Iranian Kalabalik by Peter Khan Zendran

Today the current political situation in Iranian affairs is more full of cabals than ever before. Everyone has their own agenda and to some it is confusing who really wants what, who can be trusted, and what is everyone’s real agenda. In relation to what is going on in Iran and it’s foreign relations these cabals come at a crucial point in Iranian history and are of great concern and must be understood if we are to survive.

The variety of these cabals is staggering to those who are not familiar with them. There are those who want to liberate Iran from the Mullahs, those who want to bring democracy to Iran, those who want to restore the Monarchy, those who want a fascist regime, those who want a marxist state, those who want Iran to be a foreign colony, those who want Iran to be strong, those who want to bring democracy to Iran, ad infinite nauseum. As varied as these groups are most of them have a few things in common. That is they are a lot of talk and of questionable actions, and that they all want one thing, power. The fact that they want the few same things should in theory makes them united in principle, but in practice these cabals overlap and interfere with the actions of each other that it is confusing to figure out who can be trusted. This is important especially when Iran is threatened by countries like America and needs to be strong to protect it’s people.

The most important thing we need to do is determine who we can trust and there is no better way to judge who is trustworthy than by the words and actions of people and how they affect us. Some people are obvious fakes despite their words. I remember in 2004 when Bahman Nassiri was calling for mass demonstrations by the Iranian people against the Iranian government. I knew this man, despite his posturing as an Iranian patriot and opponent of the Mullahs, was by his incitement leading Iranians down the wrong path since any uprising would cause instant retribution by the Iranian government by killing demonstrators and giving countries like America an excuse to interfere in Iranian affairs directly. Nobody who cares about Iran would be so blind as not to see this. Others are more subtle. Reza Pahlavi, who constantly drones on about liberating Iran and bringing democracy to Iran, is a perfect example. For all his talk he has the last name of the last Shah and collaborates with many different groups, be it the CIA, MI6, Mossad, the Alavi Foundation, the Disinherited Foundation, groups who on the surface have opposing interests, to name a few that is difficult to trust him whatsoever.

The odd diversity alone is not enough to flush out Reza Pahlavi as suspicious, but actions in regards to him are. In October 2002 the New York City Police had evidence and warrants to arrest those associated with the Alavi Foundation on grounds of supporting terrorism, including Reza Pahlavi. At the last minute the planned arrests were called off by the American government. Why we can speculate but it makes us question that for all the bluster about Iran as being “evil” are the governments of Iran and America partners in crime?

Consider that the Islamic government of Iran has been anything but energetic about grabbing Reza Pahlavi. His offer during the Iraq war to return to Iran to serve as a fighter pilot was rejected, despite once being on Iranian soil he could have been easily disposed of as Shahriar Safiq and Shabour Bakhtiar were in Paris. Nor has the Iranian government demanded his extradition in the Fumika Pahlavi trial, which would be backed by international law if the case were actively pursued to take out an opponent of the Mullahs. Yet for some reason Reza Pahlavi is not actively pursued by the Mullahs and this makes us wonder if he is secretly collaborating with them. Also notice the case of the current head of the Disinherited Foundation, Mohammed Forouzandeh. This man seized drugs from drug dealers he arrested and later sold the same drugs for personal profit while working as a cop in Michigan and has a history of abusing two women he married in America. The American government, for all it’s bluster about calling Iran “evil” has not decided to find some way to charge this man or any other way to go after this crook, let alone use his presence in the Iranian government as a pretext for action. Surely the American government would want such a person to be removed and the Iranian government would hand over this man who with his presence has alienated many Iranians who if they were in government service do more good for Iran than this man. Yet for some reason this man, like Reza Pahlavi, is not actively pursued as logic dictates he would. Once again, the question of secretly collaborating with the other side is a factor.

Consider also the actions of organizations involved in Iranian affairs. Groups like the Tudeh, who say the support the workers of Iran but who make statements in the media which ultimately harm the very workers they support. The time they collaborated with the American Red Cross to allow that group, which is a spy front for the American government, after the Bam earthquake. There were several other organizations doing relief for the Bam survivors that had no connection with the American government which Tudeh could have supported. Yet they supported an organization that offered relief in order to gain intelligence for a possible invasion which shows Tudeh can’t be trusted. Consider also the Mujahadeen-al-Khalq as well. This April a meeting in the Washington D.C. area between several members of the MEK, including Mariam Rajavi, and the American government under the guise of bringing democracy to Iran was announced. What went on at this meeting is anyone’s guess but the fact that members of a group that has repeatedly claimed to act in defense of Iran has met with members of a government that has repeatedly threatened to invade Iran. Little good can be expected to come of this meeting. Those groups who are stupid to accept monetary and material aid from the American government under the guise of bringing democracy to Iran are obvious pawns of America’s government since they do not have the best interests of Iran at stake. Taking the $3 Billion the American government has offered to pro-democracy groups may sound nice to some but ultimately it provides an excuse to occupy Iran as Iraq and Afghanistan have been done and to further American interests as cash support to insurgents as in Serbia and Georgia. Then again, any Iranian person or group that takes the money of a foreign power to harm Iran is a traitor.

The current political situation in Iran reminds me of the constant cabals that would plague the Ottoman court when foreign powers were involved. Then, as today so many different cabals with so many different goals. Just as then all these different cabals have the potential to do good as well as bad. It is our obligation to make sure these cabals do good and not bad.