The Christian Science Monitor has released an enormous new article today detailing the results of their investigation into the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MeK), the Islamist-Marxist group currently trying to buy its way off of the US State Department’s list of international terrorist organizations.
The article details how a large number of top US officials past and present have been paid tens of thousands of dollars to give public endorsements of the MeK, with high profile national security officials from both parties loudly championing the organization as a force for “democratic change” in Iran.
One US official is quoted by CSM as saying that “top-level national security officials never heard about the MEK; it never rose to their level until now,” and that when they are presented the political platform and a contract for $20,000 for a 20 minute speech, it “looks pretty compelling.”
Yet the group’s history is one of decades of violent attacks not just against the Iranian government, but also against the United States, and the group’s claims of having abandoned violence have not been supported by US intelligence reports.
Long an ally of the Ba’athist regime in Iraq, the MeK was quickly embraced by a number of hawks as a good way of promoting a war against Iran. This put its status as a terrorist organization outside of the world of fact, and into the world of political expediency.
But if there’s one thing top Democrat and Republican political leaders like more than war, its cash, and the millions of dollars in “speech” payments is likely another reason the State Department will be under intense pressure to quietly remove them from the list.
For further commentary on US "support" of terrorism, see Rep. Peter King. Power-point presentation and poster-child for the IRA.
Terroristas and/or freedom fighter, the only difference would be the money received. By congress-creepers.
"The Price of My Soul"
Where does the MEK get most of its funding?
Gosh, and I wonder where MEK got all that money?
Here is your answer:
They get it dollar by dollar from supporters around the world. They are also in big deaps for advancing this activity.
But the question why should they need to spend so huge sums for the Stated Deparmtent to implement a US Ferderal Appeal Court decision after 444 days delay?
Remember that 120.000 MEK supporters were massacered by the mullahs in iran for their opinion. They still hang people only for family visits to Camp Ashraf.
Remember also the people behind this Media offencive against MEK, that is: NIAC, Trita Parsi, Shawn Amoie and their bunch, are admitting receiveing 400.000 grants from Iranian regime front groups. Isn't that a bit too much for a "non-profit" advocacy group? http://www.niacouncil.org/site/News2?page=NewsArt…
Think for a second, and if you are honest you might find out who actually is the victim and who is the criminal after all.
I forgot the link to were the money comes from: http://newsblaze.com/story/20110728052742sraj.nb/…
So many lies in so few a paragraph:
the reason that “top-level national security officials never heard about the MEK; it never rose to their level until now,” is because State's Iran desk has been infiltrated by NIAC operatives like Reza Marashi and others who prepared Mullah-given reports about their main nemesis and send for signature of Secretary of State. So now we have chance to fairly review. That shouldn't bother a good American should it?
What is wrong with people learning of both sides of a story? What fault of the MEK and their supporters is it that the US system and world-over works on fees for time and effort? But to imply that means they say what you like for money is foolish and demagoguery in the least.
"the group’s claims of having abandoned violence have not been supported by US intelligence reports" is an outright lie and the reverse is true and the Judges in the Federal Appeals Court said same and that is why they have suggested to the Sec of State to revoke
"MEK was quickly embraced by a number of hawks as a good way of promoting a war against Iran," is yet another lie to keep the issue on topic (ie Anti-War). The MEK are anti-war and the only hope for avoiding a US war with Iran. Secondly, you consider Howard Dean and Bill Richardson as hawks?
Your perverted and convoluted spin on this story is truly sick.
Howard Dean has been hawking it up for decades, he was an outspoken champion of every bombing Bill Clinton did. Bill Richardson's hawkishness varies a bit more, depending on how close you are to a national election.
I'm wondering if a legal case could be brought against these folks for aiding terrorists. Though I'm sure that due to executive discretion such a case would never be brought.
HMMMMmmmmm……. So where does the MEK get all the money to spread around… Maybe we could have an antiwar.com pool…. to see who can guess from where the gelt originated…. Would it be Cuba..?? Probably not… What about M Korea… MMMnnn They don't really give money…. Inquiring minds wanna know the answer…!!
Terrorist is Terrorist.
De-listing the MeK will only reinforce the hypocrisy of the US government.
Cannot these officials be prosecuted under the Patriot Act? The Act bans "material support" for "terriorist" organizations and the Supreme Court had ruled that talking to the "terrorists" constitutes "material support"
I agree with Ken- until the MeK is de-listed as a terrorist group, guess what? IT'S STILL A TERRORIST GROUP and anyone who advocates for them, for pay or not, is providing material support FOR A TERRORIST GROUP.
The ONLY person who should have any say in de-listing the MeK is the President. Anyone else who says a word about the MeK being all angelic now should be prosecuted for supporting a terrorist organization.
After Sadam attacked Iran in 1979, MEK under repression from the regime of Tehran (many of them were executed in the infamous prison of Evin) took refuge in Irak and found support there. By participating in that war and helping the agressor ( Sadam), they helped cause more than one milion dead among the Iraki and Iranian armies. They had their own share and they can't deny it.Their plan failed badly. Two decades later they found a new supporter with Bush junior. Today they boadcast their propaganda from the US. The most relevant question that Mek has to answer is how they could bring democracy in Iran with supporters like Sadam and Bush. Their only goal is to get into power no matter the cost. They copy cat their US sponsor. Get to Iraki oil field no matter the damage caused to people.Their original sin was to discard their principals. The closer they got to Evil, the more signs of fascism they exhibited…….From a former soldier during those years of war.