Richardson Is Paid To Promote Listed Terror Group (Ex-NM Gov)

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | Sat, Mar 10, 2012 | Thomas Cole

[CedarDave]

Ex-Gov. Bill Richardson is one of several former top U.S. government officials pocketing large fees to speak in support of an Iranian group that is listed by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization.

Richardson, a former energy secretary and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, was in Washington, D.C., in January and in Paris in February to call on the State Department to remove the Mojahedin-e Khalq, or MEK, from the terror list.

During the ’70s, the MEK killed U.S. military personnel and U.S. civilians working on defense projects in Tehran and supported the takeover in 1979 of the U.S. Embassy in that city, according to the State Department.

The group, which opposes the Iranian government and aligned itself in the 1980s with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, has also been tied to terrorist attacks around the world.

The MEK philosophy mixes Marxism, feminism, nationalism and Islam, according to the State Department.

Supporters of the MEK say the terrorist listing is outdated and that its members have denounced violence. MEK members have been described as freedom fighters and the best chance for change in Iran.

Richardson and the other big-name advocates for MEK are collecting fees of $10,000 to $50,000 for speeches on behalf of the group, The New York Times has reported. The Christian Science Monitor has also reported extensively on the MEK and its bipartisan supporters.

Richardson’s standard speaking fee is between $25,000 and $50,000, according to his booking agent.

Other paid advocates for the MEK include former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, ex-Gov. Howard Dean of Vermont and former top U.S. military, CIA and national security officials.

[CedarDave]

Note the names in the last paragraph -- I guess any politician can be bought if the reward is high enough.

[mikec256]

The LOVE of money is the root of all evil...

[BCrago66]

I’m not a fan of the guy, but this isn’t as bad as it looks. Do some research. There’s a boatload of people on the Right who advocate removing the MEK from the terror list. This is a group fighting against the Iranian regime, and which has leaked to the US reliable information regarding Iran’s nuclear program.

[BCrago66]

I like to cite sources to back up my assertions, so here’s a cite to an article substantiating my first comment:

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/256689/mek-not-terrorist-group-michael-b-mukasey-tom-ridge-and-frances-fragos-townsend

MEK Is Not a Terrorist Group
The material-support statute is fine; the designation is the problem.

By Michael B. Mukasey, Tom Ridge, Rudolph W. Giuliani, and Frances Fragos Townsend

[tpuskett]

This is a criminal. He must be indicted,tried and convicted then sent Gitmo!!

[gusty]

You are right. I believe a lot of the intelligence we have gathered about Iran’s nuclear program has come from MEK operatives. Plus MEK operatives are working with the Mossad in knocking off some of Iran’s nuclear scientists. True they were anti-American 40 years ago, but since 1980 this group has not been an enemy. I believe they even stood aside and declined to help Saddam in 2003, even thou their camps are located within Iraq. Remember, 40 years after WW2 we were allies with Germany, Italy, and Japan, and they killed a lot more than 7 Americans.

[CedarDave]

The MEK philosophy mixes Marxism, feminism, nationalism and Islam, according to the State Department.

Sounds like it deserves the term. Sort of like the Muslim brotherhood ousting despots - you may end up with something as bad or worse (though in Iran one would be hard pressed to find anything worse).

[sasquatch]

He did such a good job with North Korea, he ought to be able to fix anything.

[CedarDave]

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[RetiredTexasVet]

Look up the definition of slime ball ... you will get a picture of of Richardson!

[Pollster1]

This is a tricky issue. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” As mentioned by others, MEK is a special case. I’m not convinced they are people we should support blindly, but they are helpful in responding to an existential threat from the Iranian regime. Given the situation’s ambiguity, I won’t condemn Richardson for this decision.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks CedarDave.

...the Mojahedin-e Khalq, or MEK... killed U.S. military personnel and U.S. civilians working on defense projects in Tehran and supported the takeover in 1979 of the U.S. Embassy in that city ...[now] opposes the Iranian government and aligned itself in the 1980s with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, has also been tied to terrorist attacks around the world.