Raw Story Exclusives revealed use of terror group alluded to by Leverett
On Friday, RAW STORY’s Ron Brynaert and Michael Roston revealed the redacted portions of Flynt Leverett’s "censored" New York Times op-ed which contained "sensitive" information that the White House apparently did not want disclosed—some of it obliquely referring to the Mujahedeen-e Khalq (MEK), an anti-Tehran militia.
But earlier this year, RAW STORY’s Larisa Alexandrovna reported in a series of exclusives that the Department of Defense had allegedly enlisted the MEK to conduct covert activities within Iran designed to destabilize its Balochistan region. There had been no Presidential finding, making this a purely military covert operation that has resulted either directly or indirectly in the death of several Iranian officials, including a governor
– On Cheney, Rumsfeld order, US outsourcing special ops, intelligence to Iraq terror group, intelligence officials say.
13 April 2006. Link.
"The Pentagon is bypassing official US intelligence channels and turning to a dangerous and unruly cast of characters in order to create strife in Iran in preparation for any possible attack, former and current intelligence officials say. … One of the operational assets being used by the Defense Department is a right-wing terrorist organization known as Mujahedeen-e Khalq (MEK), which is being ‘run’ in two southern regional areas of Iran. They are Baluchistan, a Sunni stronghold, and Khuzestan, a Shia region where a series of recent attacks has left many dead and hundreds injured in the last three months…"
– Cheney has tapped Iranian expatriate, arms dealer to surveil discussions with Iran, officials say.
20 April 2006. Link.
"[T]he Defense Department has created a special operations arm of various Iranian dissidents, using terror group Mujahedeen-e Khalq to conduct operations on the ground in Iran. According to current and former intelligence officials, the latest revelations of Ghorbanifar’s involvement again illustrate that Cheney and the Pentagon continue to work on the periphery of protocol in order to bypass US intelligence agencies and resources. … Reports of the Bush administration’s interest in meeting with Iranian officials continue to suggest that it is Iran that is pushing back against diplomatic talks. Yet all three intelligence sources and sources close to the UN Security Council say it is the US that is squashing attempts at talks between the two nations…"
-US military, intelligence officials raise concern about possible preparations for Iran strike.
11 May 2006. Link.
"[A] terrorist organization known as Mujahedeen-e Khalq (MEK) is being used on the ground in Iran by the Pentegon, bypassing US intelligence channels. The report was subsequently covered by the Asia Times. … Military and intelligence sources now say no Presidential finding exists on MEK ops. Without a presidential finding, the operation circumvents the oversight of the House and Senate Intelligence committees…"
RAW STORY – December 22, 2006