1953 military Coup against Dr. Mossadegh. God
forbid this regime falls and we still have the main opposition force
on our terror list it will be 1953 all over again.
These are extremely sensitive times but we have to realize that it has
taken 30 years of suppression to bring the people to such a boiling
point. Most of these thirty years what we did we made sure that we have whoever dares to oppose the fundamentalist handcuffed so they could be butchered by these God Forsaken Mullahs. It is time to realize that every analysis that this opposition group gave since 1980 was on the money. Twenty some years ago they wrote the book"ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM THE NEW GLOBAL THREAT", they spelled it out to the world. They came out with their nuke program and stopped Iran from taking over Iraq completely. It is time to realize that there has not been one incident or news produced by the Iran's main opposition that has not been on the money. How do we repay them from stopping israel and the world possibly from a nuclear disaster, we designate them as terrorist.
It is time to be humble and say they know their country and politics way better than we do. If we are interested in stop losing our kids in IRAQ and actually have no more terrorism all we have to do is stop the unjustified help we have been giving Mullahs in killing Iranian students and killing their resistance. All we have to do is nothing just take them off of our damn stupid list and all the evil will be overcome by the Iranians themselves.
Come on It's a No Brainer .
I agree with the two congressman. We should work with MEK to get rid of criminal mullah's. It is best way and cheapest way to handel Iran. It makes Iranian happy, And saves a lot of lives in the Midlle East.
Thanks to both of the Congressmen,
As an Iranian who has seen his fair share of suppression inside Iran, I fully support your argument and am glad that some US Congressmen are calling for a strategy that looks out for the interests of the Iranian people in addition to the US national security interest.
Best regards
Hossein