MKO: Not the people’s party

Given the sabre-rattling which has been taking place recently about Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the possibility of yet another American war there, it seems that one organisation they might like to promote as an “opposition” who could take power in the place of “the mullahs” is the Mujahideen Khalq Organisation (MKO). There’s a letter in today’s Telegraph from Michael Axworthy, head of the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s Iran section from 1998-2000, explaining why they can never be presented to the Iranians as a legitimate opposition.

The MKO was a terrorist organisation in the 1970s when it tried to overthrow the shah by blowing up American servicemen in Iran. It was a terrorist organisation in the 1980s when, having failed in a power struggle with the mullahs, it tried to win its way back to power by blowing them up. Then the MKO sided with Saddam in the Iran-Iraq war and fought on his side against their own people – something for which ordinary Iranians in Iran have never forgiven them, ruling them out for the foreseeable future as the core of any possible genuine movement for popular change in Iran.

The organisation’s claim to democratic credentials is belied by its bullying, ruthless and illiberal conduct, as one would expect from its close relationship with Saddam until his fall. These facts are borne out by all the knowledgeable observers (notably John Simpson, Lifting the Veil) that are not the MKO’s groupies.

I’m not sure about the USA, but the UK presently does designate the MKO a terrorist organisation. Perhaps if Bush tries to use them to get rid of the present régime, Tory Bliar will be forced to eat a bit of humble pie even though the designation is, in this case, correct. (Or perhaps he’ll do a Basil Fawlty, finding someone else to blame rather than saying “I’m so sorry, I made a mistake”.)