Moon of Alabama Brecht quote
April 6, 2012
Terrorists Trained On U.S. Soil

Sy Hersh reports for The New Yorker:

It was here [in Nevada] that the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) conducted training, beginning in 2005, for members of the Mujahideen-e-Khalq, a dissident Iranian opposition group known in the West as the M.E.K.

The M.E.K.’s ties with Western intelligence deepened after the fall of the Iraqi regime in 2003, and JSOC began operating inside Iran in an effort to substantiate the Bush Administration’s fears that Iran was building the bomb at one or more secret underground locations. Funds were covertly passed to a number of dissident organizations, for intelligence collection and, ultimately, for anti-regime terrorist activities. Directly, or indirectly, the M.E.K. ended up with resources like arms and intelligence. Some American-supported covert operations continue in Iran today, according to past and present intelligence officials and military consultants.

In a separate interview, a retired four-star general, who has advised the Bush and Obama Administrations on national-security issues, said that he had been privately briefed in 2005 about the training of Iranians associated with the M.E.K. in Nevada by an American involved in the program. They got “the standard training,” he said, “in commo, crypto [cryptography], small-unit tactics, and weaponry—that went on for six months,” the retired general said. “They were kept in little pods.” He also was told, he said, that the men doing the training were from JSOC, which, by 2005, had become a major instrument in the Bush Administration’s global war on terror. “The JSOC trainers were not front-line guys who had been in the field, but second- and third-tier guys—trainers and the like—and they started going off the reservation. ‘If we’re going to teach you tactics, let me show you some really sexy stuff…’ ”

Those MEK people trained by the U.S. are now allegedly working for the Israeli Mossad and are killing Iranian scientists. They still receive U.S. intelligence.

Most stuff in Hersh's story is well known. It was under Cheney and Rumsfeld that the MEK was trained for an attack on Iran. What is new is that the U.S. trained those people within the United States even while it officially maintained, and still does, that the MEK is a terrorist group.

That should raise some serious legal issues for those who arranged the training though it seems unlikely that an Obama administration will push for any consequences. Instead it is more likely that it uses those terrorists for its own purposes.

Comments

Fantastic, this expose’ is really needed. When US congress-men and -women are funding and speaking up in benefit of MEK, it is good to see the media grabbing this case, and not letting another US state-funded terrorist case slide.

Posted by: Alexander | Apr 6 2012 13:25 utc | 1

Great subject b, this story is big. For those who think the U.S. is the bastion of world freedom, guess again. If this story even sees the light of day, these people the JSOC are training will be referred to as “freedom fighters”. As far as the legal issues are concerned, don’t hold your breath waiting for anyone in the U.S. gov to give them even a passing concern. The U.S. does what it wants, to whom it wants, any time it wants. At this time in history, we’re the terrorists.

Posted by: ben | Apr 6 2012 13:53 utc | 2

Thanks for this story. I am a tiny little bit puzzled about the intentions and objectives of Sy Hersh. He afirms in this reporting that:
“In 2002, the M.E.K. earned some international credibility by publicly revealing—accurately—that Iran had begun enriching uranium at a secret underground location”
While it is common knowlodge that Iran hasn’t yet started enriching at that time:
“August 2002: A spokesman for the MEK terrorist group holds a press conference to “expose” two nuclear facilities in Natanz and Arak that they claim to have discovered. However, the sites were already known to U.S. intelligence. Furthermore, under the terms of Iran’s then-existing safeguards agreement with the IAEA, Iran was under no obligation to disclose the facilities while they were still under construction and not yet within the 180-day time limit specified by the safeguards agreement.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_nuclear_program_of_Iran#2002.E2.80.932004

Posted by: AH | Apr 6 2012 14:05 utc | 3

Here’s my take from Hersh’s story:
This was an illegal op started under Bush. Translate, we will go beyond the law.
It was stopped before the next administration took office. Translate, re-elect Obama.
It succeded in transforming MEK from a “joke” to a lethal operational tool in the hands of Israel, with the still on-going help of the US.
Translate, warning message to Iran before P5+1 talks.

Posted by: AH | Apr 6 2012 14:34 utc | 4

460 tons of spent fuel rods dangling precariously on the third story of a demolished building, and mankind just can’t resist the excitement of waging war.
We are our own worst enemies. There should be a global effort to contain the ongoing deadly catastrophe occuring in Japan. All other issues pale in comparison. It affects us all, and may kill more of us than all of our wars combined.

Posted by: PissedOffAmerican | Apr 6 2012 14:54 utc | 5

Vociferous denials by US high officials notwithstanding, I remain suspicious that it was by US order, that the assassinating in Iran got done.
This Obama administration seems to have a newfound, and liberal fondness, for targeted assassination; and though squeamish about the term (preferring the words “targeted killing” instead), they seem to have their blood up about it, and welcome the new power enthusiastically.

Posted by: Copeland | Apr 6 2012 15:17 utc | 6

Yes, on reflection, maybe touchy is a better adjective than squeamish, to describe Attorney General Holder’s aversion to the term “targeted assassination”. The administration would be embarrassed to just mimic the crudeness of the Likud, who mention the tactic often, and unselfconsciously.
No indeed, I think the Obama Gang is experiencing this new defiance of moral constraints with fascination, like the novelty of a new toy. As they get more into it, they may delve into the old ghoulish voyeurism, as well, in order to pluck their pleasures.
In the belly of the beast, the shadows are lengthening.

Posted by: Copeland | Apr 6 2012 16:06 utc | 7

The US seem to have an insatiable appetite for dissidents..In fact, most of the Western world’s leaders have a love-thing for any dissident group..They once were buddies with Al-Qaeda and the Taliban back in the 80s..Back then, they were called freedom fighters because they were fighting against the “evil” Soviets.
This very policy led the US into a disastrous war in Iraq and still in Afghanistan – fighting against old buddies..In Iraq’s case, they fed their own dissident buddies bogus Intel who then fed that very same Intel back to key US officials whcih led them to war..Imagine starting a war based on the accounts of an Iraqi taxi driver..That war has cost the US almost a trillion dollars in debt and thousands of Iraqi/US dead/wounded. Will they ever learn??
The MEK, whichever way you look at them have absolutely no support inside Iran and couldn’t possibly take power any day..Iranians simply won’t allow them – be it the green movement or whoever.These guys sided with Saddam and fought against Iran during the Iran-Iraq war. No country can ever forgive such traitors.
The fact that the US has resorted to using the MEK proves their desperation an lack of progress in their quest to “contain” Iran..The harder they try, the more expensive it becomes for them strategically.
Take heart my friends, Karma has a funny way of dishing out BS back to those doing the deed.
I’ve come to the conclusion that US strategists much like their Israeli counterparts, lack foresight or they somehow believe they’re immune from the consequences of their actions. They practice what I like to call “fast-food foreign policy”, where anything goes and short term gains trumps any critical thinking and objectivity. Or it could also be that all this is going on without the government’s knowledge.
Is it any wonder the US is losing respect and credibility all over?

Posted by: Zico | Apr 6 2012 22:02 utc | 8

Zico @ 8
Is it any wonder the US is losing respect and credibility all over?
Absolutely. The US have subverted their own moral standing, and are not qualified to be judge, jury and executioner, to police the world. They have no credibility in foreign affairs, and the eastern part of the world can demand their just position in the UN after a series of American blunders. As it should be. If only the NATO countries and the western media could stop brown-nosing themselves in US subordinance.

Posted by: Alexander | Apr 7 2012 1:22 utc | 9

Hersh you can go to hell. how much have you being payed by the Iranian regime to come up with these thoughts or mabye the State Department so that the can continue negosiate with Iran
US does have a full responsibility about the situation in Camp Ashraf and should conduct investigations first about who ordered the US troops out of the camp and then to have the Iraqi officers on the ground prosecuted. but a very good first step could be to do as the US Court have told them time and time again during the last 2 years DE_LISK MEK

Posted by: Ali Reza | Apr 7 2012 4:22 utc | 10

Ali Reza , you must be working overdrive, lately.How much is Rajavi also paying you to go from one forum to another to spew your garbage???.I see you’re been jumping from one site to another trying to defend your terrorist group..
Keep it coming, though..We like a good joke a “freedom fighter” 😉

Posted by: Zico | Apr 7 2012 7:55 utc | 11