Is Trump Team Advocating for Iran Regime Change?
gvw_randy_reed
By Randy Reed, Operations Manager
Published 7 years ago on
June 29, 2018

Share

Two of President Donald Trump’s high-profile allies will address a “Free Iran” conference Saturday (June 30) organized by a controversial group that advocates for regime change in the Islamist country, according to a story in Politico.
Rudy Giuliani, the President’s personal lawyer, and informal advisor Newt Gingrich are headlining the Paris meeting of Mujahedeen-e-Khalq and its affiliates.

Terrorist Group Designation

“For 15 years, the U.S. designated the MEK a terrorist group, while analysts describe it as a cult – both allegations the group rejects,” Politico reports. The Obama administration removed the terrorist label in 2012.
While U.S. officials deny that regime change is the Trump administration’s goal, outside experts are skeptical.
The appearance of Giuliani and Gingrich at the conference, Dartmouth University’s Daniel Benjamin told Politico, “underscores once more how some of Trump’s top surrogates are advocates of regime change in Iran.”

“A Call for Regime Change”

Politico also cites the hard-line stance Trump has taken following his unilateral withdrawal from the seven-nation nuclear deal with Iran in early May.
“Soon after, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered a speech laying out U.S. grievances with Iran and listing 12 demands that many analysts said were tantamount to a call for regime change,” the article says.
The MEK has worked hard to gain favor and influence and, as Politico reports, “this weekend’s gathering comes at a heady moment for the group.”
“Several of the politicians it has cultivated in recent years, with the help of handsome speaking fees, are now key figures in Trump’s orbit — including not only Giuliani and Gingrich but National Security Adviser John Bolton.”
The group lists other high-profile speakers for this weekend’s conference, as well. Among them: former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat, and Fran Townsend, a homeland security adviser for the George W. Bush administration.

Group Has Marxist Roots

Politico’s reporting says the MEK was founded by leftists, some with Marxist ideological roots. It was alleged to have carried out bombings in the 1970s that killed Americans in Iran, including military personnel.
While the group’s supporters say it no longer employs violent tactics, “the MEK has come to resemble a cult,” says Politico. “It imposes strict rules on members, its funding sources are mysterious and it has little genuine support within Iran. The MEK is led by Maryam Rajavi, and, supposedly, her husband Massoud, who has not been seen publicly in years.”
While its influence in Washington may be growing, experts question the MEK’s effectiveness, says Politico.
“Iranians don’t want to replace one regime with another,” the article quotes one analyst as saying on the condition of anonymity. He called the MEK  “a regime in exile tied to Marxism. They just don’t have the backing in Iran.”

DON'T MISS

23 for ’23: A Year in Photos

DON'T MISS

See How this Fresno roastery sends aid to Northern Thailand.

DON'T MISS

District Says Fresno Teachers Contract Proposal Would Bankrupt Budget Reserves by Year 3

DON'T MISS

Trump Vows to Ban Gaza Refugees, Expand Muslim Travel Ban If He Wins

DON'T MISS

The Supreme Court Orders Makers of Gun Parts to Comply with Rules on Ghost Guns

DON'T MISS

George W. Bush for Speaker? A Democratic Lawmaker Thinks It’s Possible

DON'T MISS

Former Navy IT Manager Gets Five Years for Hacking, ID Theft

DON'T MISS

Gunman Kills Two Swedes in Brussels, Prompting Terror Alert and Halt of Belgium-Sweden Soccer Match

DON'T MISS

Zakaria: The Best Response to Hamas Would Be to Keep the Saudi Deal Alive

DON'T MISS

Groundbreaking Human Brain Atlas Offers New Hope for Treating Neurological Disorders

UP NEXT

District to Fresno Teachers: Read Our Proposal Before Taking Strike Vote

UP NEXT

State Department Memo Warns US Diplomats: No Gaza ‘De-Escalation’ Talk

UP NEXT

George W. Bush for Speaker? A Democratic Lawmaker Thinks It’s Possible

UP NEXT

Jim Jordan’s Rapid Rise Cheered by Trump and Far Right. Could It Make Him Speaker?

UP NEXT

What Does Destroying Gaza Solve?

UP NEXT

Trump Vows to Ban Gaza Refugees, Expand Muslim Travel Ban If He Wins

UP NEXT

The Supreme Court Orders Makers of Gun Parts to Comply with Rules on Ghost Guns

UP NEXT

Gunman Kills Two Swedes in Brussels, Prompting Terror Alert and Halt of Belgium-Sweden Soccer Match

UP NEXT

Zakaria: The Best Response to Hamas Would Be to Keep the Saudi Deal Alive

UP NEXT

Fresno Politicians Say They Stand With Israel in Remarks at Cornerstone Church

You May like

Trump Vows to Ban Gaza Refugees, Expand Muslim Travel Ban If He Wins

1 year ago

The Supreme Court Orders Makers of Gun Parts to Comply with Rules on Ghost Guns

1 year ago

George W. Bush for Speaker? A Democratic Lawmaker Thinks It’s Possible

1 year ago

Former Navy IT Manager Gets Five Years for Hacking, ID Theft

1 year ago

Gunman Kills Two Swedes in Brussels, Prompting Terror Alert and Halt of Belgium-Sweden Soccer Match

1 year ago

Zakaria: The Best Response to Hamas Would Be to Keep the Saudi Deal Alive

1 year ago

Groundbreaking Human Brain Atlas Offers New Hope for Treating Neurological Disorders

1 year ago

Newsom Signs Law to Slowly Raise Healthcare Minimum Wage to $25

1 year ago

Former Fresno CC Coach Ed Madec Arrested for Allegedly Threatening to Kill Chancellor

1 year ago

Jim Jordan’s Rapid Rise Cheered by Trump and Far Right. Could It Make Him Speaker?

1 year ago

HOT OFF THE PRESS

23 for ’23: A Year in Photos

1 year ago

1 year ago

Trump Vows to Ban Gaza Refugees, Expand Muslim Travel Ban If He Wins

1 year ago

The Supreme Court Orders Makers of Gun Parts to Comply with Rules on Ghost Guns

Photo of a hacker typing on a laptop

1 year ago

Former Navy IT Manager Gets Five Years for Hacking, ID Theft

1 year ago

Gunman Kills Two Swedes in Brussels, Prompting Terror Alert and Halt of Belgium-Sweden Soccer Match