Report: Markus Schmidt, John Goetz
"these are terrorists, but there is a big difference between being my terrorists or yours.” Ray McGovern, ex-CIA
Sonia Mikich: "After Baghdad, now Teheran, the next war? Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State is in attendance in Europe and praises the efforts of the Europeans to solve politically the atomic controversy with Iran.
That is one signal of American foreign policy. The other one: Pressure is to be finally made on the regime in Teheran. George Bush said clearly yesterday in his speech that Iran is the major supporter of terrorism. And again, the US leads the war against terrorism. This is well known.
A military strike on Iran – the film script has been written long ago, and its logistic preparations are underway. The allied ones are on the ground. Markus Schmidt and John Goetz have this report:
George W. Bush, yesterday night, appeared for the start of his second term of office and his message: America will carry democracy into all world.
George W. Bush, US President : "Iran remains the major international sponsor of terror. It strives for nuclear weapons. This evening, I say to the Iranian people that “if you take a stand for your own liberty, America stands at your side.”
The option of military strikes is still on the table and is being prepared. And these fighters (MKO) play an important role. They call themselves Mojahedin-e Khalq of Iran, MEK. They are mortal enemies of the Iran Government. In their videos they praise their impact force. Thousands of fighters for a new Iran. But for the US State Department, and also for the European Union, they are considered as terrorists, on the same stage with Al-Qaeda. Is MEK today the secret ally of the US? Ex CIA agent McGovern has no doubt.
Ray McGovern, ex-CIA-civil servant: "why the US cooperates with organizations like the Mojahedin, I think, is because that they are local, and because they are ready to work for us. Previously, we considered them as a terrorist organization. And they exactly are. But they are now our terrorists and we now don’t hesitate to send them there to Iran."
Here in the Pentagon the threads gather where the Iran Plan is being run since the autumn of 2002. Here is the power of Neo-Conservatives. For them, Iraq is only an intermediate step for toppling the ruling power in Teheran.
Karen Kwiatkowski, ex Pentagon official: "In the autumn 2002, when the president was campaigning to get the agreement for the invasion to Iraq, the ‘office for special planning’ was looking at Iran. And Neo-Conservatives thought about how to proceed with Iran. In their conception of the world, Iran has long been a target."
"For years, the Pentagon has tried to lift the MKO’s name from the terrorist list and to recognize it as a resistance force. For the war planners, they are the “born allied” ones, trained in sabotage technology, and disciplined."
Ray McGovern, ex CIA civil servant: "They are sent now over the borders into Iran for the usual secret service activities: attaching sensors, in order to supervise the Iranian atomic program, mark targets for air attacks, and perhaps establishing secret camps to control the military locations in Iran. And also a little sabotage."
Karen Kwiatkowski ex Pentagon official: "MKO is ready to do things over which we would be ashamed, and over which we try to keep silent. But for such tasks we exactly use them."
Flash back:
The history of the Mojahedin is as brutal as it is bizarre. Their ideology: a mixture of Islam and Marxism, their practice: Terror…
The 60’s: Fight against the Shah, murdering US soldiers [sic] in Teheran.
1979: Revolution beside Ayatollah Khomeini.
The 80’s: Breaking with the Mullah’s regime, fighting underground, performing military operations due to which many civilians died.
1986: MKO leader, Rajavi left exile in France, under the pressure of the government in Paris. His new host: Saddam Hussein, ruling power of Iraq and mortal enemy of the Mullahs. Saddam showed up generously, gave the bases, supplies and heavy weapons.
May 2003: US tanks scroll up 100 km, to the headquarters of the Mojahedin north of Baghdad. The MKO itself, hands over all heavy weapons without a single shot fired during the operation. The MEK is the only terrorist group in the world, with which the US army cut a deal. And still another characteristic: Their fighters in Iraq are given protected persons status under [the Fourth] Geneva Convention.
US soldier, May 2003: "the Mojahedin explained their preparations to deliver their weapons. They may carry small weapons for self-defense, but they have agreed to hand over their large weapon systems and tanks to the coalition troops."
The spokesmen of Mojahedin give themselves the status of statesmen and say: “No, they are not puppets of the US.” They audaciously praise themselves and add: “Mojahedin was first in uncovering the secret atomic plants of the Mullahs." But now they want to be rewarded for this, and it means that they want their name off the terrorist list.
Mohammad Mohaddessin, MKO spokesman: "Cooperation with Americans? They control us and naturally protect us too. Our units in Iraq form only a very small part of our movement. We have thousands and thousands of supporters [in] Iran."
But behind the scenes, MKO fighters have good relations with Americans.
We visit the ‘Global Option’ private business, which is specialized in military training world-wide. After investigations by Monitor, it becomes clear that the company employs military trainers from the Mojahedin and coordinates all cooperation needs on behalf of the Pentagon. Asked about this intermediary role, the answer is vague: ‘Cooperation, yes. There is bilateral recognition, but direct receipt of money for the services of the company, no’.
Neil Livingstone, Global Option: “MKO, a long time ago, said goodbye to terrorism. It was stupidity in fact to put them on the US terror list, a kind of tranquilizer for the Iranian government. A concession to get the negotiations go faster. We do not cooperate with MKO. I was their guest, I promoted them in Congress, without getting money. I have had good relations with them since a long time ago, for 30 years."
Another informed source speaks words contradictory to those of Livingstone. Pat Long, former department manager in the military secret service, says to Monitor: Global Option has been taken up as buffer by the Pentagon in order to hide the Pentagon’s relations with a terrorist organization from the public.
Pat Long, ex civil servant of Pentagon secret services: "Secret Services adopt security measures in their operations to which we can’t link the orders of government. So, if the operation fails, one can claim that the government has had no role in it and that there were other hands involved.”
Reporter: "and these ‘others’ is Global Option?"
Pat long, ex civil servant of Pentagon secret service: "I exactly heard that.”
"They are again in business. This time not beside Saddam Hussein but at the side of the US: always useful, always a puppet in the hands of powers."
Ray McGovern, ex CIA civil servant: "these are terrorists, but there is a big difference between being my terrorists or yours.”
MONITOR – WDR TV, Germany
