The Treasury Department on Thursday formally designated six members of what it described as “an al-Qa'ida network” under the terms of Executive Order 13224, a designation that has implications regarding the freezing of the individuals' assets and prohibition of any commercial or financial dealings with them. Such designations have nothing directly to do with states, but there was an additional angle in Treasury's announcement. The heading of the department's press release was, “Treasury Targets Key Al-Qa'ida Funding and Support Network Using Iran as a Critical Transit Point”. Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen was quoted as stating, “By exposing Iran's secret deal with al-Qa'ida allowing it to funnel funds and operatives through its territory, we are illuminating yet another aspect of Iran's unmatched support for terrorism.”
Whoa—“secret deal”? That's certainly an eye-catching phrase. It has been known for some time that al-Qaeda members have been inside Iran. It has been less clear just what the terms of their residence there have been. Most indications suggest that it has been something between imprisonment and house arrest. At least some of the al-Qaeda people in Iran have been able to conduct business of the group from there, but it is unclear again how much of this business is condoned or even known by the Iranian regime. Probably the most that can be said is that the regime, or elements within it, have reasons to have some dealings with the al-Qaeda members, notwithstanding the sharp differences in their objectives. Tehran wants to cement and sustain the rule of the Shia Islamic Republic; al-Qaeda wants to overthrow the established order in the Middle East and establish a Sunni Caliphate.
Despite the provocative phrase “secret deal,” Treasury's announcement says nothing else about any such agreement. The only dealings it describes all seem to have to do with the imprisonment of al-Qaeda members. Only one of the six designated individuals, named Ezedin Abdel Aziz Khalil, is described as “Iran-based”; the other five all live and operate somewhere else and are included in the announcement because they are part of the same network as Khalil. The one bit of business Khalil is said to have with Tehran is that he “works with the Iranian government to arrange releases of al-Qa'ida personnel from Iranian prisons.” One of the other five is said to have “petitioned Iranian officials on al-Qa'ida's behalf to release operatives detained in Iran”—with no indication whether he succeeded. Any connection between the Iranian regime and the group's other activities involving movement of money and operatives is all a matter of innuendo, at least as far as Treasury's announcement is concerned.
Maybe there is something more substantive in the classified realm that cannot be shared publicly. But Americans ought to be wary about this sort of suggestive linkage between terrorists and regimes. A major point in the George W. Bush administration's selling of the Iraq War concerned the movements of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who after the U.S. invasion would establish what became the Iraqi branch of al-Qaeda but who also had spent some time in Iraq before the war. The war-selling campaign tried to draw a connection between him and Saddam Hussein's regime. But any connection was all a matter of innuendo. Later information indicated that the regime did not even know where Zarqawi was.
Of course there is not a complete parallel with what is going on now, in that the Obama administration is not selling a war with Iran. But it is under pressure from elements who are eager to talk up the evil of Iran and the need for pressure on Iran, and who even would seem to welcome such a war. Treasury's announcement this week, which strains to underscore the Iranian angle of an administrative action that is not even directed at Iran, may be partly an effort to be seen talking tough about Iran without making any inherently dangerous moves that could mean a confrontation escalating out of control.
The Treasury announcement also does not address Iranian motives in fooling around with al-Qaeda, notwithstanding the sharply different interests and objectives between the regime and the group. The motives have to do with shared antagonism from the United States. In particular, they have to do with the United States' own fooling around with the terrorist group-cum-cult known as the Mujahedin-e Khalq, which some in the United States foolishly believe should be accepted as a legitimate actor because it opposes the Iranian regime. Tehran is in effect saying, “If you are going to flirt with a terrorist group that is of particular concern to us, we will flirt with a terrorist group that is of particular concern to you.” It is important to remember this amid the renewed push, backed by vigorous lobbying on Capitol Hill and the paying of fat fees to notables who will speak on the MEK's behalf, to get the group off the U.S. list of foreign terrorist organizations. If delisting were to occur, the harmful effects would include substantial damage to the pro-democracy movement in Iran. An additional effect would be to increase the incentive for Tehran to flirt even more with Sunni terrorists including al-Qaeda types, to the point that some actual secret deals might be struck.
Comments
“terrorist group-cum-cult known as the Mujahedin-e Khalq”… here is where the title Innuendo best applies! Making such baseless remarks against a 50 year old popular opposition movement with thousands of active followers all around the world makes the author look more ridiculous than right! The designation of the MEK as “terrosist” as admitted by the Assistant Secretary of State Martin Indynk at the time, was a “good will gesture to Tehran”. It was to appease the mullahs for the West to get better oil deals. Subsequent court decisions in France, UK, EU and US have called that designation “void”, “unlawful” and even “perverse!” UK, EU and France have already revoked that designation whereas the State Department has been resisting more than a year to implement the DC District Court decision to revoke that designation.
Since the regime does not seen any point in gathering support for likes of Ahmadinejad, they instead invest on demonization their opposition, with focus on MEK as the most active core. The aim is to, as long as possible, delay the pro-democracy movement from gaining a momentum. So the claim that delisting MEK would “damage to the pro-democracy movement in Iran”, is very naïve thinking. How could legitimization of the most active opposition movement against a regime hurt the democracy movement? This phrase is a cliché from Iranian regime’s lobbies. In the past two months they have mobilized loads of “journalists, experts, human rights activist” to fill the press with misinformation hoping to prevent the MEK delisting. One notorious example is NIAC and Trita Parsi who according to court documents invoiced Iranian authorities 6 digit sums for “consultation![1]” i.e. spreading anti MEK propaganda.[1] http://newsblaze.com/story/20110728052742sraj.nb/topstory.html
This article clearly confuses the two issues deliberately or otherwise. The listing of the MeK in FTO list is not based on facts or evidence but was wink to Iranian regime by Clinton Administration in a hope of finding an opening with Iran which failed miserably. MEK were investigated by EU, French and the British courts and there were no case against them and thus were delisted in the said countries. More importantly, 3500 members of the MEK in camp Ashraf in Iraq were “thoroughly screened” by various US government agencies including the FBI and again not one single member was found to have been involved in terrorist activities. The spin put by the author suggests that he either confuses the issues or lacks knowledge of the MEK. They are a popular opposition to the Iranian regime and a major threat to regime’s existence. Perhaps the author has other agenda which he is hiding behind an article like this. Remember that now that a legal challenge has forced the State Department to reconsider the listing of the MEK, suddenly many in the US began to talk of nasty terrorists who should remain on the FTO list! By delisting the MEK a new chapter will be opened for the Iranian people to pursue their legitimate demand for a democratic and secular state away from state terror.
It is very obvious that the aim of the writer of the above article is not clarifying the politics of Mullah’s regime. But his aim is clearly to show the murderous regime of mullas whose finger prints of murders of Iranian people inside and outside of Iran and American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are every day across the world. Well Known Facts: Which are referred to by more Than 2000 European members of Parliaments, Senators who represent their own people in their countries, World Solicitors, Educational Bodies, in addition to 7 European Court orders , English Court Decisions and US Federal Court bearing witness to that;” the MEK/ PMOI has never been a terrorist Organisation”, and it is the true Democratic Opposition / Resistance Movement who is against tyrant Mullahs’ Regime In Iran. Who benefits the world wide support and is the only hope for the regime change , true Peace and Stability in the Middle East and the World ,without the need for entering another war likeIraq/Afghanistan World Powers and others have to respect what people desire and allow them to decide what they want (democracy and justice). The world Community has one crucial responsibility and that is to ensure the implementation of all International regulations and Conventions and safe guard the Human rights of all nations, Changes in North Africa and the Middle East will inevitably reachIranand the tyrant Regime and its dictatorship, as the worst oppressor in the world bound to topple. Like everywhere else, this change is done by people and it is for Iranian people to determine what kind of change they want. What world should do is to support the Iranian people and their rights. In recent months, former US Officials publicized that the MEK/PMOI was blacklisted as a concession to the Iranian regime in order to initiate dialogue and closer relations with Mullahs. Group of Individuals who oppose the delisting of MEK/PMOI fromUSblacklist under any pretext were silent at the time when the MEK/PMOI was listed as a favour to the Mullah’s tyrant regime. TheEuropean Courtand British Court could not justify blacklisting of MEK/PMOI. D.C. appeal Court could not find any reason for blacklisting. What only remains, it appears to be more concessions to Mullah’ Regime and to its leader Khamenei and President Ahmadinejad If one believes in Democracy and justice, and truly believe people should be left to decide, then why should MEK/ PMOI remain on theUSblacklist and tied down by the united State? IsUnitedStateunbiased, fair and neutral? Demanding/ asking US Government to keep MEK/PMOI on theUSblacklist, means, depriving Iranian people from making their own decision by having their own choices, thus, resulting in continuing the concession to Mullahs Regime.
It is clear that the ideas of this article come from Iranian regime’s lobbies (like NIAC) when you see that: "If delisting were to occur, the harmful effects would include substantial damage to the pro-democracy movement in Iran." It's a very funny phrase because the only democratic opposition in iran who is fighting the iranian dictatorship is the PMOI / MEK with more than 120 000 supporters of members killed by the iranian regime. PMOI / MEK is not a terrorist organization, as was said by the British and European high courts total of seven times, by the U.S. court of justice last year and recently by the French court in June 2011 which denied all charges of terrorism about this organization. Don't forget that the biggest sponsor of terrorism in the world is the iranian regime.
It is quite true: the MeK/PMOI is not a terrorist movement. Numerous false statements have been made about them, e.g that they are a religious cult (the are working for a secular republic), that they forbid access to modern technology (I have seen Power Point presentations from them only last week), and, over and over again, that they are terrorists. The British Government denied this three years ago, the EU two years ago, and the French Government a few months ago. Legal experts in the US have done so too. When will the US Government trust its own experts, and how many MeK members have to be killed first ?
Delisting the MEK has no harmful effect. On the contrary, it will benefit the Iranian people since it's known for a fact that MEK is the main political opposition of Iran which has given over 120.000 deaths. There is no legal accusation except the "friendly gesture to the Iranian regime" made back in 1997..when some people like this author still believed in "pro-democratic movements"...believing or not believing in reforms doesn't matter....what matters is that NOTHING justifies MEK being on the FTO list...
THIS IS A SHAME TO TREAT IRANIAN OPPOSITION IN SUCH A WAY. EVERYONE WHO HAS SEEN ATTACKS TO IRANIAN DISSIDENTS BY IRAQI FORCES OBEYING TO TEHRAN MULLAHS AND IRANIAN PEOPLE INSIDE IRAN SUPPRESSED BY IRANIAN REGIME CAN'T DENY PMOI IS THE MOST IMPORTANT OPPOSITION MOVEMENT TO KHAMENEI. REFUSING TO ADMIT THIS IS JUST REFUSING TOO SEE THE TRUTH AND WORSE SUPPORTING IRANIAN REGIME INSTEAD OF IRANIAN PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUGGLING FOR FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY, LOOKING AT PMOI AS THEIR ONLY AND SERIOUS HOPE TO SUCCESS IN THEIR FIGHT.