National Council of Resistance of Iran
The National Council of Resistance of Iran considers itself the parliament-in-exile of the Iranian Resistance, and describes itself as a broad-based political umbrella coalition comprised of five opposition political organizations and parties and more than 550 political, cultural and social figures, specialists, artists, intellectuals, scientists, military officers and commanders of the National Liberation Army. The President-elect of the NCRI is Maryam Rajavi. Massoud Rajavi, her husband, is officially the President and official spokesman of NCRI but he has not been seen or heard from since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Alireza Jafarzadeh was its official representative in the USA until the Washington office was closed by the US State Department in 2002 on the grounds that it was only a front group for the People's Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI, also known as MEK or MKO), by then listed as a terrorist organistion in the United States.[1] Most analysts believe the NCRI to be the political wing of the MEK though the NCRI and the MEk both claim that the MEK is simply a member of the NCRI. It has been alleged that the inclusion of NCRI and MEK in the list was a token offered to the theocratic regime of Iran rather than based the facts of the matter. the According to Wall Street Journal:[2] "Senior diplomats in the Clinton administration say the MEK figured prominently as a bargaining chip in a bridge-building effort with Tehran." The Journal added that: In 1997, the State Department added the MEK to a list of global terrorist organizations as "a signal" of the U.S.'s desire for rapprochement with Tehran's reformists, says Martin Indyk, who at the time was assistant secretary of state for Near East Affairs. President Khatami's government "considered it a pretty big deal," Mr. Indyk says. The MEK itself has been involved in several attacks, including bombings, on individuals and facilities (including government buildings) of the Islamic Republic of Iran, both within Iran and abroad. Some of these attacks have caused civilian deaths and both the MEk and NCRI are regarded by the Islamic Republic of Iran as being terrorists. The NCRI itself (if it is considered a separate entity to the MEK) is not an armed organisation and hence has not been involved in attacks on Iranian people and property.
The European Union in May 2004 implied that NCRI is part of the People's Mujahedin of Iran (rather than vice versa) and excluded the NCRI itself from a list of organisations considered to be terrorist organisations, including the People's Mujahedin of Iran "minus the National Council of Resistance of Iran" on its list of terrorist organisations.[3]
Represented groups
The NRCI claims membership from every part of the political and social spectrum, including those of religious, secular, liberal and nationalist persuasions, as well as the representatives of ethnic minorities, namely Kurds, Baluchis, Turkmens, and Arabs, Sunni Moslems, and members of smaller religious communities, such as Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians. Half of the council’s members are women.
The NCRI considers itself as the political umbrella coalition of different political parties and movements, with different ideological and political backgrounds, especially the Fedaiin marxist organization and the People's Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI, also known as MEK or MKO) - an organisation opposed to the present government of Iran, which has been a controversial subject for economical-political exchange in dialogues between the Iranian government, the EU and the US in several occasions. The FBI disagrees with this, alleging that the NCRI "is not a separate organization, but is instead, and has been, an integral part of the MEK at all relevant times" and that the NCRI is "the political branch" of the MEK rather than vice versa.[4]
External views on the NCRI
The NCRI is classified as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation by the United States. The European Union officially considers the People's Mujahedin of Iran "minus NCRI" to be a terrorist organisation.[3] Michael Axworthy, former head of the Iran section at the Middle East department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in the United Kingdom, claimed in early 2006 that the NCRI is a "tightly disciplined front-organization for the MEK and deemed them unreliable."[5] Nathan Hunerwadel, in an article published by the National Iranian American Council, described the NCRI as a front-group for the PMOI.[6]
Organisation structure
All members of the Council have one vote, and all decisions are adopted by a simple majority. The council's 25 committees form the basis for a provisional coalition government once the present government in Iran is changed. Chairing each committee is a prominent political personality who is an expert in the field.
See also
References
- ^ Lorimer, Doug (2006). "IRAN: US relies on terrorists for nuke 'intelligence'". Green Left Weekly, February 22, 2006. Green Left Weekly. Retrieved 2006-05-01.
- ^ Andrew Higgins and Jay Solomon (2006-11-29), Iranian Imbroglio Gives New Boost To Odd Exile Group, Wall Street Journal
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ a b "Council Common Position 2004/500/CESP of 17 May 2004" (pdf). Council of the European Union. May 17, 2004. Retrieved 2006-12-28.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "DC Court of Appeals Rules Against NCRI Petition for Review of "Foreign Terrorist Organization" Designation" (pdf). United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia. July 9, 2004. Retrieved 2006-12-28.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Kliger, Rachelle (January 11, 2006). "Resistance group claims evidence of Iranian bomb ambitions". The Media Line. Retrieved 2006-12-28.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Hunerwadel, Nathan (February 16, 2006). "Iran Policy Committee urges covert military action against Iran, support for Mujahedin". National Iranian American Council. Retrieved 2006-12-28.
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