Mujahideen-e Khalq

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The Mujahedin-e-Khalq (translation: People's Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI) is an Iranian exile organization officially declared a 'terrorist' organization both in the United States and Iran. [1] Through its front group,[2][3] National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), it has been the main conduit for publicising Israeli intelligence on Iran's nuclear programme. [4]

Other Names for MEK include The National Liberation Army of Iran Muslim Iranian Student's Society.

History

Beginning as an anti-Shah movement in the 1950s, the MEK became the most militaristic opposition movement in Iran during the Shah's regime and continues this policy with the current Iranian government. The MEK reportedly conducted attacks on US officials and civilians in Iran during the 1970s, and in 1981 claimed responsibility for the murders of 70 high-ranking Iranian officials through bombings. This led to a widespread government crackdown on all opposition movements in Iran during the time, with thousands of people being tortured and executed. After this time surviving MEK members fled to Paris and Iraq where the MEK turned into a completely reactionary movement, embracing the main goal of overthrowing the Islamic government in Iran through violent means. In Iraq the MEK assisted Saddam Hussein's government in suppressing Shias and Kurds and performed "security services" for the Iraqi government until it was overthrown by the US government. The MEK cooperated with the US invasion of 2003 even though the US government distanced itself from the group shortly after. At present the MEK is mainly supported by pro-Israel advocates and/or those who desire regime change in Iran.[5]

Support from Progressives

Even though the MEK has carried out violent attacks on civilians, worked for Saddam Hussein's government for years,[6] and accepted various forms of support from the US government when it was intent on pushing for regime change in Iran through opposition movements,[7] some progressives in North America and Europe have still embraced the MEK as a legitimate resistance movement.

According to Rostam-Pourzal:

While MEK activists feign humanistic values before mainstream audiences, they work closely with some of the extremist Washington circles that push for preemptive US confrontation with Iran. (Other American unilateralist think tanks prefer to support the rival monarchist Iranian groups here.) For example, the Iranian "security expert" who regularly warns us about Iranian fundamentalism on Fox News television, Alireza Jafarzadeh, is none other than the terror group's former registered Washington representative.

Related Links

Notes

  1. ↑ Global Security, GlobalSecurity.org "Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization", Global Security.org, accessed on 24 September 2010
  2. ↑ Rostam Pourzal, "MEK Tricks US Progressives, Gains Legitimacy", Monthly Review, 26 May 2006
  3. ↑ Department of State, "Citation: 373 F.3d 152", FTP Resource, accessed on 24 September 2010
  4. ↑ Claude Salhani, 'Analysis: Israel 'Can Destroy' Iran Nukes', Space War, 11 January, 2006. (Accessed 3 April, 2009)
  5. ↑ MIPT, "Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MeK) Group Profile", MIPT Terrorism Knowledgebase, accessed on 24 September 2010
  6. ↑ Anne Singleton, [http://www.iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=813 "Saddam's Private Army How Rajavi changed Iran's Mojahedin from armed revolutionaries to an armed cult"], Iran-Interlink, accessed on 24 September 2010
  7. ↑ Seymour Hersh, "Preparing the Battlefield", New Yorker, 7 July 2008
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