Apparently, the U.S. and British authorities have turned so desperate for an alibi that they readily embraced the assertion of an infamous anti-Iranian Mujahedin-e Khalgh (MEK) group, listed as a terrorist organization of bandits by Britain, the U.S., and the European Union. A spokesman of this group, which vegetates in the shadow of the U.S. army in Camp Ashraf in Iraq, said that the British crews’ capture was planned in advance. But David Stringer of the Associated Press immediately realized that he owes it to his readers to mention that the speaker of the MEK offered no evidence to support his claims. This group, along with the old Iranian monarchists, like their financiers in the White House and Downing Street, need no evidence to fabricate stories of any size. It is noteworthy that three years ago, U.S. intelligence circles suggested re-arming MEK and using it to destabilize Iran, a recommendation that has apparently readily been implemented. The undertaking of this plan makes the U.S. government complicit in the terrorist acts that have been carried out inside Iran. The New York Times recently revealed that the camp operates under the protection of the U.S. military and American troops chauffer MEK operatives.

Another organization that carries out cross-border attacks on Iranian villages is the Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan (PJAK), which is supported with equipment and training by Israeli Special Forces. This group receives its “lists of targets inside Iran” from U.S. intelligence services.

A third terrorist organization that operates on the border between Sistan-Baluchistan province of Iran and the countries of Pakistan on the south and Afghanistan on the north is called Jundallah (God’s Brigade), an extremist Sunni tribal faction. This group has been launching armed attacks on the civilian population, planting bombs and kidnapping passengers. The group has its bases in Pakistan and apparently is funded, trained and armed by the U.S. and British armies in Afghanistan and in the Iran-Pakistan border regions. According to Greg Elich of www.GlobalResearch.ca , U.S. and Israeli officials are setting up front companies to help finance the future covert local wars in Iran. An old historical statement comes to mind when thinking about how the CIA armed and financed Osama Bin Laden and the Mujahadeen fundamentalists in Afghanistan during the 1980’s to undermine the Soviet Union - History repeats itself: the first time it’s a tragedy, the second time it’s a farce.



It is now a well-known fact that U.S. special operation forces in Iraq have been given the task of kidnapping Iranian members of the diplomatic corps of individuals in Iraq and the countries where U.S. intelligence agents operate freely. For example, U.S. forces led a commando-type, helicopter-borne raid in Erbil, northern Iaq, and grabbed six Iranian liaison personnel in January 2007. These special units, operating without the permission of the Kurdish authorities, reportedly used stun guns against the men while seizing office computers, ransacking and intentionally destroying the property inside and taking down the Iranian flag from the rooftop of the raided building as a demonstration of the hatred and disrespect toward the Iranian people. The President of Iraq, Mr. Talabani, as well as one of Iraq’s most powerful Shiite leaders, condemned the raid, calling it an attack on Iraq’s sovereignty. Furthermore, the United States refused to allow any communication with the detained officials until the incident with the 15 British sailors and marines was brought into a process of negotiation. Under that condition, the United States was pressured to allow communication by the Iranian government with the Iranian captives, a promise yet to be fulfilled. And worse than that, an Iranian diplomat, Jalal Sharafi, the second secretary in Iran’s embassy in Baghdad who was kidnapped in Iraq by U.S. forces and held for over two months, was released this week. Mr. Sharafi told IRNA (Iran’s State News Agency) he was subjected to torture “day and night”. He said, “I was kidnapped on a Baghdad street while shopping by officials who had Iraqi defense ministry ID cards and were riding in American forces vehicles.” Mr. Sharafi said he was taken to a military base near Baghdad airport, and questioned in Arabic and English. “The CIA officials’ questions focused mainly on Iran’s presence and influence in Iraq. When faced with my responses on Iran’s official ties with the Iraqi government, they increased the torture.” Apparently, this is the customary method that the United States government, which likes to brag about its ‘love of democracy and concern for human rights’ treats foreign detainees and kidnapped individuals. What a respect for human rights! Where are the human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, to expose and condemn Washington’s routine practice of human rights violations?

Earlier this month, a former Iranian deputy defense minister, Mr. Ali Reza Asgari who was in Turkey to attend a conference, disappeared into thin air, and his family in Tehran has not heard from him since. Iranian officials said Asgari was kidnapped by western agents. These attacks, not highly nor widely publicized in the U.S. press, are part of the covert front of the U.S. and British forces.



* Ardeshir Ommani is a writer and an activist in the anti-war and anti-imperialist struggle for many years, including against the Vietnam War. Ardeshir is a co-founder of the American-Iranian Friendship Committee (AIFC) www.progressiveportals.com/aifc , where news of his most recent visit to Iran in March & April 2006 can be read. He helped launch the successful www.StopWarOnIran.org campaign.