March 1, 2012
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States sent a strong signal on Wednesday that dropping the Mujahadin-e Khalq from a U.S. terror blacklist may hinge on the Iranian dissident group’s cooperation in closing its Camp Ashraf base in Iraq.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the group’s cooperation in moving residents from Camp Ashraf would be a “key factor” as the United States weighs whether to remove it from the U.S. list of foreign terrorist organizations.
The group, which calls for the overthrow of Iran‘s clerical leaders and was supported by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, is no longer welcome in Iraq under the Shi’ite-led government that came to power after Saddam’s downfall in 2003.
Also known as the People’s Mujahideen Organization of Iran, the group led a guerilla campaign against the U.S.-backed Shah of Iran during the 1970s, including attacks on U.S. targets.
As a result, the United States placed it on its list of foreign terrorist organizations. The group has said it has renounced violence.
“Given the ongoing efforts to relocate the residents, MEK cooperation in the successful and peaceful closure of Camp Ashraf, the MEK’s main paramilitary base, will be a key factor in any decision regarding the MEK’s FTO status,” Clinton told U.S. lawmakers.
Shahin Gobadi, a spokesman for the
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