Salvation
WASHINGTON, Jan 8 (Reuters) – The Supreme Court declined on Monday to hear an appeal by seven people charged with raising money for an Iranian opposition group dubbed a "foreign terrorist organization" by the U.S. government.
Without comment, the justices denied the appeal by the Los Angeles area residents accused of soliciting money for the Mujahedin-e Khalq, which has carried the designation since 1977.
Only the groups themselves may seek judicial review in challenging such a designation, according to the 1996 anti-terrorism law.
Lawyers for the defendants had argued the government may not prosecute them while prohibiting them from showing that the group had been improperly designated and that the solicitations were protected by the First Amendment.
They argued the Iranian opposition group was not a terrorist organization and they had First Amendment rights to contribute to it.
The group was formed in the 1960s to overthrow the Iranian government of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. It was involved in taking U.S. Embassy staff in Tehran hostage in 1979, but later its members, dissatisfied with the clerical government that had taken power after the shah was toppled earlier in 1979, fled Iran and resettled in Iraq.
The defendants were accused of providing "material support" to the group from 1997 to 2001 by soliciting contributions at the Los Angeles International Airport and sending at least several hundred thousand dollars to the group in Turkey.
A federal judge initially struck down the law as unconstitutional because it did not allow individuals to challenge the terrorism designation.
But a U.S. appeals court disagreed and upheld the law.
The U.S. Justice Department said the Supreme Court should not consider the case now. If the defendants are convicted, they can reassert their current challenge to the law, along with any other claims, the department said.
Reuters, January 08, 2007
The Supreme Court refused Monday to block the trial of seven Los Angeles residents charged with raising money for an Iranian opposition group that was designated a "foreign terrorist organization" by the U.S. government.
Lawyers for the seven had argued the charges were unconstitutional because they had a free-speech right to raise money for a political group. That claim was rejected by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which noted the Iranian opposition group ” Mujahedin Khalq, also known as the MEK ” had a record of supporting assassinations and bombings.
"Sometimes money serves as a proxy for speech, and sometimes it buys goods and services that are not speech. Guns and bombs are not speech," said Judge Andrew J. Kleinfeld for the appeals court.
In their appeal, the lawyers said the accused deserved the right to challenge the group’s designation as a "foreign terrorist organization" as part of their defense.
Although the justices turned down the appeal without comment, they could take up the issue later if the seven are convicted of the charges.
"We are very disappointed the court decided not to hear this case. We believe the decision poses a threat to the civil liberties of any person who wants to contribute to a political organization in this country," said Stacey M. Leyton, a lawyer in San Francisco.
She said the law was written so broadly that organizations such as Greenpeace or the African National Congress in South Africa could be deemed foreign terrorist organizations. And once the group is on the government’s list, "the individual doesn’t have a right to challenge it," she said.
In the Antiterrorism Act of 1996, Congress gave the secretary of State the authority to designate foreign groups that "engage in terrorist activity" that threatens the security of Americans. Once a group makes this list, it is a crime for anyone to "knowingly" provide "material support" to it.
The MEK was founded as an Iranian Marxist group in the 1960s with a mission of overthrowing Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi and establishing a Marxist regime. But after the shah’s fall in 1979, the new Iranian regime was dominated not by Marxists but by Muslim clerics.
Later, the MEK participated in terrorist activities that targeted Americans, the government said. In a federal court in Washington, the group also admitted it supported assassinations of Iranian officials and mortar attacks on Iranian facilities.
The group first made the list of "foreign terrorist organizations" in 1997. Over the next four years, the seven defendants were charged with soliciting contributions at Los Angeles International Airport and wiring at least several hundred thousand dollars to an MEK bank account in Turkey.
LATimes, January 09, 2007
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-scotus9jan09,1,3883070.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
Nejat Society correspondent “Mehr Abad Airport Tehran- Jan.10, 2007
Two defectors of Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization, by cooperation of IRC returned to their homeland on Wednesday afternoon.
Khosro Eslamizade and Mehdi Shahkarami by more than 20 years of cooperation with MEK defected the Mujahedin due to the leaders’ inhuman behavior and their abuse of the members’ primary personal and social rights .
New developments will be published .
Nejat Society
It is too flagrant to see there yet exist people who advert to ambiguous sources to release what they believe to be “Newly obtained intelligence reports”. Previously proven disinformation of a source should caution alert minds to be heedful of the authenticity of the intelligence and the quoter.
Claude Salhani in an article published in Monstersandcritics uses a pro-terrorist like Jafarezadeh as a source for his article. Being a member of the blacklisted terrorist MKO, the world has come to know that Jafarezadeh can never be trusted as a source of intelligence.
Being the kind of people who fish in troubled water, MKO does whatever mischief to escalate the tension concerning Iraq to survive. Quoting Jafarzadeh who talked at a conference organized by the Iran Policy Committee, a lobby group pushing to get the MKO off the State Department’s terrorist list, the article intends to support the idea that Iran is advocating a special force to spread disorder and terrorism in its neighboring country Iraq.
It was only ten days ago that, following the detention of two Iranians in Iraq, Maryam Rajavi, the head of the terrorist MKO, claimed that the two Iranians were senior members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and had coordinated attacks against coalition troops and Iraqi civilians. She cited the group’s intelligence agents as the source of the information. However, the two were released because Rajavi’s allegations proved to be purely baseless and false.
Any just appraise of intelligence and information depends on the soundness of the source wherein they emerge. Of course, the public opinion pays not the least attention to what terrorists release, and any reporter of good repute should be careful of the pitfalls of the smart terrorists.
A. Afshar – 09/01/2007
Iran has arrested a man suspected of leaking secrets of the country’s disputed nuclear activities to an exiled Iranian opposition group, the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MEK), state radio reported on Tuesday. Mohammad Tavakoli says the "spy" has worked in the Iranian parliament’s research center since 2001.
MKO, labeled a terrorist group in the European Union and the United States, was the first body to expose Iran’s covert nuclear program in 2002.
A leading MP confirmed the arrest. "The man has been working in parliament’s research centre since 2001," Ahmad Tavakoli told the semi-official Fars news agency.
He said the case has been completed for trial, which he said will start soon. The MEK is considered a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union.
Iranian analysts say the People’s Mujahideen lacks support in Iran where few can forgive its siding with Saddam Hussein in the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.
Huliq.com – 10/01/2007
Meeting Mr. Robert Last, member of Britain foreign ministry delegation
Members of Habilian Association, in following of their meeting with members of political corps, met and talked with Mr. Robert Last and Ms. Sara Clayton on Thursday 2006-9-28. In this meeting, Mr. Mahdi Mollazadeh, official of Habilian association legal committee, after explaining aims and functions of association in one year and presenting some documents and evidences and answering to question about association’s activities, said:
“Terrorism issue and ‘speaking’ with weapons and murder and massacre of innocents to improve political goals have been exerted since victory of Iranian people in 1979 by greedy of power and without popular support groups and caused 16000 Iranian innocent citizens such as governmental officials or ordinary people were killed.
Presence of Saddam Hussein and some European country’s rules and regulations have caused that the Iranian anti-popular terrorists be under supported by them; terrorist activities have been followed by criminal leaders of terrorist groups, especially Mujahedeen-e Khalq Organization (MKO), who were and are in European countries and executed by assassination teams and squads, which have been dispatched from Camp Ashraf in Iraq.
Our people believe that should struggle with terrorism roots generally. We formed this association in order to have a share in this global struggle and help to this global movement as people, who have been hurt a lot by terrorism.
We think that when coalition forces came to region, they should have executed one of primitive and significant aims, which were declared by them, and also destroyed the terrorist bases, which were established in order to Saddam expansionist aims against neighboring countries especially Iran. Ashraf military base is a center, in where has been designed and executed a lot of crimes and a lot of people from Iran nation and Kurdish and Shiah tribes of Iraq have been killed.
Of course, we are, as children of terrorists victims, willing to open the terrorism record in Iran and we are too happy that innocent people of Camp Ashraf can join their families and hope that others people of them will can return to their country and get out of the organization’s pressure, like that more than 300 of them returned during one and two years ago.
Keeping of them in Ashraf base and especially west’s unconcern to their presence and distribution in Europe can be too dangerous for Europe’s people.
However, the group, which has been formed to assassination and murder since 40 years ago and has performed all kinds of terrorist activities, it is possible that perform what it has performed in Iran, in Europe too.
If MKO’s criminal leaders find themselves in surrounded and also their organization be in danger, so they can be dangerous for the Europe’s people. Some years ago, when their leader’s criminal and terrorist wife was arrested, they ordered to their members that set themselves on fire in order to win attentions.
Now you suppose that they perform some brutal actions like them or other actions, which are usually performed by terrorist groups, with Europe’s people; don’t they condemn the politicians, who allowed terrorists collect their group and deal with to spread violent thinks and activities in their land?
So, again your country’s people will be their victims like our people. Sometimes ago, some happen like that somebody set themselves on fire in France, happened in Camp Ashraf; when this organization is restricted, so try to win attentions by doing such crimes.
We collected more documents and evidence about type of function, operations and victims of this group that present you to refer to your authorities and officials.
Then, Mr. Robert Last expressed pleasure from this meeting and declared his regret to these terrorist activities, which happened for Iran’s people and families of association’s members by Mujahedeen-e Khalq and also added:
“Our country follows terrorism like your country and it is one of our problem; issues, which were noticed by you, were too useful for us such as list of victims and also documents and evidences about activities of terrorist groups. Both documents of their activities and their victims exactly will be significant and useful for the parts, which work in this field in England. As you know, I’m not expert in Iran issues but try to refer them to high officials and I hope have cooperation with you in future.
I think this travel, which is your first presence in Human Rights Council, can be useful for you because you had relations with different centers and especially various NGOs, which follow your opinions. I hope that never see terrorist activities neither in your country nor in other part of the world again. I am too glad to meet you and be lucky.
Habilian Association, December 2006
On Monday 1 January 2007, Ms. Fariba Hashtroudi, former member of national council of resistance (NRC) who has traveled into Iran recently, met and talked to Mr. Seyed Javad Hasheminejad and Mohammad Sanavi, Secretary General and executive director of Habilian association. In this meeting, Ms. Hashtroudi was informed on Habilian humanitarian activities
At the beginning of meeting, Mr. Hasheminejad pointed that how Habilian association was formed and in following added: “we, as terrorism victims, formed Habilian NGO, but without any attention to revenge and even we have also no hope to justice in this disordered world, but by according to Mujahedeen, who have been changed to a reactionary cult, we accept their members such as victims of sectarist thoughts. We hope that the justice to be administrated in two forms, international trial of cult leaders and releasing of its victims”.
In following of meeting, Mr. Sanavi explained about the assassination of his father by Mujahedeen terrorists in 1986 and also said: “my father was a mercer and basically wouldn’t consider on political issues and also didn’t have any political, military and governmental position. I’m surprised that terrorists have called their operation to kill a common innocent citizen as a heroic operation and declared in their bulletins that he was one of regime’s leaders!!” Then Mr. Sanavi presented some pictures of his father in his shop to Ms. Hashtroudi.
At the end of meeting, Mr. Hasheminejad presented some CDs, including names and specification of 16000 terrorism victims, and brochures, in which were pictures of civilian and ungovernmental victims, especially children, to former member of National Council Resistance (NRC).
Habilian Association, Tehran-1 January 2007
Iranians’ complaints against Saddam Hossein and his international accomplices for the atrocities they committed, will be compiled, head of the Sacred Defence Foundation said on Wednesday.
Mir Faisal Baqerzadeh told IRNA that the foundation has planned to forward the attorney general’s letter including documents of Saddam regime’s crimes against Iranians to Iraqi Supreme Court.
He expressed hope that in the current situation when the US avoided hearing other crimes of Saddam regime such as imposing eight-year war on Iran (1980-1988), releasing the documents will pave the way to reveal crimes of Saddam and its international supporters, the US, against Iranians.
Documents related to chemical attack against Iranian nation, bombing educational and medical centers, destroying environment as well as mistreatment and execution of Iranian prisoners of war (PoWs) will include the complaint.
Baqerzadeh also referred to the documents of allocating military equipment to the terrorist Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) by Baath regime, the reports of the UN envoys on the losses induced via the imposed war against Iran, and the list of Iraq’s air attacks against Iranian cities as well as the public complaints as other facts will be released in the future.
IRNA, Jan 3
Bipartisan Members of Congress File Brief in Opposition to Administration Terror Policy
December 19, 2006 03:07 PM Posted By News <http://webmail.iran-interlink.org/horde/services/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.acsblog.org%2F>
<http://webmail.iran-interlink.org/horde/services/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.acsblog.org%2Fnews-and-announcements-bipartisan-members-of-congres
s-file-brief-in-opposition-to-administration-terror-policy.html#discussion>
Questions & comments 1
Bipartisan Members of Congress File Brief in Opposition to Administration
Terror Policy Recently, ACSBlog highlighted
<http://webmail.iran-interlink.org/horde/services/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.acsblog.org%2Fequal-protection-and-due-process-alleged-provider-of -material-support-to-terrorists-challenges-designation.html> the case of Rahmani v. U.S., in which the Ninth Circuit held that a person charged with material support of a terrorist organization may not challenge the State Department’s designation of the organization as terrorist. An amicus brief, filed by Congressmen Bob Filner (D-CA) and Tom Tancredo (R-CO) argues that, by designating the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) as terrorists, the designation which is at issue in this case, the State
<http://webmail.iran-interlink.org/horde/services/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.altshulerberzon.com%2Fnews%2FRahmani_final_final.pdf> Department
exceeded its power under federal law.
According to the brief, Congress feared that, in enacting the law which allows the government to designate terrorist organizations and prosecute those who support them, it would abridge First Amendment rights by allowing the State Department to designate groups for purely political reasons. Such political opponents of the State Department would then be unable to raise funds from donors unwilling to risk a criminal conviction. Accordingly, the statute permits the government to only designate organizations who engage in certain violent practices, such as highjacking, assassination or use of a weapon of mass destruction. The brief argues that MEK engages in none of the practices permitting terrorist designation under the statute. Instead, its designation as a terrorist organization was part of a strategy to advance foreign policy goals:
In May 1997, Iran elected Mohammad Khatami, a reform-minded political moderate, as President. The U.S. regarded the change in leadership as an opportunity to reopen dialogue with Iran. As the group that the Iranian regime viewed as its most serious internal threat, Robert Collier, Exonerated in Terror Case, 4 Brothers Still Locked Up, S.F. CHRON., Jan. 25,
2005, at A1, the MEK was a natural pawn, and Iran reportedly demanded the designation as a prerequisite for engaging in diplomatic talks with the U.S., see James Morrison, Embassy Row: Backing Resistance, WASH. TIMES, July 27, 2006, at A14. In October 1997, the State Department complied with Iran’s demand and included the MEK on a list of designated FTOs. Shortly thereafter, a senior Clinton administration official indicated that the designation was intended as a “goodwill gesture” to Khatami and the Iranian regime.
This “politically motivated” designation, according to the brief, is not permitted under federal law. The brief concludes that MEK is a “legitimate political resistance,” similar to the “Northern Alliance in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, the African National Congress in apartheid-era South Africa, and Jewish armed resistance gruops in Nazi-controlled Europe.”
Written By:Paul Sheldon <http://webmail.iran-interlink.org/horde/services/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fgroups.yahoo.com%2Fgroup%2Ftraitorsusa%2F> Foote
On January 9, 2007 11:51 PM
These representations about the Iranian Communist MEK (MKO, PMOI, Rajavi Cult, or Pol Pot of Iran) omit that this terrorist group murdered American military officers and Rockwell International employees. The MEK committed many atrocities in Iraq in 1991, such as the massacre of large numbers of unarmed Kurds. The MEK committed a terrorist act in New York City. In September 2002, President Bush’s background paper for his remarks to the
United Nations listed the MEK as one of three Saddam Hussein-supported terrorist groups operating in Iraq. Hence, the MEK was a pretext for the invasion of Iraq in 2003. In 2003, American and coalition forces attacked Camp Ashraf, Iraq and killed some of the MEK terrorists.
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Paul Sheldon Foote
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