| A group of former members of terrorist MKO group wrote an open letter to the president of the U.S. yesterday condemning MEK removal from the list of foreign terrorist organizations as a “grave mistake”. |
Following is the full text of the letter published on their website:
Dear Mr. President,
We are from Iran Pen Association in Europe that consists of defectors from the Iranian group MEK which was just until recently in the US State Department FTO list. The majority of us have each spent more than twenty years inside the MEK and each one of us has abundant experience and knowledge of the MEK leadership, its cult nature and terrorist activities.
We believe that your administration has made a grave mistake by delisting the MEK and due to the terrorist nature of this group; the consequences of this decision will in near future harm many people, including US citizens.
Let us ask you of the whereabouts of MEK leader, Massoud Rajavi. Is he hiding under US Administration's support?
The information and evidence given by the MEK defectors in recent years together with the views of analysts close to US administration suggest that by hiding and helping Massoud Rajavi in order to tame the MEK and utilize it as a tool; the US Government generates a terrible image of itself amongst the Iranian people and opposition groups. The Iranian opposition parties and personalities consider the MEK and its leadership as an authoritarian and religious cult which is light years away from the basic values of democracy. Therefore, the US Government support of the MEK and Rajavi ruins any reputation of your administration. Please note that many of the MEK defectors have legal cases against Massoud Rajavi for which he has to be brought to justice in any international court.
The reasons why we believe delisting this terrorist cult is a grave mistake by the US Administration, include:
1. The MEK has never put aside aggression and armed struggle. The MEK and its leadership has not officially und publicly announced that it is rejecting aggression and armed conflict and has never criticized its past and recent acts of terror. Indeed, every year the MEK celebrates the start of its terror campaign. In many European countries and in France specifically, by orders sent out by Maryam Rajavi; legally held meetings and gatherings of the MEK's opponents are attacked by MEK members carrying sticks and bats, injuring peaceful protestors.
2. Rajavi has said many times that the MEK will regain all its weapons and bases it had to give up by the force imposed by the US Army. He is hoping he will have the arms and strategic barracks like Ashraf back and start his terrorist activities again.
3. Before the downfall of the Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, Massoud and Maraym Rajavi had always their "anti-Imperialist" slogans and in every morning parade and training, the MEK forces had to sing MEK composed anti US songs such as: "Yanki go home or your blood will be spilt" or "the battle against America". On September 11, 2001 when US came under Ben Laden's terrorist attacks and the twin towers in New York were destroyed, leaving many of your compatriots dead, wounded, shocked and in tears; MEK Camp in Iraq was the only place in the world that Massoud Rajavi ordered celebrations and festivities. On that very day during one of his general gatherings, the horrific scenes of ruins and explosions were repeatedly shown many times while Rajavi rejoiced saying: "this (attack) is done by the reactionary Islam, just wait and see when the Revolutionary Islam and the Organization (MEK) set out to do its job"!
4. A python never gives birth to a dove. So, how can MEK with its cult leadership and structure all of a sudden change its course over a night? The MEK was founded with the aim of fighting what it called US Imperialism and the Imperialist paper tiger. Then, on the eve of Saddam Hussein's downfall by US, Rajavi ordered all anti US documents, books, films, songs and archives be wiped and burnt and then set out his new policy saying the MEK should tactically show it is moving in parallel to US policy.
5. When the MEK was designated a foreign terrorist organization in President Clinton administration, Rajavi used to wear his military uniform and colt gun in the MEK general gathering , calling for an all-out war against USA, saying he is the iron fist against US. This was due to the fact that he had Saddam Hussein's support by means of funds, weapons and several bases and barracks in locations in Iraq. But nowadays he has been forced to take off his military uniform and his forces at the transit camp in Baghdad await possible acceptance as refugees by other countries. Thus, Rajavi is now on his knees and begging you to save himself from the quagmire in Iraq.
6. MEK has no tolerance whatsoever to the slightest criticism from inside or outside. Inside the cult and under Rajavi's absolute rule, any disagreement or opposition has always been ruthlessly suppressed by imprisonment, torture and execution. The members have no basic human rights and are cut off from the outside world. They have no access to radio or TV stations, no access to any means of communications. The members have been denied even the very basic right of contacting or meeting their families and Rajavi has branded the families as mercenaries and does not allow any contacts. So has such an entity with such a leadership exercising these gross violations really changed into a decent political group? Is it not naïve to think or suggest that the MEK has distanced itself from its dark and bloody history, while there is not any statement from its leader regretting its past?
7. Frankly speaking, because of the problematic nature of MEK, you cannot use it as a card, let alone a winning card. We believe you are betting not on a losing horse, but a dead horse. The MEK is on the verge of collapse and suffers from:
- Lack of legitimacy in the Iranian society and is much hatred by the Iranian people due to its joining Saddam Hussein's war against Iran. MEK has no roots amongst Iranians.
- Lack of political legitimacy among Iranian opposition groups inside and outside Iran because of MEK's terrorist activities and its leader's personality cult.
- Being tools of other countries, like Saddam's Iraq and some others, leaving it isolated and much detested by the people of Iran.
- MEK and its leader still believe in armed terrorist activities and savage means to reach its goals, while history shows the time of such bloody and brutal means has long expired.
- MEK's leadership is incapable of understanding and analyzing the socio-political situation in Iran.
Based on the above mentioned reasons, we believe that your decision to delist MEK has no political justification and is irrational, lacking sufficient knowledge and insight into this cult. In our view this decision is bound to fail and it cannot help to democratize a terrorist organization which is ruled by the Rajavis' personality cult.
Therefore, and with all respects, we ask you to revise this decision.
Yours sincerely,
Iran Pen Association