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If ever there was a time for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to remove the main Iranian opposition group People's Mojahedin (MEK / PMOI) from the US list of terrorist organisations, today is that day.
I attended a rally by thousands of Iranian-Americans today outside the State Department, where participants, young and old, urged Secretary Clinton to de-list the MEK as she has been ordered to do by the DC Court of Appeal.
Thousands of MEK members have repeatedly come under deadly attack in their main base in Camp Ashraf, Iraq, by Iraqi armed forces at the behest of Iran's fundamentalist regime. Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri Maliki uses the terror label as an excuse to murder the residents. In April 36 MEK members were slaughtered by Iraqi forces and hundreds of others were injured. Maliki has now threatened to close the camp and expel the residents by force at the end of the year.
The MEK was blacklisted in Washington in 1997 as a "goodwill gesture" to Iran in the hope that the mullahs could be placated to abandon terrorism and repression. The British government labelled the group as terrorist in 2001 for similar reasons. Yet the mullahs have not only continued to use terror at home and abroad; they are now fast pursuing an illegal nuclear weapons program.
As one of the 35 Parliamentarians who were successful in legally challenging our government to delist the MEK in the UK, I know that our victory tells us all we need to know about the decision Secretary of State Clinton must now make. Every single shred of evidence available to the British government was placed before the British courts. Much of this information was made up of Iranian regime misinformation, but also a great deal was provided by the US authorities. We are all fully aware that intelligence between the UK and US governments is widely shared and in the case of the MEK it was no different. Based on all this information, including every piece of evidence US authorities shared with their UK counterparts, the British courts found the ban on the MEK to have been 'perverse' and 'flawed'. Perverse in legal terms is a damning indictment of the British government's attitude towards the MEK, meaning in this instance that no reasonable and honest Secretary of State based on the information put before him or her could have come to the conclusion that the MEK was a terrorist organisation.
We are fully aware that the listing of the MEK in the US and UK was never honest nor was it reasonable, rather it was an attempt by previous administrations to pander to the wishes of the Iranian regime and hold out a hand of friendship to this vile regime. The regime gratefully took our hand and has for years used to it to slap us with, as it continues to support terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan with 7 out of every 10 Coalition deaths directly linked to the Iranian regime while continuing to defy the international community over its nuclear weapons program.
WikiLeaks revelations have indicated that the British government's delaying tactics in relation to that legal challenge were as a result of fear for the repercussions which the regime may commit against British interests in Iran and specifically the British Embassy. In reality the regime's threats were nothing but hot air.
Now Secretary of State Clinton must do what is just. She must do what the legal system of the United States requires her to do and that is to immediately remove the MEK from the US list of banned organisations. The judgments of the British and European courts have unequivocally proven that no case exists for maintaining a ban on the MEK.
For far too long the MEK has unjustifiably been banned in the US to please the vile regime of Tehran, a vile regime which has continually used the ban to justify the torture and execution of hundreds of thousands and now the US ban is used by the Iraqi authorities to justify the massacre of Camp Ashraf residents.
This is now a matter of life and death. Maintaining this illegitimate ban on the MEK will lead to the massacre of all Camp Ashraf residents. Secretary of State Clinton must immediately remove the MEK from the list, not only because that is her legal duty, but further because it will allow the safety of the Camp Ashraf residents to be guaranteed while sending a clear message to the Iranian people that we support their right to democracy and freedom.
Making it easier for stooges of the Israel lobby to raise funds in Washington, to annoy Iran, is not a sensible course.
There are people here that are putting up statements making certain allegations about activities during the 1970's. My only reply to these allegations is that all you say has been looked at in a court of law in Europe and in the US all of it was completely quashed and it was dedcided that these allegations were totally baseless. They were the invention od the Iranian regime which was trying to discount its main threat.
If you have any new evidance which you think is important by all means go and contact the foriegn office in America and present this evidance other wise all the allegations which you are making here have been looked at and have been shown to be utter nonsense.
From a very basic point of view ask ytour self this is it normal that just yesterday in America New ypork over 30,000 supporters of this so called terrorist organisation gathered in New york for a demonstration. Why were they not arrested on the spot seems a little odd.
There are some people here that have put up statements
Lets take the US for example the US government would much prefer to keep this organisation on the list as they could use it as a bargaining tool later on so it could not be said that the DC court of appeal ruling was a political move in fact it was the exact opposite. Thankfully there is such a thing in the US as the rule of law above and beyond any political motives which the current government may have thus the government wants to keep the MEK on the list but they can not the only reason fore this is one of evidance there is none time and again these accusations have been looked at and time and again they have been quashed despite the fact that in each country they were tested the government of that country wanted to keep them on the list but they could not why becuase of evidance again THERE IS NONE.
You can make accusations the truth is that these accusations have been examined and been shown to be utter nonsense.
A car carrying three American employees of Rockwell International was attacked in May 1976.
William Cottrell, Donald Smith, and Robert Krongard were killed. They had been working on the Ibex system for gathering intelligence on the neighboring USSR.[35][38][41]
According to the U.S. Department of State and the presentation of the PMOI by the Foreign Affairs group of the Australian Parliament, the group conducted several assassinations of U.S. military personnel and civilians working in Iran during the 1970s. After the revolution the group actively supported the U.S. embassy takeover in Tehran in 1979, and opposed the release of the diplomats in 1981 by the Iranian regime, and called for their execution instead. "
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People's_Mujahedin_of_Iran
These allegations were made by the Iranian regime which murders and tortures its own people as a way of discrediting their main opposition group which wants a democratic Iran.
Personally i trust the courts in these countries and i trust there judicial system what i dont trust is you an individual who is propably a pro-Iranian regime supporter who is rehashing old claims which have been quashed in numerous courts.
I can tell you this Iran will be a democracy Men and women will have equal rights there will be religious freedom in Iran and no one can stop that i feel sorry for you that you think Iran is not capable of these things.
By the way these and many other points are in the MEK manifesto you should read it.
The DC court of appeal has ordered that this organisation be taken off the list of terrorist I hope you can trust your judicial system.
Also please ask your self this over 30,000 supporters of this organisation gathered in Washington DC on Friday they have support from a number of your congressman and women. If they were terrorists why were they not arrested all of them on the spot including your congressman for supporting terrorsists.
If you really want to know what this organisation is about here is there party manifesto
1) Adheraqnce to the the universal decleration on Human rights.
2) Equal rights between men and women
3) The right to practice any religion in peace and with out persecution
4) A democratic form of government
5) A free market economy open to the world
6) Recognising the rights of all national minorites and ethnic groups
7) Foriegn policy based on outward open approiach to other foriegn governments and adherance to all international treaties.
8) Freedom of press and expression of views.
There is more but i hope this has gone some way to explaining what this group is about and removing a great deal of the misinformation that is spread this marxist terrorist stuff its just nonsense.
Take care
Delist the MEK. Let it help Iranian people to bring about the change that the Iranian people are yawning for.
They can try to delay it, they can drag it on to buy some time, but at the end, if they have a faith in rule of law they can't make any other decision that to Delist the MEK.
NIAC and the mullahs' apologists time is up. After Qaddafi is Assad and Khamenei's turn.
In his speech, the British Conservative MP Brian Binley announced the support of 4,000 parliamentarians from across the globe, including a significant number of members of the UK Parliament and House of Lords, for delisting the PMOI from the U.S. FTO list.
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the Iranian resistance, who was addressing the rally via satellite link from Paris, said, “It has been more a year since the ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, which ordered the State Department to review the terrorist listing of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). Iranian people and the Iranian Resistance have paid the price for this unjustified delay with the blood of their most courageous children. Political prisoners in Iran, like Ali Saremi, were hanged by Khamenei’s henchmen. And, the 36 heroes of freedom in Ashraf, who were martyred on the orders of the velayat-e faqih regime, were all part of this bloody price. The terror listing in the U.S. is openly used as a justification to legitimize such bloodletting, both by the cruel mullahs in Tehran as well as their proxy government in Iraq. Therefore, the Iranian people are asking the United States, ‘Why are you not annulling the license to kill our children?’
I have just received the text of the statement by the Human Rights and Democracy International Committee which reads as follow:
''This morning Iranians from across the U.S. staged a rally outside the State Department urging immediate removal of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/Mek), Iran’s main opposition movement, from the State Department’s list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. They also asked for ensuring protection of this organization’s members in Camp Ashraf in Iraq.
In the demonstration, which lasted from 10:30 till 14:00, thousands of Iranians from 40 states of U.S. and Canada took part.
There were about 100 university professors, eminent scholars and physicians from all over the U.S. among the participants.
A number of prominent personalities from the U.S. and senior officials including Louis Freeh, former Director of Federal Bureau of Investigation (1993-2001); Ed Rendell, former General Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and Governor of Pennsylvania (2003-2011); John Sano, former Central Intelligence Agency National Clandestine Service first Deputy Director ; and Colonel Wesley Martin (retired), former Coalition’s counter terrorism commander in Iraq and US commander for protection of Ashraf) delivered their speeches in the rally and asked the U.S. to live up to its commitments regarding 3,400 Ashraf residents.
My eyes were hocked to the screen watching the crowd. Thousands of Iranians had come from all over the US to demand the MEK be de-listed by the US State Department. I just hope Clinton and Obama realise that the time has long passed to do this. I hope, after seeing today's rally and the crowd - who represented millions of Iranians inside Iran under dictatorship - the State Department listens to the people's legitimate demand and unshackle the arms of the Iranian opposition and let them get on with their main job that is democratic regime change in Iran.
De-list MEK Now or you will be responsible for further bloodshed in Camp Ashraf.
You are absolutely right that delisting the MEK in reality “is now a matter of life and death". Further delay in delisting is tantamount to providing ample opportunity for subservient of the mullahs in the Iraqi government to execute their master’s order.
Delisting is the only logical option before Mrs. Clinton. She should judge based on facts not on political consideration which since 1997 has been the case. Justice will prevail as it did in UK, EU and France. Your message is simple and clear: “If ever there was a time for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to remove the main Iranian opposition group People's Mojahedin (MEK / PMOI) from the US list of terrorist organizations, today is that day.”
"Now Secretary of State Clinton must do what is just. She must do what the legal system of the United States requires her to do and that is to immediately remove the MEK from the US list of banned organisations. The judgments of the British and European courts have unequivocally proven that no case exists for maintaining a ban on the MEK.".
MEK is not a terrorist organisation. They are brave freedom fighters who have sacrificed all joys of life for a better life for their fellow contrymen. Mrs Clinton should do what the courts have ordered her to do NOW.
Today, there are only two states that consider MEK as terrorist, one is Iran, the other is US.
This common label is a shame for US, and should be corrected immediately in accordance to law.