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AFP, AP files
Gen. Hugh Shelton, left, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and ex-FBI Director Louis Freeh are among the top former U.S. government officials whose speaking fees have been subpoenaed.
Speaking firms representing ex-FBI Director Louis Freeh and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Hugh Shelton have received federal subpoenas as part of an expanding investigation into the source of payments to former top government officials who have publicly advocated removing an Iranian dissident group from the State Department list of terrorist groups, three sources familiar with the investigation told NBC News.
The investigation, being conducted by the Treasury Department, is focused on whether the former officials may have received funding, directly or indirectly, from the People's Mujahedin of Iran, or MEK, thereby violating longstanding federal law barring financial dealings with terrorist groups. The sources, all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity, said that speaking fees given to the former officials total hundreds of thousands of dollars.
"This is about finding out where the money is coming from," an Obama administration official familiar with the probe said. "This has been a source of enormous concern for a long time now. You have to ask the question, whether this is a prima facie case of material support for terrorism."
Freeh and Shelton are among 40 former senior U.S. government officials who have participated in a public lobbying campaign – including appearing at overseas conferences and speaking at public rallies – aimed at persuading the U.S. government to remove the MEK from the terror list.
First-class flights
Many of the speakers have received fees of about $30,000 or more per talk and first-class flights to European capitals, according to two sources familiar with the arrangements.
Edward Rendell, a former Pennsylvania governor and ex-Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, whose speaking firm also received a subpoena, has received $160,000 over the past year for appearing at about seven conferences and rallies, including some in Paris, Brussels and Geneva, according to his office. (Rendell is a contributor to MSNBC TV.)
The former officials have said they were told the fees came from wealthy American and foreign supporters of the MEK, not the group itself — and they resent any suggestion they are abetting a terrorist group.
"We're all pretty miffed," Shelton told NBC News. "None of us involved in this would say a good word about anyone suspected of being a terrorist." But Shelton said that he's "pretty passionate" that the MEK represents a legitimate resistance group fighting to overthrow "America's number one enemy" — the Iranian government.
In a statement Friday, Hossein Abedini, a spokesman for the MEK,also denied the group has ever “paid senior former U.S. officials or any other dignitary in the U.S.”
“This is an utter lie and there is not even a scintilla of truth to it,” Abedini said. “The MEK, as the legitimate opposition to the clerical regime, enjoys international recognition in Europe and the U.S. The objective of this failed propaganda is to weaken the widespread public support of the members of Congress, officials and scores of U.S. generals for … revoking of the illegitimate and unjust terror listing of the MEK.”
Shelton said that he was informed by Keppler Speakers, the agency that handles his speaking engagements, that it had been subpoenaed for records of talks he has given over the past year at conferences and rallies sponsored by the MEK. He said Freeh told him that Greater Talent Network, the firm that handles the former FBI director's speaking engagements, also received a subpoena.
At schools, in shops and on the streets of big cities and small towns, daily life plays out in Iran.
Freeh did not respond to requests for comment. (A Keppler executive also did not respond. Reached by phone, Tom Marcosson, an executive vice president of Greater Talent, declined to comment.)
But Rendell told NBC News that he received an email this week from Freeh's office alerting him and more than three dozen other former senior officials that subpoenas were being issued by the Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control. The email asked that the former senior officials contact Freeh and former Attorney General Michael Mukasey. Freeh and Mukasey, who have been among the leaders in the campaign to "delist" the MEK, are hiring a lawyer to represent all former senior officials caught up in the investigation, the email from Freeh's office said, according to Rendell.
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John Sullivan, a spokesman for the Treasury Department, said the department does not comment on "potential" investigations. But he added in an email: "The MEK is a designated terrorist group, therefore U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with or providing services to this group. The Treasury Department takes sanctions enforcement seriously and routinely investigates potential violations of sanctions law."
It is unclear how far Treasury Department officials intend to push the probe — or why they chose to launch it now, more than a year after the lobbying campaign began. But NBC News has obtained one possible clue: A small Pennsylvania-based speakers firm called Speakers Access wrote an email in September inviting a Washington based national security expert to speak at a conference in Geneva, Switzerland "on behalf of our client, National Council of Resistance of Iran, Foreign Affairs Committee." The National Council of Resistance is considered by the Treasury Department to be one of the "aliases" of the MEK and is itself designated as a terror group.
'Mistake'
The email was later turned over to the FBI and other U.S. officials. The Speakers Access executive who wrote the email, who asked not to be identified, said the email was a "mistake" and that the client was actually another organization — "the Committee for Human Rights in Iran," which is not on the terror list but which has the same contact in Paris as the National Council of Resistance of Iran.
The executive said Speakers Access has since ceased any dealings with either group and turned over all its records on the matter after receiving a Treasury Department subpoena months ago.
The investigation comes at a time of intense internal debate about the MEK, in part spurred by assertions it could prove a useful ally in pressuring the Iranian government to suspend its nuclear program. NBC News reported recently that MEK operatives, trained by the Israeli Mossad, are believed by some U.S. intelligence officials to have been involved in the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists — a report that the group has denied as "absolutely false."
Israel teams with terror group to kill Iran's nuclear scientists, U.S. officials say
U.S. officials say that the MEK has a long history of terrorist acts, including bombings and assassinations, against Iranian leaders during the 1980s and that at least six Americans died in such attacks. The group — which was once allied with Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein — is also viewed warily because of the slavish devotion of its followers to its Paris based leader, Maryan Rajavi.
Mohammad Javad Larijani, a senior aide to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, describes what Iranian leaders believe is a close relationship between Israel's secret service, the Mossad, and the People's Mujahedin of Iran, or MEK, which is considered a terrorist organization by the United States.
"The MEK has a crazy edge to it," said Michael Leiter, former director of the National Counter-Terrorism Center and an NBC News consultant. "It always struck me as a cult as much as a terrorist group."
But the group's supporters say it has long since publicly renounced violence and that Rajavi has proclaimed the group's adherence to democratic principles. "They want the mullahs out of Iran and they want to replace them with a constitution based on the Declaration of Independence," said Shelton.
The group has also generated sympathy over the plight of its followers at Camp Ashraf, a paramilitary camp on the Iran-Iraq border, where they have been detained – and until recently protected – by the U.S military since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. U.S. officials have been seeking the group's cooperation to resettle the estimated 2,500 remaining MEK members at Camp Ashraf to a new facility near the Baghdad airport, where they can be processed by the United Nations as refugees and resettled elsewhere.
But the process has stalled – in part over disputes about the conditions of transfer – and MEK advocates say they fear the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, at Iran's urging, may move in to slaughter the group’s members. "This could be a humanitarian disaster," said Rendell.
Rendell said that there have been weekly conference calls among a "core group" of former U.S. senior officials participating in the lobbying campaign, organized by Freeh, to talk about ways to prod the State Department to remove the MEK from the terror list and protect its followers at Camp Ashraf. He identified this group as including former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, former Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean and Mukasey — all of whom have publicly spoken out on behalf of the MEK and spoken at its rallies.
Officials act as middle men
These weekly conference calls have also turned into back channel negotiations over the Camp Ashraf issue. In recent weeks, Rendell said, State Department Ambassador Daniel Fried, the special envoy for detainee issues, has joined the phone calls, urging the pro-MEK "core" members to pass along messages to MEK leaders in Paris, Rendell said.
"The core group talks to Freeh every week," he said. "It's Ridge, myself, Dean, Freeh, Mukasey. Shelton has joined us on occasion. … We were the ones that Fried asked to communicate with the MEK, telling them, 'This is the best deal you're going to get.' He will say, 'Listen, you guys have to persuade the MEK to do this. Tell them, OK, tell Paris, they have to persuade the people to get on the buses (at Camp Ashraf.) We then communicate [with the MEK]."
Fried declined comment. But a senior State Department official confirmed his participation in the calls as a means of communicating with MEK leaders in Paris — something U.S. officials are barred from doing — in order to work out a "peaceful" resolution over the conflict over Camp Ashraf.
Rendell said that he and other members of the core group have met with Rajavi in Paris and sent emails to her chief deputy, Farzin Hashemi, passing along Fried's messages. "The bottom line is, we all believe we are protecting people," he said.
But the bottom line for some U.S. officials is that the former government officials participating in the pro-MEK campaign are being paid handsomely for promoting a dubious cause sponsored by an officially designated terrorist group. Despite the public lobbying campaign, there is still deep suspicion about the MEK and its motives — and concerns that once its members leave Camp Ashraf, many of its followers will return to terrorism, said one senior official speaking on condition of anonymity.
"It's extraordinary that so many distinguished public servants would shill for a group that has American blood on its hands," the official said.
Leave a Comment:
Could it be that they are on to something. A total of 40 senior ex-officials have asked to remove MEK from the list.
My guess is ,that those 40 should be on the list.
The person putting mek on the terrorist list should be investigated
wrong! Those 40 should be on the list. The world watches and sees Israel for the terrorist state they continue to be - Israel is the problem in the ME, not Iran. The first one to attack Iran (and Iran will be attacked if it does not hurry up and go nuclear) will unleash retribution that will be destructive to many innocents if the US does not keep its nose out of this mess.
So, Will, it's okay for the US to support and fund terrorist groups abroad? The rules go both ways.
M.E.K. Could very well turn out to be a C.I.A. covert operation . Or the fab forty are just in it for the money.
I'd guess the latter
I think that everybody is flying off the handle, making assumptions about the motives of these forty, former officials, and about the MEK.
I admit the high payments received by Louis Freeh and others are highly suspicious, and need to be investigated. But I will not assume that they themselves are terrorists or traitors without some further evidence.
If these former officials were speaking out on their on accord out of a sense of altruism, I would have no problem with them challenging the listing of the group as a terrorist organization, this is what free speech is about. However, the fact that they are being paid to represent this organizations efforts and interests puts it in a different light. They are not doing this out of altruism, they are doing this because they are effectively being paid by this terrorist organization to represent their interests. This is clearly providing aid to a terrorist organization, which is illegal under US and international law. They are being compensated for their opinions, which clearly makes their motives suspect. If they truly believe that their is a wrong being done that they wish to see righted, then let them do this for free to remove the taint from their participation. As it stands, it sure sounds like they should be prosecuted.
Some of you must have missed the part about the money it was, and is still, all about the greed and corruption nothing else. They could care less about this group having American blood on it's hands. Sure some of them may, and let me emphasis, MAY have been duped but I doubt it. So they are right about follow the money. There is nothing more crooked than an ex politician or member of "gubernment" who becomes a lobbyist if they were doing it out of the goodness of their hearts they would do it for free, like that would ever happen.
The MEK is on the watch list - whether they agree or disagree with the designation has no influence - Federal Law stipulates they are prohibited from giving, receiving or lending support to this group. If it can be proved that through their actions they gave "any" type of aid to this group, they can be tried for "treason". However, these are wealthy and connected individuals that were in this for the "money"; this will be "spinned" and nothing will happen to these powerful individuals but if they were just ordinary working people they would have already been in jail.
If things don't get better soon, we'll all be considered terrorists..........
They want democracy based on the Declaration of Independence? Well, after about 250 years, you'll still have a corrupt government that oppresses its people. Have any doubts, look no further than the US with the Patriot Act and the new NDAA laws. Soon we will have drones flying about and taking out dissent here at home. So would that make our own government a terrorist group, by their own standards?
irene-2033073,
Sounds like a threat?!?!? Maybe instead of Irene, it should be ShahlA or MastAneh?
True and true. It's always about the money. Everything in America is for sale, including government officials. The Supreme Court has equated money with free speech and opened up our entire political system to being purchased by the highest bidder. Literally billions and billions of dollars are changing hands in every election cycle and so many government officials past and present are asking' "where's mine?" Does anybody really believe that Gingrich is still running "to get his ideas out there". No, he's still there so he can suck even more money of that psycho casino billionaire and ultimately convert it to personal income. He and Calista have a VERY expensive lifestyle. And now the republicans are about to nominate a man who makes $56,000 A DAY sitting on his ass or flapping his gums for pay.
No folks, do not be surprised by this. Our political system, indeed our political ideals are drowning in money. It's really a form of fascism, the ultimate unification of business and government and America seems to have no antidote for this disease.
Ordinary citizens would've been in jail and no one would've known where they were. The bottom line is, they provided services for a designated terrorist organization. Regardless of their motives, they should be tried.
US government reserves the rights to support whatever terrorist group they find useful at the time. It is not pretty (or very smart in the long run), but it is the reality.
We have been supporting international terrorist groups for over 160 years. If we feel they can help us overthrow a government that isn't playing along with our game of Monopoly then we will supply them with all the intel,money, weapons and technical support they need to kill thousands of civilians.
Just ask the people of Central and South America, where throughout the 60's, 70's and 80's we propped up nearly every ruthless dictator who crawled out from under a rock. We sent the CIA down to train their followers (mercs, thugs, terrorists) and made sure they had the money and weapons to go up against any democratically elected leader who didn't allow us to continue to plunder their resources and use their people as slave labor.
Our banks continued to support Hitler as the Nazi war machine marched across europe, we supported Pol Pot as he starved half the population of Cambodia to death, we started a coup and then installed General Pinochet who made tens of thousands of his own people dissappear by dropping them out of helicopters over the ocean, Reagan even helped the Cntra's pick out civilian targets to hit with US weapons.
Now of course if it was 'former' IRANIAN officials supporting terrorists fighting America, US government would be threatening to bomb the bejesus out of that country...
Money money money money money..........i am sick and tired of it what ever happened to just doing the right thing. Greed is destroying the world and it makes me sick.
Surprise, surprise,
Nowadays not a single day goes by, in which the American public hear on the radio, or see in the TV yet another case of corruption at the highest levels of Government.
Welcome back to Mexico 1968, and the 20 years that accelerated its destruction thank's to it's corrupt "capitalist " Priistas Presidentes ( All from the PRI Party: Diaz Ordaz, Echeverria, Lopez Portillo, Miguel De la Madrid, and Carlos Salinas de Gortari).
The United States today is in its infancy stage, when dealing with massive City, State, Federal Government and Police corruption.
Do you " Wanna See " what the US will look like 25 yrs from now, under a massive and rampant culture of Corruption, Pseudo-militarized corrupt Police, and Bribery?
Look no further than our neighborhood South of the Border.
For starters, it is illegal to own a firearm in MX, So I hope anyone reading this post gets the idea.
Enjoy the change!
Shelton states that Iran is our number one enemy. Why is it that all these knowledgeable generals and politicians ALWAYS fail to "see the elephant in the room?" CHINA.
Certainly, Iran has spread its tentacles far and wide and is a threat, but if one looks at the road China is heading down; and sees just what they are doing with the huge buildup of their military; the blatant computer attacks they are involved with worldwide, stealing not only military secrets but commercial secrets from businesses worldwide and not one damn thing is done about it. No one should be lulled into any type of complacency as far as China is concerned. They are a much larger threat than any of our political leaders want to talk about..........think trade and big money interests.
No, it is treason if an Army PFC "leaks" intel to the world showing the killing of innocent civillians by our military, who BTW, thought it was hilarious to gun these civillians down. But, if our past intelligence leaders make big sums of MONEY by shilling for terrorists groups then it is alright. I mean really, at least they are good capitalists. If they had tried to help this terrorist group free of charge, that would PROVE that they are terrorist sympathizers.
If Bradley Manning were wealthy, he could hire retired military/intelligence officers to defend his (humanitarian) actions and that would be fine. Good capitalists... Our greedy country has become "the great satan." I will undoubtedly be thoroughly investigated for speaking my mind, free of charge.
they need to be water boarded to find out the truth...it ought to be televised...run a few presidential candidate ads...this fine water boarding brought to by your government...
As a Pennsylvania resident who has watched Governor Rendell rape and pillage this state for years it does not surprise me that he would be involved in something shady, but this really is the icing on the cake.
Wasen't he being considered for some big office in the Obama administration?
Ironically, MEK seems to represent an arm of our foreign policy, kinda a don't ask don't tell one.
And how sorry for those accepting money from them, to have to try and back step taking money from a terrorist group, so declared by the government. Hopefully, they will be kept on a terrorist watch list themselves, red flagged forever, not allowed to easily board an airliner, and arrested by the military with no hope of legal representation, all thanks to their own government. Sweet!
dman, it doesn't matter that they are not investigated first anymore. Once declared, as in NDAA2012, it's so long. Politicians forget that they are also included in the "problem" if so declared.
The Obama-al-Qaeda-MEK Connection-British puppet President Barack Obama has entered into an alliance with two of the worlds leading terrorist organizations—al-Qaeda and the Mujahideen e-Khalq (MEK)—in his zeal to overthrow the present governments in Syria and Iran. The Obama-al-Qaeda marriage of convenience is particularly deep and it centers on the drive to overthrow the government of Bashar Assad in Damascus, through an armed opposition.
U.S. intelligence agencies are aware that the so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA) has no actual military capabilities inside Syria, and consists largely of a group of defectors from the Syrian Army who are safe-housed on military bases inside Turkey. All of the significant military actions targeted at the Syrian government have been carried out by al-Qaeda terrorists, who have infiltrated the country from Iraq. The suicide bombings in Damascus and Aleppo, the assassinations of Syrian government and military officials, and the sabotage of pipelines and other infrastructure have all been carried out by al-Qaeda. Despite widespread evidence in the hands of U.S. intelligence agencies, President Obama continues to join hands with the new al-Qaeda head, Ayman al-Zawaheri, in calling for the violent removal of President Assad from power.
The idea that the President of the United States is so blatantly in bed with the terrorists who carried out the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001 should be sufficient grounds for his immediate removal from office, under the impeachment provisions of the U.S. Constitution or Section 4 of the Twenty-fifth Amendment. Last year, following the U.S. Navy SEAL Team killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin-Laden, President Obama did cartwheels to claim credit for the act. Now, he is allied with the very same 9/11 perpetrators in pushing for a war in the Persian Gulf that will rapidly expand into a global thermonuclear confrontation with Russia and China.
The British Role
As well-documented in Executive Intelligence Review, the al-Qaeda attacks of 9/11 were carried out with the full support of the Anglo-Saudi Al Yamamah apparatus. Under the al-Yamamah oil-for-arms deal, launched in 1985 and continued through to the present, British intelligence and the Saudis created a string of offshore covert operations funds, which directly financed the 9/11 attacks. Al-Yamamah funds, in excess of $2 billion, were funneled to Saudi Prince Bandar bin-Sultan, and at least $50,000 of those funds went to the San Diego-based team of 9/11 hijackers. A Joint Congressional Select Committee, probing the 9/11 attacks, established evidence of the Bandar-al-Qaeda funding, but the 28-page chapter detailing this evidence was suppressed by the George W. Bush White House. At the start of his administration, President Obama promised family members of the 9/11 victims that he would release the 28 pages, but he never kept his promise, and moved to further suppress the evidence of al-Yamamah angle on the attacks, thus protecting his British masters along with the Saudi Royals.
To this day, former Senator Bob Graham (D-Fla.), who co-chaired the Congressional probe, insists that the cover-up of the Saudi Monarchy's complicity in the attacks must be exposed publicly.
President Obama's embrace of the 9/11 terrorists, after the fact, constitutes a scandal of enormous proportions for this Administration, and underscores further the hypocrisy of Obamas efforts to exploit the bin-Laden assassination, while he colludes with the remnants of al-Qaeda.
The same is true of the President's collusion with the Mujahideen e-Khalq, an Iranian terrorist group that has been on the U.S. State Departments list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations since its inception in 1997. MEK assassinated a number of U.S. military personnel in Iran in the 1970s, actively participated in the 1979 Iranian Revolution, and then fled to Iraq and allied with Saddam Hussein, after they were purged from the Islamic Republic leadership. In recent weeks, MEK has been linked to the assassinations of Iranian scientists. This week, the Bangkok Post revealed that Thai authorities believe that MEK terrorists were behind foiled attempts to attack Israeli officials. Those attacks were loudly blamed on the Iranian government, and fed the drive to launch military action against Iran.
While the Obama Administration has attempted to keep a distance from the assassinations and bombings and other acts of sabotage inside Iran over the past two years, MEK has been protected by U.S. military forces at Camp Ashraf inside Iraq, ever since the U.S. invasion of that country in March 2003. Citation from FEB. 22, 2012 (EIRNS)
The entire country of Pakistan is a terrorist group. Yet we give them billions.
Diversion tactics from the real issues. At best we are probing 40 for receiving chump change. We should be probing bush and dick for crimes against humanity, deceit and public wealth distribution into private hands. Those are the real traitors.
I'm still wondering why Grover Norquist hasn't been investigated for his ties to Jack Abramoff, Abdurahman Alamoudi and Sammy Ql-Arian.
Everyone sudenly seems to have "not known" where the big bucks came from. Interesting isn't it? Imagine...politicians being bought off by the highest bidder. What a surprise.....
nonsense
Where is the IRS's investigation into the Woods Fund ?
Nah, minor issue with Mr. Obama, just keep him on a pedestal.
Where is the
IRS'sTreasury Department's investigation into the Woods Fund ?Wait now, am I reading from some of the posters that this "MEK" Terrorist group is ok in their book?
Is it because the Obama administration is investigating this terrorist group funding ex-fbi officials to speak to militant Iranian groups, you guys are FOR this militant, terrorist group?
Are you idiots serious? Do you honestly hate America that much?
That would be the US Department of State (as approved by SOS Clinton).
Shows just how much you do NOT know. Fundamentalist Islamic Iran's direct support of the Main Islamic Jihadist Training Camp at the Autonomous KurdistanisRegion (Southern Turkey, Northern Iraq, Border of Syria, Northwestern Iran). Fundamentalist Islamic Iran providing Iranian Special Forces Trainers/Advisers (Niru-ye Qods), Funding (from the Worldwide Mandatory Islamic Tithes), Weapons, Military Equipment, Munitions, etc. to:
the Worldwide Islamic Military (aka Jihadists, Terrorists) consisting of the International Al Quada Franchise (AQ, AQY, AQS, AQI, AQAP, AQIM, AQ Somalia, etc.), Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFGaka "the Libyan Rebels"), Army of Islam Pakistan (not the Pakistanis Military), Pakistanis Taliban, Army of Islam Gaza, Hezbollah (Party of Allah, Palestine, Lebanon, Gaza, Libya, South and Central Americas, etc.), HamasForeign Fighters (Palestine, Libya, Gaza, South and Central Americas, maybe Mexico, etc.), Islamic Chechen Foreign Fighters, Muslim Brotherhood (Alexandria Egypt), Kongra Gel/Kurdistan Worker's Party (KGK/PKK), Jemaah Islamiya (JI), Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), Fatah al-Islam (FAI), Ansar al-Islam (AI), Ansar al-Sunna (AS), Abu Nidal Organization (ANO), Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (AAMS), Al-Shabaab, Ansar al-Islam (AAI), Asbat al-Ansar, Gama'a al-Islamiyya (Islamic Group), Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami/Bangladesh (HUJI-B), Harakat ul-Mujahidin (HUM), Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban of Afghanistan, Islamic Jihad Union (IJU), Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) (Army of Mohammed), Jemaah Islamiya organization (JI), Kata'ib Hezbollah (KH), Lashkar-e Tayyiba (LT) (Army of the Righteous), Lashkar i Jhangvi (LJ), Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group (GICM), Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK), Palestine Liberation Front (PLF), Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), PFLP-General Command (PFLP-GC), Harakat-ul Jihad Islami (HUJI), Jundallah, etc.
recently added Haqqani Network (Pakistan) and Boko Haram (after British failed Rescue attempt, March 2012) to the US Department of State List (Terrorist Organizations).
It is against President Obama's March 31 2009 Improved Relations with Iran Policy (Iran allowed to do anything without US Interventions) to state that the Islamic Republic of Iran is supporting the Islamic JihadistsWorldwide. As to how General McChrystal received his First VerbalReprimand from President Obama and followed by a Letter of Reprimand after General McChystal (newly arrived) was shown the weapons, money, munitions, military equipment, islamic jihadists (at Bagram AFB), that were captured all traced back to the Islamic Republic of Iran. This is how it was even when the Islamic Republic of Iran (Fundamentalist Islamic) USSR Backed provided direct support to the Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban to massacre the 20,000 to 50,000 1980 Pro US Afghan Muhajeen and the millions of their families, relatives, in laws, friends, etc. as well as ALL "Collaborators to the Christians, Jews, Unbelievers". Same thing was stated by General Petraeus when the US Military was Officially still at Iraq, the Islamic Republic of Iran providing weapons, munitions, etc. to the (Fundamentalist Islamic) Iraqis Insurgency.
In 2010 US Ally Turkey Attacked the Main Islamic Jihadist Training Camps, with hundreds of thousands of Trained Islamic Jihadistsfleeing back to their Nations. Being trained as Asymmetric Warfare (Insurgency) by the Iranian Special Forces they could not go Force on Force against the shear numbers of US Ally Turkey Military Conventional Warfare Forces. After returning to their Nations of origin, they started movements (get the people to fight for their Cause(s)) to Overthrow the Established US Ally Governments as the "Arab Spring". Al Quada Syria starts attempts to Overthrow the Syrian Government, with fellow alumni from the Main Islamic Jihadist Training Camps like Hamas Foreign Fighters, Hezbollah, etc. assisting the Al Quada Syria; as the same thing they had previously done (assisted their alumni) assisting the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) aka the "Rebels" as well as at Yemen, the Al Quada Yemen.
Without a US Law stating that the US Military is allowed to Overthrow an Established Nations Government, this is considered Illegal. The previous attempt to provide weapons, support to Iranian Ex Patriots loyal to the Shah of Iran to Overthrow the Fundamentalist Islamic Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran was considered Illegal by US Congress, resulting in a USMC O-5becoming the Political Scapegoat. A legalmethod is by US Law, example: President Clinton's H.R.4655 "Iraqis Liberation Act of 1998" Justification Section 2 Findings Weapons of Mass Destruction, with the US Military Asymmetric Warfare Forces being attached to the President's Own Executive Intelligence Agency, the CentralIntelligence Agency's SpecialActivities Directorate (SAD) and Special Operations Group (SOG)(attached US Military are then technically not considered as US Military) to organize train hundreds of thousands of shia assassins and insurgents to Overthrow President Hussein and the Established Iraqis Government (Democratic British Parliamentary) in Section 4(a)(2), Military Assistance to Iraqi Democratic Opposition Organizations, of President Clinton's H.R.4655.
So, JK from PA, the Islamic Republic of Iran has already been funneling the Trillions of USDs each year of Mandatory Islamic Tithes as collected by the Imams of "Non Established Financial Institutions" (Mosques, Islamic Cultural Centers, etc.) from the 1.5 Billion Islamic Believers Worldwide then sent to various Financial Institutions associated with the Islamic Republic of Iran. This is why as of March 15 2012, the various Financial Institutions Worldwide will be cutting off the Iranian Financial Institutions. For the longest time the Worldwide Intelligence Agencies, International Financial Institutions, International Law Enforcement, numerous Nation's Departments of State, etc. have been tracking these Trillions USDs a year of Mandatory Islamic Tithes finding out that these Trillions are Funding the Islamic Jihadists Worldwide and NOT funding the Poor of Islam nor the building of Mosques or Islamic Cultural Centers or benevolent goals of the International Community.
In January 21, 2009 President Obama signed his Patriot Acts (plural) that extended the President Bush Patriot Act (singular) and made Legal the Monitoring and Censorship of All US Communications, made Illegal the Material Support to Terrorist Organizations (including "expert" Legal Advise, Humanitarian Assistance, Medical Supplies, Food, etc. as things that a Terrorist Organization would otherwise have to purchase using their limited funds IAW US Supreme Court Ruling 2010), legalized Preemptive Detentions, cooperation of ISPs to provide the physical locations of customers without warrants, provision of the defeated as Unconstitutional US Senate S.1959 and US Congress House of Representatives H.R.1955 aka the George Orwell 1984 Thought Crimes Laws in that the stated (verbal or written thought is also the crime, example: Definition of Homegrown Domestic Terrorist "Anyone stating a radical change to (US) Government is a Homegrown Domestic Terrorist" (those Counter Terrorist actions then implemented by ODNI), President thru Executive Order may implement selected measures of the US Insurrection Act (US Military Use of Deadly Force against US Citizens, Contingency Plans of US NORTHCOM), etc..
You can see on this link the staged event later, January 22, 2009, of President Obama signing his Patriot Acts (plural) into US Law(s) at 04:41 of 11:55 minutes:
Naomi Wolf: 'Obama can lock any US citizen up without trial'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLSeD19m3UE
Watch this one also realize that Naomi Wolf is a Bush Basher:
The End of America: Letter of Warning To A Young Patriot October 11, 2007
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjALf12PAWc&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL3B86A7359000FE93
So sure keep on defending President Obama's ACTIONS (what he has already DONE, not what he says) JK from PA, ewent, Jeff-1592116, sadmoronsvote2, euterpe-1641499, kaybeetoys (bankrupt out of business), dksouthern, et al.
And then there are those screaming Democracy Democrats hiding behind the US Constitution and Amendments that beat up on the USMC Sergeant for posting on Facebook that he would not obey a President Obama order to shoot unarmed US Citizens or take their Guns away. Of course he was right;however, if President Obama does by Executive Order instate the US Law, Insurrection Act, his arse will be Summarily Executed after the US Military Officers that also disobey are lined up against a wall and shot as Traitors, it is afterwards that the Attorneys that represent him (deceased) that can protest an Illegal Order if those Attorneys are not preemptively detained and only if an actual Democracy (of the US Citizens) is restored. The Legal Precedent for this is the US Military Veterans of World War I Strike as put down by Deadly Force by the US Military at D.C.. President FDR's use of the US Military Police Deadly Force Authorized to stop the violence of the US Labor Unions Striking, President FDR had previously Suspended All US Labor Union Activities during the Great Depression, result the US Military Police machinegunned Civilians of the US Labor Unions.
OOOOooooo Sanctions!!!!!! that only hurt the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran who then get even more pissed off at the US and European "Crusaders" (the Iranian Government tells them to blame US thru Iranian News Media), Iranian Government could careless, same with the Chinese and Russians:
What sanctions? Top five countries buying oil from Iran (number 6, 7? is the Russian Federation).
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2012/0217/What-sanctions-Top-five-countries-buying-oil-from-Iran/China
So instead of having the MEK Overthrowing the Fundamentalist Islamic Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, how about signing up now with the US Military so that you will be ready to go into the Islamic Republic of Iran. Count me OUT, I already did my time and get to go back on US Military Retirement again in less than 3 months along with the rest of the "Middle East" Qualified (Language Farsi, Arabic) no replacements, no more Involuntary Recalls to Active Duty in the Special Category "For Matters of National Security" (baloney excuse to get slaves paid below minimum wages) as most of us will be "Too Old". All of you can also come here (Afghanistan) while I am leaving to Fight President Obama's "Right War".
And where is the Treasury Department on the Secret talks with Hamas ?
Or how about the Secret talks between the Obama Administration officials with a "group" in Chicago ?
Even Sarah Palin makes 100's of thousands for her speeches. I guess an ex-FBI official would have to say things that are a lot more worth than hers. Is anybody investigating that?
Take a look at George Clooney working on behalf of the people in Sudan, then take a look at these privileged "patriots" - no way they aren't just money-grubbing has been bureaucrats
Why is this so reminiscent of the film Syriana...?
(Extreme sarcasm) Shame on you !!!!!
It is wrong for everyone else to violate President Obama's January 21, 2009 Patriot Act, section of "Material Support to Terrorist Organizations"; but, it is perfectly all right for President Obama to give the Hamas Warlords $900 Million (US Taxpayer Money) as Material Support to Terrorist Organizations eventhough the UN Aid Workers on the ground at Palestine warned the US what the money would be used for. With the $900 Million then traced to the Hamas Warlords then buying more weapons, ammunition, rockets and bomb making materials (not food, medical supplies, etc. as that was already being supplied by the US Taxpayers). And to duplicate the same mistake SOS Clinton then sent another $400 Million to the Hamas Warlords. This US Money as well as the Food, Medical Supplies were used to Force more neutral Palestinians to either join the Hamas Warlords or starve and daily beatings. These new recruits to prove their loyalty are then sent to the Islamic Jihadist Training Camps (previously at Northern Afghanistan (pre 2001 Attacks), then Yemen, now at the Autonomous Kurdistanis Region moving to Pakistan after the US Ally Turkey Military Attacks 2010), after Training they become the Hamas Foreign Fighters that are sent Worldwide with their only purpose the 109 Suras of the 114 Suras of the Holy Koran (Quran), the War Against the Christians, Jews, Unbelievers. They serve for a minimum of 9 months or longer (indefinite) based on their value to the Hamas Warlords (whoever is funding them). During the US Ally Turkey Military Attacks 2010 of the Autonomous Kurdistanis Region (yes all of northen Iraq) the Hamas Foreign Fighters fled too and became the "Peace Flotillas" returning to Palestine and Gaza along with the Army of Islam Gaza and the many Islamic Jihadist Palestine Organizations.
During these times we saw a very large influx of Hamas Foreign Fighters, Hezbollah, coming into Afghanistan via the southern part of the Old Silk Road (northern Iraq, northern Iran, northern Afghanistan, northern Pakistan), the NATO Spanish Military ended up taking most of the attacks at the Northwest Afghan border with the Islamic Republic of Iran. These Hamas Foreign Fighters, Hezbollah were also accompanied by the Fundamentalist Islamic Taliban (Afghanistan), Al Quada, Army of Islam Pakistan, Pakistanis Taliban, Haqqani Network, etc. heading into Northwestern Pakistan with us conducting US Military Asymmetric Mountain Warfare (Counter Insurgency). Unfortunately, with the Policies of President Obama already in place in most cases it was catch and release as we could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law who fired at us (after shooting at us they would fling their weapons away and pour chemicals on themselves to erase gunshot residue), if we fired first resulting in a fatality we would have to prove to the hundreds of civilian lawyers sent here during President Obama's August 2009 US Civilian Surge to prosecute us that we did not have a choice (use of non lethal methods). After catching them, we would do swabs (gunshot residue, and DNA), fingerprint (scan), photograph them, feed them, then have to let them go. In many cases these are the same people (not necessarily Afghans, especially the Foreign Fighters) that are causing the Demonstrations and Riots as part of Asymmetric Warfare (Insurgency) as trained by the Iranian Special Forces, Niru-ye Qods, to get the Afghans to fight for their Cause(s); with our US Military Asymmetric Mountain Warfare, Counter Insurgency Warfare, neutralized and made in effective by President Obama's Rules of Engagement, Restrictions, and Policies under threat of prosecution (the successful things we did before gone).
So, ldo, you can see why I will be so happy to leave this mess of President Obama's "Right War". As, if most of were not Too Old our arses would be stuck here Decades after the US Military Conventional Warfare Forces leave 2014 (the last time they told everyone 2012, then changed to 2013, now 2014). The irony due to previous Reduction In Forces of the US Military our replacements were never trained (takes a minimum of 16.5 years that does include the required language(s) of Arabic and Farsi; and cultural college education (islam). Does not include Mountain Warfare (technical mountain climbing, Arctic/Winter Warfare nor Mule skinning (pack horses also)).
Anyone who took money from a terrorist organization should be treated as a traitor. To play dumb, "I didn't know terrorist were paying me to speak on their behalf to get them de-listed as terrorist" is more political BS, WTF!!!???
Judges love to tell civilians...Ignorance of the Law is no excuse, how does this not apply to Government Officials?
Will Holder and his boys stop at nothing to distract from the guns given to Mexican Drug runners? Going after ex officials when they refuse to provide info on thier own activities, more Narwhal "what people want to hear". Did their data tell them the people need some scape goats to punish so knowing they can't turn over the truth about their own thugocracy they start a big brew ha ha about past officials. Give me a freakin break.
Bull is what I say and more turn the attention away from our failures and deliberate destruction of the American economy. Won't work fellas. We know about your trying to bribe Israel to sit it out until after the election and hope Iran is not done with the bomb by then. That didn't get you any guarentees either did it.
And while we are talking where did the money come from, there still has been no submission of information of where the campaign money from 2008 for Obama came from and where all the bundlers are getting the money this time. You guys can't sink much lower. Maybe these were the guys really trying to get freedom for a Democracy. We don't know because we can't trust this administration to tell us the truth about anything.
Ido
Right on Ido and where is the Treasury Department on the secret talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan and the talk of sending Gitmo prisoners to Afghanistan??? Stop coming up with phoney baloney, which we will never hear the truth about when it fades away. Deal with the real criminals in Washington.
Cut the war mongering and bring the troops home. The answers to the problems in the ME should be worked out by the people of the ME.
"The irony due to previous Reduction In Forces of the US Military our replacements were never trained (takes a minimum of 16.5 years that does include the required language(s) of Arabic and Farsi; and cultural college education (islam)."
Thanks David for your posts.
I will let my son (Farsi trained) review your comments. Maybe he is on track for: "Does not include Mountain Warfare (technical mountain climbing, Arctic/Winter Warfare nor Mule skinning (pack horses also))."
Oh they're on to something alright..... A money train. Convict them all of treason and throw the book at them.
MEK makes some cash doing assassinations for the Israelis, is it any surprise they'd want to use it to better their own situation.
Just listen to all the LIBBIES scream it's all about MONEY MONEY MONEY and GREED GREED GREED , well unlike LIBERALS we Americans work for our lifestyle that we choose to live , and if this group is truly a anti American terrorist group then if they took money directly from the group then these AMERICANS might have a problem . It's ok to trade influence for money you dopes, your Friends in Hollywood do it all the time !!!!!
You know what it REALLY is??? It's a diversion created by obama to take away the focus of the American people on his forged birth certificate. Things are getting very warm for him with all the questions about all his records being sealed. So now, a year after this came to light there is a big investigation. Eventually, it will all be found to be a "mistake".
Umm, no. This is not a mistake. This is deliberate. Many good posts that explain a few details and ask the question of why are members of a terrorist organization being protected from harm on a US military installation in Iraq? Seems there's more to this little story and it's rather interesting that the focus is on money. It would be interesting to see how many of the accused were less than supportive of Obama.
comfirms our politicicians are bought not electcted
Welcome to crony capitalist America, anything for for money.
david-475776, your posts are informative and interesting reading, but you should understand that the information and opinions you are propagating are in direct violation of the auspices of the Patriot Act and President Obama's further ratification of it. I would be very careful. Even though you will apparently relish your return to full military retirement and benefits, you may one day regret advocating Islamic philosophies over Christian teachings. Both religions profess God as the Creator, and both believe that He will one day destroy the world, because of its sinful and unrepentent behavior. Whether you like it or agree with it, Jesus Christ was the greatest man who ever walked the face of the Earth, and a relevation will be forthcoming that will verify his immaculate conception and his physical existence will be proven scientifically by the shedding of his blood for humanity, but most will probably refuse to accept the Truth. He was the Son of God and sent to this Earth as the ultimate sacrafice for the sins of mankind. He taught nothing but Love for one another, and yet he was crucified, not because he did anything wrong, but because he told the Truth and threatened the wealth and power of the rulers of the day, which is no different than our present day demagogues when they are confronted with the Truth that the Bible teaches. Just because someone professes to be Christian or Muslim doesn't mean they practice what the they preach. There will be wars and rumors of wars until the end of time, and mans hatred for his fellowman will continue unabated, by all those whose profess life but advocate death. Personally, people should be worrying more about spiritual death, instead of being concerned with materialistic wealth, power, and physical death. God knows what is in every man's heart, regardless of what any man professes. It may remain hidden from mankind, but it cannot be hidden from the eyes of God.
You think it is corrupt and evil in the present. When the 200 million man army destroys a third of mankind, some people may reassess their priorities but most probably won't. It is going to get much, much worse before God reveals his Power and dominion over the Earth and the species he created to inhabit it. When that day arrives, it will be a revelation of astronomic proportions and opinions, assumptions, and philosophies will be rendered totally irrelevant.
.
stonedog34- I agree with you 100%- maybe now-just this minute your input is being considered by Treasury!
We should gut the Treasury Department, they serve with no function since they allowed to be sold out too the Federal Reserve.
did we not learn anything from afganistan? we paid to arm the rebels there to overthrow the government (then, the soviets) and thats why we have the taliban in power. that worked out real well, so yea sure lets do it again.
The totalitarian Amerikan government is now going after high-profile citizens who would question policies espoused by the dictatorship. This corporate media is now the propaganda ministry for the government and this story downplays the real issue: anyone who questions the government is labeled a terrorist and subject to retribution.
1984 Tom?
JK from Pa. Yes
stonedog34-OUR HERO...
1984..........I remember reading that back in the early 70's.....science fiction back then, science fact now !!!
Tom Joad, Your post is so far out in left field it's laughable. First of all, President Obama isn't the one who pushed hard for that Patriot Act. Secondly, questioning policies is a Constitutional right for all Americans. Thus, a president who is a Constitutional law professor like President Obama isn't likely to flout Constitutional law or publicly state that the "Constitution is just a piece of paper".
As for the corporate media, you get what you asked for there. When you drown yourselves in such flagrant misguided ideology, the end result is your motives will be questioned as well they should. Spouting neurotic Orwellian platitudes doesn't change the fact, that the government is very easily altered if people get up off their asses and vote. They don't. Comes time for local elections and more than half the people in a town don't bother to vote.
The only defense Americans have today to remove the autonomous power politicians of any party believe they have is to voice your opinion at the polls. If the candidate doesn't represent your principles and values, all it takes is one letter to the editor of your local paper to make that clear. Follow that up with a vote for a candidate more suitable.
Americans sit back, whine, caterwall, complain, gripe and bitch a blue streak about the corruption in our government. If laws don't have enough teeth, do something about it. Your lawmakers are your respresentatives. If your politicians are not representing you but special interests, boycott the special interests. If you don't like the party bosses, get involved and become one. You have options.
At what point in time did Americans begin to become so powerless and so handicapped to stop corruption that they are willing to allow their government to be turned over to Corporate America? There's a way to end Crony Capitalism, which is what this government has been heading toward for 4 decades. It's time to face up to the fact that this is a war on American voters and by association their rights. Billionaires may have a lot of money. But we have the buying power, or refusal there of, to slap Too Big To Fail, Too Rich To Change corporations back down to size.
I don't buy that Middle Class Americans are now part of the intended feudalism Corporate America hoped to create.
ewent, while I agree Tom Joad's first line might be a little over the top, but not completely. The corporate run media is a large part of the corporate run government's propaganda machine, but they also handle much of their own propaganda directly.
I agree with the majority of your post though, the American people do have the power to change things, not by voting, but by just stoping the machine in it's tracks. If we stop buying the products and maybe even stop voting all together, we can certainly enact some REAL change.
But don't be fooled, there is a LARGE propaganda machine going on in Washington DC. It's what makes most Americans feel powerless, atomized, segregated and alone. Why most Americans don't think they can change anything, because they're just one person, and nobody else could possibly have the same thoughts.
ewent, while I agree Tom Joad's first line might be a little over the top, but not completely. The corporate run media is a large part of the corporate run government's propaganda machine, but they also handle much of their own propaganda directly.
I agree with the majority of your post though, the American people do have the power to change things, not by voting, but by just stoping the machine in it's tracks. If we stop buying the products and maybe even stop voting all together, we can certainly enact some REAL change.
But don't be fooled, there is a LARGE propaganda machine going on in Washington DC. It's what makes most Americans feel powerless, atomized, segregated and alone. Why most Americans don't think they can change anything, because they're just one person, and nobody else could possibly have the same thoughts.
If you are not wealthy in Amerika, then shut up. Money is speech don'tcha know.....
Very, very well put Ewent!
Yes, and it's an open conspiracy, in plain view, but very few name the enemy.
Voting has less of an affect in America than you would think. If we were under some kind of majoritarian democracy then one could make that argument. Fact is, money and this "elitest" culture is essentially built into the system. This has often been a critique by other nations that have more "direct" forms of democracy, though each system has its ups and downs.
What I'm not certain about is the media. What came first, the corrupt society or the corrupt media? The age old chicken and egg paradigm. Either way our media is currently under the sway of big money interests, which tend to coincide with big government interests.
On topic - I wouldn't doubt if there is some kind of CIA/ foreign policy angle to this situation. Our government does a pretty good job of using private sector "solutions". Helps with plausible deniability and maintaining low transparency. Also, with our historical (and current) arming of terrorist organizations, it fits into the narrative quite well. I don't see these 40 people getting tried or convicted, they are doing the government's job anyway.
sure keep on defending President Obama's ACTIONS (what he has already DONE, not what he says) JK from PA, ewent, Jeff-1592116, sadmoronsvote2, euterpe-1641499, kaybeetoys (bankrupt out of business), dksouthern, et al.
Go read post#1.34. I previously warned all of you to go research "Material Support to Terrorist Organizations", "Preemptive Detentions", "Indefinite Detentions" so that you would start to find out about President Obama's January 21, 2009 Patriot Acts. What else do you want me to do copy and paste the entire text of President Obama'sJanuary 21, 2009 Patriot Acts (plural) minus the classified sections?
ewent,
Nice try (academic idealism). "The average citizen is too ignorant to determine the Highest Offices of the Land, President and Vice President" - Congressional Records of the Founding Fathers, Library of Congress; the proof, the Rich Elitist Electoral College. The US was NEVER established as a Demcracy (the Founding Fathers believed Democracy is "Mob Rule"); as to why the US was established as a Representative Republic and NOT a Democratic Republic nor Democracy (Congressional Records of the Founding Fathers, Library of Congress). If you ever read the "Papers" of the Founding Fathers you would be shocked, especially when they were attempting to figure out what to call the leader, as proposed (almost the majority) "King Washington", and they were going to "Appoint" him as it took too long to obtain the votes of all Colonists, then they came up with the idea of an Electoral College. As far as "Tax the Rich", "Rich Pay Their Fair Share", the Founding Fathers were the first to oppose the British "Tax the Rich", "Rich Pay Their Fair Share" of the British Stamp Act (Taxes), as the Founding Fathers were the Rich (not having to do daily subsistance living).
Blah, blah, blah, from David. The MEK is a terrorist group allied with Israel, attempting to overthrow the government of Iran. Israel has used them to assassinate the Iranian scientists and perhaps to perpetrate the fake attempts on Jews in foreign lands, in order to frame Iran and portray them as terrorists. The MEK uses bombs stuck to cars using motorcycles, much like the alledged attack against Jews in Thailand, which was luckily foiled. Whew.
Israel teams with terror group to kill Iran's nuclear scientists, U.S. officials say
My guess is that the source of the money for these speakers comes from AIPAC. I am quite sure, at the very least, these people were working for the interests of Israel. Hopefully, we will find the truth and it will be published. These people should be prosecuted for treason.
Could it be that Obama administration is hell bent on keeping current Iranian regime in power
To what end?
... even though Ahmadinejad mocks Obama every chance he gets...
"Could it be that Obama administration is hell bent on keeping current Iranian regime in power"
Funny, that's how I took it. And it would seem, on it's face, that even if MEK is a terrorist group, it is "supporting" these speakers, not the other way around.
What if a person is a lawyer who is paid to defend a terrorist (like so many who are now working in the Justice Dept defended Gitmo detainees) is that "supporting" terrorism?
But don't worry, this is probably the last we'll hear of this story.
The media will put it in the "Fast and Furious" file and be done with it.
Republican presidents had a combined 20 years since 1980 to get rid of the Iranian government. So, mathematically, in your terms, the Republican leadership has a greater vested interest in keeping the status quo. Humm, sometimes folks fail to see the big picture when viewing through a narrow mind.
Wrong President Dipsh!7. He retired under Bush's administration.
The least you Einsteins could do is some research before opening your collective a-holes and jump to conclusions.
Dan and jocon, Explain why the Obama administration has instituted the most crippling sanctions against Iran the world has ever seen. You write nonsense.
Terror groups are terror groups...or do you only want to demonize terror groups that work against our interests? The others are fine? Do you know what that would make us?
sadmoronsvote2, it's like trying to teach a brick rational thought. By the way, I concur with your handle. Sadly, we don't conduct IQ tests as a pre-requisite for voting. The Fox fan club would be ruled incompetent.
Sad, what Dan and Jcon don't get is that both were still active under Bush II administration. They have had nothing to do with Obama. That said I don't even hold Bush responsible. These freaks only want another thing to blame on Obama even if there's no connection.
I wondered how long it was going to take before someone tried to pin this on Obama.
I would like to see the entire 40 revealed, and especially the wealthy backer for this group.
Yesiree! Obama is behind it. He's finally coming out from his deep cover and is now going to hand the US over to.......... who?............ and why? Oh yeah, to the Burmese so he can take over their rubber plantations so he can force the world supply on the Catholic Church, whether they want it or not. Is this looney enough to qualify me for membership in the Teaparty?
And these guys claim global warming has no basis in fact. Geeesh!!
Me too! And apparently, DanSok101 and jocon307 drew short straws on this one. Let's face it, it seems the only "palling around with terrorists" that's been going on is from the Republican party.
As for this story specifically - we don't and won't know enough - at least not enough for me to comment on it. Let the DOJ do their job. They've been very effective at cleaning house under Obama's leadership. That's what we pay them for.
Iran never was our enemy. You can thank Bush '41 for that. Any expert on international affairs will tell you that the current regime can be directly traced to actions taken when the US chose to depose the Shah of Iran and put a puppet in his place. When that puppet didn't follow US orders, he was then deposed. What subliminal message would any foreign population get from that kind of BS? That US imperialism isn't really about the good of any country but the US?
Sorry, when politicians play foreign affairs games, they create enemies. President Obama is trying to work out the problems with Iran in the most diplomatic manner possible. Righties are lusting for a nuclear war they think they'll escape the consequences of. So, yes. The right wingers want nothing less than for the US to go marching into Iran and play the imperial grand war wizards.
This president is fully aware of the inevitability of starting a nuclear war with Iran. Every Arab in the Middle East would join forces with Iran and Israel would disappear from the face of the earth.
Both Israel and Iran are saber rattling for what reason only their back room agendas can prove.
I do not know. But to me, I would think that the former Chairman of the Democratic National Party who once was in the short list for a cabnet position and who until two months ago was the governor of Pennsylvania seems to be a bigger profile person then an ex-general who retired over a decade ago or an ex-FBI official. Why would those names/titles be place in top billing spot on this article than Rendell?
to the IDIOTS who think the PRESIDENT will try everything to keep the current government of Iran in power,have you lost all touch with REALITY? You understand we are putting extreme economic sanctions on the current regime,in an effort to break their will in regard to developing a" nuclear weapon". The better question is,WHY did the G.W.B. administration annihilate the one counter balance to the Iranians in the region. WMD proved to be false! Do we forget that Iraqis were bitter rivals to Iranians?,Fought a prolonged war.If you want to cast blame or innuendos look at the previous administration.The Iranians have influence over the Iraqis and we can do little about it.STAY OUT of THIS MESS!
I worked for GEN Shelton on two occasions while at Fort Bragg, while with the 82d Airborne Division and XVIII ABN Corps. He was one-star the first stint and a three-star the second. Hugh Shelton was an incredible leader and people person, most known for his affinity for taking care of the troops. I liked everything about his leadership abilities but what I really loved about him was his distinct ability to connect with everyone he came in contact with. Everybody loved Hugh Shelton. I don't think he had an enemy anywhere. His Carolina demeanor was endearing.
I was very happy to see GEN Shelton make it to the highest level of the Army as our Chief of Staff and even CJCS before I retired from active duty. I knew he was an affirmed Democrat like GEN Shalikashvili. Both earned their stars and status during the Clinton years. GEN Shali really liked Hugh Shelton and ensured he was elevated quickly through the ranks.
I think it's totally ridiculous to think that Hugh Shelton could be anything but a patriot. He invested well over 30 years of his distinguished life to the defense of the United States and served his nation to the fullest of his ability. I don't believe he would knowingly support any identified terrorist group. He was not that type of individual and his good name should not be tarnished if he was fooled into doing something by a third party.
@JK from PA
Well you would certainly know the limits of a narrow mind and, apparently, a short memory. You seem to have forgotten all of that money we sent to our good buddy Saddam Hussein to support him in his war with Iran. Or did you think that money was coming from democrats?
@ewent
Gee, another liberal with a short memory and no clue about historical fact. Please see my post #4.17 above. Also the Shah was deposed because he was a puppet of the US not because he wasn't doing what he was told.
Gottalovem, Shelton was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, so don't tell me he didn't know MEK was on the terror watch list. And, if he was "fooled into" supporting them, then you are suggesting he was so incompetent that he should have never rose above the rank of Captain.
I would like to see the list of wealthy backers of the Super-packs! Talk about selling out the USA to the world to the highest bidder. SC did one hell of a job that the Right-wing Bush cronies started.
I don't give Bush all the credit for his miserable presidency. He was just the "Someone to sign the legislation" guy and candidate back then doing their dirty work for them. It was and still is the Right-wing operatives that are to blame for the past administration's crashes and calamities of our Nation and many are still doing their thing.
There's two ways to Real Powerand the Right-wing hasn't stopped in 30 years; make more moola thyself and take everyone Else's away! Money is just a system of credits, if you own them all you decide what they're worth!
Do not forget that or you may be destined to re-live it!
Jeff-1592116
Numb nuts he was appointed by BJ Clinton!
If you are trying to make this group into some kind of right wing bunch you need to do some research Einstein. Remember Louis Freeh (Waco Tx. and Ruby Ridge) and Dr Howard Dean and Ed Rendell both headed the Democratic National Committee.
You know why Dan and jocon's eggs and toast were burnt this morning?
Because of OBAMA!
ewent
Talk about rewriting history! I am assuming you are including yourself as one of those "experts on international affairs" and I am glad you were able to get me straightened out on the Iranian revolution. I always thought Jimmy (Peanut) Carter gave The Shah safe haven in the US. All of the crap that is going on in the area can be laid at Carter's feet, the coward allowed a bunch of thugs to hold our embassy staff hostage for over a year. I thought George the first was elected Vice President when Ronald Reagan kicked Carter out of office.
What are the requirements to become an international affairs expert; do I have to give up my independent political status and join the leftist party?
Have any of you brain surgeons thought for one minute about the last time the U.S. meddled in Iranian politics? That sure worked out well for everyone, eh?
We need to stop these former government employees from profiting from their time working for the gov't. These federal employees should not be allowed to make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year because they have "inside" government info. I don't care if it's the former speaker of the house receiving payments from freddie mac, the former head of the CDC taking a job with a pharmaceutical corp, or a former irs agent charging taxpayers to fill out tax returns - this practice must stop. There needs to be a time limit that will prevent these people from leaving their gov't jobs to go to work for a corporation that has dealings with the gov't, especially if the corp. has had some kind of dealings with the employee during their official gov't work. Republicans, Democrats, and Independents should all have a problem with this greedy practice, and it doesn't seem that any political party is immune, either.
Politicians turning into lobbyists after they leave office? Say it isn't so. As soon as they check this list of participants, find out they are from both parties and thus have no political advantage for either side, this investigation will die of starvation.
It's not rocket science to stop politicians like Richard Armey, Christine Todd Whitman and Trent Lott from becoming lobbyists. All that's required is a type of non-comp contract that prohibits politicians from entering into lobbying for a period of 10 years after they leave office.
Abramoff may be in jail but K-Street is alive and as healthy as a horse.
I agree with you but , if they are not registered as lobbyists that would be illegal and the waiting period to become a lobbyist is just 2 years not 10 !
Why are these ex-U.S. officials so passionate about the MEK being removed from the list of terrorist organizations? Could it be the $30,000-a-pop speaking fees? I wonder where this organization gets so much money? It's right that this group be investigated and whether the officials are whoring for them.
The logical place to start looking at the source of funding would be, those who presently speak the loudest about any pre-emptive attack on Iran. In other words those who would have the most to gain in a collapse of the current regime in Tehran, and that isn't the average american.
This is going no where.It is all about money ,how much can we make, not where it comes from..
True
What a strange confluence of events. Are there rogue elements in Treasury trying to undermine State or Obama? Is the brouhaha fake, orchestrated to manipulate Iran?
Penn State was looking to Louis Freeh to provide a voice of authority, thoroughness and integrity. Apart from this alleged matter, Freeh has an impeccable reputation for probity, competence and squeaky-clean. This alleged matter may have no bearing in public opinion on "Penn State--Sandusky", and Freeh appears to contend he knew nothing about the actual sources for any fee funds. We will see what impact, if any, these developments bring on both matters..
As a Penn State parent,I find this to be an interesting turn of events.
The high mucky-mucks at Penn State claim that they did not know the seriousness of Sandusky's actions. And Freeh claims not to know the source of his speaking fees. Perhaps there is a link - people in power turning a blind eye in order to maintain their influence (and keep raking in the money), morality and sticky ethical questions be damned.
sig - that's a good one, if he didn't know the sources of the money it's ok? And, oh, by the way, other than this little indescretion, he's been a good guy. Sorry, that doesn't wash.
Wonder if the Penn State board will fire Freeh, like they fired Paterno, before all the facts are known?
Since when has ignorance been an excuse ! Any person accepting money to defend an Iranian group MUST be very cautious !
NOS and TALL. Good points. The thought was the group was dissident (not backing the current regime), supporting dissidents was generally in alignment with US policy, and if he did not not know he was being paid by a "terrorist" group but by others, he at least has an argument--which may be disproven on the facts, perhaps there is more to the story, or he should not have been addressing a group he should have known was "terrorist" regardless who paid him.
Ignorance is only an excuse where acting with knowledge, or reasonable diligence, is not wrongful. There is a difference between ignorance of the law (not an excuse), and lack or knowledge or following reasonable inquiry by him, or deception of him, were in place. They amount of the fees, however, makes the issue all the more awkward until it is resolved.
I don't think it will detract at Penn State. The main lifting is being done by others at his firm, Penn State CLEARLY has an interest that all that facts are revealed now and they appear reasonable (for recruitment, faculty retention and otherwise), and the report will be successful if the jury pool in Pennsylvania turns from hostile to saying: "They leveled with the community now; we will judge them on the facts and law, not on our revulsion or anger."
Which is it.......an administration filled with Neville Chamberlains or McCarthyism at its finest ?
Nobody lost their lives because of McCarthyism and he WAS right !
No one ever questioned if McCarthy was right (He wasn't BTW), but it was how he intimidated, threatened and ruined people's lives to try to prove he was right.
DON’T LISTEN TO PROPAGONDA BY MULLAHS IN ENTERNET; HERE!!!
THESE COMMENTS ARE BY PEOPLE HIRED by MULLAHS IN IRAN. THEY ARE NOT VALID.
History 101on terrorism:
1- more than 400 days hostage taking in US embassy TEHRAN/Iran
2- 1983 Lebanon Bomb attack 63 dead 17 American Iranian Leaders admitted (video available) Arms came from Iran, Finance came from Iran.
3- 23rd October 1983 Beirut Lebanon Bomb attack 241 American Marine killed, Leaders admitted (video available) Arms came from Iran, Finance came from Iran.
4- 12th December 1983 Kuwait US Embassy 6 killed, Iraqi Prime Minister Nori-Maliki’s Dava Party supported by Iran at the time was responsible.
5- 17th March 1992 Bones Aires, Argentina Israelis Embassy 29 killed, Iranian Leaders are Wanted for that attack.
6- 20th September 1994 Jews center Bones Aires Argentina 85 killed, Iranian Leaders are Wanted for that attack.
7- 1996 Khobar Towers Saudi Arabia, American Army residence, 19 American killed. The Head of FBI at the time reported Iranian IRCG was responsible, but US State Department and President stopped the investigation, at the time they wanted to start normal relations with the Mullahs in Iran.
I did not count the wounded for you, you can guessed it, I did not mention how many American or Iranian-American were taken hostage inside Iran in the last 10 years, I did not count how many and how they killed American soldiers in Iraq, I did not count other nationalities or Iranian dissident killed in Europe and other countries.
terost -Post 1 was correct, the rest is a bunch of garbage. You cite a bunch of allegations with no proof to back them up.
The AMIA bombing was an attack on the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA; Argentine Israelite Mutual Association) building in Buenos Aires on July 18, 1994, that killed 85 people and injured hundreds.[3] It was Argentina's deadliest bombing ever. Argentina is home to a Jewish community of 200,000, the largest in Latin America (see Demographics of Argentina).[4]
Over the years, the case has been marked by incompetence and accusations of cover-ups. All suspects in the "local connection" (among them, many members of the Buenos Aires Provincial Police) were found to be not guilty in September 2004. In August 2005, federal judge Juan José Galeano, in charge of the case, was impeached and removed from his post on charge of "serious" irregularities and of mishandling of the investigation.[5]
On October 25, 2006, Argentine prosecutors Alberto Nisman and Marcelo Martínez Burgos formally accused the government of Iran of directing the bombing, and the Hezbollah militia of carrying it out.[6][7] According to the prosecution's claims in 2006, Argentina had been targeted by Iran after Buenos Aires' decision to suspend a nuclear technology transfer contract to Tehran.[8]This however, has been disputed, because this contract was never terminated, and Iran and Argentina were negotiating on restoration of full cooperation on all agreements from early 1992 till 1994, when the bombing occurred.[9],
So 2 years after the bombing, a couple of Argentinian Jews make an allegation that it was Iran
or Hezbollah, for reasons that have proved to be false and the Zionist media runs with it.
That's a surprise... A Chairman of the Democratic National Committee aiding terrorists. I am shocked!
Shocking to me too. As bad as Rendell is, I sure didn't think he would line his pockets with terrorists money.
its the american way...all that matters is personal wealth....everyone else who doesnt have connections to the organized crime syndicate (congress), can die as far as these people are concerned....i wonder what made these people support the mek?....could it be they are being paid...its that simple....greed will make traitors of them all in washington
When will voters wake up to the fact that lobbyist control national policy? They are for sale to the highest bidder just like the congress they lobby for their clients. Make it illegal to be a lobbyist for all former government officials and their employees.
Lock them up FOREVER, and throw away the key, NO trial, and NO legal representation. Put the NDAA obama signed in Dec. to use, or is that only for the middle and lower class people.
Would Louie Freeh, Rendell, Shelton and the rest of them be this passionate about MEK if they were not paid a penny?
Accepting money basically poisons their judgement, period. At some point if they keep getting enough money this group MEK can look like a bunch of choir boys............just saying.....
Don't make me laugh. There are American corporations right now doing business with the state owned Iranian oil company. Capitalism trumps terrorism. Let's not forget about the oil dealings of the Carly group, 2 of whose prominent members are George "Papa" Bush and George Schultz (secretary of state under Reagan), which has been involved in the oil business with the Saudi Arabian royal family for decades. Do you think that had anything to do with the Saudi's getting flown out of the United States the day after 911?
Here's a little history about ex-FBI director, Louis Freeh, appointed to be in charge of the Penn State child sex abuse scandal investigation. If they wanted to blur the facts and hire someone who would bungle the investigation, they picked the perfect guy. He has a proven track record at covering up the truth and attempting to sweep the whole embarrassing mess under the rug.
Freeh, as FBI director, has been involved by either aiding in a cover-up, was ignorant of case facts, or mishandled these cases/suspects after he was appointed by G.H.W. Bush in 1992, beginning his tenure from 1993 to 2001:
Ruby Ridge, Waco, Centennial Olympic Park Bombing, Khobar Towers Bombing, Unabomber case, Robert Hansen spy case, Wen Ho Lee bungled case, Vince Foster suicide investigation, Chinese political and campaign fundraising controversies, Oklahoma City bombing bungled crime lab work, bungled investigation of TWA Flight 800 crash, and insubordination to the Attorney General.
When he finally resigned under fire in 2001, he was praised as a “model law enforcement officer” by incoming A.G. John Ashcroft.
Most recently, in 2009, he was hired to represent Prince Bandar bin Sultan regarding issues surrounding a questionable arms deal.
Now, he's involved in the Iran mess.
This is all nothing compared to the Director who watched 9/11 unfold where the agency had several clues that terror attacks were imminent. Freeh or no Freeh.
Are you unaware a Clinton appointee and asst AG wrote a firewall preventing the CIA from warning the FBI of possible attacks , all because of her concern for the rights of suspected terrorists !
Jaime Gorelick then went to Fanny Mae and made 24 million dollars in 6 years !
tallman, that is a complete fabrication, in other words a lie.
Tallman – Question –
If you worked for the FBI or the CIA and you uncovered a plot to attack the
United States, would you ignore your findings, because you are aware of this “firewall”
or would you do your best to save the US from attack?
Having said this,
there were several instances where the FBI and/or the CIA did not act on
intelligence issues that could have averted the attack.
One was where the
FBI had Mousaui taking flying lessons in Wisconsin and when the agent in charge
asked the superiors in Washington for permission to look in his computer, the
request was denied.
Another instance –
The FBI was monitoring communications from a safe house in Yemen to the hi
jackers in America. They were aware there was communications between the safe
house in Yemen and Afghanistan, which was being monitored by the CIA. The FBI
agent in charge asked and begged the CIA to share their intelligence and were
refused. This was on 60 minutes or 20/20, I cannot remember which one. It is in
a book by James Bamforth.
Can you say inside job?
Correction to comment #17. I said "the Carly group", when I meant the "Carlyle group."
Look it up, Louis Freech was probably the worse FBI Director ever.
MEK wants peace and an American like constitution in Iran
These were ex-shah supporters and therefore US inclined.
This is all silly Washington nomenclature
Yeah Rob, the MEK wants peace. I guess that is why they have killed Americans and kill Iranian scientists. They are just peace lovers, who are supported by the Mossad. That makes them AOK in your book, because its all about Israel.
Communication is the only way to resolve differences between people. I don't support people being used by terrorist groups trying to escape the label they've earned but communication is key in any dealing anywhere with anyone. Explain how we are to ever resolve the myriad conflicts around the globe without it? Oh, yeah, I know, send in the drones, send in the motorcycle riders with bombs that can be stuck to the side of a car with magnets. Kill everyone that has even the remotest link no matter how tenuous to a suspected enemy group. This is pure madness and this is what the world has come to.
Our foreign policy is a joke, we seem to have no common sense at all anymore. Somewhere, at some level communication has to be considered, especially when a group reaches out instead of planting a bomb. Ban ex or even current government employees from communicating with our enemies under such circumstances and the only door open to us or our enemies is violence...hmmm, could it be that we intend to wage war forevermore? That is what we are facing when people who try to communicate are threatened.
The most prolific job creators are the companies producing bombs, rockets, bullets, guns, tanks, mortars, RPGs, Strykers, Jets, drones, uniforms, helmets, boots, flak jackets,...
The middle class has been reduced in value to the point that being used as cannon fodder is easy to support. There are no decent jobs for kids that don't go to college and even college graduates struggle to find work. For the first time in history (outside the scope of a world war) we have an all "volunteer" military. BS!
God forbid we do anything that might find a path to peaceful resolution of any conflict, let the slaughter continue!
Many scream about reducing the size of government but conveniently forget that the military is the largest branch of any government anywhere. How about finding ways to deal with the rest of the world without focusing on them through a long range scope!
I'm still wondering why Grover Norquist hasn't been investigated for his ties to Jack Abramoff, Abdurahman Alamoudi and Sammy Ql-Arian.
Everyone sudenly seems to have "not known" where the big bucks came from. Interesting isn't it? Imagine...politicians being bought off by the highest bidder. What a surprise.....
Since you mentioned JackAbramoff dont forget to add Harry Reid;
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11261035/ns/politics/t/top-democrat-reid-aided-abramoff-clients/
So what? pfffftttt the israelis have been subverting our government for years through lobbying! Barney Frank and the president have taken somes of money from the worls largest economic terrorist Goldman Sachs. And the list goes on! BTW where is john corzine and the billion dropped that story quickly cause that would hurt the presidents chance at re election.
get a rope.work for the enemy you die!
What a coincidence. I was just going to sarcastically ask if a public trial and hanging was in the forecast.
Apparently it is.
that's unamerican...water board them first...dang it...
But make them listen to the Barney song first. Over and over and over again.
This is one of the known methods of Iranians Mullahs propaganda; Iranian people know these methods for 30 years. Now they want to use same methods on American people and unfortunately Obama is also fooled by Mullahs agents in The White House and agents in US State Department. Mullahs want to show that USA or at least CIA and Israelis are supporting terrorist organizations, and then they are able to cover their own terrorist acts,
MEK, and National Liberations Army started arm struggle with the MULLAS 25 years sooner than Libyan fighters. What is wrong with that!!?