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French police seize 158 Iranians in raid on 'terror group'
The Independent (U.K.) ^
| 06/18/03
| John Lichfield
Posted on 06/17/2003 1:31:39 PM PDT by Pokey78
Heavily armed French police have rounded up 158 members of an Iranian armed opposition group, the People's Mujahedin,in the most spectacular raids of their kind for more than 30 years.
More than 1,000 police officers smashed their way into a large private compound in Auvers-sur-Oise, north-west of Paris, yesterday and arrested, among others, Maryam Rajavi, the public face of the group and wife of the shadowy Mujahedin leader, Massoud Rajavi.
The detainees also included Saleh Rajavi, Massoud Rajavi's brother, who is head of the group in France. The Interior Ministry said the suspects were being investigated for "preparing acts of terrorism and for financing a terrorist enterprise".
The Mujahedin, who also call themselves the National Iranian Resistance Council, are listed by the EU and the United States as a terrorist organisation. They have, none the less, been allowed to operate with relative freedom in France, Britain and the US for more than 20 years.
The timing of the raids suggests an attempt by France to remove a source of Western friction with Iran while Tehran is under pressure from both the US and EU to co-operate with the international community on its nuclear arms programme. Whether the US will appreciate such a gesture by France is uncertain.
A spokesman in London for the Mujahedin, a sect-like organisation which claims to be both Islamist and Marxist, accused France of trying to "curry favour" with what he called the "terrorist" regime in Tehran.
"It is a [French] political gesture to Tehran ... and a cold shower for the Americans," said an independent Iranian political analyst, Daryouch Abdali.
French officials said the raids had nothing to do either with the nuclear stand-off with Iran or the recent riots by young people in Tehran and other Iranian cities. They said the raids had been planned a month ago, based on an investigation into suspected terrorist activities which was launched in 2001.
The Mujahedin were closely allied with the deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, who allowed them to operate from military camps near Baghdad and close to the Iran-Iraq border. The group has no connection with al-Qa'ida, claiming to represent a moderate and socialist version of Islam, which promotes democracy and the rights of women. Their bases were, none the less, attacked by US planes during the Iraqi war.
Earlier this month, the US and the Mujahedin agreed a ceasefire but the State Department said it had no intention of working with the group to try to topple the clerical regime in Tehran.
Just after 6am yesterday, French security police, supported by elite units of the gendarmerie and national police force, smashed into the Mujahedin compound in Auvers, consisting of three villas and 30 small bungalows. Simultaneous raids were mounted in other parts of the Paris area. Police said they had seized $1.3m (£800,000) in $50 notes, 100 satellite dishes and a "large quantity" of computer equipment. The raids were called Operation Theo, possibly after Vincent van Gogh's brother of the same name. Vincent committed suicide in Auvers in 1890 and the two brothers are buried in the town's cemetery.
The raids were ordered by France' leading anti-terrorism magistrate, Jean-Louis Bruguière. A Mujahedin spokesman said in London: "The individuals arrested in the unjustifiable raids were all in France legally and had not conducted any illegal activity whatsoever."
TOPICS: Breaking News; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: alqaedafrance; bushdoctrineunfold; france; warlist
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1
posted on
06/17/2003 1:31:39 PM PDT
by
Pokey78
To: Pokey78
What, now they want to help us in the War on Terrorism????
2
posted on
06/17/2003 1:34:57 PM PDT
by
cherry_bomb88
(Are you on the right side of the wrong issue or the wrong side of the right issue?)
To: Pokey78; *Bush Doctrine Unfold; *war_list; W.O.T.; DoctorZIn; Eurotwit; freedom44; FairOpinion; ...
Bad news!
Bush Doctrine Unfolds :
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3
posted on
06/17/2003 1:36:40 PM PDT
by
Ernest_at_the_Beach
(Iran Mullahs will feel the heat from our Iraq victory!)
To: cherry_bomb88
BAH!
These aren't terrorists. Well, not the kind that blow US up, they are mainly focused on the current Iranian regime. And while I find the Islamic-Marxist bent of the group frightful, I can't quite muster any animosity to a group trying to bring down the Iranian theocracy.
4
posted on
06/17/2003 1:38:55 PM PDT
by
Skywalk
To: Skywalk
Just like the frogs....they must be taking their lessons from Hillary & Bill on staging photo ops.
5
posted on
06/17/2003 1:40:37 PM PDT
by
cherry_bomb88
(Are you on the right side of the wrong issue or the wrong side of the right issue?)
To: Skywalk; hchutch
. And while I find the Islamic-Marxist bent of the group frightfulCommunal ownership of the 72 virgins? :o)
6
posted on
06/17/2003 1:41:46 PM PDT
by
Poohbah
(I must be all here, because I'm not all there!)
To: Pokey78
You can always count on the French to find the bad guys!
7
posted on
06/17/2003 1:44:49 PM PDT
by
ewing
To: Skywalk
I can't quite muster any animosity to a group trying to bring down the Iranian theocracy.thats the thinking that got us saddam. we're disarming this group's forces in iraq.
8
posted on
06/17/2003 1:45:38 PM PDT
by
Emma
To: Poohbah
LOL
State ownership of the means of jihad?
9
posted on
06/17/2003 1:45:54 PM PDT
by
Skywalk
To: Pokey78
This sounds like a little internecine fighting between socialists.
Im not even sure we have a dog in this fight.
10
posted on
06/17/2003 1:45:58 PM PDT
by
dead
To: Pokey78
Okay you French bastards. Where are the WMDs that justified this. I want to see them NOW!
11
posted on
06/17/2003 1:47:42 PM PDT
by
DoughtyOne
(France: More than a cow pie, less than a place to die for!)
To: Skywalk; hchutch
Suicide bombers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your detonators!
12
posted on
06/17/2003 1:49:07 PM PDT
by
Poohbah
(I must be all here, because I'm not all there!)
To: Pokey78
The francies are hopelessly trying to make themselves look good in their own war on their version of terror.
13
posted on
06/17/2003 1:53:46 PM PDT
by
azhenfud
To: Pokey78
This is completely unacceptable. Did they notify the UN of their intentions? Couldn't they have observed them for 12 years or so to ensure they presented a threat? I cannot believe the French acted unilaterally!!!!
14
posted on
06/17/2003 1:53:48 PM PDT
by
milan
To: Pokey78; Mr. Z; freedom44; Grampa Dave
15
posted on
06/17/2003 1:54:55 PM PDT
by
Shermy
To: Poohbah
It'll be interesting to see how they decide who gets which virgin... :)
16
posted on
06/17/2003 1:56:25 PM PDT
by
hchutch
("If you don’t win, you don’t get to put your principles into practice." David Horowitz)
To: Skywalk
Actually they did blow up Americans, that's how they became listed as terrorists by the US.
17
posted on
06/17/2003 2:05:32 PM PDT
by
ellhow
To: ellhow
I still doubt French motives. Probaby sucking up to the mullahs.
18
posted on
06/17/2003 2:07:15 PM PDT
by
elhombrelibre
(Liberalism corrupts. Absolute Liberalism corrupts absolutely.)
To: ellhow
Hmm, really?
When did this happen?
19
posted on
06/17/2003 2:13:23 PM PDT
by
Skywalk
To: DoughtyOne
They never promised to find WMD. And I'm willing to bet they didn't kill 5,000 to 10,000 civilians in the process of this raid.
I don't understand people who blindly hate the French. Is a true friend a yes man?
Remember we wouldn't even be a country without the French. We'd all be sipping tea right now.
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