An Iranian Cult and Its American Friends

NY Times ^ | Aug. 13, 2011 | Elizabeth Rubin

[nuconvert]

A FEW weeks ago I received an e-mail from an acquaintance with the subject line: Have you seen the video everyone is talking about?

I clicked play, and there was Howard Dean, on March 19 in Berlin, at his most impassioned, extolling the virtues of a woman named Maryam Rajavi and insisting that America should recognize her as the president of Iran.

Ms. Rajavi and her husband, Massoud, are the leaders of a militant Iranian opposition group called the Mujahedeen Khalq, or Warriors of God. The group’s forces have been based for the last 25 years in Iraq, where I visited them shortly after the fall of Saddam Hussein in April 2003.

Mr. Dean’s speech stunned me. But then came Rudolph W. Giuliani saying virtually the same thing. At a conference in Paris last December, an emotional Mr. Giuliani told Ms. Rajavi, “These are the most important yearnings of the human soul that you support, and for your organization to be described as a terrorist organization is just simply a disgrace.” I thought I was watching The Onion News Network. Did Mr. Giuliani know whom he was talking about?

Evidently not. In fact, an unlikely chorus of the group’s backers — some of whom have received speaking fees, others of whom are inspired by their conviction that the Iranian government must fall at any cost — have gathered around Mujahedeen Khalq at conferences in capitals across the globe.

This group of luminaries includes two former chairmen of the joint chiefs of staff, Gens. Hugh H. Shelton and Peter Pace; Wesley K. Clark, the former NATO commander; Gen. James L. Jones, who was President Obama’s national security adviser; Louis J. Freeh, the former F.B.I. director; the former intelligence officials Dennis C. Blair and Michael V. Hayden;

[nuconvert]

One name I didn't notice in this article is John Bolton. He, too, has spoken at their rally.

I wonder why his name was omitted.

[nuconvert]

Here’s the link to Elizabeth Rubin’s 2003 piece, “The Cult of Rajavi”.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/13/magazine/13MUJAHADEEN.html

It is recommended reading

[Shadow44]

MEK is a cult that has American blood on its hands. Unfortunately they have a large echo chamber on the internet and can convince naive lawmakers their “democratic”, and cynical ones that they can destabilize Iran.

Personally, I think they’re a waste of time and money that would only help two evil people (Rajavis).

[kabumpo]

All I need to see is that they are supported by that lunatic commie Sheila Jackson Lee to know they must be very bad.

[PMAS]

*

[SunkenCiv]

Mujahedeen Khalq. Thanks nuconvert.

[nuconvert]

pong

[Pan_Yans Wife]

The last paragraph of the article has a cautionary sentence...

"We cannot afford to be so naïve or misguided again."

With this Administration in office? I need to pray, more.

Thanks for the ping.