US seeks Iranian group as operatives against Tehran

[Judi Lynn]

US seeks Iranian group as operatives against Tehran

Press Trust of India

New York, February 7, 2005|10:38 IST

Members of an Iranian group known for its support of the US embassy takeover in 1979 may now be sought by the Bush administration as operatives for use against Tehran, a media report said on Monday.

At a camp south of Baghdad called Ashraf, 3,850 members of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (People's Holy Warriors) or MEK have been confined, but gently treated by US forces since the invasion of Iraq, Newsweek said in its upcoming issue.

Some Pentagon civilians and intelligence planners, Newsweek said, are hoping a corps of informants can be picked from among the MEK prisoners, then split away from the movement and given training as spies.

After that, the thinking goes, they will be sent back to their native Iran to gather intelligence on the Iranian clerical regime, particularly its efforts to develop nuclear weapons, the report said.
(snip/...)

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1231266,00050001.htm

[LynnTheDem]

1. Same ol same ol...exactly the root cause of 911.

America just never ever learns.

PS: MEK are listed as "terrorists" on the US State Dept.

[Moderator]

2. kick

[NNN0LHI]

3. U.S. Seeking Members of Iranian Group MEK to be Operatives Against Tehran

http://www.yubanet.com/artman/publish/article_17811.shtml

Will Train as Spies Then Send Back to Iran to Gather Intelligence Against Clerical Regime

By: Newsweek
Published: Feb 7, 2005

Members of an Iranian group known for its support of the U.S. Embassy takeover in 1979 may now be sought by the Bush administration as operatives for use against Tehran, Newsweek reports in the current issue. At a camp south of Baghdad called Ashraf, 3,850 members of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (People's Holy Warriors) or MEK have been confined but gently treated by U.S. forces since the invasion of Iraq (once they were allies of Saddam against their own country in the 1980s Iran-Iraq war)

Some Pentagon civilians and intelligence planners are hoping a corps of informants can be picked from among the MEK prisoners, then split away from the movement and given training as spies, U.S. officials say. After that, the thinking goes, they will be sent back to their native Iran to gather intelligence on the Iranian clerical regime, particularly its efforts to develop nuclear weapons, report Middle East Regional Editor Christopher Dickey, Investigative Correspondent Mark Hosenball and Senior Editor Michael Hirsh in the February 14 issue of Newsweek (on newsstands Monday, February 7). Some hawks hope they could help to reawaken the democratic reform movement in Iran, which the mullahs have silenced. "They to make us mercenaries," one MEK official tells Newsweek.

more

http://cfrterrorism.org/groups/mujahedeen.html

Mujahedeen-e-Khalq

Iranian rebels

What is Mujahedeen-e-Khalq?

Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK) is the largest and most militant group opposed to the Islamic Republic of Iran. Also known as the People’s Mujahedeen Organization of Iran, MEK is led by husband and wife Massoud and Maryam Rajavi. MEK was added to the U.S. State Department’s list of foreign terrorist groups in 1997 and to the European Union’s terrorist list in 2002 because its attacks have often killed civilians. Despite MEK’s violent tactics, the group’s strong stand against Iran—part of President Bush’s “axis of evil”—and pro-democratic image have won it support among some U.S. and European lawmakers.

What are MEK’s origins?

more

[NYC]

4. Exasperating.

Who thinks this is a good idea?

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

5. OK, now that's just going too fucking far.

Everyone knows bush is extremely stupid. But does he have to advertise it in ways like this?

The word "abusrd" springs to mind here.

[bemildred]

6. Makes perfect sense if you want to provoke an attack.

Otherwise, of course, you are right, it would be stupid.