It doesn’t matter whether we believe that the MKO has renounced violence (although we don’t believe it at all); the US administration doesn’t believe it, at least for the time being. Recent acts by the US administration have somewhat dismantled the mask that the government actually cares about the Iranian people. Once upon a time the US was at least pretending that it was caring for people of Iran.
The removal of the MKO cult from the list clearly indicates Washington’s increasing animosity against the Iranians. Although the brutal substance of the MKO have been described several times in various reports – including RAND report 2009, HRW 2005 – and once they were financially and militarily sponsored by Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, the US officials gave credit to the group by delisting it. Undeniably, the MKO is highly despised by the majority of the Iranian people. Thus, it is very disturbing for them to observe the US supporting a group that has the blood of a large number – at least 12 thousands victims, according to Habilian Website – of their country fellow men in its hands.
The US risks its reputation at stake by supporting the MKO. But is it really worth that?
The MKO is now hoping to set up to play the role Ahmad Chalabi played in the days preceding to the American led invasion to Iraq. The so-called intelligence they published about the Iranian nuclear program has earned some approval among Western officials for them.
The Vancouver Sun journalist, Jonathan Manthrope suggests, “it seems unlikely that the Obama administration would fall for the same kind of blarney from the somewhat sinister husband and wife team of Massoud and Maryam Rajavi ,who, if several US government reports are to be believed, run MEK[the MKO] as a personality cult complete with brainwashing, brutal internal discipline, and the indoctrination of children.”[1]
The ultimate objective of US warmongers politicians such as Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs sub-Committee is to support and use Iranian oppositions and separatists to destabilize the Iranian government. Rohrabacher who welcomed the MKO’s delisting by the State Department, is pushing the US government to embrace the MKO as the “legitimate opposition” to the Iranian government.[2] it seems that they are willing to turn the MKO to a “Syrian National Council” type opposition and eventually to use them to launch terrorist acts against Iranian people. This is exactly what Maryam Rajavi is looking for. Her so called resistance movement seeks “Syria-style recognition”, according to the AFP. These days she is passionately prostituting her cult among Western authorities. [2]
Glenn Greenwald, the American prominent journalist and lawyer in an interview with Iranian journalist Kourish Ziabari told that the MKO is still engaged in violence.”There are credible reports that they are the ones who are working with Israelis and behind the assassination of civilian scientists” he said. “And because this group has paid so many influential politicians in the United States and also because this group now carried out terrorist operations on behalf of Israel and the United States in promotion of the interests of Israel and the United States.”[4]
The experience of Ahmad Chalabi and even the Syrian opposition demonstrate how distorted the miscalculations of Western politicians would be. Maybe, that’s why that Manthrope believes ,”If Obama is not about to be stampeded into war with Iran by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – with the aim of stopping the Tehran regime acquiring the ability to make nuclear weapons – he is unlikely to be impressed by the Rajavis.”[5]
To use the MKO against the Iranian nation is definitely cynical act and maybe worse than what we saw in regard to Iraqi INC or Syrian National Council.
By Mazda Parsi
References:
[1] Manthrope, Jonathan, Iranian Terrorist group now freedom fighters, in US eyes, Vancouver Sun,October3,2012
[2]McGreal, Chris, MEK supporters to push US to recognized as official Iranian opposition, Guardian, September28, 2012
[3]AFP, Iranian Opposition seeks Syria-style recognition, December5, 2012
[4]Greenwald, Glenn & Ziabari, Kourosh, The US and Israel have made a joke of the United Nations Security Council, Global Research, December16, 2012
[5] Manthrope, Jonathan, Iranian Terrorist group now freedom fighters, in US eyes, Vancouver Sun, October3, 2012